Day 10 Sunday - Maui

We woke up late since we had nothing formally planned. I made breakfast for everyone and we had gusts over later. Jess and Mary Pfleger spent two hours from us and we ready some chapters in the Bible. After lunch, we dropped my mom and brother off at the beach and the rest of us went to Walmart to get groceries and souvenirs. We relaxed for the rest of the day and enjoyed our day of peace.

Day 9 Saturday - Maui

My sister and I made a morning trip to the grocery store to pick up a few more grocery items for the rest of our time here in Maui. It was a short fifteen minute drive to the local Foodland and a Starbucks run was made. I accidently mistook another lady's basket as my own and put or groceries in it.

We got back at about 8AM and had pancakes for breakfast with coconut syrup. We left shortly for Lahaina for the day activities and it took about an hour. We passed the city of Ma'alaea the way. The harbor was close to the city entrance and I had to parallel park in one of the spots. We went aboard the Reefdancer, a glass bottom boat to see fishes for about an hour. We saw an octopus, sea urchin, fishes and coral reef. The crew was scuba diving to bring us the creatures right up the window for a close look. The ride was short back to the shore as there are so many fishes one can see.

We walked a bit around town to go window shopping/browsing. I got a "I survived Hana highway" Survivor style shirt to commemorate my 52 mile journey yesterday. We drove to the Whaler's Village to get some Haagen-Dazs sundaes. Then straight to Lahaina Station to get on board the sugar cane train that went 70 minutes to Ka'anapali and P stations. We learned about the history of the sugar cane and had a slow drive through the coastal cities.

There was a Pizza Hut near the train station so we grabbed lunch there. After lunch, I made my way to the Maui Hard Rock Cafe to get my collectible t-shirt (#10). The drive home took about 75 minutes over 60 miles. I got back and relaxed before dinner.

Day 8 Friday - Maui

Today's morning was by far the earliest that I have gotten up while on vacation at 5:30AM. We had an hour and a half journey to the top of Mount Haleakaea which is still an active volcano. There was not any lights out yet and the road was long and winding. The 37 mile drive up the mountain was beautiful as it went through three different types of ecosystems: desert, forest, and grassland. I had to keep a careful eye as some places were without guard rails. Once we got to the park center to pay admission, it was 10 minutes to sunrise and we were late about 10 minutes so we did not see the actual sun coming out.

It was a cool 44 degrees at the summit and I brought several layers of clothing and hat/gloves. We were 10,000 feet high and in the clouds. We took some breathtaking pictures along the way and made out way down eventually. I tried to find the horse riding place but had problems finding it since the sign was so small. I drove all the way down and then half way up before locating the site. We were 30 minutes early for out 11AM appointment. After the liability paperwork was filled out, we each got on our horse. Mine was called Hapa (‘mixed’) and he was the hungry one out of the group. He would grab a bite of grass every time we stopped somewhere. There was some hesitance from me at first but I got more comfortable along the way. My sister got the slow horse that did not want to move and passed gas several times along with going to the bathroom every few minutes. We walked through trees and the meadows for a good while. Our tour guide Melissa was entertaining and took good care of us. The ride was fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We started on our tour of east Maui shortly after with a lunch break at a park. The 80 mile ride took us 5 hours to complete as the roads were winding, narrow, treacherous and sometimes unpaved. There were several instances where only one car could pass down the road. We saw amazing views ranging from the raging ocean, to the clouds on the mountain to tropical jungles. It was a good tour but long and I will never make that drive again as it took a while and the roads are narrow. We got back right when it was turning dark. I made us a spaghetti dinner and we watched a bit of AFV until it was time for bed. We also reviewed the photos taken from through out the day.

Day 7 Thursday - Maui

We had to get up pretty early for our drive the Ma'alaea for the snorkel and whale watch cruise. The rain started right as we were leaving and the sun slowly greeted us as we drove south from Makawao. Despite not knowing where to go exactly since the harbor is not a location in the GPS, we were able to make it with ten minutes to spare for the check-in.

Once we got onboard, a briefing was given for the snorkeling gear usage. We rented a wet suit for use in the water and to stay warm. Breakfast consisted of pastries, muffins and fresh fruit. On our way to the snorkel location, we passed by some North Pacific whales. Apparently Maui has 60% of the world's whale population during the winter and spring. 10% go to Japan and 30% go to Baja California. They all come here to mate and give birth. They head back to Alaska during the summer as food is more plentiful there. They lose 1/3 of their body wait while in Maui.

We got off the boat and went snorkeling with schools of fishes. The water was very salty and once I got enough of it, I went back to the boat to rest. Lunch began shortly with burgers, chicken and hot dogs. It was pretty awesome coming straight off the grill. We were not able to make it tithe Molokini crater due to the heavy waves that picked up through out the day. We went to a different site instead to see turtles while snorkeling. The bar opened as well along with cookies for dessert. We headed back to the docks after an hour and saw more whales along the way. The weather improved as the sun came out.

After the trip, we headed down south to see the lava rocks in Makena. On the way, a stop was made at ABC to get fresh batteries for the digital camera. A pit stop was made at Wailea beach for taking pictures and enjoying the view. Makena was the south most point on the island made via the roads. The lava rocks were abundant near the shore and then we went through fields on lava rocks. The end was a monument to Le Perouse who came to Hawai'i back in the 1700's. We were pretty tired from getting up early and from the previous day of traveling so we headed back to the condo.

After a quick shower, dinner and watching the rose bowl, we headed off to bed for an early rest. It was a great day in Maui although we did not get to see Molokini crater.

Day 6 Wednesday - Honolulu Oahu to Maui

I got up this morning to grab breakfast for everyone. I went to McDonalds, but the price and menu made me do a second take and I went to subway instead. They only have four sandwiches on their $6 list which was pretty skimpy. I got a meatball sub and a Italian sub as well. I had to stop by ABC store to get a bag if Maui chips.

I hustled to the Hard Rock Cafe to get my classic shirt before checking out of the hotel. The coach bus picked us up and dropped us off at the commuter terminal. We had about a 2 hour wait before our 21 minute ride to Kahului, Maui. We even got a quick juice service before landing. The $10 per bag luggage fee was outrageous. As we landed, I could see the blue and green crystal clear water glistening in the sun.

We made it to the Hertz rental and I got to check in quickly at the #1 Gold member line. We ended up getting a 2009 Nissan Altima and went about our way. We quickly got to our condo and unpacked. There was no air conditioning but the air was clean from the ocean breeze. We headed to Makawao to grab lunch and get some grocery for the week ahead. I got a cheese steak at Stopwatch Sports Grill. We went grocery shopping at Foodland and the prices of everything are so much more than the mainland. We save a few bucks by not eating out.

We headed back to the condo and unpacked/doing laundry from the week before now that we have laundry machines. At night, I drove back to Kahului to pick up our Go Maui passes for the attractions and picked up the sister/brother-in-law from the airport. We got back to the condo and had a quick dinner before going to sleep.

Day 5 Tuesday - Honolulu, Oahu

We got up really early to attend the tour to Pearl Harbor. I dozed off on our way there and the driver had to get our tickets for the entire bus. We had a 8:20 tour that consisted of a twenty minute movie and 55 minute tour to the memorial on top of USS Arizona. While we waited to enter the theatre, I made reservations for the shuttle bus pickup in the following morning to the airport. I also made reservations for the Catamaran lunch cruise for us. After the tour, we went by the national cemetery, government buildings and Iolani palace. We were dropped off at about noon, 2 hours earlier than the printed time.

We went to eat lunch at the Chinese buffet and the service was again lacking. They did not refill our drinks and did not take away our dirty plates. After lunch, we walked to the beach and rented surf boards. It was hard to get away from the shore with the strong winds pushing me back. I gave it a good effort but got tired of being pulled back.

We walked back to the hotel to get ready for the dinner luau. We had to call for bath and had towels as it seems that they have a towel shortage. We got them freshly laundered and warm. For the luau pick up, we had to walk to another hotel and wait for a bus. The 27 mile ride took about an hour in rush hour traffic.

We were the first of six buses to arrive at the luau so we all took family pictures. The sunset had just occurred, making it the perfect moment for pictures. I dashed to the bar to use our drink coupons. I had a Mai Tai and a Pina Colada that came with the ticket admission. I also took advantage of the unlimited soft drinks (diet Pepsi for me). They welcomed everyone once the rest of the crowd arrived. The 'king &queen' came for the opening ceremony and the conch shell was blown to signal that the Kalua pig was ready. Dinner was pretty good with the pig, but could have been better. The fried chicken and fried mahi mahi were plain. There was pineapple coleslaw that I dared not try since coleslaw is something I always pass on. I was not adventurous enough to try the poi.

The show was awesome with all the types of hula dancers ranging from Tahitian to Samoa to New Zealand. The highlight was the fire swordsman who touched the torches with his bare hands and feet. Some of the ladies really knew how to shake their hips. There was a men's hula contest and a hula lesson open to everyone. There were also singers and a band that entertained us through out the night. Everyone seemed to have had a great time at the luau. Before we left, we had the option of purchasing a commemorative photo package from the sunset. The ride back was not as bad but there was construction on the highway. It was a great fun evening.

Day 4 Monday - Honolulu, Oahu

We got on the Circle Island tour that will last all day after 156 miles. We had a very entertaining tour guide and made the trip enjoyable. We went from small vans onto a larger tour bus. We went through Waikiki to the Diamond Head community (very expensive property). We passed by a Hello Kitty house that was pink and also Bill Gate's house as well off of Kahala St. We stopped by Hanauna Bay and Hanaola to take pictures. I saw some turtles swimming in the water. We had a quick rest stop at a gift shop that was overpriced. The bathroom was clean and we got some juice and coffee. We learned that there was some government housing on the east side for those at least 50% Hawaiian. We got off at Nu'uanu Pali to take in the mountain view. There was fire and policemen when we got there and someone felled over the a cliff.

We made a pit stop for lunch called coral kingdom where the merchandise were all overpriced. We had lunch at the diner. I got the BBQ chicken plate with rice and salad. My family got Mahi Mahi with rice and macaroni salad. We took some pictures out in the back while waiting for the rest of the group to finish their meal. Afterwards, we went by a local shop and sampled Kona coffee and various macadamia nuts (onion & garlic, caramel, cinnamon, honey roasted, wasabi, salted and with caramel popcorn). We went northward from the east point of the island to La'ie near the Polynesian Cultural Center and BYU-Hawaii campus.

Our tour guide made a quick stop near the Bonzai pipeline for us to go see turtles on the beach. We went to the Dole plantation for a quick 45 minute visit. We used the facilities and went to the garden area to take some pictures again. We also stopped by the koi pond to snag some fish photos. We headed back to Waikiki and dropped off in front of the Hilton Village hotel. We had dinner at Wailana coffee house again. Mom got the teriyaki chicken/fried rice/corn and salad bar while I got the same with short ribs. We went to bed early since our morning tour would require us to be ready by 5:30 AM.