3 Months on Maui

• The obvious one-beaches! Maui has over 80 named beaches.
  
• Drive the winding road to Hana.
  
• Go whale watching.
  
• Visit a tropical plantation.
  
• Visit different areas like Paia, Kehei and Lahaina
  
• Snorkel with the colorful marine life.
  
• Eat roast pig at a luau.
  

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

The condo complex is located right across from Kamaole Beach Park I. It has six tennis courts and three swimming pools and when I was there, often we were the only ones at the pools.

The unit itself had a nice size balcony, a living room, bedroom, kitchen, washer and dryer and an upstairs loft. There was a dining area with a table and 4 chairs off of the kitchen and the living room had a TV, couch and coffee table. It was extremely clean and well taken care of.

I would not hesitate to go back!

There is a huge selection of breakfasts ranging from the Macadamian Nut Pancakes to the Chili Cheese Omelets. Prices range from about $5-$7 per breakfast.

Lunch and dinner menus include burgers, shrimp, soups, salads, chicken, sandwiches and more. Prices for these range between $6-$11 per meal.

Maui's Tropical Plantation is located one mile south of Waikapu on Honoapilani Hwy (Hwy 30).

Choose a morning trip if you can. The water is calmest in the morning and it is easier to see the whales this way. Plus, if you tend to get sea sick this is a good option.

Sailboats vs. fast boats is a debatable topic. While fast boats tend to get you there faster giving you more time to see the whales, sailboats are quieter. For the more adventurous, you could try the rafts.

Expect to pay about $25-$40 dollars for a few hours worth of whale watching.

Bring binoculars if you have them!

To get to Makena Beach, head to Kihei on the Pi'ilani Highway. When it ends in Wailea, head down towards the resorts to the right. Turn left on Makena Ala Nui road. Once you pass the Maui Prince hotel, it's about a mile and a half. You will see a paved parking lot on the right hand side.

What once was an old whaling town is now a popular spot to spend the day. Visitors come to browse its shops, art galleries, resturants and walk along the ocean front sidewalk.

If you are interested in historical sights, start at the Baldwin House and they will give you a map of other historical sights.

Make sure to stop by and check out Lahainas Banyan tree, planted in 1873 by the sherrif of Maui. Artists and merchants set up their goods underneath it.

If you are looking for nightlife, Lahaina is the place to go. This is where you will find Maui's most upbeat pubs and bars like Moose McGillycuddy's, Longhi's and Maui Brews. Cheeseburger in Paradise also has nightly entertainment.

After I had been on Maui a few days, I met some friends and we decided to rent a car for the day to do some sightseeing. Being the frugal travellers we were, we called around and decided to go with the cheapest place we found.

When we arrived, the car looked run down and shabby-but hey, it was cheap! We hopped in and headed on our way.

Five minutes into the ride, the side mirror on the car flew off. We pulled over to the side of the road and the driver of the car got out to rescue it. Right when he was nearing the section of the road where it was laying, a semi trailer truck drove over it, crushing it to pieces.

Refusing to let this spoil our day, we carried on and headed to the small community of Paia for some lunch. We pulled in and everyone got out...except for me.

"Guys...my seatbelt is stuck."
"Quit joking around, let's go!"
"No-I don't think you understand-MY SEATBELT IS STUCK!"

Yes, I was stuck in the backseat, held in by my seatbelt. After my friends had wiped the tears of laughter off their faces, they tried to wiggle the buckle to release me. Ten minutes later, it finally gave and I was free!

I was so happy to be out and we all slammed our doors, ready for lunch. But...where were the keys? Yes, we had locked them in the cursed rental car. This time, some locals that were sitting outside at a cafe came to our rescue. For some unknown reason, they had a coat hanger handy and easily flipped up the lock on our quality vehicle.

We spent the day in the sunshine on beautiful Maui. Later, we pulled into the car lot to return the car-side mirror in hand. I was in the backseat again and as everyone climbed out...

"Guys...my seatbelt is stuck."