Maui Family Vacation 2006

Scuba diving, a zip line tour on Haleakala, almost daily snorkeling trips, beautiful drives, and relaxing by the pool made for a nearly perfect 8 days on Maui.

I will not review in this journal our stay at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas. I reviewed it thoroughly in my other Maui journal, and inserted an update from this latest trip.

Quick Tips:

Some tours must be planned ahead of time as they fill up quickly. But be sure to leave days where you can be flexible about your activities. Weather can play a role in changing your plans, even if it's only for a few hours.

Best Way To Get Around:

A rental car is pretty much a necessity. We used Hertz because we are Gold Club Members. At Kahului airport, we were able to get directly on the Hertz shuttle, find our name on the board and get right into our minivan, which already had the keys in it. Those who had rented at lower-cost places (Dollar, National) were standing in long lines just to get on the shuttle. We were probably already on our way to our resort by the time they boarded the shuttle!

Flying into Maui 1 day ahead of our scheduled timeshare week, we had used Starwood points to book a two-bed room at the Sheraton Maui Resort.

With a long flight and stopping for a bite to eat, we didn't arrive at the Sheraton until around 9pm. We received a hearty welcome from Randall at the bell desk with leis all around.

At the desk we were informed that because they were overbooked and we were only staying 1 night, we had been upgraded—to the Presidential Suite! They were as surprised as we were, since the suite runs about $3,500/night. However, the suite only has a king-size bed and we had two teenagers with us. I asked for two roll-aways and they informed me it would be $65/night per extra person.

Randall led us back to the entrance and three of us stepped into his golf cart while he instructed my husband to follow us in the rental minivan. Around the corner and up the hill we went to a private turnaround, only for guests of the uppermost floor. Randall chatted amiably during the 5-minute ride.

Randall let us into the suite and began bringing our luggage in. As he was unloading, our roll-aways arrived. When he heard that we had been told we had to pay for the extra beds, Randall called the front desk and argued for several minutes to get those charges taken off for us. After some thought, I realized it was ridiculous that we'd been asked to pay for them in the first place. We'd booked a room that slept four, so why should we pay extra person charges just because they upgraded us to a room that only had a bed for two?

After a nice tip for his work on our behalf, Randall departed and left us to explore our suite on the hill. A wraparound lanai gave us views of the pool, beach, Black Rock, and a small green area set aside for weddings on top of the hill. High-magnification binoculars on a tripod were a fun way to take in the surrounding view.

The main living area had a couple of couches and chairs, TV and dining table with seating for 10. A small bathroom was right off the entry.

The master bedroom boasted a king-size bed, a desk and chair, and loads of room. The master bath suite had a large bathtub, double sinks, a huge shower and a separate toilet room with bidet and a heated seat.

We were up fairly early the next morning as we were still on Phoenix time. We ate breakfast at the buffet downstairs. It was expensive, but filling. Anyway, we were staying in the Presidential Suite using Starwood points, so basically our cost for staying the night was the price of our breakfast! We snorkeled near Black Rock, then enjoyed the pool area. We came back for the last hour or so to enjoy this wonderful suite before moving on to our timeshare.

I don’t know about your family, but when we haven’t eaten decently in awhile, we’re not very fun to be around. We were pretty snippy with each other after the 6-hour flight from Phoenix to Maui with nothing to eat but snack food (Thanks, ATA). So even before we checked in at the hotel for our first night on Maui we drove down Front Street in Lahaina looking for a place to eat and get back on an even keel. I’d read decent reviews of Moose McGillicuddy’s and knew my picky-eater son would be able to find something to eat here.

I was craving vegetables and ordered the Fajita Salad. The fajita-seasoned chicken topping the salad was excellent. The salad itself was just ok, even though it contained some of my favorite salad ingredients: romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, and crushed tortilla chips.

My daughter ordered the Oriental Salad Wrap. It was very flavorful and fresh tasting. A little too much celery, though.

My husband’s Shrimp Fettuccini was "pretty good; not excellent." My son chose the Enchiladas. His assessment was that the enchiladas were good, but two weren’t enough. Since he doesn’t like Spanish rice or black beans, which were served on the side, I can understand his point. Two little enchiladas don’t fill a hungry 15-year-old boy!

For a really great, messy burger in an intimate setting, Jonny’s is a treasure. The restaurant only seats about 40 people, and service is quick and personal. Order at the counter and take a seat. Pick a song from the jukebox while waiting for your order to be brought to your table. Three of us had burgers dripping with all the fixings. We ordered Maui onion rings as well as the fries and enjoyed them very much. My son ordered the nachos and ate every bite, though he did have to ask for additional sour cream ($1.50 extra).

Well, Hawaii isn’t known for its Mexican food. Compadre’s delivers probably as good as any other Mexican place in Hawaii. We weren’t impressed.

I had the southwest chicken salad. Good chicken, good veggies, lousy dressing. I couldn’t finish it. The taco salad got a decent review from my daughter. Nothing special about it, though. The "Best Damn Enchiladas" were different, somehow, "better than most, but something was burnt."

I’ve read reviews that say this place is very busy, but at noon on a Saturday, there were only four other parties in the house. The take-out counter had an almost constant flow of customers, however. Maybe everyone was taking their lunch to enjoy at a nearby beach park.

I'd suggest Maui tacos instead if you want Mexican food, or eat at aloha mixed plate across the street from Compadre's for better food and a much better view!

Maui Tacos Website

We had worked up an appetite after a morning of scuba diving. Our dive instructor recommended Maui Tacos in Kihei, about a 5-minute drive from our dive site.

Three of us ordered the Lahaina Burrito with chicken (on advice of the cashier) and my son ordered ground beef tacos. There was no seating open at the restaurant, so we ordered to go and walked across the street to a beach park to eat at a picnic table in the shade.

Can there be anything better than a great picnic by the ocean in Hawaii? The Lahaina burrito was great with rice, black beans, cheese, and salsa. We didn’t love the dark meat chicken, though. I opened my tortilla and picked out the chicken, then poured on some pico de gallo from the salsa bar. Yum!

Ma'alaea Grill Menu

After a morning at the Maui Ocean Center aquarium, we were ready for a nice lunch with an ocean view. Family had recommended the Blue Marlin Harborfront Grill to us, but it doesn’t open until noon and it was only 11:30. We’d been early risers on this trip and our growling stomachs wouldn’t allow us to wait around another half hour. We looked at the menu at Ma’alaea Grill and thought we could all find something to enjoy.

We were welcomed heartily by the hostess, who may have also been the owner. The restaurant has a beautiful view of the harbor. It was quite windy the day we were there, so the lanai dining was not available. But a table in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows was the next best thing.

Bill Eby’s Makawao Beef Burger with cheddar cheese and Maui onions was fabulous. I couldn’t quite finish it, but sure would have liked to! The seared ahi special for my husband wasn’t what we would call seared. It was definitely cooked, but he said it was delicious nonetheless. This restaurant makes our list of places to go out of our way to dine the next time we’re on Maui!

Hard Rock Cafe Website and Menus

We ate here a couple of times during our 8-day trip. Not because it’s so great, but because there’s something for everyone. The French dip sandwich was very good. Ask for provolone cheese to make it even better. The chicken club and the BLT (minus the T) were enjoyed by the picky eater in the group. The pulled pork sandwich was a little dry, and extra sauce was requested.

The blackened chicken pasta was outstanding. I absolutely would order it again. We split this entrée in order to leave room for dessert. The hot fudge sundae was good, but had not NEAR enough hot fudge. I like a little ice cream with my chocolate. The chocolate peanut butter crunch was definitely the dessert to order. A chewy brownie, white chocolate peanut butter crunch, caramel, and chocolate. Wow!

Leilani's Menu

Here’s another restaurant on our list of places to return on our next trip. Not only was the food great, but the ambience is perfect. Casual outdoor dining with a view of the beach and the busy Whaler’s Village beach-front walkway.

Our son ordered nachos, which arrived looking like a volcano—it was huge! He ate most of it, and we all picked a little at what was left. Very tasty with tortilla chips, yummy cheese, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo.

The cashew chicken was very good, with fresh vegetables and great teriyaki, but probably not one to order on our next trip. I’m not a seafood lover, but I occasionally like fish and chips. I had the ono fish and chips, and a house salad. I was very happy with my choice. The batter was crispy, the fish flaky, and mild, and the house-made tartar sauce was perfect. The house salad with papaya dressing was light and flavorful.

The coconut shrimp special that night was a winner with my husband. I was too full for dessert, but everyone else tried the messy apple crisp with macadamia ice cream. Everyone loved the apple crisp with caramel, and I couldn’t resist a couple of bites of the smooth, creamy, Dreyer’s macadamia nut ice cream.

Expensive, but convenient if staying at the resort. The cheese pizza and the Hawaiian pizza were heartily approved of by the teens. The peel and eat shrimp, all you can eat for $18 (with a side salad) was enjoyed by my husband. He actually could have eaten more shrimp than originally served, but it was too much work! I had the tournedos of beef with garlic mashed potatoes. The beef was tender and very good. The potatoes were a little boring. However, the fresh snap peas were heavenly.

Tommy Bahamas Restaurant

A friend of our family is a chef at this restaurant in the Shops at Wailea. We met her for lunch on her day off and enjoyed a terrific meal. The view used to be spectacular from the lanai, but now a condo complex ($2 million per condo) has blocked much of it. Still, it was a lovely day and great to be outside with a gentle trade wind blowing.

Our friend ordered the BLT with shrimp, her favorite. My sushi-loving husband order the ahi roll and said it was outstanding. A chicken sandwich with a jerk seasoning was very much enjoyed, but was too large to finish. The tropical quesadillas were really good, and I had to fight my son for a bite before he polished the dish off completely. I had the mango salad and was very satisfied with the light, fruity plate.

Fortunately, as we were dining with an employee, we received her 50% discount. It saved us about $60. Still, I would recommend this restaurant, particularly if you don’t have to feed too many people. There were several items on the menu I’d like to try when we return. Don’t forget to browse in the store on your way out or if waiting for a table. Love the feel of Tommy Bahama clothing!

Aloha Mixed Plate Menu

We loved the casual, oceanfront dining here. However, we’re glad we weren’t in a hurry. Service was definitely on local time. We started by ordering smoothies, with three of us going for lilikoi/mango, and one lilikoi/strawberry. Oh, my goodness! A perfect blend of fresh fruit juices to cool us down on this humid afternoon.

Steve and I were here specifically for the local food. I got the teriyaki beef mixed plate with two scoops of rice and one scoop of macaroni salad. The traditional teriyaki beef in Hawaii is one of my favorite foods. This was really yummy! Steve ordered the Aloha mixed plate which included teriyaki beef, shoyu chicken, and mahi mahi. He was very pleased with his choice and cleaned the plate.

The kids were reluctant to try anything out of their comfort zone. My daughter chose the veggie stir-fry with chicken and enjoyed it very much. My son, ever the one for safe food choices, had a corn dog and mozzarella sticks. At least he was happy and we enjoyed our time together in this outdoor tropical setting.

Having dawdled at the resort a little too long before heading to the airport for our return flight, we stopped at Marco’s in hopes of getting a quick, satisfying meal before the red-eye flight back to Phoenix. We were seated immediately and we told our server we were in a time crunch. He suggested anything but the pizza could be served very quickly. He wasn’t kidding!

Our hamburger, salad, turkey sandwich and grilled cheese with white cheddar arrived within 10 minutes of our ordering. The meal was delicious, though far from exotic. Everything was hot and fresh and we felt ready to tackle the overnight flight.

Maui Dreams Dive Company $80/per person.
I am a certified diver, but have only been once since certification almost 3 years ago. A rough boat dive, it was not the best experience for me, as you can read in my Kauai journal.

My husband is a very experienced diver. Our daughter, 19, and son, 15, have never been diving and with my reluctance to go again, I sought advice from others on where to get a good experience on Maui. A poster on a BBS I frequent recommended Maui Dreams Dive Co., which specializes in shore dives. I booked a Tuesday morning introductory dive for the kids and guided dive for hubby and I, even though they are located in Kihei, a 45-minute drive from our condo in Ka’anapali.

We had a great experience with Barrett, our dive instructor. We followed Barrett in our own vehicle as he pulled into Mokapu and Ulua Beach and unloaded all of the gear. I participated in the onshore instructions with the kids just to refresh my memory. After gearing up, we all waded in up to our waists to put on our fins. The kids followed Barrett right out into deeper water, but I was already feeling claustrophobic.

Fortunately, after a brief rest on the sand in about 10 feet of water, I started feeling more comfortable and was able to keep any impending panic at bay. The deepest we went was about 22 feet and I could always see the surface. The first dive was around the edges of the reef. We saw a lot of coral and urchins, rainbow and tri-color wrasses, many Picasso triggerfishes (humuhumunukunukuapua’a), unicorn fish, goatfish, and damsels. We watched as a large turtle swam in front of us and found a nice niche for a nap.

The second dive was even shallower, spending a lot of time over the reef, and then dropping down the other side. At a sandy spot, Barrett motioned for the kids to hand him their fins. He then indicated to them that they should do some back flips and forward flips. It was a fun little respite. On this dive, a smaller turtle swam right up to us and hung out for a minute, then paddled away.

Using a dive company made the shore dive not so exhausting. Barrett did all the work and insisted that we were on vacation and it was his job to load and unload all the gear. It was a great first-time dive for the kids, an easy refresher course for me, and my husband enjoyed it as well.

D.T. Fleming Beach

While we were on Maui, we heard that D.T. Fleming Beach had been designated Dr. Beach’s No. 1 beach in America for 2006. We had passed it a couple of times so decided we would spend part of our final day checking it out.

We are so glad we did. Snorkeling was awesome! We saw more fish, quantity-wise than we had seen in any of our other snorkeling or scuba adventures on this trip. Everywhere we looked were triggerfishes chasing each other around, schools of goatfish, wrasses, and more. I don’t think we saw any fish we hadn’t already seen, but there were tens more of them.

The sandy beach was great. There was a good crowd on this Friday morning, but it wasn’t overly crowded. There is good parking, picnic tables, a lifeguard and restroom facilities at this park. The sun was out and it was a perfect way to spend part of our final day on this lovely island.

Skyline Eco Tours $79/per person.

What a rush! And the last ride is a doozy! The tour takes about an hour and a half with some facts about endangered birds tossed in for good measure. Gear up with harness and helmets at the lodge, and then follow the guide on a short hike to the first zip line.

Here the rules and procedures are explained, and off we go. The first ride is short and not very high. I was first off the platform on this one. Each ride gets a little longer and a little higher, with the final one being 750 feet long. I don’t remember how high above the floor it is, but you fly above the Eucalyptus and Koa trees.

Between each ride is a short hike to the next one. Part of the tour crosses a suspension bridge that you wouldn’t dare cross with out being hooked on to the zip line.

The forest here, about halfway up Haleakala Crater, is filled with Australian Eucalyptus trees. Unfortunately, these are aggressive, fast-growing trees that have taken over the area. The litter from these trees has killed the undergrowth.
Our guides, Max and Roy, prided themselves on being the only guide duo that hasn’t had anyone chicken out on a tour. We had one in the group who was very nervous, but even she made it through the whole course and LOVED the final ride.

The kids, 19 and 15, thought this was one of the coolest things ever. You must wear closed-toed shoes. We ended up buying water shoes at Wal-Mart since my husband brought only flip-flops to wear. Some of us wore sweatshirts, but probably could have gotten by without, especially since we were hiking part of the time.

This tour sells out quickly, so make reservations a few weeks before you go. There is a 24-hour cancellation policy. If they’re booked up, try putting your name on the wait list on the website. It’s a 1.5- to 2-hour drive from Ka’anapali, so you might want to get one of the late morning or afternoon tour times. Our guides said a new tour would be opening near Lahaina very soon.

Oh, and don’t be a fuddy-duddy! Have fun! I was the only one out of our whole group who whooped it up on the tour. The guides back at the lodge could probably hear my "Wahoo!" and "Yeehaw!" on that last ride!

Our first dip the morning after our arrival was at Black Rock, right in front of our Hotel for the previous night, the Sheraton Maui Resort. Black Rock is a well-known snorkel and dive spot on Maui. It was a great place to begin our vacation. Immediately upon entering the water, we saw many trigger fishes, puffers, and tangs. Pipefish hung just below the surface and a number of trumpet fish hovered above the sand. The surf was a little rough, so we didn’t venture too close to the rocks jutting above the water, but there was plenty to see in the rock and coral a safe distance from the surf.

On our previous visit to Maui in November of 2003, the snorkeling right in front of the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas had been absolutely fabulous. We saw many fish and a lot of turtles. We were disappointed this trip in that only one turtle made an appearance at this spot, but he was a beauty! He was big, and filled the spot he’d chosen for a rest. When he swam away, we followed him for a while. I was behind my husband and could kind of make an assessment of the size of the creature using my husband in comparison. He was probably over 3 feet long!

We occasionally saw turtles surfacing as we sat on the beach here. It’s still a great snorkeling beach. We figured out on this trip that it’s called Kahekili Beach, or locals know it as Airport Beach. The parking lot for the beach is adjacent to the resort.

We had stopped at an overlook at Honolua Bay a few days before and watched snorkelers. Amazingly, spinner dolphins showed up and began flipping, spinning, and jumping!

Finding a spot to park at Honolua Bay is difficult. The only parking lot is down a deeply pitted dirt (or mud) road that you probably shouldn’t drive your rental car on. Everyone parks alongside the highway and spots fill quickly. It’s a pretty easy hike down to the bay, but I wouldn’t have wanted to be a diver lugging all my gear down there!

We were disappointed in the "beach." It’s just a rocky shoreline. We dumped our stuff in a shady spot and headed into the water. Again, as soon as we started seeing fish, it was triggers, puffers and tangs. A lot of unicorn fish as well. When we’d watched from above, the snorkelers seemed to be way out there and we discovered why once we were in the water. The reef just keeps going and it’s easy to follow a creature farther from the shore, especially when it doesn’t get too much deeper.

The blowhole north of Napili is a site to behold. When the tide’s right, the blowhole is active and you can hike down to it. It’s a fairly easy hike down, a bit of a workout coming back up. It’s well worth the hike if you’re in decent shape. Water shoes would be ideal, but we managed in our flip-flops. You’ll know you’re at the right place when you see all the rocks stacked by tourists. Visitors think there’s some Hawaiian spiritual significance to the stacking. There isn’t. But it helps you figure out where the blowhole is!

Ohai trail is off the highway east of the blowhole. Above this trail is where I scattered my mother’s ashes from the pali (cliff) in 2003. We went to visit the spot and discovered that there is now a marked trail. An easy hike in the red dirt, we didn’t take it to the end, but enjoyed the view from the first pali lookout.

There are a lot of little beaches all over the island. All beaches in Hawaii are public, but many are small and hidden. After our lunch at Tommy Bahamas in Wailea, our friend took us to Poolenalena Beach where she will be married at sunset next February. There is a short hike from the parking lot through some vegetation and over some lava rocks to get to this beautiful expanse of sand. Part of this beach is somewhat hidden behind an outcropping, and that portion is sometimes used as a nude beach.

We drove all the way to the end of the road at Makena. It’s a very desolate drive part of the way. A’a lava covers the landscape and there’s no place to turn around until you get to the end. It’s worth the drive, though, for the unspoiled, ancient Hawaiian atmosphere. It’s rocky, but the tide pools are great to wander through. Here we watched a small snowflake eel dart out of its hiding spot and catch a small fish. Nature in action! We also watched a large (about 4-5") red centipede crawl over the lava rocks.

Heading back into Wailea, we stopped at one more beach. Just a small sign marked the beach access to this tiny, sandy spot of paradise. A local woman was guarding a sandy area encircled with flowers. Apparently a wedding was to take place here, likely at sunset. The waves crashed against the rocks here and the light was just right for some gorgeous photos.

Maui Ocean Center
$22/adults, $15/children

We are aquarium enthusiasts, having our own 300-gallon, salt water aquarium in our living room. We go to the local aquarium on every family vacation. The Maui Ocean Center was a great way to spend a couple of hours.

For a change, we were actually in the right place at the right time to watch the divers feed the fish in the huge central tank, and then the shark feeding. The sharks are well-fed and weren’t very hungry, but it was still exciting to watch.
Our favorite exhibit was Turtle Lagoon and we got some great photos of the turtles coming up to nibble the algae from the lava rock. Hammerhead Harbor was also very interesting, with small hammerhead sharks lurking under the surface.

Iao Valley State Park might be a boring car ride for the kids, but it boasts spectacular scenery. Once at the park, the kids will probably enjoy the hike up to the viewpoint and down to the river. We toured this area on an overcast day and it made it even more beautiful, with the clouds drifting eerily around the needle.

On the way to Iao Valley, we stopped at Heritage Gardens Kepaniwai Park. Even though it was a drizzly day, lots of activity was going on here. Every covered picnic area was filled with a group celebrating some event. This park is unique as it celebrates the contributions of several different nations to the islands. A Korean garden area is especially prominent.