Hanging out in Hawaii
For our summer vacation this year, we decided to take the girls to Hawaii. We had enough frequent flyer miles to get all of us there, so we only had to pay the taxes on each ticket ($11.20). So, for a grand total of $56.00 we were on our way! Because it’s hard to find award availability for five seats, we booked early – and because we’re cheap, we gave it to the girls as a Christmas present lol! We told them we were going on a trip and gave them some clues to the destination which ended with them opening a box of leis.
We decided to fly to Honolulu, and thanks to the United Excursionist perk, we had a free flight to one of the other islands. If you don’t know about the Excursionist Perk, it’s a great way to add another destination to your trip for free! If you want to learn more about it – click here. It was tough to choose between Kauai and Maui – but we ended up going with Maui. Once we purchased flights, we started looking at hotels and HOLY HELL HAWAII IS EXPENSIVE! Most of the hotels were in the $200-300 range and since there were five of us it was tough. We ended up doing an Airbnb in Oahu and a VRBO in Maui – and 8 nights costs us right around $2000. We decided to rent a car in both places which cost us another $477.
This was apparently the trip of natural disasters because right off the bat we landed at LAX shortly after they experienced an earthquake – but our flight out was smooth sailing from there. One of my childhood perceptions of Hawaii was squashed at the airport when nobody greeted me as soon as I got off the plane and hung a lei around my neck. Rude! 😉 If you wanted to buy one you could though lol! Our first Airbnb was a cute little condo in West Oahu in the town of Waianae. We enjoyed the stay (other than the REALLY loud peacocks in the morning) but we made a rookie mistake by staying in this area. If we had been looking for a relaxing stay, with quiet little beaches nearby – this would have been the perfect place for us. However, when we vacation, we go, go, go and I had a list of places we wanted to visit, like the Polynesian Cultural Center, Waikiki and Ziplining at Keana Farms. When I looked at it on the map – it seemed like this would be a great location as two of the places we wanted to go were on the North Shore which looked like a stone’s throw on the map, and the only stretch would be Waikiki which was on the Southeast side of Hawaii near Honolulu. Wrong! I learned a valuable travel lesson here in that next time I will look for DRIVING directions from where we’re staying. To get to the North Shore from West Oahu, you had to drive all the way down to the South of the island (to get around the mountains) and then back up again which took about an hour each way, one day the drive was over three hours round trip! The drives were scenic, but we definitely would have done it differently had we known.
The condo from a distance……
The view from our living room…
And the REALLY loud peacocks!
The first day was spent exploring the Waimea Valley and hiking to Waimea falls. The hike to the falls takes about 20-30 minutes and there are gardens and other scenic views along the way. The cost to get in was a bit steep at $16 a person – but for us it fit the bill. When I say hike, I use the term loosely as the road was paved the entire way, but if you knew my family – you’d know this was the best option for us. It is not uncommon to see someone in a cast or a boot. Once, four out of the five of us had some kind of brace or boot on at the same time and people were constantly asking us if we had been in a car accident! Swimming at the bottom of a waterfall was on our bucket lists but hiking for an hour in 90-degree heat was not. This allowed us to see the waterfall and swim but wasn’t taxing on our first day there. There are lifeguards on site, and they have life jackets available for swimmers. The gardens are beautiful and well worth the walk.
We then jumped on the Kamehamea Highway towards Keana and took in the glorious views of the famous North Shore. We are from Florida, so we’re used to the beach – but the waves here were crazy! Of course, we had to stop at one of the famous shrimp trucks along the way. The plates are generally $15 for 8 pieces of shell-on shrimp. We stopped at the North Shore shrimp truck and had both Garlic and Butter and Lemon shrimp which were delicious. Be aware that the shrimp trucks themselves are a Hawaiian tourist attraction and you could be waiting up to an hour for your shrimp so plan accordingly. I got a picture of the truck but unfortunately did not get a picture of the shrimp since I wolfed it down after waiting so long lol! We tried to stop for lunch on the way but be forewarned things that show as restaurants on Google Maps are more than likely food trucks in the North Shore. Some of them are really good, but it’s kind of a let-down when you’re looking for a place to take a break from the heat in the A/C. We ended up eating at a group of food trucks in Keana and there was a little something for everyone.
We made our way to Climbworks, which is a zip-lining experience in Keana. It is actually a working farm which is kind of cool. They had 8 zips, 2 rappels, rope bridges, scenic boardwalks and one place where you used pulleys to get up to a zip-line stand. This was expensive as well, about $169 a person – but we chose this over a few other cheaper zip lines for a few reasons. To get to the first line, you are taken on a 10-minute ATV ride instead of hiking up yourself. The equipment was all new and looked very safe. The stands and lines were in excellent condition – this was no hole in the wall place. We’ve been on several zip-lines and on many you have to stop yourself. These had automatic stops so all you had to do was ride which is great when dealing with kids who may or may not listen to the instructions they’re given about the line. The views from the zip lines were absolutely gorgeous and you could see the beach, the mountains and the farm all in one ride! All of the guides were great and would explain the different parts of the farm. They have water stops at most of the lines and you get to try cherry tomatoes and bananas grown on the farm along the way. The rappelling was also non-break and the pulleys were hard but if you couldn’t make it all the way up, they’d help you so no worries there. On the last line they encourage you to ride upside down so get ready!
The second day was spent at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie. We wanted to experience a luau, and most charged you well over a $100 a person. The PCC is a bit more than that, but it includes all day at the PCC, a luau, and then a night show. With the package we chose we also got both nut and flower leis which made for great pictures. We chose the ambassador package which included a personal tour guide to take you in a group of 10 around the park. In hindsight I would not have gone that route because then you are on your guide’s itinerary and may miss some things you want to see. The center is set up as 6 different “islands” where you get to experience a different culture in the Pacific like Samoa, Tonga or Fiji. They would have buildings set up like the particular culture along with different experiences and little shows. The kids got to try spear throwing and playing a tune on the sticks and the ukulele.
There were many other activities like crown weaving, hula dancing and Polynesian tattoos to name a few. We spent the whole day there. Of course, we had to buy the drinks in Coconuts and Pineapples because – Hawaii …. duh. At 6:00 p.m. we were brought to the Luau which had a ton of food like Imo Pork, Lomi Salmon, Teriyaki Braised Beef and Aioli Glazed White Fish and Kalua Pork. Even with all this food I’m pretty sure one of my kids had nothing but purple tarot rolls for dinner 
. There was a show during the luau that was cute, but the main show Ha: Breath of Life was after dinner in the main stadium. The ambassador package included reserved close up seats, so we didn’t have to hurry to get a spot. The show included 100 different island dancers and singers, along with fire knives. It wasn’t Broadway, but it was pretty darn good for Hawaii.
Day 3 was spent in downtown Waikiki. The first thing we did (of course because this is me duh) was to stop and check out the street art in Kakaako. There were a few good murals, nothing like Wynwood Walls in Miami, but still worth it if you’re already in the area.
We walked the famous Kalakaua Avenue for some high-end shopping, and then strolled down to the beach. We didn’t stay long as it was wall to wall people, and we had a beautiful little quiet beach waiting for us right near our Airbnb. We had lunch at the Waikiki beach side bistro while watching the boats and swimmers nearby.
On the way home we made a few stops for Hawaiian favorites – Leonard’s Bakery for Malasada’s and Waiola for Shave Ice. Malasadas are Portuguese Doughnuts without a hole. They are golden brown on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we ordered way too many of them – they definitely taste better when they’re fresh.
The Malasadas were good, but the shave ice is my new favorite – note it’s shave ice not shaved ice. The ice is shaved so finely that it is soft, nothing like a Rita’s or anything we get in the states. We tried to find a place at home that claimed they had shaved ice, but it was just not the same. They had a ton of flavors, and the Hawaiian way often has toppings like Lilikoi Cream, Condensed Milk or Chocolate Syrup or goodies like Mochi balls or Vanilla ice cream. One of the combinations was “Obama’s Rainbow” – passion fruit, lime and cherry. I must admit I’m a purist and went for grape, cherry and banana – I know what I like lol!
We decided to take it easy for the rest of the day and swam at the little beach near our Airbnb, which was absolutely beautiful! We’re from Florida, and are used to beaches – but there is something about having mountains in the background that makes it that much better. The waves were a littler rougher than we’re used to, and one of my daughters who was sunbathing a little too close to the surf ending up a losing a phone, but other than that minor crisis it was relaxing lol!
The following day we drove to the airport and took a plane to Maui. As I mentioned above, because we flew with United Miles, we were able to use the Excursionist perk to visit another island. Our VRBO here was a condo in Kihei with ocean views, this would have been awesome in whale breaching season. If you’re visiting later in the year, I would definitely stay here and watch the whales from your bed! Our first order of business was to get Debbie ice cream from Lapperts which was a gourmet ice cream shop with selections like Hawaiian Sea salt Caramel (Hawaii Pink sea salted caramel fudge with sweet cream) or Kauai Pie (Kona Coffee Ice Cream, Hawaiian macadamia nuts, shredded and toasted coconut with dark chocolate fudge). Some of us thought it was too bougie and asked for Coldstone instead lol!
The next morning, we met our Airbnb photographer Frank at Po’olenalena Beach park to get our family pictures taken. If you haven’t been on Airbnb in a while, they now have Experiences, where you can book tours and other activities. In many areas you can hire photographers to come take your picture (see my article here) while on vacation. I decided since we hadn’t had family pictures done recently and the scenery was amazing – why not? The photos turned out great and now we have another subtle reminder of our trip to Hawaii hanging on the wall.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering Front Street in Lahaina, shopping in Ka’anapli, eating and of course getting some more shave ice. The girls picked up their souvenirs here – a floppy hat for Aislyn, a vintage shirt for Brynn and a toe ring for Kaleigh. They picked Cheeseburger in Paradise for lunch for burgers and Mai Tais and I decided to try the Hawaiian staple Loco Moco, which is a bed of rice topped with a beef patty, two fried eggs, onions and brown gravy. Definitely interesting! We remember this fondly because a few years later a major fire decimated the area including the restaurant.
The next day we took an all-day Road to Hana tour. Not knowing what we were getting into and having heard about the one-way road and hairpin turns we took a tour instead of driving it ourselves. The tour we chose did the full loop instead of going to Hana and back. I think if we were just going to Hana and back, we most certainly could have done it ourselves as the roads were twisty but paved, and the one-way bridges generally had a spot for you to wait until oncoming traffic passed by. The roads on the other side however were quite different and seeing a car that went off the cliff shortly before we arrived made me glad, we had an experienced driver taking us. A few considerations if you’re planning a trip – I wouldn’t do it at night as there are no streetlights. If you’re renting a car read the contract carefully as many places will not allow you to take the drive to Hana and if something happens you would be on the hook for trying to get the car back for repairs which would be VERY expensive.
Our first stop on the tour was Ho’okipa beach, which is a world-renowned windsurfing area but the draw for us were the Sea Turtles. At first glance it looks like there are a bunch of boulders on the beach near the cliff, but as you get closer you can see there are dozens of Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles sunning themselves on the beach. The area they are in is roped off and you can get close enough to take pictures without disturbing the animals.
Along the drive we saw the rainbow-colored Eucalyptus trees and waterfalls Maui is famous for. Some of the falls we saw from the van window while others we got out and walked up to.
Next up was the black sand beach of Haiku. The waves were crashing on the rocks so there was no swimming here, but the scenery was beautiful.
We made a quick stop at Aunt Sandy’s for the best banana bread I’ve ever had and then we were off again. We visited an old church and Charles Lindbergh’s grave. We stopped at the black sand beach of Waianapanapa where we could swim in the surf and walk through the naturally formed lava tube in the park.
Lunch was in Hana at Braddah’s Hutts BBQ, which just so happened to be owned by our tour driver’s mother lol! Lunch was included in our tour and was delicious! We had ribs and chicken with all the fixings. My kid are really picky eaters and when our guide overheard them trying to decide what to have, he found out exactly what they liked and had his mother take out anything they didn’t. Kaleigh had the chicken pasta and dubbed it delicious – which if you knew her you would know says a lot lol! The back side of the Road to Hana had a lot less stops but the scenery was beautiful. It was almost as if you were in a different country.
While we were on the tour, we saw the news about a hurricane that was going to hit the Gulf area on the day we were supposed to layover in Houston. We attempted to contact United, but the wait times were so long by the time they answered we would get disconnected due to losing phone service. We finally found someone who rerouted our return flight from Maui-LAX -Houston-Fort Lauderdale to Maui-Denver-Fort Lauderdale instead which actually worked out better as it left two hours earlier and had one less stop. We had decided to purchase the Premium Economy seats for the long flight, and when we first tried to get through to United they were on sale for $49, as we tried to get through whenever we had service the price would change to $59, $79 etc, and was $99 when we finally got the flight rebooked. Needless to say, we did not pay that, but watched the seats for the next two day and when it hit $49 again, we bought them. So, a great tip is that if you’re interested in the Premium Economy seats, the price fluctuates constantly so watch the prices to see the range and then book when they’re low.
Our final day in Maui we woke up and went kayaking with Maui Kayak adventures. They only have 8 people in a group max which we liked. Some of the waters in Hawaii are challenging to paddle in due to the wind and waves, so we chose the Makena Turtle Town Tour. It’s position makes the waves a bit more manageable and a better option for kids. The guides were great and took us out to a reef to snorkel and they took pictures of you in the kayaks and underwater that they sent you via email for free. If you’ve done any other tours, you know that they will charge an arm and a leg for pictures of your experience, so this was a welcome change.
We got to see several Sea Turtles swimming by and took pictures with them so that we were close enough to be in the frame, but not close enough to disturb them. The wind in Maui is a funny thing, and starts to pick up at about 10 a.m. Our tour started at 7 and the winds started to pick up a little early, so we had to hurry back to make it around the reef with no problems.
Our plan for the day was to go back to the condo, shower, have lunch and then head up to Mount Haleakala for the sunset. Those plans however were quickly derailed. When we arrived at the condo, we decided to start some laundry and while we were waiting for it the power went out. I decided to investigate and walked down to the beach only to find that the entire sky to the East was bright orange and smoky. Right about then I received a text from Debbie that said, “you better come back it looks like we’re being evacuated”. Debbie had received an emergency text on her phone advising that all residents in North Kihei were being evacuated to a nearby school due to an out of control brush fire. Oddly enough, the rest of us had emergency notifications activated on our phones, but she was the only one to get the text. The text stated all residents North of a certain cross street were to evacuate, but we had no idea where that street was, cell service in this area was non-existent and the power was out which meant no wi-fi either so we couldn’t check. We spoke to the building manager who told us that we were about a mile South of the line so we didn’t need to go yet, but he would come around and knock on doors if they did. It turns out that there was no way to leave the area by heading South due to the mountains and water, and the main roads to the North had been closed due to the fire. So, there was really nowhere to go. The cars on the street were at a standstill for hours due to the closed roads, so driving anywhere wasn’t really an option. We knew we had no food in the condo, so Kaleigh and I walked about a mile down the street to see if anything was still open. All the restaurants had closed but luckily the drug store was still open because the employees couldn’t make it home due to the road closures. There’s something about a natural disaster that brings people together and we met so many people on our walk to the store that we probably would not have talked to otherwise. Everyone wanted to know where you from and what your plans were. Our dinner that night was a bit laughable, Ramen noodles, honey buns, soup and chips. But hey – it worked.
We spent a long, sleepless night watching the fires glowing in the distance and wondering if we were going to have to evacuate. The Maui winds were making it hard for fire fighters to get the fire under control. In the early morning the winds died down a bit and a few of the Northern roads were opened. We had a flight out at 8:00 p.m. that night and had initially planned a lazy morning at the Airbnb before heading out but since the winds were due to pick up again at 10, we left the Airbnb and headed towards the airport at 8:00 a.m.
We stopped for breakfast at Zippy’s and marveled at the number of Spam related dishes on the menu, then went to a mall near the airport to walk around. The mall was an outdoor mall and since the air quality wasn’t great, we eventually found a movie theater and went inside to watch movies and wait it out. While in the theater we got a text that a new fire had broken out right near the theater, so we gave up and headed over to the airport at about 3 p.m. The airport was PACKED with folks whose flights had been cancelled that morning and the previous day all trying to get out. The line for security was super long and I’ve never been so glad to have TSA precheck. We had dinner at the airport and watched the smoke out the windows hoping we would make it out and eventually we did.
All in all, I don’t think Hawaii was as impressive for a Florida girl as it would be for people from other states since we have beaches everywhere. But the mountains were beautiful and I’m glad I got the chance to check it off my bucket list.
