Crush on Hawaii
- dolliemcdonald
- Mar 11, 2023
- 21 min read
Updated: Jul 23, 2023
Raise your hand if you have a crush on Hawaii?! That is what I thought, we all do!!! I mean with all the blue waves, surf boards, insert your favorite beach music, that Aloha spirit, and sunsets that will make you cry. Of course, I just bat my eyes and sigh at the thought of Hawaii. Or at least that's my crush on Hawaii, before and even now after we met. Sighhhhhh!
So, after our awesome 2019 Spring Break trip in Chicago, my whole family all asked, "can we go to Hawaii next year?" It wasn't even my idea! They were all on the same wavelength and of course they had me at "Can we go"....and then insert the word Hawaii. Hell yeah we can go to Hawaii!!! In the summer of 2019, I started planning our trip for spring break, March 2020 Hawaii! Booking flights, woohoo, trip planning is on!
Anyone here a fortune teller? No? Me neither. Who knew 2020 would turn out to be the pandemic shit storm, unprecedented times in like 100 years? Well maybe some predicted, but several billion people really didn't know, until we knew. Our lovely March 2020 Spring Break Hawaii trip was cancelled, along with like a gazillion other things canceled in 2020. There were tears, cussing, heartbreak, "just get over it" and 'postpone it' feelings, much like everything in 2020. There was much reflection, humility, appreciation and yearning for traveling again. With canceling our trip, we got some refunds and a bunch of flight vouchers that lasted at least 2 years and a lot of thoughts of the unknown future of travel. It rocked my world, for sure!
What felt like a Phoenix rising from the pandemic ashes, I started cautiously planning for a reboot of our trip for March 2021 in very late 2020 early 2021 as Hawaii was opening back up. Literally the state of Hawaii closed from March-December 2020 for travel and with tourism being the biggest source of income for this state, it was a big blow to their economy, to say the least.
I watched the Hawaii travel website and saw that it was looking promising for travel, week by week and month by month the world was starting to look hopeful in 2021. So I took a leap of faith, Hawaii travel rebooking 2.0, a second chance for our dream family trip. My life is built upon a series of second chances, even third chances, so here we go. Much like traveling many places in 2021, we had to have a covid test within 72 hours of traveling into Hawaii, by a trusted partner listed on the State of Hawaii website. There are strict instructions in which to follow in who, what, when and how on taking and uploading your covid test results. I know, may seem like a lot of trouble for this Hawaii trip 'Part Deux' but I didn't care. I left it to fate and our great quarantine skills.
We received our negative covid test results the night before we fly out to Hawaii, green light. Game on! BTW, I outlined all of the steps of covid testing, trusted partners with the State of Hawaii and those instructions, plus our full trip itinerary on my trip itineraries page. I will link a button at the end of this blog. Ya know, just in cases, we ever need these covid travel tips again. Honestly though, I hope not.
We hopped on our plane to Hawaii and never looked back. It was such an amazing feeling to travel on a plane again, and fulfill my lifelong dream of going to Hawaii. Checking off this state, seeing these beautiful islands and going on a big trip with my family once again was heaven. The best feeling in the world. Best natural high, aside from skydiving or running, travel does it for me.
So yeah, we took covid tests to get here and it was worth it. And looking around while in Hawaii, looks like it was for others. We made it to Honolulu, hooray! We make it through the airport clearance to safely enter the state, get our luggage. rental car and make our way to find some much needed lunch in a restaurant/grill near the airport. Next stop, grocery store for items for our bungalow on the North Shore!
The North Shore! I see what the hype is about. Just sitting hours on one of the beaches here will put you in a trance of the magnificent waves rolling over and you'll pinch yourself, am I really here? Yeah, you are here, and it is stunning. We get to our cute Bungalow; a third story tree house and the front porch looks out to Sunset Beach of the North Shore. A geat spot to have as our home while exploring Oahu.
After 12-14 hours of traveling, we were exhausted so take out at a food truck on the way to our bungalow was perfect! Just google Food Trucks in the North Shore, you cannot go wrong! It was early to bed for our family, new adventures await us the next day! The next morning, we were all up about 5:30am, which is about 4 hours behind our regular home time zone, so it was easy to get up early in Hawaii, LOL!
Sunrise, North Shore, Beach, we are in Hawaii, what do we do? We dash out the door, run across the street and play on the beach! We had Sunset Beach all to ourselves and our girls still in their clothes just ran to the water, life was good. The girls quickly learn, these Pacific waves on the North Shore are not a joke! Just a few feet in, big waves knocking them down and they are soaked! By far one of my favorite moments.
After our morning beach fun, we get cleaned up and head out for a fun day of adventures and our first stop is a getting breakfast at Ted's Bakery. This is a must stop if you find yourself on the North Shore, heck if you are in Oahu, come here! Trust me! We get our breakfast to go and we are off to Pearl Harbor for a full day visit. We plan for about 5 or 6 hours at least to see all the sites at Pearl Harbor.
I picked Pearl Harbor for our first day in Oahu to devote a full day, soak up all of the history and significance of this place. To be able to fully appreciate our visit here, it is highly recommended to allot at least 4-6 hours and you could spend more. Since this part of the National Park Service and trying to navigate in the new times of covid, we had to plan and reserve our spots to visit the USS Arizona. I link this info in my trip itinerary page and the most important thing to know is there are limited daily slots for the USS Arizona. The NPS releases these slots as early as 8 weeks in advance and then 24 hours. So set your calendars and clocks and visit their "Plan your visit" section to maximize your time.
We opted for a middle of the day visit time slot to the USS Arizona, and it was an incredible visit. As with visiting every significant memorial, it was somber and educational. After our visit at the USS Arizona, we visited the USS Bowfin Submarine, all of the parts of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, then made our way over to the USS Battleship Missouri. It is a separate ticket admissions to visit the Battleship, but good to
incorporate in your visit time at Pearl Harbor, since it is right next door. We easily spent 2 hours touring the Missouri and it was very interesting seeing all the levels and ins and outs of this ship. Our girls really loved visiting Pearl Harbor, learning the history and paying respects to the meaning of this place and time in history. The Battleship is a great tour, especially for families, kids get a hands on tour all through the ship. Great fact for "The Mighty Mo" in addition to being intregal and surviving in WWII Pacific Battle, the instrument of surrender was signed on September 2, 1945 on this ship. After we closed out our time Pearl Harbor and Battleship Missouri, we headed over to Waikiki Beach for a stroll on the beach and dinner, just in time for Sunset.
For dinner, we opted for Dukes Waikiki, and we made reservations ahead of time. I highly recommend if you want to have a sunset dinner most anywhere in Hawaii, always good to plan. Since this would be our only night hanging out in Waikiki, we opted for a nice dinner with Sunset views, and it did not disappoint! The meal, the open seating, the sunset, being in Hawaii, all fantastic! Dukes has the best cocktails, if you are into that sort of thing and great dishes to choose from. This restaurant is casual and family friendly and you cannot beat the views!
After a nice dinner and gorgeous sunset, we walked around the evening visiting some of the sites and shops of Waikiki. Oddly enough, we needed another pair of flip flops and of course more sunscreen, reef friendly. Two very important items while exploring Hawaii. The next morning, we spent a nice relaxing morning snorkeling at Shark Cove, on the North Shore. A great spot for kids and snorkeling!
After our morning snorkel, we loaded up to head back to Honolulu for the afternoon. We had some important business for the day: Covid test for upcoming Island hop to Maui, stopping at the Aloha Stadium local market, and Diamond Head State Park. During the time of this trip, the State of Hawaii also required covid testing for all Interisland travelers, so we had to get our 2nd covid test of the trip. Fortunately, Hawaii had trusted testing partners in the airport, as well as testing spots near the airport and across the islands. We were easily able to find a testing spot in downtown Honolulu, in and out in about 30-45 minutes. Luckily down the street from our covid test was Waikiki Brewing Company! Nothing like grabbing a refreshing beer and getting your negative results. Next up, Diamond Head State Park!
Diamond Head was a fun stop for our family and a must do if you find yourself in Honolulu. The State Park has a trail that leads visitors to the summit of this volcanic tuff cone & former fort with panoramic views. The views of coastline are beautiful and it is only about a 20-30 minute hike up to the top. After your hike down, you are rewarded with a Dole whip or snow cone options, which is exactly what you need after a hike!
To end our day, I was so ready to be on a beach again! So just down the street from Diamond Head Park entrance is Diamond Head Beach. It is not in the top 10 list of Oahu beaches but let me tell you it was pretty freaking gorgeous, fun and gave us one of the most picturesque sunsets I have ever seen in my life. We got there about 5 pm, plenty of time to bust out our Boogie boards, borrowed from our Air BnB and play in the water and wait for the Sunset. It was a tad bit windy and sadly one of those boogie boards took a chance and flew away and is probably still flying across the Pacific to Tokyo! Guess I am buying a new boogie board. Lol! This was a perfect way to wrap up another fun day in Hawaii. Just find the first beach we stumble upon, grab our swimsuits, and run down to the beach and soak it in. I did not want to leave; this is so fun. And then that sunset started to form against the rocks, with a lighthouse and my kids playing along the beach. It brought tears to my eyes of the beauty, the bliss, and the happy family scene. The moments dreams are made of and will be burned into my head forever. This is only day 2 and I really do see what all the fuss is about. Kicking myself that it took me too long to get here. But I am HERE.
The next morning, we make our way down the road on the North Shore to Waimea Valley. A beautiful botanical garden and park with Waimea Falls and a deeper look into Hawaiian culture. We spent all morning exploring this beautiful valley, walking along the river to be greeted by the beautiful waterfall. Oh, and we get to swim in the falls, which was a brisk and refreshing swim! My girls loved swimming in the pool and exploring Waimea Valley! The other great tip about Waimea Valley is they also have Toa Luau offered a few evenings in Waimea Valley.
We wanted to experience a traditional Luau and were excited to return to the valley later in the evening. We spent the afternoon checking out Hale'iwa Beach and town. We got in a good snorkel and swim, then we checked out a shrimp truck in Hale'iwa town. Spending a day in Hale'iwa should be on your list when in Oahu. It is so charming, and you don't have to go far to find a great beach to relax or hop on your surf board. Speaking of surfers, all up and down the North Shore, you will find and see some of pretty intense waves and surfing, especially this time of year. Watching the surfers catch that perfect wave is great way to spend a morning.
Toa Luau was an incredible experience. Not only did we get to come back to the beautiful Waimea Valley for this awesome dinner and fellowship, but the Toa staff made us feel so welcome and it is more than just a dinner and a show. This was our first ever Luau as a family, so not sure how it compares to other Luaus, but I did ask around and read reviews and this Luau was highly recommended and had rave reviews! When you arrive for the evening, you are greeted by the staff and of course receive a nice lei and invited to join in on the festivities.
There are plenty of fun activites to take part in like making a lei wreath, watching cooking demonstrations, and the staff are great with telling the history of Polynesia. The Luau food is traditional Hawaiian meal with drinks and then of course a sampling of Polynesian dances from all over the Pacific. The looks on my girls faces during the whole experience was priceless and they absolutely loved it!
After an incredible evening in Waimea Valley, we went to back to our bungalow for a quiet evening in our tree house, listening to the creatures of the night and waves crashing from our front porch. What another fabulous day. Is it cheesy that we just enjoy everything so much or is everything just really this awesome that we are just on vacation bliss? I cannot tell which exactly, but it is a wonderful feeling.
Our last full day in Oahu was to loop around the other side of the Island, and explore more beaches. Our first stop was the Kualoa Beach Park, which is just across from the Kualoa Ranch. Many movies have been filmed at Kualoa Ranch, such as 'Jurassic Park', '50 First Dates' and 'Pearl Harbor' to name a few. It is a beautiful back drop and a very scenic drive to get to this side of Oahu. This was a great picnic stop and then we were off to the next beach. Our next stop was Kailua Beach and this beach is stunning and the water a beautiful turquoise blue. It was a fun afternoon swimming and watching all of the Kitesurfing! I spent quality time capturing kite surfers taking off from the beach into the water and beyond. It was fascinating!
The girls loved Kailua Beach and we found the waves not to be huge massive swells like on the other side of the island. After another fun afternoon at the beach we hopped in the car and drove across the Island and took the short 45 minute drive to Honolulu. We were invited to dinner with family friends that live in Honolulu. Our gracious dinner hosts served a traditional Hawaiian meal and it was a treat to learn some of the history of each dish of the meal and more about Hawaiian cuisine. After a fabulous dinner and great conversation with our awesome hosts, we head back to our bungalow to pack up and early to rise the following day for our Island hop over to Maui. The next morning we arrive at the airport, it is Tuesday morning and the airport was a ghost town. Just a few flights we noticed as we made our way to our gate. Sad to leave Oahu, but we are excited to get to Maui!
After takeoff I think we were in the air all of 30 minutes barely, and then we are landing in Maui! Yay! Smooth check in at the Maui airport, still Tuesday morning, grab our luggage and rental car and we are off to the next adventure!
Maui! A whole other vibe with a whole other range of sites to see! From the 10,000ft of elevation on top of Haleakalā Volcano (it can get snow up here), to the Molokini crater off the coast, to the 'Road to Hana,' this island offers all new adventures and landscapes! Upon our exit from the Maui airport, we grabbed lunch and then we were off to Haleakalā National Park! We took the curvy road to the top of the summit to Haleakalā (house of the sun) a massive cone volcano that forms over 75% of Maui. The views from the tallest point of the summit at Red Hill is something you would think life would be like on Mars and you instantly feel like you are on another planet. The views in this massive depression are miles long and you can hike down to the center if you like. We opted for a shorter hike and then finding a spot for the fabulous sunset views on top of the world.
Sunrise vs Sunset. In researching visiting Haleakalā, there seems to be some debate on which to see. Perhaps both, if you have that kind of time. I am sure Sunrise is magnificent, based on our Sunset experience. To witness a Sunrise at the Summit you do have to reserve your tickets ahead of time on the NPS Gov website for Haleakalā, so there is some extra pre-planning. Due to our scheduling, we opted for Sunset and I am here to tell you that Sunset was a magical experience that I wasn't even fully prepared for. I mean my pictures look remarkable and I am no professional photographer. The cliche of "pictures do not fully capture" the many changing scenes insert here. The second by second, minute by minute transformation of the clouds, the light, the sun is right up there with a religious experience. It will bring tears to your eyes; you will probably get the "meaning of life."
The only thing I really could do was smile, take it all in and be thankful I could have this moment with my family. And I am here to tell you that if I figure out anything like the meaning of life or something crazy epic while on my travels, I surely will not be sharing here. You must go and find it for yourself and plan, stumble or align the stars to have those moments for yourself. For the journey to get here was a long one and I was grateful to be able to bring myself here.
After having my brief moments of what seemed like being in heaven, it was back to reality and getting my family to our condo for the evening. Our lovely condo was in Kihei and it was perfect: walk out the back door to the pool and ocean views. Our condo was stocked full of Hawaiian treats of local coffee, chocolates, jam, and more boogie boards! Luckily, we did not lose any of these boogie boards on this part of the trip. It was early to bed; we had a big day ahead: scoping out the beautiful beaches of Maui. Somebody must do it, might as well be us!
The next morning, we had breakfast in our condo, then we packed up for a fun day of beach going. We loaded up a picnic, boogie boards, and all the beach things. Our first stop was Kamaole Beach Park III, which is a beautiful beach and great park for your picnic lunch in between swimming. This beach had beautiful rocks (but watch out for the waves to crash you into those rocks!) This beach is perfect for playing and the waves were not too huge in this spot for kids and swimming. Then after our picnic, we made our way south of Kihei to
Makena Beach & Big Beach, which has great views of the nearby islands. Holy Moly, these waves were at a whole other level of huge and after barely getting out in the water and getting completely knocked down a few times, we knew this beach was no joke. There were some brave surfers, and we would run into the water but we did not venture out too far, otherwise you were pulled under and spit out. I pretty much almost came out losing my bathing suit or looking like a sea monster! We had fun at this beach, aside from accidently stumbling upon the nude beach nearby, LOL. I highly recommend Makena or Big Beach, but be
aware of nude beaches nearby and accidently stumbling upon them, with your kids in tow. You might have to explain a few things. Such is life and part of the adventure, right? After a fun day at the beach, we found a great bar and grill in Kihei that had great views during our dinner for sunset. Early the next morning we head down to the Marina before sunrise to meet up with Maui Snorkel Charters for our morning of snorkeling fun at the Molokini crater. My whole family was excited for this snorkeling trip! The staff was great in getting us prepared and it was a beautiful morning for a boat ride out to the Molokini. Picture it, riding out on our boat from the marina, the sun starts to rise over the mountain as we move farther away from the coast of Maui, and we see a Baby Humpback whale and it is so lovely. Then...it hits, sea sickness! In 3,2,1, I was running to the back of the boat hurling over the side, with my big booty hanging over the side, while a staff member was holding on to my shorts, saying "yeah, get it out, you'll feel better in 5 minutes!" Lol! I provided some fish food for the sea, my contribution to nature. After I come back up, they hand me a ginger ale and the captain says, "it happens all of the time, there is no shame in it." After the morning vomit, I do feel better. Now I am back to the regular scheduled program of snorkeling in the Molokini, seeing sea turtles, hearing the humpback whales talk to each and going on an "elevator ride" on
the back wall of the Molokini crater. My husband has this phenomenon on our GoPro of the staff taking us to the perfect spot in the back of the crater, where the waves crashing up against a certain spot acts like an elevator lifting you 8-10 ft up and down riding the waves. So fun! Until I finally find all my videos to upload you can google it. This was an added bonus, and our kids loved the elevator ride and was one of my favorite moments in Maui. This excursion was perfect, aside from my sea sickness and not so great moment of grace.
But even then, it was an outstanding morning to snorkel, see all of the beautiful fish and see so much all around the Molokini. If your family wants a fun adventure with a great staff, I highly recommend Maui Snorkel Charters, they will provide a great experience and family memory! After our morning excursion it was lunch time! All of that playing in the water makes you hungry and Coconuts Fish Cafe was a perfect stop for lunch and grabbing their fish tacos. We took our lunch to hang out at our condo for an afternoon of relaxing, napping and fun by the pool.
We had dinner reservations at Mama's Fish House for my belated birthday dinner and a nice family dinner while visiting Maui. While waiting for our table, we hung out for a beautiful sunset, due to the restaurant being right on the beach. We really enjoyed getting dressed up, Hawaiian style and having a special dinner to celebrate each other as a family. When we were escorted to our table, I was a greeted with a sweet birthday note and a cocktail menu. I remember vividly the great drink names and I ordered a "Comfortably Numb" delicious drink. It was Yummy! The menu at Mama's Fish House changes each day and throughout the season, based on the catch of the day. My oldest daughter orders a steak, my husband and I each
order various catch of the day and we have a beautiful and delicious meal. My family really loved this dining experience and add this restaurant on your list of a must do while visiting Maui. Be sure to make your reservations ahead of time. The next day we were off to Lahaina town. This historic town is fun with a bunch of great shops, the oldest banyan tree on Maui and art galleries. Lahaina is a beautiful town to walk around and just soak in all of the sights and views of the west side of Maui.
We found a great spot for lunch at Lahaina Pizza Company and got a dole whip ice cream in the afternoon to cool off. Midafternoon we start making our way back to Kihei and of course we brought our bathing suits and boogie boards, just in case. We have nothing on the agenda until tomorrow morning, so we stop along the HWY at Olowalu Beach. This beach was not crowded, and it is scenic with some trees and open spots up and down the beach. I found Olowalu Beach very picturesque, and the waves were not huge here, making it a great swimming spot for the kiddos to cool off. After a couple of hours of fun swimming at this beach, we make our way to our condo for evening of relaxing, watching the sunset and more swimming at the condo pool. In reflection of looking back at this trip 2 years later and in doing more research, we found our visit was ideal and timely in the sense of Hawaii was not crowded with their usual numbers of tourists, but still had an uptick in tourism.
We enjoy one last night in our condo of playing games, Mom and Dad drinking a refreshing Hawaiian beer and packing up belongings. We only have two more days left in Maui, say it isn't so!! Our last two days are dedicated to the 'Road to Hana' to tie up this whole lovely vacation with a bow. We enjoy another Maui sunset which by the way they never get old, and they are the sunsets that I find in my dreams and longing to see once again. The next morning, we load up our car, and head towards the road that has 620
curves and 59 bridges. This should be fun, LOL! If you get car sick, plan according with some Dramamine or ginger gum. Or perhaps you should drive or be in the front seat vs riding in the back seat. Be prepared. Also, there is not great cell service on the Road to Hana and east side of Maui in some spots, so I highly recommend making a few dollars purchase of the 'Shaka GPS Guide' and download the app and the trip for Road to Hana. It was so very helpful, and it points out every single landmark, food stand, waterfall, beach, point of interest along the way. Matter of fact, you will have to pick and choose your stops because there are just too many to take in, if you want to make it all the way to Hana and back in one day. We opted for 2 full days to do this adventure and I am here to tell you we could easily added another day or two to really soak in all the sights. The 'Road to Hana' is a journey, not just a destination, be patient, be flexible, be spontaneous and you will just be fine. And be safe. With trails to waterfalls and
Rocky beaches, folks jumping off cliffs giving me about 5 heart attacks, and big waves, be aware of all surroundings. Think safety first. Just saying. None-the-less, there are so many fun adventures on the Road to Hana and so much to see. We hiked to multiple waterfalls, and stopped and had a picnic lunch at Waiʻānapanapa State Park and swam at the Black Sand Beach. This beach is beautiful and surrounded by lava tubes and volcano rocks. The girls were adventurous and rode the big waves, not as big as Makena Beach, btw. There were several dogs playing on the beach and we loved seeing dogs playing, making us miss our dogs and wishing they were here enjoying all of these beach days with us. After our fun picnic and swim, we continue our adventure and stop at the more cool spots, including the must see Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees. Native in the Philippines and originally brought to Hawaii in 1929. These trees flourish in tropical weather and can be found in certain spots throughout Hawaii and in a few tropical forests along the Road to Hana. They are unusual looking and almost look fake, like a kid took a few neon crayons and scribbled all over the tree in these bright colors. A must see on your many stops along this road trip.
We round more curves and make a few more stops before we make our final stop of the evening in Hana, spending one night here. Lodging is limited in this town, but they have a few hotels, bed and breakfasts and a few Air BnB spots. Also, with the State Park not far, that could be another option for camping, but know that if wanting to maximize your time with the journey of Road to Hana, be sure to plan to book your lodging as far in advance as you know your dates. We luckily booked an Air Bnb a few months in advance once we knew were making the voyage to Maui. We found a cute bungalow that could fit our family of four that had a beautiful garden and was just minutes from the middle of town and a great restaurant that offered a few nice seafood dishes. Our bungalow was just down the street from the Hana Bay, and we could hear the waves at night and along with other creatures of the night moving about. This spot was quiet and secluded, leaving us with all the noises of nature native to the area. It was lovely. The next morning, we had breakfast in our bungalow and headed out for day 2 of more adventures on the 'Road to Hana.' We continue to drive to the far east side of Maui to the "back side" and all the way to other side of Haleakala National Park to the
Kīpahulu Visitor Center. We visited and hiked around the Pīpīwai Trail and ʻOheʻo Gulch. It was a misty morning, but the views were stunning, rain or no rain this part of the island is just a jewel to explore. We take what seems like the one-way road back to Hana and start making our way back towards the Maui airport, stopping at places we haven't visited yet. We grab lunch and snacks at some of the food stops and make it back to our hotel near the Maui airport by the time it gets dark. Allowing us enough time to repack our bags for the journey back home, get a good night sleep and be at the airport bright and early the next morning. Our lovely dream trip to Hawaii has come to an end. It took me two years to plan, pay for, plan again and 44 years of dreaming to finally make it here. As always on any of my travels, I regret nothing. I was thrilled to get here and honestly loved every minute....even those few minutes of me vomiting over a charter boat. Hey, I was on a boat in Maui. I saw some of THE MOST gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen in my life, got to swim with turtles, road on an ocean elevator, saw some huge pacific waves and watched my family have a blast. Now my new bucket list of trips, which continues to grow BTW, is not if but when we will come back and make it to the two other islands to visit on Hawaii. Kauai and The Big Island. My crush on Hawaii continues or perhaps it has turned into a love affair. If you find
yourself dreaming of Hawaii, or Bali, or Figi or The Maldives or somewhere in the Caribbean or insert your dream trip. Plan it, save up, make it happen and make your dream come true. I feel like when I travel, I am fueling my soul and being my best self. If you can find something to fuel your soul and be your best self, do it!
I'll leave you with this Hawaiian saying: Ua ola loko i ke aloha – (Love gives life within.)
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