Finally Maui

I went to Maui with June. John passed away in January 2021, so our last trip there was not meant to be. A few hoops to jump through to get there but doable, due to Covid. Mostly we stayed at the unit, only going out a few times. It is lovely, yet he is missing from the fun. The unit itself has really degraded. Carpet is actually missing and doors don't even shut! We didn't do much. It is hard, but I must move along this path the LORD has for me. That is what John would want me to do. I miss John so much and things are not as much fun without him. Views at the west end of Kam I. We exercised a lot. I walked the beach and went swimming a few times. Maui is beautiful!!!

Maui- NO!

 Covid totally dismissed out trip to Maui in 2020. We banked the week, but not sure we will use it. We were able to move forward the 3 extra weeks we rented. I am really grateful for that. 

November is Here!

November 1: Today we took a nice trip up to the Maui Winery. They have improved it some. However, they now charge for wine tasting. They have enlarged their "porch" area and have some rustic seating with Chinese Checkers, their form of Jenga (wine-ga) and a couple other table games, there there is also a couple of corn  hole games set up. After the wine tasting and games we walked over  to the Ulupalakua Ranch Store & Grill. Best burgers on Maui IMHO. We thought it might rain and there were  a few sprinkles along the way but they stopped. Great views, tasty food, and we had a nice time. Tonight there was a pupu party at the condo but we didn't go. We were in somewhat of a food coma from the burgers. When we looked out there were just 3 ladies there. Then later there was a table set up and about 25 people. Nice, maybe next week. 

For the remainder of our days we played a bit of Rummikub, ate a meal from ABC Store Deli (delicious French Dip sandwiches), had brunch at 5 Palms, went for morning swims all but the days that had red flag warning, did a little swimming... and last but not least, packed our bags to head home... 

November 10: They day has come to head home. We decided we would go to over  past Paia and visit Ho'okipa Beach to get a glimpse of turtles. Well, that was not to be. As soon as we left Kihei we met up with a LOT of rain. We went ahead to Ho'okipa Beach and took a few photos and loved the views during a brief pause in the rain. The water is so rough and dangerous on that side of the island. 

Our plan was a quick lunch at The Fish Market in Paia but we saw a sign for Mama's Fish House and we made a U-turn and went there instead. What a treat! Since it was just before 11a we were able to get in without a reservation. The entire rest of the day was fully booked, even sitting at the bar! We have found a new favorite place to eat here on Maui. We sat by a window overlooking a private beach watching the water (and the rain), the decor was amazing, the staff well trained, beautifully dressed Hawaiian style, also very friendly, the drinks were delightful, and the food surpassed all expectations. It is certainly not inexpensive but it was a wonderful highlight and fabulous last meal in Maui. I can't wait to go there again.

We dropped off June at the airport about 1:30p. Her flight home was uneventful, that's the best kind. 

From there we went over toward the cruise ship port, no ship in port today. Too bad this is in such an unattractive part of the island. We drove up to Iao Needle state park in pouring rain, no visit there because it was raining so hard. On to Maui Tropical Plantation where we went to the Mill House for a drink and snack, not because we were hungry but because we had time to kill. The views of the mountains were lovely in the rain, the food was a disappointment. There was a 10% Veteran discount...BUT with the discount they automatically add 18% tip. We usually tip well so not a problem, just odd. We decided to drive back to Kihei and on to La Perouse Bay, our famous end-of-the-road journey. We made it back to Kamaole Beach Park III just before sunset and watched our final Maui sunset for 2018. When it got dark we easily switched out clothing in the car and headed to Costco to fill up our rental car with gas. Surprisingly, it was $3.09 per gallon! Most other stations were at least a dollar more. Quite amazing. Now on to return the car and head to the airport. Everything went as planned and our overnight trip home was uneventful as well. 

Grateful and thankful to the LORD for giving us another trip to Maui. 

Our Time With June

Since June arrived we have been relaxing, swimming, playing games, and we did a little shopping. We have been fixing our own meals since we have TONS of food leftover. We did eat out a couple times. If something more exciting happens than getting knocked down by a wave or two, I will be sure to post that!

ps: 1. My box to S&S didn't make it...

      2. The washer  broke but  is fixed now. 

      3. John is feeling better! :-)

October 30: Today we had a pretty nice little storm. It was really supposed to arrive on Halloween, but it came early. The wind was pretty substantial and the ocean was wild. I did take a few photos and even a video. The wind made the video so noisy it is hard to watch but it is in Forever Album, 2018 Maui.

October 31: June and I spent a busy day with a  quick stop at Safeway and then shopping for the things she wants to take back for her family. I also searched for a few items to send a second box to S&S. So very disappointed the nice things I sent didn't make it. These are different things but still okay. I did not want to duplicate the first box just because of the very remote possibility that it might show up. 

Most of the day we heard yard work activity cleaning up from the small storm last night. We went to Moose's for potato skins, it was packed!!!

No Trick or Treater's! We were going to give them bags of chips!!! 

Getting Home Isn't Always Easy!

October 20: Deb, Sam, Jeff and Spencer left about 7am and headed out. All went well and smooth for them. Hertz is fast with pickups and drop offs I guess. We cleared out all the food and brought it over to our condo. The kids were a tremendous help. John and I picked up June at the airport around 10a. Her flight was a bit late. The day was sort of  dragged as the kids were just waiting to leave. We did take them for lunch to Moose's which they perked up for. Matt and Sierra went to Wialea Mall to kill a little time. Then it was time to leave. I took Sierra, Matt, Jul, and Soren to the airport dropping them off about 7p. Matt and Sierra helped them get situated with boarding passes, etc. Matt and Sierra left around 9p on their American Airlines flight. Jul and Soren had quite the nightmare getting home. Shortly later they boarded and pushed back. However, they came back to the gate because someone was sick. I'm not sure how long that took. Then they were off again and 45 minutes into the flight they turned around and headed back to Honolulu because of a pressurization problem on the plane. 

October 21: I got a text from them about 12:30a but I didn't see it until I woke up just before 3a. By that time they were checking into a Honolulu hotel. They were told "everything is taken care of" for their flight the next day and they would be leaving at 12:30p. That morning they got a food voucher (I was thankful, as neither had credit cards and not sure really how much cash Jul had). Julie sent me the name of the hotel and I tried calling the front desk to  see if I could advance cash on my credit card for them between 3-4a. There was no answer. When I tried again at 6a I did get a person but they said they could advance cash to any guests. They advised me that there was a Western Union nearby but I thought  that would only make it more complicated for the kids. This person told me they were all given a $15 voucher for breakfast, so that was a relief. Anyway, next morning they had a breakfast via voucher and back to the airport. They gave them boarding passes and sent them through "a fast security" and they thought they were set. Then they noticed  they only had a boarding pass for a fight to Seattle, nothing else. Soren got in line to check and a bit later a flight arrangement came in via my email (that's where I booked them). They were going to overnight again in Seattle!!! Then fly to San Diego and then to FAT at 9:30p Monday!!! Can you believe it? I didn't hear back from the kids, I'm sure they knew. I called Alaska Airlines - Now that was another experience. 

First I looked up the flight schedules and I saw that there were 3 flights, with seats, out of Seattle Monday morning. So I called and got Kirsten on the phone. I told her the plight of my kids. I informed her that this was my disabled daughter and my grandson of 18 traveling together. She was sympathetic and said she would see what she could do. When she came back on she said she found something that might work better. It was an 8a flight out of Seattle to San Diego, then to Fresno arriving 5:30p, which was a little earlier. I was stunned. I told her that was not really better that they needed a direct flight to Fresno, plus a hotel in Seattle. She was "not sure" a hotel would be available in Seattle. I expressed the opinion that there darn well better be, because you cannot leave a disabled person in the airport all night. She said these things happen and I told her I understood planes break down, but it was unreasonable to put these kids to take out of the way flights to get home. Then when I told her I see seats on direct flights from Seattle to Fresno, she informed me those were first class seats. I said, "So what? It is taking my kids 3 days to get home from Hawaii, they should have a first class seat." Now she told me it wasn't "their fault" that it was taking 3 days... That's when I asked for her supervisor. I was on hold about 15 later she came back on the phone. I thought by then she wasn't coming back! She miraculously discussed this with her supervisor and they got them some flights on their partner airlines, Hawaiian and United. They could leave on flight 12 on Hawaiian airlines at 1:20p arriving SFO at 9:30p, then take United 1729 at 11:xxp arriving in FAT at 12:21a. This seemed a lot more reasonable to me. No extra night in the hotel and home almost on Sunday. Now we texted the kids and told them NOT to get on the flight they were scheduled for and to call John's phone because I was on my phone. Kirsten said they can go  to any Hawaiian airlines counter and get their boarding passes. I hope she is right. Meanwhile, unknown to me John's phone was off and upstairs, that was quickly rectified. They were happy to hear of the change and that they would be home sooner. They left for the Hawaiian Airlines section of Honolulu Airport and soon had their boarding passes for BOTH flights in hand. We are just praying everything is on time and goes well for the kids. Thankfully, it did. When they got to SFO they did not need to go to one of the remote terminals via shuttle, so that was good. They still had money for pizza, sent this photo, and had a great learning experience. I thought back to just before they left when I told Soren I hoped they had a smooth flight home. He had a big grin on his face and said, "what can go wrong Grandma?" I said, "Well, your fight could be delayed 10 hours from Seattle to Fresno. His smile immediately vanished and he said, "Does that really happen?" I advised him it was indeed possible. They are seasoned travelers now and I am so  proud of them for doing so well through a stressful time. 

A Few More Days

October 17: Today after our morning swim we were going to go to Maui Tropical Plantation. Unfortunately, all the trams are booked up until 3p. Who knew it was this popular now? So a quick change of plans and everyone else decided to take the drive up to Lahaina. That is great for them and we stayed here so John can relax and I could write a bit on this blog and organize my photos. John hasn't been feeling great, he has a cough. 


October 18: We had a nice morning swim, just John and I today. Today I think it was just Deb, Sam, and Jeff bar hopping in Kihei. Matt and Sierra went to the Road to Hana. We stayed back both days. We didn't go with them because John is coughing a lot. We went to Kaiser  drop in, which took a few hours. He now has cough syrup, inhaler, and antibiotics. Chest x-ray was clear (we got to see his heart valve, which was interesting) and they heard wheezing so gave him a breathing treatment. He is in a  better mood now!!! :-) Anyway, we don't care to bar hop. If it is happy hour we like trying new places and have a drink or even two but not a bunch of places and several drinks. Not our "thing" for sure. After the doc we were starving and went to Moose's directly. Split sliders and potato skins and each had a margarita. It was  very nice as we made it just in time to see the sunset. The sky was truly amazing after the sunset. Of course, no good photo options but just lovely. 

October 19: Today most of our group went on a Maui Brewing Co. Tour. They had fun. There is a restaurant there as well and they called us to have our final meal together there instead of at Moose's. It is up Lipoa Parkway. While you can see the ocean a bit, you do have lovely mountain/valley views and the  location is very nice. The sides of the building go up to reveal a nice patio area with grass and corn hole games set up. It is friendly service and reasonable prices. The skies were also fantastic to view. A very enjoyable last night in Maui for them. 

The First Few Days

October 13: We flew Alaska Airlines to Seattle then on to Maui from there. We  had plenty of time to eat breakfast and buy a sandwich for the plane. Julianne and Soren flew with us on the way over. They will fly back on their own. Deb is a  little concerned about that but I think they will do great. They will only have a short layover on the return flight and Deb or Sam can pick them up at the airport. Deb and crew went to WalMart for us with a $500 card we provided to buy supplies there that we didn't want to buy large amounts of at Costco. So, some food is at hand in the condo when we arrived. 

We arrived, got our car and headed to the condo arriving at 5:20p. Patti was getting ready to leave for the day. There are a few changes here at KBC. Long time managers Debbie and Tom resigned last January. I didn't ask why. We are short towels, they will bring us more. In addition, they only give each condo 2 beach towels now. I bought the kids all a towel from the ABC Store. There used to be a  little supply of whatever the last person left behind (salt, pepper, oil, plastic containers, etc) but  none of that is around anymore. That's not a real problem but I would have brought a few different things if I had known. All that said, the feeling at KBC is still very Ohana. Our furniture seems either new or reupholstered. Two great BBQs and nice picnic tables still exist. Everything was nice and clean when we arrived. Now they also give owners (and their guests or family) free A/C units. The units aren't much but they cool the living room area if needed. The weather has been so nice we haven't really used it, though the family is in the other unit. They keep things sort of closed  up and dark but the breeze is perfect for us. 

After we got here and settled in we went to Moose's for Happy Hour. Then back and to bed pretty early. We are all tired. 

October 14: After a quick dip in the ocean and a quick trip over to ABC store today for those towels and a few other things. Other than that, Costco is the first thing on our agenda today. Spencer, Sierra, and Matt went with Deb and I to get a supply of food. It was crazier than we thought it would be because it barely fit in the car! Everyone ended up having things packed onto their laps, behind the seats, on the floor - - -  Phew, we got it all in. $1,182. later we are on our way! Kalua pork sandwiches and spinach salad for lunch. We watched the sunset from the picnic tables and had pupus for dinner. 

October 15: The beach is welcoming and lovely. We have had a lot of wind so the water isn't as calm as it has been in the past, even in the morning. The beach has been altered a bit by a tropical storm a few weeks bac, not the hurricane that came this way, the hurricane passed Kihei without even a notice. The sand should readjust itself in 2 weeks to 2 months according t o a local. John and I decided to go to our favorite place, Sorento's On The Beach for brunch, a little romantic get away by ourselves. What a HUGE disappointment. The place has changed. The menu has changed, no more crab cakes. No tablecloths anymore. They do have slow service. Who runs out  of hash browns when it is 10a and  they serve brunch until 3/? Even the servers were not friendly. We won't be going back. For years we have enjoyed that restaurant as a favorite spot on Maui - it's over. So disappointed.

October 16: Swimming each morning is so enjoyable. Jeff and Spencer went on a fishing excursion today. They had a great time and caught a lot of fish. We had fish tacos for dinner. 

Maui 2018

This is it! As of today our FOUR weeks in Maui is in place! We will be there October 13, to November 10, 2018. The first week we have two units booked; our one week and a rental week. The family will join us the first week and when they leave our dear friend June will join us for the additional three weeks. We booked two of those weeks and she loved it so much last time she wanted to add another week to the trip! We are all over that! We should see whales arriving by the time we leave. It is so relaxing and nice there, we can hardly wait! 💗 

NEVER using Advantage Car Rental Again

After the dispute with the car rental company in Hawaii from our trip last September it seems that we will be paying for the collision insurance even though we did not request it. I will NEVER use Advantage Car Rental again. We  have used it each time we went to Hawaii and we were satisfied enough. Since when does "waiving" insurance mean you are getting it? So a $405 hit to the pocket book today. We never purchase collision insurance because we have AAA and besides that the Capitol One card gives us that anyway. It's my own fault of course. I believe what they told me and we both signed. After waiting almost 2 hours in a sweltering room one does not think clearly! I  really feel duped.  

I was a little disappointed in Capitol One as well. It is a great card and the points are terrific but they didn't help us much, using the excuse their hands are tied because they need to follow "Visa" rules. Whatever... 

Heading Home

We were up early. No real need for the alarms we set because we woke several times and just finally got up and got ready to leave. The trip to the airport was uneventful, car return was quick, and the shuttle dropped us off right in front of the Alaska Airlines check in. Our flights were on time and Hilton Garden Inn Natomas shuttle was waiting for us at Sacramento Airport. There was a slight confusion on my part where "door 1" was but it all worked out. We were on the road and made it to June's house in good time. We were certainly happy to see Tony. We only stayed a few minutes because we need to get home too. We got gas and a small snack in Livingston. We were home by 11p. Fond memories are tucked away as we enter back into real life here in Clovis. So thankful for a safe and healthy trip! 

Maui Day 14

Say it isn't so! Our last full day... We spent a good part of the morning at the beach enjoying our last swim. After that we went to Sarento's for our brunch. We barely made it before they closed at 11a. After that we add up our ABC receipts and did the last of our shopping there. We got both a tote bag and a calendar for our receipts. Several hours were dedicated to packing and cleaning up our things, which seem to be upstairs when  we are down stairs or vise versa. Anyway, we got it all done, touched base with Patti in the office, and we were ready to watch our last Maui sunset for awhile. Actually, the sky AFTER the sunset was more spectacular than the sunset itself! We went to the picnic tables and visited with other guests while we enjoyed our last bottle of Splash Maui Wine we saved for tonight. Off to bed early as we have an early morning planned. 

Maui Day 13

Our entire morning was devoted to the beach. We took two nice swims. We made use of the chairs and dubious umbrella in our condo closet. That is not a complaint about the umbrella because what we have are items left behind that others share for our use. Each condo here has a different set of usable items left behind. Ours had a boogie board, 3 beach chairs, 1 regular chair, and the slightly damaged umbrella. It's a nice touch to have these items in this "less fancy" condo. Anyway, after the beach, showers, lunch, Rummikub, resting, reading, etc. we went for happy hour at Moose's again. I wanted my farewell potato skins, John and June humored me! The view was not great for the sunset (We wonder when they will bury the power lines here in Kihei?) but still lovely. John drove back to the condo with our leftovers while June and I stopped in shops on our walk back. The breeze was cool and refreshing. Sadly, tomorrow will be our last full day in Maui! 

A "selfie" - I'm not too good at that!

Maui Day 12

This morning we went for another nice swim. June and I stayed at the beach tanning for a little while afterwards but John headed back. After showers, lunch, and Rummikub we took a drive to La Perouse Bay. We never even knew there was a blow hole there! There is a little path, 1/8 of a mile, to the site. It is such a remote and fun place to go. We were glad June enjoyed it as well. There happened to be a ranger there and I double checked the fact Jeff told me, which was no fishing license is needed in Hawaii. It IS true but there are restrictions on limits, types of fish, etc. for each season. I guess he can read up on that before he comes here. The ranger also noted there are many good fishing spots between La Perouse Bay and Kihei. Anyway, there is no swimming or fishing at La Perouse Bay anyway. It is a reserve and to swim would be very dangerous. There is a snorkel spot along the way in a lovely little cove. It is rocky, so you would need some sort of shoes to get in the water I think. On the way back we stopped at Gannon's. To be exact the Red Bar located at Gannon's. The food was delicious, we had crab cake sliders and volcano fries. The service was pretty slow, it was warm out there, and the bushes are pretty overgrown so it is a little hard to see the fabulous views. 

I found this on the street.

The largest Plumeria blossom I have ever seen!

Crab Cake Sliders - Volcano Fries (with Furikake)

Maui Day 11

Today is the day for a little adventure! This morning took us to Maui Tropical Plantation for a zipline adventure with Maui Zipline Company, which is located at the plantation. First just John and June were going to go and then I decided to go as well. We got there at our 9:30a check in time and we were soon adorned with our gear, walking up to the tower, up the steps, and ready for our first line! John and I did a zipline long ago in Belize but this was June's first time and something on her "bucket list" as well. We had a nice visit with one of the staff. He is a Marine veteran who was on a ship like Steven was on. He brought up photos on his laptop to show us. Such a nice young man who served 3 tours in Iraq. The entire adventure was about 90 minutes. The staff was just super, so helpful, friendly, and patient. The worst part of it all is up on the tower platform and the need to stand up on a box to attach to the line. The wind was blowing as it always does out there and you feel like you will blow off. That first step off is a bit challenging but flying across on the zipline is fun and exhilarating. 

After this we ate at the Mill House restaurant, which is right there at the plantation. The food was delicious, but small portions. They had oldies music playing, Hawaiian would have been nicer. They brought bread about the time we finished our entrees. No salad or anything is served with the entree, which makes it seem a little expensive for what you get. But as I said, the food and the bread were delicious. We decided to skip the tram today as we are tired. We would like to come back rested and walk around the gardens and look through the shop a bit more.  

Our time in Maui is going by so quickly!!!

Maui Day 10

Lots of beach walking morning and evening, just lovely and so enjoyable. The gardener brought us some lovely smelling flowers and the scent fills the condo. There is a very nice volleyball court at Kam I (Kamaole Beach Park I) Let's see, we had Maui Fish Tacos for lunch I guess that was our day!

Anyone Know What These Are?

Maui Day 9

Sunday but no church for us, for one thing, not sure where we would go? Midday was very warm and humid, they call it "sticky" here on the news. We stayed in playing Rummikub. The morning and evenings are really nice with great tropical breezes. We have so enjoyed the lanai and watching the ocean. It has been quite choppy and rough after the first few hours in the morning. I made Debra's easy scampi recipe for us today, June liked it, never knew anyone who didn't! The sunset was beautiful once again. 

Maui Day 8

I should list all the interesting things we did today but the truth is we simply relaxed, read, played games - that's what this type of vacation is for! We had a tasty Japanese Rice meal fixed in the microwave that we purchased at Costco. Maui Vacation = Every day is a new opportunity for a nap! :-) 

June Won!!!

Hawai'i State Flower

Maui Day 7

Hard to believe we are completing a week here! It goes by very fast. It was especially warm in the morning with humidity of 85%, dropping to 78% by 10ish when we left on our excursion but it was 87 degrees by then. Later in the day it was up to 93%. I really didn't think it would be this warm in September! We wanted to get out of the condo because they were coming to clean this morning. Since it was so humid and warm we decided to just go back to Sarento's around 10a. Trying something different this time June and I both had a half omelet. I might add their full omelet is $15 made with 4 eggs, thus the choice of the half omelet (also half price). John had the crepes, which he enjoyed very much, eating every bite! The rest of the day we spend inside needless to say. No photos of what we did at sunset because it was quite exciting and not camera friendly! We donned our swimsuits and watched the sunset while floating around in the ocean! It was delightful, the best feeling ever. I love this beach. I have never been in the water here late in the day because it is usually pretty rough with the trade winds by afternoon but not so today - Just delightful! John finished off appropriately watching the premiere of Hawaii 5-0 ending our full week in Kihei, Maui. 

Sarento's on the Beach

Nice View of Lanai

Maui Day 6

We had a quiet day here at KBC. June and I walked to several shops in the area, ending up at the ABC Store. Our store right by the condo has really improved. They used to have a little deli with a few things, sandwiches, etc. Now they have a really good sized deli offering specials of the day. Today it was prime rib for $12.99 including sides. The side choices are mashed potatoes or rice, salad or veggies. The "salad" is only chopped up romaine, but very fresh. The veggies were sauteed green and wax beans with a few carrots. The meal was not "amazing" but good and quite filling for our big meal of the day considering the price. They have prime rib on Thursday and Sunday. I forgot to take a photo of it! Today's other offerings were orange chicken, some sort of sweet and sour pork, pork on skewers, fried chicken, and a variety of pasta and potato salads as well. In the evening we had a fruit plate and the rest of our bottle of Pineapple Margaritas. We enjoyed the sunset and watched the water and fishermen until it was pretty dark, then came back to the condo. Tomorrow they clean the unit so as of now the plan is to take a drive to the end of the road where the French beach is. 

Dragon Fruit - Papaya - Star Fruit 

Fishing: This guy caught a "goat" fish. He said that is what it was due to the little protrusions coming out under the mouth. Yes, you can eat it. A nice size at least for one person. 

Lovely Flowers Today

Maui Day 5

A little day of discovery! We saw the most amazing flower today called the Blue (or green) Jade Vine. All the times we have been to Hawai'i I have never seen this flower.  The botanical name is Strongylodon Macobotrys. 

Now, about our day. We decided we would go to the Maui Winery. The drive seemed much longer than in the past, but in reality...we took another "Eash Shortcut" this time! However, the drive was nice and we saw sugar cane fields, banana tree fields, and a few other unknown fields of crops growing. Though there were clouds today, like every day, I thought the winery would be below the clouds. As the road climbed the side of the volcano the sprinkles began to fall. By the time we arrived to Ulupalakua Ranch Store it was raining. This is a great little place with a warm E' Komo Mai (welcome) and fantastic food. They have a small menu but really worth the drive and it you are going to the winery anyway, it's a no-brainer to eat your meal there! It poured down while we ate and they said it has been raining every day, which they welcomed. We all decided as much as we like Cool Cat, sorry this beats it hands down! 

Now about the winery - Like everything else, it keeps changing too. They have added some wooden sculptures to the front and They have a new wine called Hula o Maui but unfortunately they were totally out of that one for tasting or for purchase. Supposedly it is quite similar to the Maui Blanc. We had our 3 complementary tastes and bought some Maui Splash to enjoy later. 

We took the "normal" route on the way back and in reality the drive is only supposed to take less than an hour. We played Rummikub, relaxed, and by the time the sun was setting we were almost too late so we just saw it from our lanai. We had our Maui Splash and snacks as we prepared for the Survivor Season Premiere!