Our footprints on Maui's Wailea Beach, August 1999
Adam and I are off again in just a few days, this time to the Hawaiian island of Maui. I’ve scored a three-night stay at a swanky hotel, so we’re going for a long weekend — to celebrate Adam’s birthday.
It’ll be our first trip back since we honeymooned there in 1999…
For our honeymoon, we spent a week and stayed in two places: a clifftop B & B in Haiku, and a funky rental cottage right near Hana. The B & B went into foreclosure and the rental service no longer exists, which just tells us it’s time to get ourselves back to Maui.
Fortunately, fate has intervened. Last year, my dear friend Erika, associate editor of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, invited me to a romance travel event put on by the magazine. There was a put-your-business-card-in-the-big-brandy-snifter raffle, and I won a three-night stay at the Hotel Wailea.
The perfect length of time, in the true spirit of Travels With Two. The movie poster business is bustling this time of year, so long weekends are as much as Adam can comfortably take. When I began to wheel and deal for more time, Adam said only:
“Better some Maui than no Maui at all.”
And there you have it, folks. If you have to make a compromise in your relationship, I’d choose this one.
Maui's Garden of Eden
Adam’s birthday falls on Easter this year. The Bing Fare Alert I set up a while back showed the holiday weekend’s L.A./Maui flights hovering between $700-800 apiece; since we have a few other trips in the works this year, I decided to book our flights with our US Airways miles. 145,000 miles later, hooray for a cash expenditure of $20 for taxes and fees (we were given a surprise credit of $100). Now, though, instead of 5-hour direct flights from L.A., we’ve got 9-hour journeys with connecting flights coming and going.
At least I was able to save $20 a day on the rental of a convertible by clicking through Discount Hawaii Car Rental‘s sponsored ad from Go Visit Hawaii’s home page. All fees included, our car will cost about $267.
So, our weekend is on. Guided by my own TWT Travel Binder: Hawaii (which includes links to my pal Sheila’s comprehensive Go Visit Hawaii, and evocative Maui articles by former Brat Packer-turned-travel-writer Andrew McCarthy), I’ve got a loose itinerary in mind.
To re-orient myself, I consulted this map of Maui.
After a Thursday night red-eye to Phoenix, a connecting flight to Maui’s OGG airport, picking up our baggage and rental car, then driving 40 minutes, we’ll arrive at Hotel Wailea around 4pm. Our big Friday night plan is to waft around the property, then have a 6pm sunset dinner at the hotel’s on-site restaurant before turning in early.
Wailea Beach
We plan to wake up way before dawn on Saturday, drive a few hours northeast, and try to catch the sunrise at Haleakala. When we went to the top of this volcanic mountain almost 11 years ago, we missed the legendary sunrise by 10 minutes. Using GVH’s tips for Haleakala, we’ll bundle up and see for ourselves what’s often called the greatest sunrise on Earth.
10 minutes after the Haleakala sunrise
Post-rise, we’ll head straight to the reportedly beautiful Kula Lodge for breakfast. They don’t take reservations, but they do seat about 150. Right nearby is the huge Kula Botanical Garden in case we want to get our flower on.
We’ll have the rest of the day to explore. Just south of Hana is the O’heo Gulch and its Seven Sacred Pools, which we fell in love with back in ’99. Or we might go in search of new adventures within Haleakala National Park.
O'heo Gulch has Seven Sacred Pools and some great spots for kissing
Sunday (Adam’s birthday), is still largely plan-free. We might take a ferry to to Lanai, go exploring in Lahaina, or just go for yet another drive, this time to see how the south — in 1999, a largely unpopulated stretch of the island — might have changed.
The southern coast of Maui in 1999
On Monday, we plan to take a Molokini snorkeling tour. Molokini, a state bird and marine sanctuary, is one of the top snorkeling and diving spots in all of Hawaii. For $89 per person, all equipment, wetsuits, breakfast and lunch are included; there’s an 8am sail time not far from our hotel, and we return at 2pm.
Our flight out isn’t until about 9pm, so as long as we start early, we’ll have time for a leisurely dinner. Convenient to the airport is the famous Haliimale General Store, where we never ate on our honeymoon…but always wanted to.
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If there’s something you love to do in Maui (especially in Wailea, Kihei or along the south coast),
please leave a comment — your suggestions are very welcome!
Happy Birthday to Adam!
Thank you for all the kind mentions, Melanie! I look forward to hearing all about your trip.
Sounds like you guys will have a great trip!!
If you have the chance, perhaps on your way to the airport on Monday, you could try to drive by Makawao and Pa’ia towns. They have several art galleries and lots of little shops with unique arts & crafts, even handcrafted furniture, house items etc. You can spend as little or as much time there… I resisted buying things (although it was hard!) as at the time I was still living in Brazil, but it was so nice to stroll on those streets and explore each little shop & gallery… They also have a Flatbread Company there, another (tasty!) dining option.
Enjoy your trip!
Kris
Thanks, Kris! Since the Haliimale General Store is in Makawao, we’ll definitely be exploring it on Monday. We loved Pa’ia, too, when we stayed in nearby Haiku back in the day — it would be fun to see how it’s changed (or not) in 11 years.
Turns out that over the weekend there’s an arts festival centered in Lahaina and fanning out from there, so we may make a run up north on Sunday, after all…
If you are doing Haleakala Sunrise, I would stay in the Upcountry — fun stops would be the Tedeschi Winery, the Alii Kula Lavender Farm, the O’o Organic Farm, the Surfing Goats Dairy (haven’t made it there yet but would love to at some point), Makawao, Paia, etc. — before heading back to Wailea. And then pick somewhere fun around there for dinner. Have you been to Humu at the Grand Wailea? That’s a nice romantic spot and would be near your hotel so you’d only have to stumble back to your room afterwards…
Also, while in Paia, you should check out the Ono Gelato shop (their motto is “eat local taste aloha”) and the new Paia Inn — in case you want to stay there on your NEXT visit.
You should leave your hotel by 3:30am to start your trek to Haleakala. You want to be there at least 1+ hours before sunrise. Stand outside, not in the buildings, so you can experience the Milky Way and then the colors on the horizon once the sun starts to light up the sky. Be aware of the change in the air pressure, smell in the air and the pitch in the sound of the wind once the sun comes over the horizon. Wrap yourself up in the quilt and/or blanket from your hotel and have someone take a picture of you. Makes for a great first photo for your vacation album. On your way down, take your time. Stop at least once at a dirt pullout and look for the Silversword plant in full bloom, the Nene biird and the mongoose. Then head off to Kula Lodge (great choice). Instead of the Kula Botanical Garden you might want to go to the Enchanted Floral Gardens near Kula Lodge. Then head into Makawao and Paia Towns and explore all the small “Mom & Pop” shops. Remember the stores really don’t open til 9am. Now you should head back to your hotel. Remember you got up at 3am and it is now about 11am. If you head to Hana now you will begin to feel tired and will not let you truly enjoy the journey to Hana and the 3hr roundtrip hike through the Bamboo Forest. You should head to you hotel for a little romantic siesta. Now head out to Ulua beach in Wailea. Walk the Wailea coastal path hand-in-hand all the way to the Fairmont Kea Lani (about a mile). Be sure to walk on the beaches when they appear. Have a drink and pupus at the Fairmont. Good thing about this is that if the driver has been drinking, he or she will have a mile walk to sober up.
You should combine your trip to Lanai with a snorkeling excursion. This way you will kill 2 birds with one stone. There is one excursion that includes a van tour of Lanai. Remember, there is no little town at the boat dock. The town is reached by a 20 minute drive. You can also add on a Zodiac trip to look for dolphins. The boat leaves at 10pm and returns around 7pm. That would mean a sunset sail, too.
My gal insists that when she wants to go out for a romantic dinner that I take her to the Waterfront Restaurant in Ma’alaea. It is so small. Same chef for over 20 years. Incredible fish ($10 per entree less than Mama’s Fish House). You sit out on the lanai overlooking the ocean with the boat harbor off to the side. You will also see Molokini Crater in the distance. Fantastic wine list.
I agree that Hailimaile General Store is a perfect choice to have dinner before heading back to the airport. The owner/chef of this restaurant also owns Joe’s Bar Grill in Wailea. Great view and food.
How do I know all this? I am a concierge on Maui for the last 20 years. The advice I have listed above is what I relate to all my clients. They do appreciate how “right on” I have been with my advice.
Enjoy your “return to Maui”.
@Ann, thank you for such great Upcountry suggestions! And, though we haven’t been to Humu, back in ’99 we successfully snuck into the Grand Wailea’s pool…so this time, we’ll try to be more adult and reserve a table for two. Though I’ll be sad to miss out on Chef Marc’s garden delights at the Banyan Tree, Kapalua is already feeling way too far for a night’s drive.
@RW, wow! You’ve just designed a lovely weekend…thank you! I’d agree that you know your Maui…
We’re definitely going to skip Hana on Saturday, and maybe try for it on Sunday, instead. We got tired just thinking about it! Thanks to you, we’ll be sure to check out the Enchanted Floral Gardens and Ulua Beach.
Save money on a Maui rental car, get it from Frank’s Friendly Cars Maui Car Rental, it’s a small, locally owned company with great service and great prices.
UPDATE: The Enchanted Floral Gardens that I mentioned in my previous comment is currently on the marker for sale. The loving care for the gardens that was once there seems to have diminished. However, the Kula Botanical Gardens has risen to the occasion.
I also have many other half day trips by car, as well as, great suggestions for which activity companies you will get the most for your dollar. Contact me anytime.