Maui and Hawaii (The Big Island)

We always love vacationing in Hawaii. We have been to the islands numerous times over the years. This trip took us to Maui (which we had explored on previous trips) and the Big Island of Hawaii (our first trip).

In our opinion, a stay on Maui should always include a visit to Mama's Fish House http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/on the north side of the island. (Photo above.) The restaurant sits directly on the beach with the most magnificent sunset views on clear nights. If you want to bypass the sunset, Mama's is equally excellent for lunch. Reservations necessary most evenings. The food is very expensive--all items a la carte--but a memorable experience....and worth it...at least once. My favorite entree' is the Mahi Mahi stuffed with lobster, crab and baked in a macadamia nut crust....superb!

Another awesome Maui experience can be a private dinner on the beach. Many years ago, I was visiting Maui with girlfriends when we saw a chef set up a table with white tablecloth, chairs, tiki torches, and gas grill...right on the beach. We watched for some time before a couple casually walked along the waters edge, came upon the table, and the gentleman offered the young lady a seat. She appeared genuinely surprised. To make a long story short, I told my husband how much I enjoyed watching this romantic setting unfold and wish it would have been us. The very next time we visited Maui, it was near our 20th wedding anniversary, so he made this dream come true.

We booked Tableside Chef http://www.justmauied.com/tableside.html for our own private 4-course meal on the beach. We made our way down the sand to our linen-covered table. We enjoyed the peaceful setting as the sky faded from day to night. The resort lights twinkled on, sand crabs crawled toward the ocean, and a group of night divers entered the water as the sun set on the horizon. We noted that beach activity at night is quite different from daytime activities. Private dining is expensive. We don't generally spend this kind of money on one dining experience. Afterwards, my husband admitted that it was definitely worth the money for this one-of-a kind experience. We can't remember how we celebrated many of our anniversaries....but we will always treasure our 20th wedding anniversary dinner on the beach in Maui. (Our only issue with this evening was our chatty chef. We would have preferred to talk with each other, but our chef interrupted a lot and told stories about himself. If you do decide to use this unique service...ask for a quiet chef.)


We spent our time on Maui at the Marriott Ocean Club on Kaanapali Beach. (In the past, we have stayed in Wailea, which we love because of the newer exquisite mega-resorts and miles of waking paths along the ocean.) We were amazed by the established beauty of the Kaanapali area and would return again. I used points for our 3-night stay which was a bargain at 50,000 for this multi-star resort. The rooms were freshly updated at the time of our stay, the grounds were immaculate, and the pool area refreshing and restful. Every morning, after walking the paths along the beach, we headed to the ocean-view restaurant for a light breakfast...then lounged by the pool sipping slushy drinks the rest of the day. My dream vacation! http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hnmmh-marriotts-maui-ocean-club/

Three days was not enough time on Maui, but since we had never been to the Big Island before, and only had ten days of vacation, we had to split our time between the two islands. We packed up and moved to an RCI property in Kona: The Kona Hawaiian Resort. http://www.konahawaiianvillage.com/ This Wyndham property has a Polynesian theme with nicely decorated clean, comfortable rooms. The large balcony allowed for outdoor dining which we used daily. It was truly lovely. Yet after staying at the Marriott on Maui--with bar/food service at the pool--well, we were spoiled.

The location of the Kona property was awesome....close to town. We walked into Kona everyday...sometimes twice a day. The service at this property was great. We didn't find anything about this location displeasing. Ultimately, it is a condo and doesn't have the resort feel since there is no restaurant or bar service on site. We knew it was a condo when we booked, but some RCI properties do have food service amenities. This one does not, so we had to adjust our expectations during our stay. If you are looking for a wonderful, "Hawaiian feel," relaxing property--close to town--this is an excellent choice. If you are looking for a "resort" with restaurants and pool service, you will likely be a bit disappointed. After a brief mental readjustment...we ultimately found this property to be perfect for this stay.


We had a game plan for exploring the "Big Island." We would take a road trip every other day. One day...relax at the pool. Next day...explore the island. Relax...explore. It was a great plan and we went home feeling refreshed rather than frazzled from too much activity.

One of our first day trips was to this authentic Hawaiian village, Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park. (Photo above.)http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm



I loved watching the huge turtles in this park. I took so many pictures of turtles hoping to catch a minuscule moment of action. Fortunately for you, I've only posted a few photos on the blog. But I took at least a hundred--trying to get their best sides (does a turtle have a best side?)--and enjoyed every minute.


This national park has many carvings, wooden totems, and structures for viewing. The setting was gorgeous...right on the ocean, and turned out to be an informative day adventure on the history of Hawaii.
Along our travels, we came upon this old historic Catholic church and cemetery.

A statue in the garden was heavily draped by shell beads and the paintings/ murals in the church were enjoyable to see. This unexpected detour--off the main road--was a pleasant pause on our day adventure.




John couldn't resist this sign at the entrance of the church. Might be worded a bit better...don't you think?

On our full-day (self-guided) island tour, we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking Waipi'o Valley. The road into the valley requires an SUV as it is incredibly steep. Since we were in a "regular" rental car, we elected to enjoy this amazing sight from the look-out. The "Hawaii Revealed" book describes a trip into the valley as a "real gem" with rewards of waterfalls, trails, and potentially deserted beaches. If more time would have been available, we would have considered one of the many tours into the lush wonderland below. We had a beautiful day for our island adventure--even though it was a bit overcast in the morning. What a spectacular view!

Laupahoehoe Point is a peaceful park on the Big Island of Hawaii and the unfortunate location of a devastating tsunami that killed 24 students and teachers before the start of school on April 1, 1946. There is a memorial honoring those who lost their lives that day. Teacher housing as well as a grade school originally sat on these grounds. Again, we found this park listed in the book "Hawaii Revealed." If you are visiting the Big Island, this book is a worthwhile purchase. This area is so beautiful it seems unfathomable that such sadness could have occurred here at one time.



The powerful waves along Laupahoehoe Point were incredible to watch as they swelled and smashed into huge lava rocks.
If you want to learn more about that fateful day at Laupahoehoe, please go to:
http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1028384/pg1




Hawaii Revealed suggested Alaska Falls as a stop on the island tour. Even though our hometown is Silverton, Oregon....near Silver Falls State Park--with some of the most incredible water falls....Alaska Falls was a refreshing diversion during our drive around the island. From the parking lot, there are wooden paths and many steps leading to the falls. There are flowers and lush foliage to enjoy on the easy walk/hike to the viewing area. We were glad we stopped to smell the flowers and enjoy the views.



A visit to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach allowed more viewing of the large Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles (which I loved) as well as a marshy lake complete with wildlife. Many people visiting the area were enjoying the beach on blankets and towels. Other tourists splashed in the water, tried surfing, or were swimming in the waves. Even though the black sand was amazing to see, I was not drawn to sit and enjoy like I am to the pristine white beaches of Hawaii and the Caribbean.



I could watch these turtles for hours. Why? I have no idea. They move slowly or rarely. But I'm fascinated with them...taking many more pictures than are necessary for any diverse photo album. What's even more concerning....all the pictures look alike. My final evaluation of this fascination...one just doesn't see such a sight in Oregon.


Our final stop of the day was the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park to see the Kilauea Volcano. We explored a lava cave which was surprisingly wet. Puddles on the floor of the cave made exploring more like a walk through a maze as we dodged water every few feet.



At the time of our visit, Kilauea was actively spewing steam. We walked along observation paths, but never saw more action than in this photo above. Apparently, this is the most active volcano in all of the world. There are tours--if you stay into the evening--where you can actually see lava running into the ocean. But an evening visit just wasn't choreographed into our day trip. By the time we had explored the cave and the volcano park grounds, we were ready to travel back to Kona for dinner and relaxation.

John and I were surprised at how much we enjoyed the Big Island. Since our travels had always taken us to the other islands with much enjoyment, we were resistant to come to the island with the active volcano. Yet it was so much fun to explore the various regions of this large mass of land. There is so much to do and see. One of my favorite memories (besides all the sightseeing) on our day trip was during a short stop at Parker Ranch Shopping Center in Waimea. We were exiting the lot, came upon a sign--bright red and shaped like a normal stop sign--but instead of stop, it said...Whoa. "Perfect for a Parker Ranch sign," we all remarked. I tried to get my camera out to capture this on film. But we had moved on.

Unbeknownst to us--prior to our arrival on Kona--our stay coincided with the Ironman Triathlon. A great deal of training was observed everyday--running, swimming, biking. (None by us--but it was fun to watch.) We even made the effort to be on site when the starting pistol blew causing hundreds of swimmers to plow into the water simultaneously, accidentally(?) knocking others down for a few additional seconds head start on the race. The Big Island really does have it all...and more! One week does not allow enough exploring time for this diverse island...we definitely need to return someday soon.