What's up? This is Mason!! After a complete year of mom refusing to upload anything on her blog, I took over. I thought someone had to take care of it, especially after our big Maui, Hawaii trip. The trip all started from bringing up going to Hawaii and my parents making a deal that I had to mow the lawn every week. Even though I doubted that was going to happen a little, I still did it all summer and it actually happened. Once we picked out our rental place, I got excited. I gotta give a shout out to Mom though for taking the majority of these pictures.
Saturday, October 27
After referring a little kid soccer game that morning (due to my bad planning), we packed our bags and headed to PDX. We flew to San Francisco, then straight to Kahului, Maui. We picked up our 2-door Jeep Wrangler and headed to our resort in the Western side of the island called Honua Kai. The link for the room and resort we stayed at is here.
This is a picture I took of us flying over San Francisco.
Sunday, October 28
After having breakfast at the resort restaurant Duke's (Duke is who we later find out to make surfing popular in Hawaii), Siena and I headed out to check out the ocean, which was warmer than I imagined.
The waves at this beach were massive though, so we were getting knocked down constantly.
Mom and dad enjoying themselves in the South Pacific.
Siena got a new waterproof action camera for her birthday. Siena and I are ready to film for her movie. I am the cameraman with the camera strapped to my forehead. Siena is obviously the actress.
Us driving to the grocery store in Lahaina in the top down Jeep.
Siena and I boogie boarding back at our resort. Testing out the warm water.
Siena getting her first swell of the trip.
After a good boogie board session, we hit the pools. Mom being her self?
Siena and I screwing around in the resort lobby.
After a long day of straight swimming and sun, we went to Lahaina and eat at Bubba Gump.
Monday, October 29
We spent today going from place to place on the Western side of the island. We had a routine where some days we would just chill and swim at our resort, and other days we would go out and do activities.
This is a photo I took of the view from our room that morning.
Our first activity of the day was to head to Kapalua Bay and do some snorkeling. We were too busy swimming to take any pictures, but I got some good footage of us snorkeling with Siena's new camera.
Afterwards we went to a beach called D.T. Fleming Park which is famous for having really big waves to boogie board. We went there and changed our minds because they were too big for that us that on that day so we eat at Burger Shack next to the Ritz-Carlton, and we ended up to be some of the best burgers we've ever had.
Then we drove to the Northern side of the island to visit Nakalele Point, which is a very cool outlook of the ocean and has giant blowhole that spews out water from the ocean.
Dad enjoying the view from a distance.
Mom and Siena.
Siena's having fun, and she's not even walking around.
Did I mention the view was amazing? Because it was.
Dad and Siena.
On our way back, we decided to stop at Honolua Bay to do some more snorkeling, which is a famous spot for that. It ended up being very dirty recently, so we went back home unfortunately.
After everything we did, that didn't stop Siena and I from swimming at our resort.
We eat at Lahaina Fish Co. and I ordered a tropical smoothie (I ordered a smoothie everyday of this trip).
The famous old and gigantic Lahaina Banyon tree.
Tuesday, October 30
As part of our chill day, the family hang out at the pool. Rain was predicted, but that didn't stop us from doing our thing.
We spent a couple of hours swimming, and had lunch at the resort restaurant, but I started to rain hard, so we went inside to chill and prepare for our luau, which we were scared would cancel. Of course, it did, so we had to eat somewhere else. We had dinner at Down the Hatch, but knowing our luck, it was open air, so we got wet. It was an experience, but I don't like to look at it negatively. It was still a fun day and the weather was still better than the weather in Oregon. And we managed to schedule a new luau on Friday.
Wednesday, October 31 (Halloween)
We kicked off our Halloween swimming at Black Rock beach to do some swimming and snorkeling.
Mom all geared up and ready to hit the reef (you can tell Dad took this picture because his finger was on the lens).
After a few hours of soaking up in the sun and meeting a few sea turtles, we headed back to the resort to prepare for the annual Lahaina Halloween party. Lahains shuts down the main street for everyone to dress up and trick or treat. On Tuesday, we drove to Walgreens to pick up a few last minute Halloween supplies. We didn't have the most decked out costumes, but it worked.
Mom is a cat and Siena is a witch.
Dad is Pennywise the clown from the movie "It" and I'm a Hawaiian zombie.
Siena and I having our 4th (I think) shaved ice at the exact same place.
The witch is getting a henna of a Hawaiian hibiscus.
Mom threw away the sandals that were probably older and me and bought a brand new pair. They might've been a little pricey though.
Dad, Siena and I in main street and the middle of the party.
As it started to get later, more and more people started showing up.
Mom and Siena while we wait for our table (at Bubba Gump's again)
You already know I bought the fanciest smoothie there. It even came with a glass you can take home.
There's a few issues with eating with makeup on. Dad demonstrates one of them.
A quick photo shoot with our Halloween costumes back at our resort.
You can't see in this picture, but we took it to show all the stars that we usually can't see at home because of the light pollution. It was crazy for us. We added in the palm tree for aesthetics.
Thursday, November 1
A few days before, we scheduled to go ziplining. It was at 1:00, so of course, we spent the morning swimming at the pools, and chilling at the beach. We got there and got all geared up.
Us at lookout deck which looks out over Kaanapali, which was the town where all of the big resorts were, including ours.
Us on the suspension bridge that goes over a valley with a waterfall that you can throw a rock into to make a wish.
After 2 lines, it started to get cloudy and one of the instructors told us that we had to get off the mountain because someone claimed they heard thunder. Even though we were refunded the full price, we really wanted to go on all the other lines (there were 7 lines in total). We went back to the resort and eat at their restaurant. It was another let down, but we managed to book another ziplining session the next day. It was at 8am, but it worked.
Friday, November 2
Final full day in Maui, Hawaii, and we woke up super early to go back to what we were doing the day before; ziplining. We bought the photo package this time, so we had a ton of great photos.
The Cruz family on the practice line. They were dual lines, so Dad and me always went together, and Mom and Siena always went together.
Right after the easy line, they threw us right into the deep end. The second line was half a mile long, the longest line on the course. It stretched over a huge valley, and had a great view of the Pacific.
Here is a video of our instructor going down that line.
Us climbing up yet another suspension-like bridge.
After a whole bunch of ziplining over hundreds of feet of Hawaiian rainforest, we hit the last line, which was the fastest one. It takes you from 0-55 mph in 5 seconds. Here are a few videos of us going down it. Us kids had to go first so that we don't get stuck half way through (that happened to me on the 5th line).
When we got back to Kaanapali, it was only around 11:30. We had the most amazing burgers at Cool Cat Cafe and did our last bit of shopping in Lahaina. You already know that we went back to the resort to do more swimming. This is the view of the sun setting next to the pool.
After a few hours, we put on our nice clothes we went to our rescheduled luau. Siena and I waiting in line for the luau. This was one of our best pictures on this trip.
Our family once we got seated.
Mom bought Siena an awesome Hawaiian lei.
Siena got up to the stage to do the hula as well.
After a lot of good food and fire dancing, we headed back to the resort for the night. The luau was a good way to end the last complete day in Hawaii.
Saturday, November 3
We woke up bright and early (4:30 am to be exact) and headed to the airport. We took a 20 minute flight to Honolulu for a 3 hour layover. While we were there, Mom brought up the courage to buy a very expensive purse from Coach.
I was pretty jealous. I spent the entire time we were waiting for the plane messing around with it.
After a flight to San Francisco again, and then back to Portland, Papa Ron drove us home for the day. (We spent the entire day travelling).
It was an amazing trip that I am so glad we did. I was getting wanderlust because our previous lack of travelling (other than our trip to Bend). This trip was so memorable and probably won't be the only time we go to Hawaii, maybe even Maui. And thank you parents for making all of this possible. Aloha.
