Another Glorious Day on our Maui Vacation

Maui Wedding Vacation in Lahaina – Day 6  

Maui Sheraton Resort Swiming at the Pool

It’s the evening of Friday August 13^th and we are at the Royal Lahaina Resort in HawaiiMaui reflecting on our wonderful day.  We’ve had an outstanding vacation so far and can’t believe how quickly it’s going by.  My wife and 10 month old son are already asleep and I plan to join them just as soon as I complete this account of our day.  

We spent most of today at the Maui Sheraton sunning and swimming at the pool.  We arrived around 7:30am and were surprised to find almost all of the lawn chairs with umbrellas either occupied or reserved.  We did find a good location, and although it was not as close to the pool as we would have liked, we did secure 4 lawn chairs next to each other in between two umbrellas.  

Our primary reason for vacationing in Maui is to attend the wedding of two very dear friends.  The wedding is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) at the Maui Sheraton where most of the guests are staying.   

As the day progressed, many of the guests started to show up at the pool and grab the remaining chairs and tables around us.  We met some very nice people from New Jersey, and my wife who was born and raised in South Jersey was thrilled to have someone she could converse with who had a similar background.  

After spending several hours in and out of the pool with our 10 month old son Christian, I decided to treat myself to a short work-out at the Valley Isle Gym just walking distance from the hotel.  Christian was asleep in his stroller and my wife was enjoying some peace and quiet while she read her trashy – I mean her classy tabloid magazines.   It was only my second work-out at this gym even though I prepaid for a 1 week pass.   I worked abs and chest for about 45 minutes, and then walked back to the Sheraton which was across one of the fairways of the local golf course.  It was a nice short cut and only took me about 5 minutes to traverse.     

We had a nice day bonding with many of the hotel and wedding guests.  Several of us including families with kids hung out in the pool’s shallow end playing catch with a small rubber baseball sized ball.  My wife and son Christian enjoyed a nap by the pool during this time.  I was very happy to see them both getting some rest.  Christian has not been sleeping through the night because of the new environment and time zone change.  

Rainbow on the way to Basil Tomatoes Italian Grille

Later in the evening our family dined at a wonderful Italian restaurant called the Basil Tomatoes Italian Grille.  We had seen the place many times on our walks but had no idea if it was even open for business.  Our friend Gabriel recommended it at the last minute after we decided not to meet everyone at the Hula Girl Bar and Grille as planned.  After a long day at the pool and beach, all we wanted to do was have a nice quiet dinner and turn in early.  The Basil Tomatoes restaurant was only a 3 or 4 minute walk from our hotel cottage, so this was our new destination.  On our way to the restaurant we saw the most amazing rainbow!  There were rain clouds looming off to the North East side of the island just above the mountains, and the rainbow emerged from deep within those clouds and extended South through a cloudless blue sky.  I took some pictures and although you can see the rainbow clearly, the pictures just don’t do it justice.  

We were very happy with the Basil Tomatoes Italian Grille.   I’m normally not a big fan of Italian food, but after tonight I may have to re-evaluate my thinking on this.  The appetizers and meals were spectacular.  We shared the fried calamari with marinara sauce, and ate bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  My wife ordered spaghetti and meatballs, substituting the pasta with linguini style noodles.  I ordered the Rib eye steak and shrimp with mashed potatoes.  The shrimp was excellent, and the steak was tender and cooked to perfection (medium rare).  My meal came with a half head of oven roasted garlic basted with olive oil.  The cloves were delicious and melted in our mouths!  They spread like butter on our bread!  

View from our table at Basil Tomatoes Italian Grille

After dinner we walked past our hotel cottage to the main pool where we enjoyed the cool evening breeze just outside the Royal Ocean Terrace.  It was an excellent way to end a very pleasant evening.  We relaxed on some cushioned lawn chairs and enjoyed the view of the pool and ocean while listening to live music from the Ocean Terrace. The one man entertainer played Over the Rainbow by IZ, as well as other similar Hawaiian songs.  We finally wrapped up the evening when it start to sprinkle.

About the Author: Stan is the proud father of three young children. He and his wife love to travel frequently to places near and far with their extended family.