Maui 7/1/14 - day 5

Today was the last day that we chilled with the SD Crew.  It was also one of the few days that we slept in and finally adjusted to the Hawaii time.  The day consisted of chill time, eating, private beach access, and more eating.



After sleeping in until 10ish AM Maui time (1ish PM West Coast Time) we met up with Sam and Jamie to grab some lunch at Sugar Cane Maui, a Lahaina cafe and bar overlooking the ocean.  Meanwhile, Noel, Leslie & Leon were having a family day consisting of breakfast and a day at the Maui Ocean Center Both our friends just came back from a snorkeling trip and we decided to meet up at Sugar Cane minutes from the docking spot of the snorkeling excursion.  Check out the food we ordered:





After grabbing lunch, we tried a local ice cream parlor favorite called Lappert's Ice Cream & Coffee, where we picked up a scoop of Kaui Pie (Kona coffee ice cream with chocolate fudge, and macadamia nuts) and Heavenly Hana (Creamy chocolate ice cream with delicate swirls of marshmallow ribboned throughout with our handmade chunks of white chocolate covered macadamia nuts, dark chocolate almond chunks, chocolate bits & roasted almonds).  



While Noel and his family were still at the aquarium, the rest of the crew went back to our place, the Hono Koa, where we took advantage of the private beach access.  Within minutes from our condo is a walkway to a beach that can only be accessed by guests at the Hono Koa.  We had amazing views of 2 of the 8 Hawaiian Islands, Lanai and Molokai.  Also, we were able to do some snorkling, body boarding and chilling on the sand.  We then relaxed at the hot tub within our condo complex and then headed back to the room where we met up with Noel, Leslie and Leon.



Once we got cleaned up, we headed over to a conveyor belt sushi joint called Genki Sushi for our last meal together.  We love sushi and  this was the first time we've experience grabbing sushi dishes off of moving belts.  The food was great and the company was awesome!  Fun times with the SD Crew!


After dinner, we made one last trip to Foodland

Maui 6/30/14 - day 4

Today's activities consisted of a Sunrise Tour and bike ride with Haleakala Bike Co., lunch at Mama's Fish House and chillin' with our friends Sam, Noel, Jamie, Leslie and Leon.  

First up the Sunrise Tour and Bike ride down the Haleakala Volcano.  We woke up at 1:00 AM and met up carpooled with the newlyweds, Jessica and Buddy to the meeting spot for check in at 3:00 AM.

After check-in, we picked up our helmets and got our bike sizes and some other optional gear, and boarded our bus.  On the bus ride, our driver gave us directions on our route, pointing out markers for when we would need to make our turns. He made sure to remind us not to end up in Pa'ia, because it would be a "$20 pickup, anywhere else is free." we were able to take a quick nap for the last 45 minutes of the ride up, and were so grateful, cause we all were pretty much zombies from lack of sleep.  Once we got up to the summit, we watched the gorgeous sunrise and then boarded the bus to be driven to the highest point at 10,000 ft. We saw the white sword plant, which only grows there. We also saw the observatories owned by NASA and the U.S. Navy. 

Then we were given one last bathroom break, and then off to the staging area where we received our bikes.  We took a quick pic and were sent off on our way.

The very first part was spent winding our way down the volcano. The views were beautiful and the bike lane was spacious. Not to mention the smooth roads. We were on an unguided tour with the Haleakala Bicycle company, which meant that we could make our way down at our own pace, stopping whenever we wished.
We stayed at the back of the pack pretty much the whole way down; We weren't too keen on hitting a random pothole and flying over the handlebars. We were able to really enjoy the views though with the speed that we were traveling at.

The very first part was spent winding our way down the volcano. The views were beautiful and the bike lane was spacious. Not to mention the smooth roads. We were on an unguided tour with the Haleakala Bicycle company, which meant that we could make our way down at our own pace, stopping whenever we wished.
Dean and I stayed at the back of the pack pretty much the whole way down; I was a little brake-happy, haha. I wasn't too keen on hitting a random pothole and flying over the handlebars. We were able to really enjoy the views though with the speed that we were traveling at.

After the amazing morning of sunrise views and bike riding, we got ready for lunch at Mama's Fish House.  This place was highly recommended by friends, coworkers and even random people that we ran into the local Foodland Supermarket.  It is so popular that reservations need to be made at least 2 weeks in advance.  We met up with the rest of our San Diego Crew and had an awesome lunch with gorgeous views.  

Maui 6/29 - day 3

7:58AM - We're on our way to hike a trail that isn't recommended for beginners and to "bring your thighs of steel." I'm scared,  but at least I have my taro pie to give me energy, lol. Delicious!!

Today's plans:

hike Lahaina Pali Trail

Star noodle

Taro pie count = 3 (2 today)

So today we decided to try out hiking for the very first time in our lives.  Why not in Maui for a first ever hike.  With the help of Yelp and Trip Advisor, we took one the top rated hikes in Maui: Lahaina Pali Trail.  This trail consists a 5-mile, zig-zag terrain, with amazing view of the ocean fronting Highway 30.  We ended up going halfway up for 2.5 miles up to the windmills and then turning back.  Check out these pics:

4.5 Hours later, we met up with Sam, Jamie, Noel, Leslie and Leon at Star Noodle, a fresh house made noodles and Asian cuisine restaurant.  The food and the ambiance was amazing.  

After lunch, we chilled in our condo for a few hours, ate some dinner, then proceeded to our ocean-side deck to watch the sunset.  

Maui 6/28/14 - Day 2

8:04AM - oh, you know, just chillin on the balcony reading my book, listening to the  sounds of the ocean, and loving life!

Day 2 in Maui was wedding day for our really good friends Jessica and Buddy.  Before the festivities, the crew hit up DT Fleming Beach Park, our second beach stop of the Maui trip.  Located next to the Ritz-Carlton in northern Lahaina, this beach had plenty of picnic tables, soft sands, great views and nice waves.  We tried out Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop for the very first time, ordering breakfast to-go and enjoying our food at Fleming.



After breakfast and chillin' at the beach, Sam chilled with us and kicked it at our pool at the Hono Koa.  It was like a flashback of 2005 where all 3 of us lived under the same roof.


Once pool time was over, we cleaned up and headed over to Maui Brewing Company, where we met up with the rest of the SD crew for some pre-party action before Buddy & Jessica's big day.  We had some amazing local beers and delicious food.



Afterwards, we headed straight to Royal Lahaina Resort, site of the Pasion Wedding.  It was a beautiful ceremony with a gorgeous ocean view.  The heat and the random bugs floating around didn't stop the two lovebirds from smiling and shedding a few tears.  We were honored to be a part of this special day.



Once the ceremony was over, we had some time to kill before the reception dinner.  During this time, we ordered our very first of many McDonald's taro pies.  One of 5 of McDonald's craziest pies, it is a must-try and as far as we know, can only be found in Hawaii (unless you are talented to make it yourself).



The reception dinner was held at the famous Old Lahaina Luau.  One of the best luaus in all of Hawaii and the best in Maui, this venue included a variety of alcoholic beverages (all open bar!) and amazing food that consisted of:

Kalua Puaʻa

Pork roasted in our beachside Imu; the Hawaiian underground oven

Laulau

Pork wrapped in Lūʻau leaf steamed to perfection

Maui Style Mahi-Mahi

Chef’s Special Preparation

Pulehu Steak

Tenderloin style steak, grilled to perfection

Chicken Long Rice

Shredded chicken, Maui onions, ginger and rice bean noodles in broth

Island Style Chicken

Chicken marinated with guava sauce garnished with fresh pineapples and toasted sesame seeds

Stir Fry Vegetables

Zucchini, Maui onions, carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, and baby corn

Local-Style Fried Rice

Fried rice with green onions, peas, and sesame oil

Sweet Potato

Warm sliced Big Island sweet potatoes

Island Crab Salad

Crab, shrimp and water chestnuts

Taro Salad

Taro and spinach folded in coconut sauce

Pohole Salad

Fern shoots, Maui onions and tomatoes served in a vinaigrette sauce

Lomi-Lomi Salmon

Tomatoes, Maui onions, and salted salmon

Ahi Poke

Fresh raw ahi (yellow fin tuna) with green onions and Maui onions

Poi

Made from boiling and mashing the root of the taro plant

Fresh Island Fruit & Banana Bread

Assorted Island Desserts

Chocolate Mac Nut Brownie, Maui Macadamia Nut Tart, Lilikoi Mousse

The show was awesome and the company was great, including running into old friends.  Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Blandino Pasion! #dejesuspasionwedding #buddies4eva

Today's plans:

• Fleming's beach with the crew with breakfast from Leodas
• Buddy & Jessica's wedding #dejesuspasionwedding #buddies4eva

Day 2 was Wedding Day! We were sure to mix in a few activities including DT Fleming Beach Park, pre-wedding meal at Maui Brewing Company, 

Maui 6/27/14 - day 1

8:36 AM - We're sitting here waiting for our breakfast at the Gazebo Restaurant. The line is super long but we called in our order thanks to a tip on Yelp.

After our delicious breakfast, we walked down to Napili bay, where the girls hung out in the kiddie pool with Leon, Dean and Noel did some boogie boarding, and Sam and Jamie did some paddleboarding.  Noel was catching some good waves, while Dean wasn't having the same luck. Sam got taken over by a huge wave, and I relaxed on the beach, letting the waves meet me while I watched the fun. =)

Soon it was time to pack up and get ready for Buddy and Jessica's welcome get-together at Hula Grill.  We enjoyed mai tais, mangoritas, and Lemonades over yummy appetizer food and fun conversation. It was cool seeing Dean hanging out with 3 of his groomsmen, can't believe I've known these guys for 16 years!

We did some window shopping and then went to Foodland where we stocked up on sone goodies: poke, mochi ice cream, spam musubis, some munchies, water and fruit. Then we were off to check into my sister's timeshare (thanks, Elaine, love you!). We haven't been here since our honeymoon 8 years ago, so happy to be back!

We settled in, unpacked, and ran out to the ABC store real quick to pick up something that we forgot to pack.  That place is awesome, it has everything you could possibly need!  We picked up a couple souvenirs, some more munchies, some breakfast items, and some dranks, haha.

We spent the rest of the evening having poke and spam musubis for dinner while watching the first episode of Big Brother.

Maui 6/26/14 - night 1

We're here! We almost missed our flight because we were at the bar, haha. Dean noticed that nobody was sitting at our gate anymore, so we chugged our drinks and made it for the final boarding call.  Pretty sure we were the last people to board...

The flight was smooth and we got our rental car. After 15 minutes of fiddling with the confusing controls, I figured out by some sort of miracle how to Bluetooth connect our phone to the car so we can play our music (yes, that's important).  Now we're making the drive to crash at Sam, Jaime, Noel, Leslie, and baby Leon's place (thanks, guys!), since the timeshare check-in isn't til tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully someone's awake to let us in, it's 11:28pm local time but 2:28 back home.