Aloha! Our Hawaiian adventures

Hello Hive!

It's been a minute. My family and I just got back from an amazing trip to Maui, Hawaii. I hadn't been to Hawaii in 25 years and I promised my wife I would take our family on a beach vacation sometime in 2021 because of the shit show that was 2020.

Backside of Haleakala Crater

Being in isolation for what seemed an eternity compounded by Minnesota's cold harsh winters we NEEDED this trip. I originally book the trip for me, my wife and our two kids. My in-laws decided they wanted to come with so they booked. Shortly there after my mom and sister got bit by the Hawaii bug and decided to come along as well. It was a real family affair.

Getting to Hawaii had it challenges as they are pretty strict about Covid. Everyone except my 4 year old daughter needed a negative Covid test 72 hours prior to arriving in Hawaii. It was real nerve wrecking waiting for your results because there was so much on the line (flights, hotel). You needed to present this negative test to multiple parties including rental car and hotel check-in. Masks were required almost everywhere including the outdoors, but many people did not seem to follow that rule. I carried one around and would throw it on if asked or going into stores.

We did the traditional lay by the pool or on the beach most days, but we did venture out some. We spent one whole day driving the road to Hana. If you want to see the real Maui this is a must! We left our hotel at 9am and did not make it back until just after 6pm. We didn't make many stops either as our daughter got car sick a few times. If you every make it to Maui I do not recommend bringing kids on this drive. It is very long and scary. The road is basically one and half lane of switch backs through rainforest with steep cliffs on many parts. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Below are some pictures from their famous black sand beach as well as other sites along the way. It was truly magical! My kids favorite part was the "rainbow tree". I think its a Eucalyptus tree.

Other adventures we took included a Humpback Whale watch and no trip to Hawaii would be complete without a Luau. I did not take any pictures on the humpback whale watch because I was so focuses on being present and looking for them. Although they are massive creatures they do not film well on a cell phone camera. We probably saw close to 100 of them. Many babies with their mother, males fighting over the girls and even a couple of really big breaches (whale jumping out of the water creating a huge slash). I was able to get some photos at the luau. You can see a couple of those next!

We experienced some unusual weather for the time of year we were there. It rained more in two days than it typically does during an entire month! Parts of the island even experienced landslides in which 6 houses were wiped away. Not the type of weather you want while on vacation, but we made the best of it. We spent a good amount of time in Lahaina Town. This is their famous "front street" filled with bars, restaurants, shops and other touristy things. You can also find the infamous Banyon tree. What appears to be many trees in one area is actually one gigantic tree that has a very complex root system. Below you will find pictures of the Banyon tree as well as some candid shots from a date my wife and I went on.

This trip was the best trip of my life for many reasons. I set a goal and worked really hard to make this dream a reality. Hawaii's beauty can not be overstated. Putting work aside for a solid week and focusing on the most important thing in my life, my family, is worth EVERYTHING to me. Being able to share it with my in-laws, mother and sister was the cherry on top.

I will leave you with a few more photos. Our view every morning when we woke up. The Hawaiian native who blew his Conch Shell every night signaling the lighting of the tiki torches (our kids loved chasing him around. He even let them light the torches once) and our view every night as the sun dropped below the Pacific.