Maui - Finally Arrived! 8/29 - 8/30

Aloha from beautiful Maui!

We left O'Hare at 9AM yesterday morning for our trip to Maui... 9 hours later we landed in beautiful Honolulu.

Flying into Honolulu was so beautiful. Equally beautiful was the short flight over to Maui. Maui is only about 200 miles from Honolulu (35 mins).

Maui is the 2nd largest island in the Hawaiian Island Chains and is known as the "Valley Isle." The biggest attraction in Maui is the Haleakala Crater, which we plan on seeing via helicopter! The good thing is that Maui is not too big, roughly the size of Delaware (48 miles long/26 miles wide). We hope to see most of Maui during our short 7 day stay!

Arriving at our hotel, we were greeted with the traditional Hawaiian Lei's, which was fun. We felt like we had finally arrived in Hawaii! We had a quick bite to eat at DUO (steakhouse/seafood at the Four Seasons) and decided to take it easy for the rest of the night. Even though Hawaii is only 5 hours behind us, we were exhausted!

We are staying at the Four Seasons Resort in Wailea. Wailea is nestled on the leeward side of South Maui. The 1.5-mile coastal walk, which runs between the resorts and the beach, provides a magnificent view of the South Maui coastline. Wailea has been blessed with beautiful, butterscotch beaches. The water is, on average, 75 degrees in the summer and the sand is like cashmere, soft and warm! As you sit and look out into the Pacific Ocean, Molokini is visible in the foreground. If you were here between November to April, the coastal walk would be an ideal vantage point for viewing the humpback whales that migrate each year to these waters to mate, give birth and nurse their young. Today we were told that if you walk along the coast you may be able to see one of the hundreds of sea turtles that live in Wailea.

Listening to the advice of others, I got up early today (5AM!!!) to watch the sunrise. I snuck out of the room (Jeff was still sleeping) and got to see, what could have been, one of the prettiest sunrises I've ever had the pleasure to see. I was literally the only person on the beach. The only footprints on the beach were my own! I have talked up this sunrise so much that Dale, Cheryl, and Jeff have decided to join me tomorrow!

Our hotel sits on Wailea Beach and was named America's Best Beach in 1998. The beach is broad and wide and is protected by black laval points on either side. It is an ideal spot for swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling and body surfing. The wind picks up in the afternoon so by 8AM the beach, the pool, and the water was full of people starting their advertures for the day.

We enjoyed the poolside breeze until about noon. We wanted to visit Lahaina this afternoon, so we rented a jeep and were on our way. The drive to Lahaina is so beautiful, very similar to driving the coast in California, but better! Lahaina is only about 30 minutes west of Wailea. It is known for its art and culture. The streets in Lahaina are narrow and crammed with all kinds of shops, outdoor kiosks, tucked away restaurants and more and the boardwalk is ideal for watching the sunset.

One famous landmark in Lahaina is the Banyan Tree. It is the oldest tree in Hawaii, brought from India in 1873. It was only 8 feet tall when it arrived and is now 50 feet tall and spans over 200 feet wide! Another historic site is the Maria Lanakila Church, located on the corner of Wainee and Dickenson streets. This is a replica of a Catholic church built on the site in 1858. Maui's first Catholic church, a much smaller structure, was established here in 1856.

We had an early dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise and then headed back to Wailea. We will be back in Lahaina on Monday night for the famous Old Lahaina Luau.

That's it for today! We have no plans for tomorrow ... we are too busy enjoying the Hawaiian spirit! Till tomorrow....

xoxoxo

Jenn