We loved exploring Maui's beautiful volcano.

Without the urban center of Honolulu that graces Oahu, Maui is more laid back and has less hustle and bustle in its towns. Still, Maui is a tourist paradise, and the balance between its pristine natural side and the large resorts and condo rentals is carefully maintained. With many visitors composed of family groups, there are children’s menus at most restaurants and many activities at resort hotels and island attractions that focus on the kids. It’s an easy trip for adults because the island opens its arms to your ohana (Hawaiian for family). 

Our first look at that natural side of island life was driving from the airport to the Maui Sheraton Resort and Spa, our chosen resort for a recent trip. En route, off the coast – whales! In migration season they’re clearly visible from a variety of pull out view points. Spotting humpbacks in the gorgeous aqua sea made us swing into a guide-book recommended spot: the Whalers Village Museum in Kaanapali. This free admission attraction focuses on a less benign form of whale-centric activity: hunting rather than watching the humpbacks in all their magnificence. Whale hunting was a major industry in Hawaii in the 1800′s, and this museum depicted it well, including recreated crew quarters, examples of carved scrimshaw, and hunting harpoons. 

Maui Sheraton Resort and Spa

On to the hotel. We’d had a difficult time choosing a resort out of many options, but the Sheraton Maui won out because of the family suite accommodation combining a bedroom and living room for plenty of space. We were also impressed by kid’s activities such as junior snorkeling, hula lessons, sand castle building, and lei making. The snorkeling is in a sheltered jetty, and available for ages 5 and up. Best of all, there’s a one foot deep children’s pool perfect for toddlers. 

The resort is located near Lahaina, a funky, fun town from which you can take a ferry to the completely laid back island of Lanai, attend a stellar luau, or take a sunset tour in a glass bottom vessel. Once the capital of Hawaii, there are historical buildings worth an afternoon stroll, plenty of restaurants and souvenir shops; and bars from which the music spills pleasantly. We browsed galleries, bought a few tee shirts, and took a ninety minute ride on a submarine. The sub was a great hit for its view of a sunken replica of a whaling ship, and a plethora of multi colored fish. While the sub tour requires kids to be three feet tall, the catamarans that offered whale watching and harbor cruises did not. 

Our favorite restaurant in Lahaina is the Lahaina Grille. This is an upscale restaurant with cordial, special-diet accommodating staff, and a laid back vibe. Our kids were treated to samples of a variety of appetizers, and their warm chocolate cake was absolutely amazing. As we loved the goat cheese and mango salad, the server recommended we make a visit to the goat cheese purveyor, the Surfing Goat Dairy perched at the entrance to Haleakala volcano. Not only are there free tastings, there are excellent tours for all ages, where kids are invited to try both milking and herding the goats. You can also buy a bag of hay for a dollar and just feed the baby goats — all with a view of the magnificent volcano. 

When you’ve tired of gazing up at the volcano, then it’s time to take a drive. The curving road leads up ten thousand feet, and many tourists tackle the drive early in the morning to watch the sun rise from the summit, while others pay for a hotel pick-up and a ride to the top followed by a bicycle adventure all the way down. We didn’t rise early or rent bikes; instead we took a lesiurely late afternoon drive. The view of ocean and island greenery below is still spectacular, and at the windy summit, clouds wafted around our heads. Easy trails lead from parking lots across the harsh volcanic rock to view points; although our kids were content with viewing the lush coast line. 

Exploring Maui took us from the beach to the volcano to the sugar cane fields.

Another great attraction is also located mid island, in the Iao Valley. Here you’ll find the Maui Nature Center, featuring excellent and interactive exhibits about the Hawaiian ecosystem.  A short drive away is the Iao Needle, situation in a deep green valley. This twenty two hundred fifty foot stone pillar is a rock pinnacle once used as an altar. Located in Iao Valley State park, the needle is impressive, and the park itself is lush with native flora. Easy hikes make this a great location for families to explore. 

Another great family spot: the Maui Ocean Center. This aquarium is focused solely on native Hawaiian marine life, and if you or your kids are going to snorkel, it’s a great introduction to just what fish you’re seeing there in the sea. Our kids enjoyed the massive tiger shark on display, too, and hoped not to meet him or his peers personally. 

Along with pleasant beach relaxation and the balmy warm Maui waters, these activities will easily fill one Maui vacation for you as it did for us. We’ll explore other Maui adventures in upcoming blogs. Aloha!

Ocean Lawn wedding at the Maui Sheraton

Maui Wedding Vacation in Lahaina – Day 7 

The wedding and dinner reception took place outdoors in a scenic setting at the Maui Sheraton Resort and Spa called Ocean Lawn.  This was the last full day of our Hawaiian vacation.  My wife, Christian (our 10 month old son), and I walked over to the Sheraton a little early so that we could get good seats. 

For more information about the Maui Sheraton hotel  read my review from our second day of this Maui vacation.

The Ocean Lawn was located between the beach to the West and the hotel to the East.  It was a wide field of grass surrounded by a nicely trimmed hedge.  We knew we were early when we first approached.  The ceremony was due to start in 30 minutes and there were no guests to be seen. The white chairs for the ceremony were lined up neatly on the north side of the lawn facing North West. On the way in we saw a big cart of purple and white orchids being wheeled into the reception area directly behind the chairs.    We scanned the area and saw that people were still setting up for the event.  There was a makeshift bar on the west side of the lawn and the bartender was already there preparing for the inevitable rush.  Some last minute loose ends needed to be tied because there were still hotel staff members organizing tables and things, as well as preparing the stage with their speakers and microphones. 

Wedding groomsmen at the Maui Sheraton Resort

Christian had not yet had dinner, so we decided to walk back to the pool area to find a place to feed him before the ceremony.   I received a text message on the way letting us know everyone was at the Cliff Dive bar having drinks so we joined them.  I brought my wife a chair and set it down in a low traffic area so she could start feeding Christian without inconveniencing anyone.   In the meantime I ordered a mango margarita for myself and a virgin Bloody Mary for my wife.  The Sheraton bartenders can sure make a primo Bloody Mary.  My wife had one earlier in the day when we were hanging out at the pool and now she was craving another.  

The timing couldn’t be better because Christian had a full belly at least 10 minutes before the ceremony was due to begin.  Gabriel and his fiancée had already walked to Ocean Lawn with some friends and were saving us two end seats.  Shortly after we arrived, Christian started getting fussy, and before we knew it he was screaming!  I lifted him out of the stroller and walked around the lawn trying to soothe him.   The ushers were starting to ask people to take their seats and I was stressing out because I wanted to be ready to take pictures.  My wife came to the rescue right as the music was starting to play and took him off my hands. 

The bride and groom at the Maui Sheraton

The sun was still about 1 or 2 hours away from setting, and although it was still bright and beating down on us, the light ocean breeze made it very pleasant.  The music started playing shortly after the groom and groomsmen took their places at the front.  The perfect Hawaiian island music was playing as bride’s maids were escorted down the aisle.  Shortly after the wedding party was in place, the song “Over the Rainbow” by IZ started to play.  That is when the bride was escorted down the aisle arm in arm with her father.  She looked stunning, and everyone in the audience was on their feet with ear to ear grins.  This is when I realized that Christian was calm and quiet.  I was thrilled.  My wife was standing and holding him in her arms just a few feet away.  I had taken plenty of pictures, so I gave her some relief by trading places with her. 

After the readings were complete, one of the groom’s close friends walked up to the front and sang a song by U2 called “All I Need is You”.  It was a very touching moment to see how the bride and groom looked at each other with so much love.  The bride and groom had written their own heartfelt vows and later recited them to each other in front of a very misty eyed crowd.  As soon as they were pronounced man and wife everyone in the audience stood up cheering. 

All the guests ordered drinks and ate hors d’oeuvres while the wedding party posed for their professional photographers.  It was an open bar and people were lined up for drinks all evening.  The sun started setting just before dinner.  After all the introductions were complete, everyone sat down to enjoy the wonderful feast.  It was a buffet style dinner with a wide selection of choices including roast beef (with horseradish), chicken, shrimp, vegetables and much more.  There was even a sushi bar with some of the best spicy tuna cut rolls I’ve had in a long time! 

First dance as husband and wife

After dinner, a handful of the guys walked over to the Ocean Lawn entrance to smoke cigars.  This would be our only opportunity to hang out and have a smoke, so we seized it.  There wasn’t much time, and after about half way through our cigars we made our way up to the Sheraton reception hall on the third floor to enjoy some good music and dancing.  It was a large reception ballroom with an open bar, dance floor, and tables and chairs to accommodate people like me with two left feet.  The bride and groom looked so happy together dancing with their family and friends.  It was a joyous and memorable occasion, and one that we are so blessed to have been a part of.

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.

While most people who are still employed in the United States were at work, I was teeing off at the Kia Kaanapali Golf Course with my best friend Gabriel.  Today is Wednesday August 11^th, the 4^th day of our vacation in Kaanapali Maui and we are staying at the Royal Lahaina Resort. This morning while we were teeing off at our scheduled 8:38am tee time, my wife and 10 month old son Christian were walking over to the Maui Sheraton Resort to meet some friends and hang out at their pool.  I have a wonderful wife who doesn’t mind that I play golf from time to time especially considering what a handful Christian can be.

Prior to our tee time, Gabriel drove us straight to Snorkel Bob’s rentals after picking me up from our hotel.  The nearest Snorkel Bob’s location was only 10 minutes away at 180 Dickerson Street in Lahaina.  Gabriel had met the owner Doug a year ago.  He had expressed an interest in possibly buying his business, a prospect that Doug had entertained. I walked around the store and couldn’t believe how many things they had for rent.  There was everything from fishing poles and snorkeling gear, to surf boards and golf clubs.  We were of course there for the golf clubs which we rented for about $22 each.  What a bargain considering the Kia Kaanapali Golf Course wanted to charge us $50 for each set of clubs!

The Kia Golf Course fees were $139 per/person plus tax, and we were fortunate enough to have our rounds comped by the Marriott Vacation Club for a meeting that Gabriel attended. Before we started playing, Gabriel and I made a little wager designed to keep the game interesting.  I gave him a 1 stroke per/hole handicap and we decided lowest score would win the cost of the rental clubs (which was about $22).  For the next several holes I managed to either tie or beat Gabriel for at least one stroke even with the handicap.  It was a frustrating start for him but the breathtaking views and wonderful weather more than made up for the high scores.  On the 3^rd hole I pulled out one of my Nicaraguan Perdomo cigars and fired it up with my torch lighter.   These Perdomo torpedoes are the best tasting cigars, and smoking one during a round of golf is mandatory!  I’m convinced that it actually helps my game.  That, and of course a spicy Bloody Mary, which is what I purchased from the golf cart lady that drove by when we were on the 9^th hole.

Maui Sugar Cane Train passing through the golf course

We really enjoyed the amazing views of the ocean and the hotels that lined the Kaanapali coast.  Most of the golf course is located east of the main highway which is on an incline that rises up the mountains, so the view is spectacular.  We admired the beautiful homes throughout the course, each with its unique design and architecture. These weren’t like many golf courses I’ve played where the homes are identical in style and color.  The golf course itself was very well maintained and the surface of the greens were pristine.

We finished our 18 hole round of golf at about 12:30pm.  Gabriel dropped me off at my hotel lobby after first stopping at Snorkel Bob’s to return the golf clubs.  I was tempted to take a short nap in our cool and made up suite, but I didn’t want to miss anymore of my wife and son’s day at the Maui Sheraton pool.  I had some work related business to deal with first, but I headed straight for the Sheraton soon after.

It took me less than 10 minutes to walk from the Royal Lahaina to the Maui Sheraton.  I found everyone at the South end of the pool area and was disappointed to find Christian asleep in his stroller.  I was looking forward to taking Christian for a swim but my wife made it clear that I better not wake him prematurely.  After about 30 minutes I decided to test the waters by myself until Christian was awake.  The water temperature was a little cold for my taste.  I liked the layout quite a bit and decided to swim through the river like portion of the pool that snaked around the Cliff Dive Bar which stood in the center of the pool like an Island.  The water depth was 5 feet at its deepest level and I followed the path of the water to a fork where the river split and one path branched out towards a small waterfall. I also saw a short water slide that led to another pool farther north. 

Christian finally woke up and I had my chance to take him for a swim.  My wife and I had ordered some food and drinks from the Cliff Dive Bar before going into the pool.  We had both ordered the Mahi Sandwiches and a couple of drinks. 

Christian was in the yellow floaty we bought two days earlier at the ABC store in downtown Lahaina for only $4.  He enjoyed himself, but he had not eaten since before his nap and after a while he started to get fussy.

When we returned to our seats, the waitress had already brought our food and drinks.  It was a bit of a juggling act, but we managed to eat our food and feed little Christian his baby food at the same time.

Tonight Gina and I decided at the last minute to stay in our hotel and spend a quiet evening with our family.  Several people from the wedding were planning to get together for happy hour at the Maui Sheraton.  We were going to meet up with everyone, but we changed our minds after another long day of playing in the sun.  We love to spend time with our friends while enjoying a cold tropical drink, but we never lose sight of the true purpose of a vacation and that’s “rest and relaxation” (R&R).

After just lounging around in our spacious Royal Lahaina hotel Villa for a few hours, we wrapped up the day with a nice charming dinner for three (Christian was asleep in his stroller) at our hotel restaurant the Royal Ocean Terrace. The food, ambiance and views put us in a very relaxing mood and were the perfect end to a perfect day.

Breakfast at the Royal Ocean Terrace

Maui Wedding Vacation in Lahaina – Day 2

I woke up at 6am on day two of our vacation at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Maui.  My wife had already been up since 5am with our 10 month old son Christian. We were all still adjusting to the three hour time change.   Light flooded into the room as we opened some of the many shutters that lined each side of our cottage suite.  Our sleepiness was replaced by excitement as we took in the sights of the garden and mountain views from our windows.  Rays of sunlight were starting to penetrate through the waterfall of clouds spilling over the mountains to our East. There were so many birds chirping around our cottage that we wondered if there were nests just outside our window.

After Christian was fed, my wife and I showered and headed outside in search for a place to eat breakfast.  Christian was secure in his Snap-and-Go Graco stroller and ready to experience his first full day on the island of Maui.  While outside, we pushed the stroller down a network of walkways towards the pool and beach.  The weather was warm and humid, but there was a strong and refreshing breeze making it very pleasant.  We knew that we were on the right path because we could smell bacon and other food cooking.  Our pace quickened as we approached the Royal Ocean Terrace.  The Royal Ocean Terrace was a wonderful open restaurant overlooking a swimming pool and beach.  It was still very early in the morning so there was plenty of seating both inside and out. 

Royal Lahaina pool at dawn

The breakfast buffet was only $19.95 per/person, a bargain for the wonderful variety of choices.  There was fresh fruit including sweet papaya, pineapple and melons.  There was scrambled eggs and readymade omelets stuffed with peppers, onions and other goodies.  There was French toast, pancakes, waffles, bread pudding, and a wide selection of pastries and different types of bread.  Our waitress brought my wife hot coffee, and I drank several glasses of guava and orange juice.  We loaded up our plates multiple times before we were through.  Christian had already eaten breakfast at the Villa, but he still ate several juicy chunks of papaya and some of his puffs as he kept us company.

The Sheraton Maui is where our friends are getting married, and we knew that it was walking distance from our hotel. Before our trip I made sure to map it out on Google and found that it was just South and separated by one of the fairways of the Kaanapali Golf course.  With our bellies full of food we thought now was a great time to explore, so we headed south on the beach walkway.  It was lovely.  The walkway led us along the coast with the golf course and hills to our left and the calm vast light blue ocean to our right. Joggers past us by continuously and this only strengthened my resolve to find a gym and work out later. 

Walkway to the Maui Sheraton Resort and Spa

We entered the Sheraton hotel grounds through the tennis courts.  We were very impressed with the overall layout of the hotel and really liked how open it was.  The Sheraton is definitely a more up-scale and more updated resort when compared to the Royal Lahaina.  The landscaping and design of the place is superior with its elaborate network of swimming pools, lakes and rivers.   The hotel rooms were not spread out like the two story cottage suites that covered our resort.  Instead there were several higher rising buildings throughout the 23 acre property (six stories each) all accessible via elevators.  The main lobby was three floors above the pool and beach area.   While exploring the premises we ran into the bride and groom to be!  It was still quite early in the morning and they were heading out for breakfast at one of the Sheraton restaurants we passed along the way.

Maui Sheraton Resort pool area

We spent the rest of the day back in our hotel at the pool in front of the Royal Ocean Terrace.  I have to say we were disappointed that there were no pool side umbrellas to provide shade, and I don’t mean they were reserved by other guests, I mean they didn’t have any at the resort period!  There are two pools at the resort, and unless you are parked beneath some palm trees at the right time of day, you are fully exposed to the sun.  This is obviously less than ideal for families with kids, especially very young children like Christian.  The hotel did have an area further down where they were renting double lawn chairs with a pull down canopy for two.  There was really no other choice so we rented it for $15 and spent the next few hours enjoying the wonderful ocean view.  I was able to fit the baby car seat smugly in the space between our lawn chairs where Christian slept for at least 2 full hours!   It was nice to have some quiet and relaxing time to ourselves during his slumber!

Later that afternoon I walked from our hotel to the Valley Isle Gym in the Fairway Shopping Center.  It was only a 10 minute walk which was a good way to warm up before I started lifting weights.  I paid $55 for a one week pass, and spent the next 45 minutes working shoulders and biceps.  The Valley Isle Gym reminds me quite a bit of Gold’s Gym back in Redondo Beach where I’m from.  They have a great selection of hammer strength equipment as well as free weights. I worked out extra hard knowing that we would once again be dining out which makes me feel much better about all the fattening meals.

Royal Lahaina Beach

That evening my wife, Christian and I joined my friend Gabriel and his fiancée at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in downtown Lahaina for dinner.  We had reservations for 7:30pm and they seated us as soon as we arrived.  Christian was already fast asleep in his Graco baby car seat and we made sure to bring along his sleepy sheep noise maker to help drown out the noises at the restaurant.   My wife had the filet mignon, and I had the New York Strip medium rare.  We ordered fried calamari as an appetizer which was a real treat.  The steaks were tender, juicy and every bit as good as we expected.  We’ve dined at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse several times before at the Palm Springs location and we love it!