Hawaii: 12 Days in Paradise

This was to be our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii, and we planned it as such. Anticipation was helping us through the dark and frozen days of winter in Minnesota, and finally January 31 came. Grandma arrived to watch the kids and we were off for 12 days! We were lucky enough to spend time in Kauai, Maui, and Oahu.

Kauai was beautiful and our first taste of Hawaii. We stayed in Poipu, on the southern side of the island. The island is small enough that you can see it all doing day trips, and you can get around easily. We relaxed here in Kauai, driving around in our bright-green Jeep Wrangler to see the natural beauty of the island, stopping for refreshments when we felt like it, hiking around where whims took us. It rained A LOT while we were there; in fact, the bridge to Hanalei was closed and there were flash-flood warnings, but those Hawaiian flowers are still beautiful when wet! We also spent part of a day at the Poipu Bay Golf Course, with a pond in the middle of the sand trap and a rare lightneing storm took us off the course at the 16th hole! Our favorite things to do in Kauai: having a drink at the Waimea Brew Pub, watching the sun set from the beach, dinner at Roy's was fabulous, and walking the lava shelf at Queen's Bath.

After the quiet and relaxing time in Kauai, we were ready for the nightlife and activity of Maui! Maui has it all: shows, boating, shopping, luaus, and livin' it up!!! Our schedule kept us busy all day and night!! We tried skuba diving on the Maui Magic, biked down the volcano with Aloha Bike Tours, went all the way around the island on the road to Hana, enjoyed the Super Bowl in 80°F weather at a bar by the sea, and saw a the Lahaina Luau! Our favorite things in Maui: biking the volcano with Aloha Bike Tours, snorkeling in Kapalua, shopping in Lahaina, and the Old Lahaina Luau.

Quick Tips:

Oahu was even better than we expected. We stayed on the North Shore at Ke Iki Beach Bungalows, and the beach here was pretty, a little rocky, and almost empty. Our deck overlooked the beach, and there was a hammock, grill, and outside tables available for our use. Our favorite things in Oahu: Matsumoto Shave Ice in the great town of Haleiwa, hanging out in Haleiwa, sitting on our deck/beach at Ke Iki Beach Bungalows, and snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. The guidebooks to get are the Revealed series. You can find them at your local bookstore. To get the most out of your time here, I would research what is available for you to do, and some things, like the Old Lahaina Luau, need to be booked well ahead of time.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you are staying in Honolulu, you could get by on public transportation. There is a bus that goes all the way around the island if you want to do that and get off and on along the way; it takes all day to do. If you are staying anywhere else, and/or on the other islands, you will need to rent a car.

Being greeted at the door with lei’s was a nice touch and a clue that this isn't your everyday vacation hotel. You walk through the wide sliding glass doors and ahead of you is a waterfall surrounded with pools of koi, flamingoes, and swans. The hotel is open to the outside in the back, and the pools around the waterfall will lead you out to 87,000 sq. ft. of an aquatic playground for people of all ages. There are five free-form swimming pools to swim in, a secluded Jacuzzi to relax in, an adult-only pool for those who left them at home, and a waterslide with 270-degree turns and a dramatic 23-ft. drop. The pretty patios have tables to chat around, and bar and restaurant, and if you keep walking, eventually you're on the beach with fantastic views of Lanai and Molokai. Two championship golf courses and an 11-court tennis center are just a short walk away. The workout gym is fully equipped, and has windows overlooking Kaanapali Beach. Within the spa facility, you'll find a beauty salon. If you are traveling with children, they do offer a kids camp for an extra fee.

Our room was the size of a normal hotel room, but the bed was very comfortable and the comforter was down filled. There was a small refrigerator and coffeemaker. Countertops were granite. We had a mountain view that was beautiful. We sat on the little terrace which had a small table and two chairs, and drank a little wine there before going to dinner, looking over the golf course and up to the mountain. The decor was pleasing to the eye and relaxing with neutrals.

One draw-back of the room was that there was not much room to unpack. There was a wardrobe that housed the television on one side and had a small pole to hang clothes on the other. Drawers were under the television. It made the room prettier this way, but was not practical.

The location was excellent. We walked next door to the Whaler's Village, which has restaurants and fun shops. A two-minute drive to Lahaina, which we loved. Lahaina has boat charters, and shows as well as great restaurants and shopping. The Sheraton is their sister hotel, and we used their facilities to snorkel Black Rock. My husband came face-to-face with a sea turtle there!

Our first night in Maui, we walked to Whaler’s Village and had dinner outside at Leilani’s Beachside Grill. Having dinner right off of the beach is the best way to enjoy a great meal, plus enjoy a great view of Lana'i and Moloka'i. After a short wait, we sat down at an umbrella-covered table just in time to watch the sun set.

The menu had a lot of variety at affordable prices. At Leilani's, you can order everything from affordable hamburgers, pasta, or local seafood. John started off with some sashimi--sorry, but I can’t bring myself to even try it, but he said it was very good. We both had some of the fresh local fish for dinner and just had drinks for desert. The food was good, and the surroundings were even better!

We met at Rice Park in Kula for a continental breakfast and to get to know our host, Marc, and the other bikers. Marc was very nice, and safety was on his mind. On the ride in the van up the volcano, Marc pointed out mistakes some of the bikers on their way down were making. This was done in a lighthearted way, yet seriously enough that you knew where it was safe to ride. Non-riders and young children may ride down in the van, children should be 14 before they are allowed to bike down.

Once at the starting area for the bike tour at the entrance to Haleakala National Park, we were fitted to our 24 speed comfort bikes and helmets. If it has been awhile since you have ridden a bike there is an area there for you to practice before you take off.

We were sent off in small groups and allowed to go whatever speed we were comfortable going, and to stop and enjoy the views whenever we wanted to. Wow, you can get going fast biking down a volcano!! The brakes were working well, though, so the ride was exhilarating! The van is close behind, so if there were any problems, Marc would be there soon to help out.

We rode by the Haleakala Ranch founded by the missionary’s descendents, eucalyptus tree woods, and pasture land. It was nice to be able to stop and go as we pleased. We took lots of pictures on the way down.

We ended the 33 mile ride with a deli-style lunch at the Tedeschi Winery. It is the only winery in Hawaii. The grounds of the winery were pretty, and we just had to try the pineapple wine!!