As many of you know from the photos we were posting on Facebook and Twitter, we recently traveled to Maalaea, Hawaii. The two main reasons we decided to do this trip were to get Sammy on a plane for the first time in his life and to actually travel again. Our last BIG trip was in October of 2011 to Aachen, Germany and to Paris, France. It was time.
Maalaea is on the island of Maui and located roughly 30 minutes from Lahaina. We ended up in Maalaea because we went with my dad and step mom and that is where they had connections to a condo. Now, due to having Sammy we were relatively limited in what we could do due to his sleep schedule but we managed to do some exploring. Besides, our goal with this trip was to just relax and get a little bored.
I will start with the place we stayed, Island Sands Resort, it was just fine but I wouldn’t stay there again. The price was fantastic and the unit itself wasn’t bad but overall, I want more from the place I stay while on vacation.
Some places we discovered within walking distance of the condo: Maalaea General Store, Beach Bums Bar & Grill, Maui Ocean Center, and a stretch of beach that was way better than the small stretch right at our condo.
Maalaea General Store: Loved this place because they had amazing breakfast sandwiches, awesome coffee, free wi-fi, and they were awesome on Instagram. They saw me post pics on Instagram and “liked” them which is how I found them. We ended up going there several times so yes, social media is good for business.
Beach Bums Bar & Grill: Just a great local bar. Great adult beverages, good bar food, and awesome vibe. Lots of TV’s for sports as well. I don’t remember her name but one lady that worked there was super cool. We went in numerous times and she remembered Sammy’s name and would chat with him and all that…very cool.
Maui Ocean Center: Otherwise known as an aquarium. It was pretty bad ass to have an aquarium within walking distance. We went there three times and Sammy loved it. Granted, he went through all the exhibits at about 100 mph but he’s two soooooo, to be expected. We also ate at the restaurant at the aquarium once and had a blast. Amazing views.
The good beach: From our condo we walked down to the dead end which is where the entrance to the good beach is. The reasons this beach was better than the one where we were staying is because you could actually get out into the water without climbing over rocks. It was gorgeous. Nice long beach that you could walk on and water that was glorious to get in to.
We also had a generally good time just walking. Annie and I always like exploring the local stuff and meeting the people that live there. We met several awesome people and I definitely want to go back!
We ventured over to Lahaina one day as well and the standout things to me were:
The Lahaina Courthouse Square: This place had the most amazing Banyan tree I’ve ever seen. Simply stunning and well worth the visit.
Cheeseburger In Paradise: We stopped in here for a drink and had that drink on the second floor. Amazing views, right on the ocean!
Fleetwoods On Front Street: This place…epic! You enter on the bottom floor (obviously) and you bypass the indoor restaurant on the second floor and go straight to the rooftop people. This place was gorgeous and had fantastic drinks and amazing food. The customer service was very good as well. If we lived in Lahaina I’d be here a lot.
Other than those few spots we pretty much just walked around. There are tons of shops and lots of beach front to cruise. A beautiful city.
That’s it for the most part. We had a good trip and it was good to get away from paradise to go to another paradise. Now we’re looking forward to our next travel adventure. Cheers!
Great post, sounds like you all had a great time, I’ve never been to Hawaii, maybe I’ll go there. Thanks for sharing!
Beverly, it was nice to get away and for Annie to have some time off work. I loved that area and would absolutely go back.