Okay kids, this is a long one. Divided into sub-headings for anyone who cares. I do these things for myself so I can remember trips, so feel free to ignore anything you want. I have also posted a link to our photos at the end. Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------

Maui June 3rd - 11th

INTRODUCTION

We recently returned from our first trip to Hawaii and had a great time. Since I had only one week for vacation, we chose Maui for our sole destination. We went with another couple who are great friends of ours. After meeting up early in the airport and having a screwdriver or two, we flew on a non-stop Delta flight from Atlanta to Maui. It took almost nine and a half hours to get there, but only eight hours on the return flight. The flights were about as good as long-haul flights get – they were quite smooth and the aircraft was great – a 767. This was nice because of the 2-3-2 configuration, which meant I had a window seat and my husband had the aisle. We had our doctor prescribe some Ambien before our flight, which worked out great as we both slept about six hours of each flight. This made the non-stop very tolerable.

THE SHERATON MAUI

We spent our first five nights at the Sheraton Maui in Ka’anapali. This is an absolutely beautiful beach. The only drawback is that it gets very crowded at midday. We found it especially crowded on Sunday, June 4th, as it appeared the locals were out enjoying their day off in addition to the tourists. The water here is quite clear; though certainly not “Caribbean blue,” it was still quite beautiful. Because of the six hour time difference from the US East Coast, we were up at the crack of dawn each morning. I think the latest we ever woke up was 7:00 AM. Not being huge breakfast people, we hit the beach early and enjoyed the relative calm of Ka’anapali in the early morning hours.

The Sheraton is a nice hotel. The grounds are the most spacious on Ka’anapali. The rooms are just so-so. Had we stayed at the Sheraton our entire trip, we would’ve said it was fabulous. But, after our second hotel (you’ll just have to keep reading) the Sheraton paled in comparison.

Back to the Sheraton… We were upgraded to a Junior Suite on arrival. We had booked an oceanview room with a fairly good rate, and so we were surprised to get that sort of upgrade. I think there are only four Junior Suites on the property. Our suite was a ground floor suite located between the Doctor’s Office and the Spa. We were a bit disappointed because our suite didn’t have a true “ocean view,” but after we saw our friends’ “deluxe ocean view” room, we were thrilled as our suite was huge in comparison. The ground level location also helped us avoid stairs so we could be as lazy as possible.

We received a massage at the Sheraton spa. It was okay – nothing special, but still relaxing. As for meals, we always ate in for breakfast. The Sheraton has room refrigerators, which is a nice touch. Our suite also had a microwave. We did eat at the resort grills for lunch twice. The food was pretty good and the prices typical for a resort. $11.00 for a chicken wrap, $9.00 for a frozen drink. If you stay, be sure to check out both pool grills as the menu differs greatly between the two.

The Sheraton had the best location on Ka’anapali beach hands down. All the other resorts are “high rise,” and while the Sheraton is not “low rise” at six or seven stories, it is divided into many different smaller buildings and the grounds are very large. Plus, the resort is right on Black Rock, which has good snorkeling (go early to avoid crowds and see the most fish) and great cliff-diving. One disappointment: beach cabanas and chairs/umbrellas are expensive. The Sheraton charges between $30 and $35 a day for these, and frankly, I think beach chairs should be free when you are staying at a hotel ON THE BEACH. But hey, that’s just me.

SNORKELING AND SCUBA DIVING

Speaking of fish, I saw my first “Moorish Idol” in Maui at Black Rock. Definitely my favorite fish. I liked snorkeling in Maui because the water is so salty, it was easy to stay buoyant. In just my fins, mask and snorkel, I had no problems staying afloat – not much effort required. Plus, much of the snorkeling is right offshore, so you can just swim in when you get tired.

On our second full day, three of us went Scuba Diving at Ulua Beach in Wailea. My husband and I had taken an Open Water course at a local dive shop and planned to finish our certification while in Maui. I went on two shore dives and have decided diving is probably not for me. It’s a very sad realization as I’d always wanted to learn and thought I would love it. Instead, I felt quite vulnerable and had a difficult time relaxing. I did like our first two dives once we got underway (despite panic early on), and we got to see a sea turtle, amazing coral formations and some other cool things. But, on our second day, the visibility was pretty bad close to shore, and I decided to bail. My husband finished just fine – he told me they saw six or seven very large sea turtles and got inked by an octopus. I was sorry to have missed that, but something just didn’t feel right that day for me. I am only one dive and a mask removal away from completing my certification, and I may decide to try it again in the Caribbean where I hear visibility is better. I am just not convinced that the effort involved in recreational scuba diving is worth the reward (and risk). I think I may be an avowed snorkeler.

LANAI

We went over to Lanai on Tuesday, June 6th. The guys golfed “The Experience at Koele,” which is a course recently acquired by Four Seasons. Though Lanai’s vegetation is mostly scrubby, it improves vastly once you get to the higher elevations. The guys loved the course and said it was their best golfing experience ever.

As for the girls… we spent the day at Hupoloe Beach and the Four Seasons at Manele Bay. The beach was perfect: quiet and secluded for the entire morning. I took three naps and listened to the birds and the surf. No umbrella needed as the trees growing nearby provided ample shade. We had lunch at the Four Seasons at Manele Bay. It is a beautiful hotel. Very spread out with Japanese and Hawaiian gardens. Perfect for those who want to get away.

While we were walking up to lunch, we noticed a large pod of spinner dolphins not far from the beach. They were having a great time, jumping out of the water and frolicking. We watched as a snorkeler swam out and frolicked with them. The dolphins seemed thrilled by the human’s presence and we were quite jealous. Sadly, if you view my photos, there are no pictures of our day at Hupoloe and the Four Seasons at Manele Bay. The guys got my camera that day while the girls had our friends’ camera, and we haven’t merged our photos yet.

After the guys came back from golfing, we stayed on the beach all afternoon. We sunned a bit, played cards, and explored the natural tide pools on the far end of the beach. The pools are really neat, formed out of volcanic rock (of course) and you can see all kinds of critters in there.

All too soon it was time to leave. You can get to Lanai via the “Expeditions” ferry, which is a fast and affordable way to travel. It departs from Lahaina on Maui. I will say this: if you are prone to seasickness, the ferry to Lanai is not going to be your best friend. We left on the early morning ferry, and the water was like glass. However, coming back on the 4:30 ferry, the seas were decidedly less kind. Several people were green around the gills (including one poor woman sitting on the stairs literally begging for mercy), and even I started feeling a bit queasy, though nothing came of it. The one benefit to this was that the spinner dolphins found it fun and trailed our ferry for a bit, putting on a great show.

THE FOUR SEASONS MAUI

After five nights, we moved down to the Four Seasons in Wailea for our last three nights. This place is undoubtedly the classiest hotel on Maui. The service was top-notch, and the best part was, it didn’t seem forced or overly-formal. The Four Seasons has done a great job of hiring people who are genuinely engaging and know how to carry on a conversation. You feel like you are being pampered, and don’t feel one bit guilty for it!

We stayed in a Mountainside room, which in the Four Seasons world translates to the “cheap seats.” Nevermind that they are the most expensive “cheap seats” ever, but you only live once. The room was beautiful, very spacious with a bathroom to die for. Huge soaking tub, separate shower, L’Occitane products – I could have stayed there forever. Our view was decent, but some Mountainside rooms have a view of a large construction project going on behind the Four Seasons. We could only see a tiny sliver of that project, and our view consisted mostly of trees and a golf course in the distance.

The beds at the Four Seasons are ridiculously comfortable, and this place is definitely big on the “little things” such as whole coffee beans with a grinder for each room, nice ceramic mugs, cold creamer, and a “welcome basket” containing some of the most delicious goodies ever. The resort really doesn’t nickel and dime you like some other places. For example, all the chairs and cabanas were free, and on a first-come, first-served basis. Since we were early risers, this worked out well for us. Servers come around with water, cold towels, Evian spritz, and snacks. If I had any complaints about the Four Seasons, it would probably be that the main pool is a little small and lacks originality, and the place is a little too “see and be seen” in an L.A. kind of way. But, I’m really searching for a complaint here.

Once we arrived, we didn’t want to leave. So we barely did. As you would expect, the Four Seasons is expensive, and $75 lunches at Ferraro’s are the norm. Expect $15.00 hot dogs and $20 hamburgers and you’ll be fine. Frozen drinks were expensive at $11.00 a pop, but again, you only go around once. I highly recommend the “Key Lime Colada” and the always popular “Lava Flow.”

Our days at the Four Seasons consisted of reading, napping, eating, drinking, a little chatting, and then more napping. Oh, and of course, celebrity-spotting is the main sport. We saw Ace Frehley (sp?) from Kiss, some porn star (yes, dubious celebrity spotting I know), and the family from the reality show “Little People, Big World.” They were filming while we were there.

My husband and I indulged in a seaside cabana massage, and it was great. My masseuse was just okay, but the setting was incredible. The cabanas were so close to the ocean, and I could have stayed there all day. Perhaps predictably, the spa facilities are great, with a great eucalyptus sauna and the nicest showerheads I’ve ever stood underneath.

I had a great time at the Four Seasons. As mentioned, I disliked the “see and be seen” part, but in general the guests were very friendly. People didn’t hesitate to strike up a conversation with their chaise lounge neighbor, and children were mostly very well-behaved. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who can swing it. It is my favorite resort experience.

DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT

Okay, so the truth is, besides the diving and trip to Lanai, we really did a whole lot of nothing on this trip. No luau, no snorkel trip to Molokini, no Road to Hana, and no Haleakala sunrise bike ride. Some people would say I’m a fool and missed out on the “best” Maui has to offer, but back off people! I just needed to relax. And that was accompolished.

We did go to “Warren and Annabelle’s Magic Show” in Lahaina one night. It was amusing and entertaining. The “pre-show” is kind of corny, but Warren is pretty funny. Even though my husband figured out a couple of his tricks after the fact (my husband is “into” magic), his presentation made the show worthwhile. I recommend it, but book before you go as I understand it sells out way in advance.

As far as dining, I am proud to report that I continue my reign as a Mahi Mahi’s worst enemy. Being my favorite fish ever to eat, I did so at every available opportunity. Favorite eats were: Mama’s Fish House (worth the looong drive), Capische, and Hula Grill. Just okay were Pacific’O, Sansei, Pacific Grill at the Four Seasons, and Longhi’s. We had an unremarkable meal at Moose McGillicuddy’s after Warren and Annabelle’s, but we knew it was just going to be bar food. Food is very expensive on Maui, and for the price, I honestly expected better. I’ve had much better meals on St. Martin. But all in all, dining was decent.

So, would I return to Maui? Someday, yes. As an avowed Caribbean lover, I was a bit hesitant to visit the Hawaiian Islands. The beaches and the water are better in most parts of the Caribbean. I am not really “into” waves, so the Caribbean suits me better from that perspective. But, the service and the overall weather conditions are better in Hawaii. We were there during a “heat and humidity” wave and it was gorgeous! Hawaiians don’t know real humidity unless they’ve been to Atlanta in August (okay, so maybe Jackson, MS is worse). For the most part, all the people we met were friendly and seemed genuinely happy to help. Not the grudging, “I’ll help you if I HAVE to” that you sometimes find in the Caribbean, but the kind of service where you can tell there is a genuine desire to make sure you have a nice time. I would really like to visit the Big Island and Kauai before I go back to Maui.

My only regrets? (1) That I couldn’t finish my scuba certification; (2) That I couldn’t stay longer. It is a great island, visit if you have the chance. It’s a long plane ride and expensive, but trust me, you’re worth it.

Photos: http://daveandalissa.servebeer.com/
(choose Maui '06)