Fun Around Maui

We arrived safely on our little 8-seater plane.  Holy crap, I had never been in a puddle hopper before and was surprised over how low we flew.  I could see the water VERY WELL.  I had to be brave and hold Bridget's hand, who sat across from me and not let her know that I was freaking out as well.  But our pilots were fantastic and got us there just fine.  Phew!

Maui is stunning.  I was not prepared for all the natural beauty.  While the Big Island is a bit barren and full of lava rock, Maui is lush with foliage and greenery.  Every day was a calm 80-85 degree day with sun and a clear sky.  A tropical paradise.

We checked into our hotel and I would soon realize that the Fairmont chain would compete for my love and affection with Kimpton.  The Fairmont Kea Lani was amazing from every single vantage point.  Just look at this.

Top left: view from lobby. Top right: view from our room.
Bottom left: great action shot of B enjoying the pool. Bottom right: Me & pumpkin sporting our beautiful leis.

For our first night in Maui, Greg had booked us for the Old Lahani Luau.  What a treat! There were several kid-friendly activities for Bridget, learning to dance for me, and other little activities to enjoy before dinner.  We even were greeted with mai tais to drink when we arrived!

One of our first sightseeing activities during the day was our trip to the Maui Plantation Farm.  The best part was sampling fresh pineapple in the fields and learning about the 3 different types of sweetness.  Even better was receiving 4 large pineapples to take back to CLE!

Sunset ocean cruise would have to rank toward the top on this trip.  Beautiful views of Maui from the ocean, a great little ukulele performer, and talking to the captain made this excursion so much fun!

Not everyone was happy about the boat ride!

And now I would have to get ready for the biggest surprise of the entire trip!