Aloha Friends!
In the mist of a snow and ice storm, I can’t think of a better time to share Bryce’s and my trip to Maui with his family. In all honesty, looking at the photos and reminiscing about our vacation has left me feeling a bit blue. Thank goodness for such incredible memories that I will forever cherish. I am one lucky human.
If you have never visited Maui or Hawaii in general, Don’t Do It. Why? I am giving you fair warning that you will contemplate coming back to the mainland the ENTIRE time that you are there. Bartending or teaching morning water aerobics at a hotel will be more than enough to entice you to stay. I had several thoughts of living in a little Volkswagen van with a surfboard and becoming a bar cart girl during the day.
DOESN’T THAT SOUND LIKE THE LIFE?
Yes, yes, a million, trillion times YES!
Now that we have established why not to go to Hawaii, LOL — Here are the details of our dreamy stay. As soon as we stepped off the airplane the warm ocean breeze greeted us. Bryce’s kind Dad bought us each leis to welcome us to the island.
Why We Went:
I’m convinced that I am dating the sweetest human on earth with the kindest family. Bryce’s parents wanted to take his whole family + me to Hawaii with them. Originally his Grandmother Betty was supposed to join us. She is 91 years old and still a world traveler (isn’t that amazing? #goals). Last year she flew out for Bryce’s and my graduation in Missouri. Betty intended to come to Hawaii with us, but unfortunately other things prevailed and she was unable to go right before our flight. We all wish she could have been with us!
Where We Stayed:
Ka’anapali Shores at the Aston and it was fabulous. I highly recommend it to anyone. We stayed in a two bedroom villa. It had all the amenities including a kitchen, pools, and beach access.
Excursions:
Mopeds to Kahakuloa Bay
– I recommend becoming a local and renting a moped for the day. Bryce’s sister, Kelsea, and I were newbies to driving mopeds. We went to driving school, and let me say we so did not pass (seriously)! However, we proved everyone wrong and drove the entire day without incident or fatalities. Whew! The road to Kahakuloa Bay was BEAUTIFUL! If driving the road to Hana was on your travel list but you don’t want to be gone the entire day, then Kahakuloa Bay is perfect for you. It is a very similar experience with incredible stops along the way. Make sure to check out the blow hole, a rock with a perfect heart in the center of it, and take a moment and enjoy some life-changing locally made banana bread. You will thank yourself.
Whale Watching
– Maui is the mating place for humpback whales! It is also the birthing place for baby whales. The moms relocate to Maui so they can have their babies in a more shallow part of the ocean. Maui’s waters are only 200-300 ft deep while everywhere else is 600 to 800 ft. If their baby has a hard time learning to swim, this is the perfect spot for them to learn. There are also less predators for them in Maui, thus a higher survival rate. We saw a mom and her baby on our excursion. I’ll never forget this.
Zip Lining
– Zip lining in Hawaii is magical. The entire time you are facing the ocean, and the lines are looooonnnnngggg. It’s an actual bird’s eye view of the ocean. Even if you are scared of heights, give it a try!
Cliff Jumping
– Okay, so this isn’t really an excursion but how could you not go cliff jumping in Hawaii? Bryce, his sister, Kelsea, and I had the absolute best time jumping at Black Rock. We were in tears laughing about our jumping skills. I had attempted to walk on air, Kelsea had lost her swimsuit not once but twice, and Bryce looked like a dang Olympic diver! Bryce, being the daredevil that he is, wanted me to come watch him cliff jump on the other side of Black Rock. Rarely do I back out of jumping off of heights (I have skydived before), but Guys these cliffs that he drug me to were no joke 60 feet high into the ocean. He had to hop a fence to even get to them. So I “attempted” to watch him jump and held his belongings while trying to distract a lady talking to me from her hotel balcony. He lived!
Food:
Hawaii has some of the best seafood in the world. Fresh poke can be found at the grocery store, fruit grows in abundance, and macadamia nuts are on everything. I was in a food coma most of the trip! Great places to dine on Maui are Monkey Pod, Duke’s, Star Noodle, and Farmer’s Market Maui. Just thinking about the food has my mouth watering.
Thank you for stopping by my blog and taking a glimpse into our vacation. Honestly, it has taken all my willpower not to book a one-way flight to Maui while writing this. I hope you put Maui high on your bucket list of places to visit. Someday I am going to look back at my life and remember how magical Maui is. I think its greatest gift besides its beautiful landscape is how it makes you take a second and relax, breath in and connect with the people you are with. This trip was pure magic and those are the memories I will forever keep in my heart!
Love Y’all! See ya next Wednesday! Please stay safe and warm during our winter blast!
by Twofold Media 
