Aloha Maui, thanks for the memories!

Today concludes our eight-day family vacation in Maui, Hawaii.  We’re driving to the airport as I type, all of us sufficiently sunned, funned, and relaxed. Our condos at the Honua Kai resort were great! On the north beach of Kaanapali, it was a good location close to a lot of restaurants and on a beautiful miles-and-miles long stretch of pristine beach. Given we had four kids six-and-under, and nine adults thirty-something or sixty-something the separate spaces with full kitchens, wi-fi, TVs, three pools, and a great gourmet market and coffee shop in lobby was just the spot for us!

As I wrote about before, this was our first time using VRBO.com to book a place. It was super easy to check-in and out, the condos were all very thoughtfully stocked with essentials and then some! We had beach toys, boogie boards, snorkel gear, wine glasses, coolers, BBQ gear, toiletries, etc. The condos were exactly as pictured, in really good shape and you could tell the buildings and furnishings were only a few years old.

Some might miss the traditional high-end hotel resort amenities (housekeeping, spas, room service, golf course, tennis courts) but with our little ones in tow we really didn’t miss it, and appreciated the much more spacious rooms with multiple bathrooms. On that note: we apparently weren’t the only ones who figured this out, because true to the reviews I read before we went, Honua Kai is full of young families. We found that really refreshing to stay someplace nice where our kids weren’t an unwelcome interference in childless couples’ vacations. The pools were full of parents, kids, inner tubes, beach balls, and the like. So, if you are looking for a quiet adult-only getaway in Hawaii, this ain’t it! I’d recommend the Grand Wailea in that case…which we stayed at back when we were childless on the island. 🙂

After spending last week laid up in bed very sick, and dealing with our seemingly never-ending remodel (four months and counting) we were really ready for our getaway! Our kids had the best time spending the week with their grandparents, uncles, aunties, and cousins. At the end we were all already talking about a potential repeat when my mom celebrates her 65th in a few years! I’ve run out of time for now, but will post soon on the food and activities on the island. Aloha!

Our last Hawaiian shave ice today before heading to the airport. A delicious treat, SO much tastier than its less exotic cousin, the sno cone.