island hopping // M A U I.

 Although Kauai was much more difficult for us to leave than Oahu was, we were still excited to spend the final five days of our Hawaiian adventure on the island of...

M A U I!

We booked the last flight of the day so we could soak up a few final hours on Kauai, and we were so happy we did. Getting to the airport was simple and quick, and we had no issues returning our rental car or getting to our gate. It was a quick 45-minute flight to Maui, and we were so excited to explore this new-to-us island. For the first time since arriving in Hawaii, there was no line for our rental car, and we thought, "Heck yes! We'll get there faster." Our enthusiasm was quickly squashed when the guy helping us told us about the shut downs because of wild fires. We had no idea what that meant, but we learned it quick: there is only one road that led to our resort, and it was closed indefinitely. Yikes! We spent around seven hours parked on the side of the road, and we finally got to our hotel room after 1 AM.

We thought the worst of it was over once we got there. But when I checked us in at the front desk, I was informed that 1) the hotel was at full capacity and 2) the tower our room had no air conditioning. With no other options, we lugged our luggage and two sleeping kiddos into a room that was 80 degrees. Definitely not ideal! We tried our best to sleep and remind ourselves that paradise it still paradise even if it's hot, but I did go down to the front desk and ask for an update first thing that morning. Unfortunately nothing had changed, and that continued every time I checked for the next 24 hours as well. The hotel was very apologetic and accommodating, and they offered us resort credits (which we used for lunches) and a partial refund for the two nights we did not have A/C. I was grateful for their willingness to compensate us for this, and TJ was grateful for a wife who is not afraid to be perceived as a nuisance (LOL). Even though our stay in Maui had a less than ideal start, we were still so happy for the five nights we spent at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Maui.

When I originally booked the trip in the order that I did, I saved Maui for last because I assumed it would be our favorite based on what I read. Surprisingly, Maui ranked last on our list as the trip progressed! It wasn't because anything was necessarily wrong with it; we just enjoyed the other two islands better, especially coming from the slow pace of Kauai. We mostly stayed on or close to our resort while on Maui, which was a hit with kids because of they thought this pool was the best. After more than a week of adventure, it was difficult for us to adjust to the culture on this island. It kind of felt like we were at an amusement park at times with the large crowds everywhere; there were a lot more tourists here than Kauai and Oahu. We would absolutely go back, but we'd spend more time on the other islands over this one next time!

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Maui, Day One

Our first full day in Maui was a rest/resort day for us, and the pool was a H I T with the kids. They were little fish all day long, which meant that TJ and I went back and forth between pools and chairs all day long, too. The beach here is great, as well, and we saw several sea turtles pop their heads up from the water as we splashed! And after two years of anticipation, we finally got to see the penguin show that happens every morning at Hyatt Regency Maui. The animals on property were so great: African penguins, koi fish, and a variety of birds. We enjoyed exploring the grounds a bit throughout the day.

To finish day one, we ate a club dinner and then walked down to Whaler’s Village. The walk there was quick and fabulous, and we’ll likely do it again before we leave. We love a good walking town, and this lil’ beach one was a winner. We enjoyed some delicious gelato at Ono before walking back to the resort.

We went to bed early to prepare for the next day's adventure: The Road to Hana!

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Maui, Day Two

This magical day can be summed up in four words:
THE ROAD TO HANA!

We spent around ten glorious hours driving winding roads and gawking at stunning views and pulling the car over to explore and driving over 59 one-lane bridges and going with the flow. I downloaded the Gypsy app to my phone and purchased a guided tour that was fabulous, and we listened and stopped where we wanted and didn’t miss a thing, even if we didn’t stop. A lot of people book private tours for this trip, but we decided to give it a go ourselves. I'm so glad we did! We took our time and did what we wanted when we wanted. The Gypsy app was a huge part of why we enjoyed ourselves so much -- definitely worth the $14.99 we spent!

There are countless places you can see from the road, and we made the following intentional stops along the way:

-Ho'okipa Beach

-Ke'anae Arboretum

-Ke'anae Peninsula

-Aunt Sandy's Banana Bread

-Huli Huli Chicken

-Hamoa Beach, Hana

-Wailua Falls

These pictures give a glimpse of all the beauty we witnessed and experienced:

We were all pooped by the time we got back to the hotel, and we were so grateful for such a fun last big adventure day on our trip. Each island has been uniquely its own, and we have loved every minute of discovering that for ourselves. Maui won me over with the Road to Hana — an outdoor lover’s paradise!

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Maui, Day Three

We woke up after 8 o’clock, ate a club breakfast, and spent the majority of the day bouncing back and forth between the beach and the pool. Both kiddos made friends on this day, so it was an ultimate lounge day for Teesh and me. I finished my third book of the trip, and he chipped away at his second (fun fact: it was so fun to look up from my book to see him reading his).

A little after 4 o’clock, we packed up and headed in for showers. Why? Because it was L U A U night at Drums of the Pacific! Dinner, drinks, a three course meal, sharing a table with a darling family from NJ, and a fabulous show made for the most wonderful evening. Throw in the matching outfits that were a hit with everyone we passed (LOL), and this day was just about as good as it gets. Especially after such a big adventure day yesterday, it was lovely to take it slow all day long and then get fancy for dinner. It was extra nice that the luau took place at our resort, so we just had a short walk to get there.

A Hawaiian luau was a MUST-DO on our bucket list for this trip, though it was quite costly for all of us to attend. Was it worth it? Absolutely! If you ever get to experience Hawaii for yourself, I highly recommend you enjoy an evening like this for yourself.

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Maui, Day Four

*sigh*

This day was our final day in paradise. Did we contemplate cancelling our flights and doing a long layover in LA? We absolutely did. But were we prepared enough to actually pull the trigger? Sadly, no. I can assure you that next time, we will be.

We spent this last glorious day in the water all day long. We walked for shave ice after breakfast and then continued on past Whaler’s Village to Black Sand Beach for some swimming and snorkeling. The water was soooo clear here, and we saw lots of fish and a sea turtle. Braxton and TJ were especially giddy for an up-close swimming experience with the turtle, and I ran like a Baywatch mom to grab the GoPro so they could capture it on camera. We already miss seeing their cute little heads pop out of the water when you least expect it.

After a few hours on the beach, we made the 20-minute walk back to our hotel and posted up by the pool until the sky turned from blue to orange to gray to black. We used the remainder of our hotel credits to enjoy dinner poolside, and it was the perfect ending to a perfect two weeks. No one wanted to leave the following day, but we were all looking forward to being home; ironic how two opposites can be true at the same time.

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Hawaii, you have been even dreamier than our wildest dreams. What we once thought was a once-in-a-lifetime trip has now become a once-every-few-years trip; we have been wowed, and we definitely want to feel this way again. 

MAHALO, HAWAII!

island hopping // K A U A I.

 After staying on the beautiful island of Oahu for 3 nights, we packed up and headed to our next island:

KAUAI!

We left a city that wowed us that morning, and we stepped into a lush paradise of green after lunch. We could hardly wait to start exploring, but the line for the rental car forced us to do just that: wait. Thankfully, after 2.5 hours of snail-speed movement, we were driving out of the parking lot and headed to our home for the next four nights: the Grand Hyatt Kauai.

Y'all, it was other-worldly.

We received another upgrade at checkin, and that coupled with the resort as a whole is genuinely too wonderful to describe — but I’ll do my best. Picture this: a warm welcome with fresh leis and large, stocked room, a generous balcony, an oceanfront view, bright pops of color everywhere you look, a friendly staff eager to serve, a water slide and fun floats, waves crashing into rocks on the beach, a scenic walk to see where sea turtles come to rest, a private club area to wind down and/or dine in, all four of us walking around with our eyes wide and mouths open, and more. So much more.

If it sounds like paradise, then you're almost there. We knew instantly that it would be devastating to leave this place.

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Kauai, Day One

We woke up with the sun, enjoyed another fabulous breakfast in the club, spent a few glorious hours playing in the pool & lazy river & lagoon, and then it was time to get ready for our most 1) expensive and 2) most anticipated excursion of the whole trip…

A catamaran sunset cruise along the stunning and humbling and genuinely awe-inspiring

N A P A L I  C O A S T.

Was it everything we hoped it would be? YES. Was it worth every penny and all the anticipation? YES. Do we feel incredibly grateful to have had this experience? YES.

It was magnificent. Absolutely magnificent. One of the most memorable things we have ever done.

As one could expect while spending hours on a boat, a good many people got seasick during our 4-hour cruise; even Braxton felt a little queasy at times. We took some preventative Dramamine before we boarded, and I think that spared us from what others were experiencing from the rough waters and wild wind. Bethany went back and forth between admiring and napping the whole time, and TJ & I couldn’t keep our eyes off the horizon — in awe that we were really there.

We had an incredible afternoon with Captain Andy's, which was complete with a sunset sail along the Napali Coast, all you could eat food and beverages, and genuinely fabulous service. If you are only able to do one paid excursion on a trip to Kauai, I recommend this one. It was outstanding!

In the words of Bethany, “This is the best life ever!"

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Kauai, Day Two

This day was full of beach hopping, followed by our first fancy dinner on land! The magic just kept piling up at this point. Our adventures took us to the following places on our second full day on the island of Kauai:

📍 Hanalei Bay

Drive north to a beach beneath the mountains with boats anchored mid-sea AND waterfalls off in the distance? That’s what this beach was and WOW! It was a great beach for swimming: small waves, lots of space to spread out, a good stretch of shallow water, and more. This bay wasn’t particularly good for snorkeling, but it was gorgeous and fun nonetheless! Especially with kiddos.

📍 Hanalei

This town was so cute! I’d been looking forward to trying tacos from one particular restaurant, and wouldn’t you know they’re closed on Sundays. Honestly, I didn't even know what day it was at this point, so I took full responsibility for that miss. We walked through a few shops (looking for the perfect hat for me with no success) and then enjoyed some delicious JoJo’s Shave Ice.

📍 Poipu Beach

We returned here to see the turtles and do some snorkeling before heading back to our resort. This is such a fun area!

📍 Tidepools

I booked us reservations months before our trip at this restaurant, and it was worth the hype and anticipation! Tiki huts over water with koi fish swimming all around? How fun and fancy! After enjoying steak and seafood, we were surprised with two desserts in honor of our upcoming anniversary. So very thoughtful and kind! This restaurant is at our resort, so we got to spruce up in the room and then walk a short distance to eat. What a dream!

The kids were in a dancing mood after all that, so we stopped by the hotel lobby restaurant to enjoy the live band for a few. Shirley Temples for the kids, a glass of Moscato for me, and some silly dancing later, it was time to brush teeth and go to sleep.

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Kauai, Day Three

And just like that, our Hawaiian adventure was halfway over. *sigh*

We had been going full speed ahead for seven days straight, and we genuinely had zero regrets about it.  But in case you are tempted to think we lived in total fantasy land even in paradise, let me clear that up: This particular was hard for all of us. I woke up with a headache that screamed all day, Teesh reached max capacity and spent the afternoon napping and regaining strength, and both kids were off the chain emotionally. We still had an amazing day, but our troubles followed us across the seas, too. We all took turns taking deep breaths from sun up to sun down, and we got to practice patience and compassion all day long.

Now, for the fun stuff. This was our final full day on Kauai, and we slept in, chased waterfalls, indulged in more shave ice, visited a nearby shopping center with major island vibes, hung out in/by the pool and lagoon, watched the waves crash on the beach we’re staying at, enjoyed our final evening desserts in the club, and sat on the balcony listening to the ocean sing its song in the night.

Our low-key itinerary was:

📍 Opaekaa Falls

This gorgeous falls was visible from an overlook. We drove in, admired for a bit, and then headed on down the road.

📍 Wailua River Overlook

We pulled over to admire stunning views of this river flowing towards the ocean. !e all got a good laugh when 50ish chickens ran to greet us as we were getting out of the car. I’ll never forget how my kiddos giggled and yelled, “They’re coming! They’re coming!”

📍 Wailua Shave Ice

This place was recommended to us a lot, so we had to try it! It definitely lived up to the hype.

📍 Wailua Falls

Okay, but forreal — this was STUNNING. There used to be a trail you could climb down to get to the base of the falls, but it’s closed because of trail conditions. I wanted to hop that fence so bad. 

📍 Shops at Kukui'ula

This was a cute outdoor shopping center nearby that we explored. TJ came home with some socks to commemorate his favorite Hawaiian island from one of the surf shops here. *insert shaka here*

📍 Shipwreck Beach

This is the beach right outside our resort, and it provided us views of huge waves and impressive surfing. We could've sat out there all day just watching the waves crash in and be pulled back out to sea.

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Kauai, Day Four

When I booked our inter-island flights, I booked the latest flight from Kauai to Maui that I could find for this day. Based on everything I read before booking, I had an inkling that this would be our favorite island. Let's just say: I am so glad I did it this way. Even though the day ended in a surprisingly chaotic way, it began and unfolded so beautifully. We were all grateful for extra hours of exploring this lush, unforgettable island! We woke up slowly in Kauai, readying our hearts to say goodbye. We ate our final club breakfast, and then headed out for one last adventure before our late afternoon flight.

This was our grand finale of the gorgeous island of Kauai:

📍 Waimea Canyon State Park

This is known as the Grand Canyon of Hawaii, and all I can say is WOW. It took all of our breath away! We got to see a glimpse of this from our catamaran tour, and it was incredible to see it on land. Wow, wow, wow. I never thought we’d see this canyon before we saw the one stateside, but that’s how it worked out and I love it did so this way. The drive back down from the canyon brought my first tears of the trip. It had been a while since a view made me feel like that — alive.

📍 Puka Dog

We stopped by Poipu Beach on our way back from Waimea Canyon so we could eat at the famous Puka Dog. Yummmm! Best hot dog I’ve ever eaten? Quite possibly. Definitely the most unique! If you've never heard of Puka Dog, google it now and prepare to be amazed.

📍 Grand Hyatt Kauai

This was our beautiful resort for the past four nights, and we spent our final two hours there playing in the pool and taking it all in and packing up to leave. It has never hurt so much to leave a hotel behind.

Kauai, if we ever get the chance to visit Hawaii again, you will be our longest stay. A whole lifetime with you couldn't have even been enough. We are so grateful we got to experience you as a family!

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 To watch a video highlighting our time in Kauai, click here! It was hard to capture everything we wanted to remember and condense it into a 3-minute video, but I believe we'll be rewatching this forever and ever. We had the most incredible time in Kauai!

Stay tuned for highlights from our time in M A U I next!