Hawaii 2017 - Day 9, Makena and Snorkeling

Today we woke up at 8 to get an earlier start on the day.  AA had scoped out a good snorkeling spot on the southern tip of Maui which was an hour drive and we wanted to get there in the morning, when the weather was supposed to be good.  AA checked the weather and and it looked good so we ate a quick breakfast, loaded up our snorkel gear, chairs and filled our cooler with ice and food for the day.  Then we were off.

Sunshine and blue skies!

The drive didn't feel very long as we were moving pretty well.  We got to the snorkel spot (Ahihi Kinau) which is actually a fish and wildlife reserve.  We parked our car in the lot and walked down the road a little to get to the bay for snorkeling.  The water was very clear and there were lots of fish active in the bay.  AA and Lola had a great time swimming around seeing all of the fish.  AA was really hoping to see a turtle but no luck.

Lola went in after about 30 mins of snorkeling as she is still recovering from whatever illness she caught.  AA stayed out and snorkeled for a little while longer.

More blue skies!

A school of fish

An Angel Fish

Not sure what type of fish but it was pretty close

After snorkeling, Lola and AA made their way to Makena State Park and Big Beach.  The beach was big but the parking lot was not (well, actually the lot was big but not very efficient in the number of cars that could park there).  AA parked the car on the road and walked in. 

We enjoyed our lunch on the beach, overlooking the ocean and some nearby islands (Molokini and Kaho'olawe).

We stayed at Big Beach for about an hour and a half.  Once it started to rain (and looked to continue raining for some time), we packed up and made our way back to the condo, taking a chance that the weather was better there.  Luckily we were not disappointed.

Back at the condo, we went to the beach and enjoyed the sun.  AA didn't bring his snorkel this time because the previous times he went snorkeling off the beach, he was disappointed with the view as it was very murky.  

Today, however, was different.  AA and Lola went for a swim to cool off and the water was very clear - you could see the fish and coral beneath you.  So AA went back and got the snorkels and fins so that he and Lola could go snorkeling again.  

The views were much better than earlier in the week and AA was even lucky enough to catch a sea turtle swimming by:

After snorkeling, AA and Lola hung out at the beach for a while longer before they went back to the condo to shower and get ready for dinner.  Before dinner, however, they were hoping to catch the sunset off of the beach.  Although cloudy, the views were still very cool.  And as luck would have it, it started to rain shortly after the sun had set:

Dinner was in Lahaina at Kimo's.  Before getting to the restaurant, Lola and AA took in a little Hawaiian Christmas Music and Dance at the shopping centre - very festive!

Lola and AA both ordered fish (which was delicious).  Lola even ordered dessert - coconut, mango and guava sorbet.  It was very good!

Now, we are getting ready for bed so that we can get up at 6am to finish packing and head to the airport for our 9am flight back to the Big Island where we will spend the day driving around before our 11:30pm flight home.  Hopefully the weather is good tomorrow on the Big Island too so we can enjoy one final day in Hawaii.

Goodnight!
AA

PS - here's a pic for Lola's mom from the State Park:

Hawaii 2017 -day 8

This morning we slept till 9 since we had no little kids waking us up in the morning. Lola was that happy to sleep in that long but it probably helped her feel better and fight this cold. 

We ate breakfast at the condo. It sure was quiet... we miss our travel buddies. 

They arrived home and everyone slept pretty good on the plane.  Lola suggested they send a photo of them at home.... after nap they send us this.... land of ice and snow....not so much in Texas.  It was a great laugh, and nice to see that B was looking more like herself.

We headed down kannapli beach by foot me aa picked the next location of his snorkel adventures. Lola's cold prevents her from being effective in the water, so she sat on the beach. It was a great time and she even put her feet in the water.  

Oh and the slide was open today...

A quick lunch at the condo before heading to Lahaina for the afternoon.

In Lahaina we walked around did a bit of shopping And just enjoyed the weather and atmosphere. We even saw the sun a few times.

 

Headed back to the condo for supper, but first a snack....

Supper was grilled chicken and pineapple with rice and salad. Lola was excited to see some of a sunset this evening so headed to the beach to take photos while AA grilled. 

After supper we went to the hot tub since we had walked a lot today, and our legs were tired.  After the 3rd tub we finally found one that was hot. There we met a very chatty family from Vancouver. We talked and played truth or dare with their 5 year old. Then we got joined by a family from Utah that had 5 kids, aged 2-12.

After a nice soak and chat we headed back to make piña coladas and play some cribbage, Lola redeemed herself from the other night by winning best of three.  

Tomorrow is the last day in Maui, so we will see what we end up doing. Hoping the weather is like Today or better.

Hawaii 2017 - day 7

Today was a pretty relaxing day with not much planned.   We got up in the morning and had breakfast.  T had a meltdown because MBMell used the banana on his plate after changing his mind that he wanted a smoothie like the adults. Lola eventually spend some time away from the table with the mad kid, and he came back and ate the smoothie even though he really wanted the banana to reverse from the

After breakfast we got ready to head outside. It took us awhile before getting sunscreened and dressed and by that time I was a little rainy and cold.  The Twinkies sure didn't care, off to the swimming pool we went. They had a great time, and T even floated in his stomach with his face in the water.  The ladies weren't so impressed with the weather but were happy to see the kids and men having fun.

After swimming and running back in the rain, the kids enjoyed playing in the hotel in their towels. We got ready to go to Whalers Village for lunch. We had a great meal, and then headed to do a little shopping but not before stopping at the giant Christmas tree with a surf board in it for some family photos.

We did a little shopping then headed back to the hotel for a short photo shoot with the new outfits and naptown. And packing...

The Twinkies did awesome and the weather held out for the photos, only starting to rain as we headed back.  The afternoon the ladies packed the Twinkies slept and so did DD.


After nap, b wasn't feeling so hot, but like a trooper she is, she kept on trucking as we headed to Dukes for supper which was just at our hotel edge.  B sat near Lola and eventually ended up on her lap as she was not feeling well. Supper arrived and B didn't want anything to do with hers, so she stayed on Lola's lap. A few minutes later she threw up on Lola. Poor B.

Dd took b back to the room while the rest of us finished supper. We had a good time, and t enjoyed all the attention, and even got dessert (don't tell B).

On our way back we walked to the store to get B some anti nausea medication as it was only about 3 hours before their flight left. MBMell bought Lola a lava flow popsicle to help her feel better about the incident.  It was really good!

Once back we found out that B still wasn't doing well, but took the medication and began to feel a little better.  We packed up the rest of the odds and ends and headed to the airport.
It was a sad goodbye but Lola and AA dropped them off,  no tears just a few pouts.  They got on board with no incidents, so hopefully the Twinkies sleep on the red eye home.  Lola and aa traded in the Niason Quest for a ford fussian and headed back to the hotel.

We wish our travel buddies a safe and uneventful flight back home, and will miss them.  Lola is still not feeling the greatest but hopefully tomorrow she will continue to get better and hopefully be able to breathe more freely.

Night, Lola.