Feb 23, 2013 - Haleakala: 10,000 ft Volcano

We rose at 4:45 a.m. to drive to Haleakala Volcano to watch the sun rise which was apparently a once in a lifetime experience. It was about 6 degrees celcius and we drove in the dark up the mountain - 33 switchbacks. Ayden was not feeling well. We arrived to watch the sun come up shivering! Unfortunately, the clouds came just as the sun was beginning to appear. We were told that the last couple of weeks this has been happening and to not be too disappointed. We were a little but it was still pretty beautiful. Ayden was sick two times coming...

Feb 23, 2013 - Ulua Beach and Paia

Enjoyed fantastic snorkelling at Ulua Beach and met a family that was on our flight over. Had a nice visit with them. After our snorkelling was done early afternoon, we took a trip just past Paia to Hookipa Beach, the windsurfing capital of the world. We saw amazing surfers and windsurfers. Following Hookipa, we drove back to Paia, which was once a plantation town during the heyday of the sugar cane boom. We shopped at some very expensive shops, Dad got a massage for his aching shoulder which helped and we drove back to Kihei.

Feb 22, 2013 - Snorkelling and Dinner at Antonio's

We spent the day snorkelling at Maluaka Beach in Wailea. The kids and I also went shopping in a Kihei market. The kids, of course, had more shaved ice and we bought a couple of things at the market. In the evening we enjoyed an absolutely fantastic Italian dinner at Antonio's. The best Italian we've had!!

Feb 21, 2013 - Snorkel Trip to Lanai

What a treat today was. While standing in line we ran into one of Ayden's teachers, Mr. Kristoff, from St. Matthew. They were also going on the snorkel tour. Very funny. So we chatted a lot with Mr. Kristoff and his family. Turns out his Mom is a nurse for in-patients at Medec. I got her business card so will touch base once I'm home. Aside from a lot of gravol, we enjoyed a snorkel trip to Lanai with several whale watching opportunities. On the way there, we encountered whales directly in front of our boat! You could see the silver color...

Feb 20, 2013 - Coconuts and Snorkel Bob's

Today we had an awesome lunch at Coconuts and enjoyed fish tacos! The very best. We picked up our snorkel gear and headed to Po'olenalena Beach where we swam and watched whales in the distance. Spectacular! Beautiful beach. Lucas and I took a walk to another beach and ran into some people..."Lucas, are those people wearing clothes?" Lucas, "no". Okay, that's far enough! Very funny. We also took a drive to Secret Cove where a couple was just married. It was a beautiful place for pictures so we had a wonderful family photo taken by some...

Feb 19, 2013 - Po'olenalena Beach

We drove past Wailea to Po'olenalena Beach which was absolutely beautiful. We snorkelled and played with our boogie boards. The snorkelling wasn't great but we did see a sea turtle which was a highlight. Lucas and I went for a walk and stumbled upon some nude sunbathers. That was kinda funny..."Lucas is that person wearing clothes? No." Okay, I guess we won't walk that way. We also saw whales in the distance so that was sure a treat! Cheryl and the kids went shopping in the Kihei marketplace and bought a few souvveniers and some more shaved...

Feb 18, 2013 - Cancelled Snorkel Trip

Awoke at 6 a.m. to drive to Lahaina because we were supposed to embark on a snorkel trip to Lanai. Unfortunately, when we entered Lahaina we got a phone call that our trip needs to be rescheduled due to the weather. Bummer. But it was a nasty morning in Lahaina where a lot of the power was out and the drizzle was coming down with a major wind. We drove back to Kihei and decided we would try to find a beach that would interest us since it was gorgeous when we arrived back. We ended up going to a beach called Keawakapu Beach. The water was...

Feb 17, 2013 - Getting our bearings...

We were up early today, very early...6:30 a.m. but this was expected as were are getting used to the time change. Had a nice relaxing morning and then we thought we would take a long walk on the beach. We walked and walked along the ocean and enjoyed walking on the beautiful sand. It's extremely windy here and in fact, unusually windy so we thought we would travel to Lahaina after lunch today. We drove to Lahaina and enjoyed a full day of shopping and walking around the main street of this quaint town. Ended up having an early supper at...

Apr 22, 2012 - Leaving Paradise . . . .Day 7 - the trip home . . .

We began our day with a walk on the beach and packing. Our flight was leaving at 1230 and would arrive in Calgary at 1050 pm (with the time change), the flight home was good and seemed to go alot faster than it did on the way there. At least, once we arrived in Calgary the weather was good, about plus 18 and no snow!! Yeah, that is always a bonus. We arrived home about 1:00 a.m. We would definitely return to Maui and the condo that we stayed at was very nice. Perhaps we will venture to a different island next time. Until next time . ....

Apr 21, 2012 - Last Day in Maui

Today was a day of r and r by the beach. We had breakie at the Kihei Cafe where they have huge portions, then strolled along the beach walkway before heading back towards the condo, where we picked up another roadside chicken since it was so good the first time we had it, that is what we had for lunch. Kihei beaches are very busy on the weekend, so we stayed close to our own beach. David went snorkelling outside of the condo and saw a spotted eagle ray. After some sunning and walking the beach, we headed out to Pizza Madness - oh my it was...

Apr 20, 2012 - Turtle Encounter - Day 5

Today was an early morning as David was being picked up by Maui Dive at 0630, so we were up at 0545 for our morning coffee, then he headed out. The first dive was St. Anthony's wreck in 65 feet of water. There he encountered a huge turtle, white-tipped shark, a spotted eagle ray and a number of fish. The water was 72 degrees F which was a little chilly for David, but his new wetsuit kept him warm. Maui Dive was top notch serving a hot breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit and bakery items like banana bread and lots of different...

Apr 19, 2012 - Snorkelling & Beach Discovery Day 4

today was like any other day, starting off with kona coffee, then breakfast and an early start at Makena Landing for snorkelling. We were there by 730 this morning and already it was starting to get busy. Did some snorkelling but didn't see much at all for fish. Once done there we headed to town for our second breakfast of the day, stopped at the Home Maid Cafe, had a homemade breakie and got some Malasadas, which is a homemade donut filled with a custard pudding and sprinkled with icing sugar! Yum After that, we bought coffee at the local...