Hawaii- Part 3

After we finally made it to the airport on Tuesday, we were surprised to see that we weren't being taken to the regular terminal. We figured our flight to Maui would be a small plane but this was DEFINITELY a small plane. No TSA! And not only did they weigh your bags but they also weighed YOU on the scales to keep track of the weight total for the plane. Scary? Ah huh.

9 passenger plane

Until next time, Big Island!

Hello Maui!

So we get to the rental car place at the Maui airport- and apparently Thomas was trying to surprise me by renting more of a "luxury" car. So we walk out to the parking lot and all that sits in the "luxury" car section is 3 Lincoln Towncars. Really? Are we 80? Needless to say, Thomas let them know that wasn't acceptable and that we wouldn't be paying for a luxury upgrade if it included those cars. After a few minutes, they came back and let us know that they had a Camaro we could take if that would help. And we promptly let them know that that would do the trick :) Thomas was THRILLED to be driving a Camaro- and not a Lincoln.

We checked into our B&B around 5:00 and then headed into downtown Lahaina for dinner at Cheeseburgers in Paradise. We LOVED our B&B. It was definitely our most expensive stay in Hawaii but it was really nice and quiet, which is what we were looking for. It was located up on a mountain and had a great view of the ocean. It had an outdoor shower that was awesome and a private outdoor seating area. Again, I got big props from the husband for making this find :)

Thomas and the Camaro

view from our outdoor sitting area

This B&B is called Ho'olio House and is located in Lahaina- if anyone is ever looking for a recommendation. The breakfast spread was awesome (homemade muffins daily, fruit salad, cereals and granolas) and the owners were nice also. 

I had arranged for a beer growler and local snacks to be waiting for us when we arrived. So that was a nice treat. It was an IPA from the Maui Brewing Company and all snacks that were made in Maui- including Marlin Jerky- this was the only one we REALLY didn't care for :). A nice little unexpected perk was that we got to bring home the growler as a souvenir.. and also two etched beer glasses. 

On our first full day in Maui, we decided to go to the beach and also go to a blowhole that I had researched. We stayed at the beach for a few- but then decided we'd rather rent snorkel gear and come back the next day with that. So we traveled towards the blow hole- which was a 30 minute drive North. It was very cool- much different than the one that Thomas jumped into. This one was an active blowhole and much much smaller. But neat to watch as big swells came in.

Again, pictures don't ever seem to do any justice, but it was really quite cool.

After going to the blowhole, we decided to head back and just relax by our pool at the B&B. We had the pool to ourselves and it was definitely nice to take it easy for a few. 

For dinner that night (Wednesday) we booked a Luau! It came highly recommended from a friend and we really enjoyed it (The Old Lahaina Luau). Besides having a drink spilled on my dress within the first 5 minutes of being there, it was great. The food was good, the entertainment was awesome, and the sunset was beautiful. I wasn't interested in eating any pork after the unveiling of the pig- but it was cool to see. And we met a nice couple from Savannah who not only got engaged on their trip but also married! So they had a lot to celebrate. Also, we had booked our dinner early on, so we had a great seat up front.

On our last full day in Hawaii, we decided to spend it snorkeling. We had scouted out a place while driving the day before. And it turned out great. It was the best snorkeling we've ever done. The water was FREEZING- therefore I had to get out twice to warm up- but it was still a really neat experience. There were more coral reefs and colorful fish than I've ever seen. 

Birds Eye View of our snorkeling spot

Again, pictures don't do it justice, but this was a great snorkeling spot! It was called Honolua Bay. And if your ever interested, make sure you get there early because parking was limited!

This was not only our last day in Hawaii, but it was also the 4th of July. So after snorkeling, we grabbed lunch at a food truck that we had been eyeing for a few days and then we headed back to our B&B again to relax by the pool. It seemed too nice not to take advantage of it for a little while longer. For the night, even though it was the 4th, we decided to just go and pick up a pizza and watch the fireworks from our B&B. It ended up being just what we needed in order to gear up for the long journey home on Friday. 

We stopped for one last picture before heading to the airport. Im so thankful we got to take this trip! Hopefully we can save our pennies and make a journey back there one day!