Day 3 in Maui

Started the morning at an orientation here at WorldMark to see if we might like to modify our plans for the week. We did change our minds a bit. It was so nice to get grocery shopping done yesterday, the island is smaller that I remember as far as travel time, which was so great!

After checking out the pool at the condo a bit we came back to get ready for a little hike and the rest of the day out. The six of us drove up to Iao Valley State Park. It was a little busy today but so pretty, even with the thick VOG (volcanic smog from Big Island). The trade winds have been minimal so it is warm and nothing is blowing out to sea. Got some fun pictures and a little exercise. Saw some crazy local kids jumping off a tall rock in to water so shallow they could stand in it after they landed.

After that, we headed to the Maui Ocean Center just in time to catch the feeding and education session with the naturalists at the aquarium. It was great for the boys, they had a little private sesion with a naturalist in the famous tunnel. Brody really liked the turtles but both boys, especially Boone, were obsessed with the sting rays. Boone rushed us through every exhibit until we saw the Rays. They have one that was rescued from the bay after her stinger was cut off named "Stubby" that had successfully mated a few time since rescue. So cool that the boy Rays don't judge her for being different. It is a good thing that my boys like animals since they will never be able to go anywhere without visiting an aquarium or zoo with me as their Mama!

We came home and ran to the beach for a little fun before it got dark. Boone takes awhile to warm up to the waves but Brody dives right in, just like his Daddy! Nothing scares that kid (and that scares me)! Even after he gets wiped out, he's right back up! We came home and went for a gecko hunt. We were still waiting for someone to claim Josh's offer of a dollar to the first finder. I though I found one, but after closer inspection which included knocking him on Boone's head and then him jumping on Boone's knees, he turned out to be a standard lizard (and Boone turned out to be a bit traumatized). Nana found one one flight up that actually had suction cup feet so I deemed her the true winner of the first gecko find!

Dinner tonight was quick thanks to Costco. I made some rice for the first time ever without my rice pot. Who knew? I fried up some cabbage with kalua pork from Costco. It was sooo good! Now after a few Margaritas (also thanks to Costco), it is time to catch up on memory recording. I'll add photos after I get them loaded up.

My favorite quote of the day came when I overheard Katie talking about having the housesitter (Kristy) and Heidi Fed Ex over the ashes of dear family friends that she is in charge of spreading. She is so upset that she forgot to bring them and is trying to figure out a way to get them here. What I heard was "Oh, I don't know. Maybe about a half a cup of each?"

Day 2 in Maui

Today, after a huge breakfast at the resort, we spent the morning exploring Lahaina. There was art fair under our first stop at the Banyan tree. Not so fun for our Monkeys but really cool to look at and talk to the artists. Josh, Grampa and the boys took off to check out the harbor (and get soaked) while Nana and I checked out some shops. I picked up some new Croc flops on the way which was a very good idea for all the walking we'll be doing.

We met up with the boys at Bubba Gumps for an afternoon snack and drink. Poor Brody was a little traumatized to eat in his underwear since Josh insisted we dry out his soaked shorts while we ate on the balcony. Katie enjoyed the first Lava Flow of the trip while I was thrilled with my "hush pups".

We were done early enough to head back to Kahului to hit Costco and get the majority of our food shopping done for the week, as well as some souvenier planning. We came back and had Coscto pizza and ceviche for dinner. The best part was our first trip to the real beach. The boys laughed and played (Josh included) and came home ready for rest.

As a side note: I can't believe how much Brody is finally in to coloring. It has taken awhile but the Ben 10 book that Nana brought has had his attention all weekend. Boone, on the other hand, is becoming a gaming nut with his new DSi, also thanks to Ben 10.

Day 1 in Maui

After a long day of Travel that included a drive to Seattle and a six hour flight to Maui, we arrived at our one night stop in Lahaina. We stayed at the Royal Lahaina Resort and would absolutely go back to stay there. The only downfall was the insanely slow elevators. We arrived about 7:30 PM local time (10:30pm Pacific Time) and just had time to check in and squeeze in dinner before everything closed at nine. We ate at Basil Tomatoes Italian Grill as it was closest to the hotel and it was great even though we were rushed.

The resort was beautiful with fantastic beds after such a long day. I would love to spend some more time there and really check it out.