maui countdown

The post you've all been waiting for.... our trip to Maui summed up in a bunch of Top # lists.


Top 5 airplane activities for a lap toddler

1. Sleeping in momma's arms (aww... there was something about the rumble of takeoff that was very sleep-inducing for our little guy)
2. Pushing the seat recline button
3. Throwing granola bars
4. Charming our seat mates so they'd offer him baby pretzels
   
5. Reading "Hop on Pop" over and over and over...

Top 5 totally free and awesome things to do in Maui

1. Visit the Banyan Tree in Lahaina
2. Start the drive to Hana, feel completely carsick, get out and hike to some cascading waterfalls, and turn around and feel good about the "experience"
3. Embark on a personal quest to find leaves bigger than Wesley
4. Drive up the northwest Maui coast, see some gorgeous crystal blue waters and clear skies, then find the Nakelele Blowhole
5. Crash the pool and bathrooms and grounds of the nicest hotel in Maui (Grand Wailea), because your friend works there and you're entitled
   

Top 3 favorite things to do in Maui that a toddler can totally do at home

1. Chase friendly birds
2. Swing at the park
3. Drive randomly parked construction equipment and or/rental cars
   

Top 6 unexpected Hawaiian toddler calamities

1. Adversity to naps (different bed, different place, different weather... who can blame him?)
2. Heat rash
3. Sun burn
4. Allergic reaction of some sort making the face swell up and requiring a 3-day Benadryl regimen
   
5. Bee sting during a luau (or maybe it was just a bee attack and and severe fingernail scratch)
   
6. Waking up at 4 am because it's 7 am in Seattle (thank goodness this only happened once; it was awful)
   
   

Top 3 in-the-shade things to do in Maui (to protect a sun-wary child)

1. Maui Ocean Center aquarium
2. Reefdancer semi-submersible submarine
3. Let him play Star Wars with pool noodles in the pool's cabana while you and spouse take turns sun-bathing and swimming

Top 4 things you say in Maui that you say different everywhere else

1. "Aloha" (hello, goodbye)
2. "Mahalo" (thank you)
3. "Lanai" (balcony)
4. "Lava-lava" (man dress)

Top 4 most awesome things to see in Maui

1. Crystal clear blue waters
2. Hawaiian sunsets over calm oceans
   
3. An adorable toddler in a Hawaiian outfit
4. Rainbows outside your condo lanai every morning
   

Top 4 Maui dinners

1. Mama's Fish House in Pai'a: uku and opakapaka fish with yummy chocolate pie
   
2. Hula Grill in Ka'anapali: mahimahi and Hawaiian swordfish with a delicious coconut creme brulee baked in a half pineapple shell
3. Aloha Mixed Grill in Lahaina: veggie stir fry and garlic fries and fish 'n chips, oh my!
4. All-you-can-eat Hawaiian luau... 'nuff said
   
   

Top 1 thing to try to recreate at home

1. Creme brulee in a half pineapple shell (I wish I had a picture... it was awesome!!)
   
   

Top 1 thing you never had before that you tried in Maui

1. Papaya (it wasn't cantaloupe! looked like it though!)
   
   

Top 4 Maui vacation tips

1. Pick up as many of the tour guide books as you can... "Maui Gold," "Maui Drive Guide," etc. They have coupons and restaurant reviews and activity ideas and more. I love those books; I lived by those books. (But they are totally advertising-dollars-driven, so when they say "Best Ice Cream on the Island" is Dairy Queen and "Best Place to get a Burger" is Carl's Jr., I totally ignored that.)
2. Of all the rental car companies, and I had coupons for all of them, the only one to accept coupons at a Hawaiian location (not the contiguous U.S.) was Enterprise (but I was super pleased with them)
3. If the luau begins at 5 pm, but you show up at 6 pm because you're afraid of being in the sun, don't worry -- all you've missed is a super long admission and buffet line. I totally recommend this to everyone.
4. If a restaurant review says "reservations essential," but you're already on your way there, call anyway and make a reservation for 10 minutes from now. It works. When we showed up, there were totally people waiting but because we had a "reservation" they took us right to a table. So cool.
   
   

Top 5 ways to throw away your money while not realizing it

1. Not calling the "Expedia Discount Activities Line" for the Maui Ocean Center admission, and instead paying full price
   
2. Not calling the "Expedia Discount Activities Line" for the luau admission, and instead paying full price
3. Forgetting you have a coupon for a free appetizer at dinner
4. Buying souvenirs before shopping around a bit, then realizing you paid $7 too much (sigh)
5. Not having $1 bills so you have to give the valet/shuttle driver/etc. a $5
   
   

Top 4 cool animals you only see in Maui

1. Whales breaching (seen from our condo lanai)
2. Geckos crawling everywhere
   
3. Sea turtles
   
4. humuhumunukunukuapua'a (I can pronounce it... can you? it's the Hawaii state fish)
   

Top 2 trip slogans

1. "Mahalo for removing your shoes"
2. "Oh well, it's a rental" (referring to us abusing the rental car)
   

Top 7 Maui surprises

1. 88% humidity
2. the condo's shower is more aptly described as a "pressure wash"
3. Groceries are really expensive. I mean really. Seriously. What you'd pay $25 for at home, you paid $100 for there.
4. Hawaiian drivers are insane
5. The aquarium wasn't that impressive. They had a lot of fish, a couple turtles, sharks, and one teeny little octopus. No seals, no dolphins, no otters, nothing! I was expecting more. But they did have a lot of fish and some cool "aquarium tunnels" and stuff.
   
6. A person's face can swell up from a heat rash (on the toddler in question, it happened so much that the bridge of his nose got a half-inch wider and he looked like he gained 10 pounds)
7. Toddlers, at first, are generally terrified of beach water and waves. We let our toddler stand in the sand, but when the waves came up and touched his toes he cried. We met some random people during the week (since Wesley makes friends wherever he goes), and they all said it took at least three attempts to get their toddlers in the water.
   

Top 3 other general surprises learned on vacation

1. Swim diapers aren't meant to be used as real diapers outside of the water
2. An unexpected trip to the condo laundry room at 9 pm, when the laundry closes at 9:30, generally means the dryer won't work well and your damp clothes will need to be laid out all over your condo living room (with the fan on high) to dry overnight
3. Making calls, using GPS, surfing the Web for restaurants, etc., all totally drain a smartphone's battery quick
   
   

Top 3 random Maui trivia

1. March 26 (last day we were there) is a state holiday celebrating the birthday of Prince Kuhilio
2. A puzzle postcard mailed from Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday morning can arrive in rural Maryland on Monday (not bad USPS!)
3. I learned this the last time I went to Hawaii, but the Hawaiian language has only 8 consonants and uses all 5 vowels. There are a surprising number of combinations for these letters!!
   

Top 3 things you wanted to do in Maui but didn't (oh well, will have to wait for next time)

1. Visit more beaches
   
2. Get a pedicure
3. Take a pineapple plantation tour

Top 2 links

1. Our vrbo condo, which I've already written a review for (great location! perfect size! delightful!)
2. More pictures on Picasa