Trip highlights:

1. Swim, Swim Swim - that’s about all we did on Maui. Finally, we know how it feels to have a swimming pool at our doorstep. The kids could not get enough of it. We did 2-5 hours of swimming a day on all but 2 of the days we were there and boy were they thrilled. We basically ditched all other vacation plans in favor of staying at the resort. We only went to Lahaina twice, and while we were there, the kids kept asking us when we’re going back to swim.

2. Food, Food, Food - We ate at the hotel most of the trip since we didn’t venture far. I think we enjoyed the Westin’s buffet breakfast at Ono’s Bar & Grill the most. They offered quite a variety of food, but Wesley’s daily breakfast consisted only of scrambled eggs, a yogurt, a box of cold cereal, and fruits. Nicholas’ daily breakfast was only a little more varied… french toast or waffles, box of cereal, a yogurt, and sausages. Alex and I enjoyed a little bit of everything… Alex had his daily dose of lox and cream cheese, fresh-made omelette and coffee, while my personal favorite was their sauteed pacific fish over rice, miso soup, and papayas. The best part of all was that kids eat for free at this restaurant and the quality of food was also pretty good.

3. The Marriott - About halfway through our trip, we switched hotels to the Marriott down the street. This proved to be a smart move as their Concierge upgraded us from a single room to a 5th story Ocean View Suite with kitchenette overlooking the main pool area. The pools were also a little shallower here so Wesley had more fun at this resort. This hotel didn’t offer as much in terms of restaurant selections, but with the kitchenette, we were at least able to store some snacks and foods in the hotel.

4. ATA - This is the first time we flew on this airline and we found it to be very much like Southwest (they are now partnered so that you can trade in 2 southwest freebie tix for an ATA freebie) though the service can be a little iffy. It’s been both my experience and my sister’s experience that their level of service varies depending upon the representative you are in contact with (that’s over the phone as well as in person). For example, at the ticketing counter I asked the service agent if he could move our 4th seat closer to the rest of my family and he said with a very nonchalant attitude that we’re lucky to even get 3 seats together. I asked Alex to try again at the gate, and the nice man made it happen for us right then and there. Also, on this airline, each pillow/blanket set sells for $10 a pack so bring your own if you ever fly using this carrier. One comment I have to add is that our landing at Kahului airport was rather turbulent, a couple drops in the air which caused the entire plane to go “wooow”, some teetering from side-to-side, along with seemingly unexpected aerial circles before we touched ground. Wasn’t sure it that was just bad piloting, the weather, or something typical of small island landings. Anyways, we arrived safe and sound so that was a relief.

5. The Ocean - I really miss the ocean since moving up to the bay area. It’s not like we can’t go to Santa Cruz or elsewhere, but Northern California beaches definitely leaves something to be desired. Wesley didn’t care for the ocean much and spent most of his playtime on the sand. He also enjoyed throwing mud pies into the waves but didn’t venture far into the waters. Nicholas did ok, had some fun in the waves, but wasn’t too keen on playing in the ocean either. I guess the crashing waves were still too intimidating for them.
6. Hurricane Flossie - we were a little weary about this Category 4 hurricane headed toward Hawaii so we kept a close watch on the weather news. We were told by local hotels that the Hurricanes usually hit the Big Island, and Kauai first since they are on the outer edges of Hawaii and that Maui is in general pretty much sheltered from these big storms. Of course this offered some assurance, but I did ask Alex at one point whether we should change our vacation plans altogether. Anyways, thank goodness the Hurricane mellowed to a tropical storm by the time it reached the islands so all we experienced were some windy days with some light warm showers.

Well, I guess that’s a wrap. Aloha!