Hawaii Adventure – Day 9
This morning, I am drinking my Kauai Estate Dark Roast Coffee, reminiscing with the family about our vacation as we look through pictures and discuss which to share with you. We tried to pack so much into this two-week journey – beauty, adventure, relaxation, rest, exertion, history, local culture, food, shopping, sunsets, sunrises, beaches, mountains, challenging hikes and leisurely strolls. 🤭
Mostly, we just wanted to soak up every moment of life together as a family, with hearts grateful to our Heavenly Father for the excellent gift of this abundant journey. As I have said, Maui was the perfect blend of metropolitan Honolulu, Oahu, and pristine Koloa on the Garden Isle of Kauai. Maui is known as the Valley Isle and, sometimes, life can be the most serene and plentiful in the valley.
We decided to start our day with breakfast in the Club Lounge, followed by a surprise May Day celebration at the resort, complete with hula, stories, lei-making, lawn games, presentations, and a traditional Hawaiian send-off/blessing called “Hawai’i Aloha”, where all the participants gathered in a circle to sing. This event is put on by the Resort Staff one day each year. What a blessing that it fell on our first full day at the resort.
After a stroll along the Ka’anapali Beach pathway, we drove into the quaint, seaside town of Lahaina, to tour the many shops, restaurants and historic sites along Front Street. The kids were especially excited to see the Giant Banyan Tree in front of the Lahaina Courthouse.
After hours of shopping in Lahaina, we found the original Cheeseburger in Paradise. The food was outstanding, and the views couldn’t be beat! Our waiter, Austin, was from Nashville, TN . . . go figure, right?! For dessert, we shared a REAL Hawaiian treat – Ululani’s Shave Ice. We loved the condensed milk and ice cream base, and the locally sourced fresh-fruit syrup blends. 🍧
The remainder of our day was spent at our resort, enjoying activities, shops, and playing in the waves while watching a glorious Maui sunset. Day 9 would have to end with an early 7:00 pm bedtime because Day 10 would begin with a 1:30 am wake up call. More on that amazing sunrise adventure tomorrow. 🌅🤙🏼
