Maui Part 2: Being Active!

While the whole point of our vacation to Maui was relaxation, B and I also love to explore whenever we are visiting somewhere new for the first time.  So, while we spent a good amount of time enjoying all that our hotel had to offer, we also did a great job exploring the western side of Maui through different activities.

We went snorkeling and did a little sunbathing one morning at Kapalua Beach.  We didn't see any sea turtles this time, but we did see some pretty amazing coral reefs and tropical fish.

My then-little bump :)

We attended the Old Lahaina Luau in Old Town Lahaina.  The luau was right on the water boasting a pretty amazing view of the island of Lanai on one side and the vast, cavernous mountains of Maui on the other.  The food was delicious {nothing beats the kalua pig that they roast all day underground...yum!!} and the show was great {although we were a little disappointed that there weren't any fire throwers at this luau!}.

There's some delicious pig under there!

We got pampered one morning with a beachside, couple's massage.

And, we even managed to fit in a day trip to the neighboring island of Lanai.  This was Brad's favorite part of the trip.  If you are ever in Maui and looking for a day trip, I would highly recommend the company we used.  We went on the Trilogy Catamaran Discover Lanai Tour and had such an amazing experience.  The boat trip either way is around 2 hours, but in the morning we had homemade cinnamon buns, coffee, juice and fresh fruit greeting us when we got on board, and we also received small snack wraps before arriving at the island.  We even found a school of spinner dolphins that we followed for a while on our way over to Lanai.  So cool.

Leaving Maui

Approaching Lanai

Once on the island, we took a bus tour {which was optional...you could have just relaxed on the beach the whole time if you wanted}, through the one and only city on Lanai, Lanai City.  I have rarely seen such a quaint and simple town as this one.  I truly felt like I was stepping back in time.  Lanai was originally known as the pineapple island and used to farm and produce some of the best pineapples in the world, but eventually Dole found cheaper places to grow pineapples, so, sadly, all the pineapple fields were shut down.  It was devastating driving up to Lanai City from the beach and looking around at all the abandoned fields.  Today, the one and only source of true income for the island is the tourism business, which everyone works in in some way or another.  There are a couple of resorts now on the island that keep the people afloat.  A sad story in many ways, but the people on the island were so welcoming and so happy, truly embodying the "aloha spirit" you become used to when visiting any of the Hawaiian islands.

The town Visitor's Center

The one-and-only gas station.

After our trip into Lanai City, I relaxed on the beach for a bit, while Brad went snorkeling (yes, again!).  We ended our day on the island with a delicious barbecue lunch cooked by the catamaran crew, and then boarded the boat again bound for Maui.  To cap off the trip, they served us ice cream sundaes on the way home.  Yes, please!

That's the Four Seasons Resort in the background.

Brad snorkeling

Again, I can't say enough great things about our experience with Trilogy.  The crew was so friendly and knowledgeable, we were stuffed full of delicious food, and we got to see some truly amazing sites and people on the island.  Both Trilogy and the island of Lanai are worth checking out next time you're in Maui!

But, wait.

There's more to come as no trip anywhere with a Haugen would be complete with some delicious food!  In my last Maui post I'll fill you in on all the great places we ate while away.