We left STL on American airlines at 1:40. We flew on a MD 80 first class. We had chicken for lunch. We arrived in Los Angeles at 4:10. We departed an hour later on a Boeing 767 first class. What a great plane!!!! We had chicken for dinner. We watched Sherlock Holmes. It was terrible. We arrived Maui airport at 8:00 pm. Picked up our brand new luggage...that they had broken a wheel off of...and got our silver Chrysler 200 convertible from National and drove 35 minutes to the Grand Wailea. We were taken to room 3020. We unpacked and got to bed about 11....which to us was 3 am
We got up at 4 am...9 am to us...and walked the resort. It is beautiful here...lots of gardens and waterfalls. We had breakfast at Grand dining room. French toast for Steve and oatmeal for me. $45..WOW sat by the adult only pool...where there were KIDS. Got 2 drinks in a souvenir cup...$40. Went shopping in the shops in our resort then walked a couple of blocks to the shops of wailea. Got some souvenirs for the kids. Had lunch at Longhis...crab cake sandwich...very good.$40. Went to bistro molokini for dinner...onion soup and sushi. Very good.$45..
Friday...got up and made coffee. Walked the beach. Breakfast at cafe Kula marketplace.Shopped.Took the car to big beach. Went to laihaina. had dinner at Kimkos $100. went to the play ulalena $145
Saturday went to wailuku to catch the Pacific whale foundation whale watching boat. Saw a momma and her baby. $80 Went to the ocean center aquaurium $50.Had lunch at Buzz’s Warf. Shrimp and clam chowder...$40 then went shopping. Steve gave me a beautiful palm tree diamond bracelet for our anniversary.
Sunday breakfast at the grand buffet. $55. Walked the beach. Sat on the beach for a while but it was packed. Had dinner at the humuhumunukunukuapua'a restaurant. surf and turf. $230
Monday got up at 4. Drove to the airport to catch a flight to Honolulu then another flight to Hilo to board the tour bus. We visited Liliuokalani gardens, Rainbow falls, Mauna Loa Macadamia nut farm, Akatsuka Orchid farm, Lunch at volcanic lava rock cafe...sandwiches...$20, Thurston lava tube, Kilauea iki crater.Saw lots of lava rock, steam and smoke. It was rainy and cold. We had to buy jackets because it was freezing. We flew back to Honolulu the back to Maui. Stopped at McDonalds. 2 cheeseburgers 1 fry one coke $6. Got back to the hotel at 9 pm. Exhausted.The day cost $1000.
Tuesday breakfast at the grand buffet...$45. Lazy day...still tired from yesterday. We tried sitting by the pool again but there are never any empty chairs....they save them for the cabanas which cost $350 a day. The beach is always packed with kids. Dinner at Mamas fish house ...Absolutely incredible!!!$330.
Wednesday we decided to drive the road to Hanna. WE stopped for breakfast at McDonalds. $11…that’s more like it! Then took the drive. We stopped at Kaumahina state park then continued the drive all the way to Kipahulu National park. We turned around and came back to Hanna where we had lunch Hana ranch restaurant. Steve had a fish sandwich and I had a pulled pork sandwich. $45. On the drive back to the resort we stopped at hookipa beach and watched the wind surfers.
Thursday we had breakfast at the grand buffet…$65. Then went to big beach. We went to the Grand Lu’au at Honua’ula. Very enjoyable.
Friday we went to breakfast at Longhis $30. Then went to Big beach. We had dinner at the hula grill in Kaanapali $170. I bought some toes rings. We had a beautiful sunset.
Saturday….Today is our last day in Paradise. We had Breakfast at the grand buffet $50. The view is beautiful. Then we will enjoy reading on the lania for a while. Our lanai has been our refuge, it is very quiet there and the view is beautiful. Checkout is at 2…OUCH…that is going to hurt…lol and then the 40 minute drive to the airport. Thank goodness we are flying first class! Our baggage weighs entirely too much and we still have to buy those pineapples for everyone back home!!! We will get home about 11:30 Sunday morning.
I am sorry to see this vacation come to a close but I am ready to go home. The plan was for a very quiet romantic vacation but we adjusted and changed it to a more touristy vacation. We have had a wonderful time and seen and done some incredible things and we will cherish the memories forever. Hawaii is still a very beautiful place…but it is much too crowded and overpriced and there are way too many children. I find it amazing in the present economy that so many families are here with their children. I don’t know how they afford it. The grand Wailea is a very beautiful resort…but it is near impossible to find beach chairs or pool chairs and with 800 rooms, even though they have 5 pools…it is just wall to wall people. The restaurants are full and impossible to get in without reservations. We were told that the resort is expanding by 300 rooms. Where will they put the people that brings in? They cannot expand the beach!!! The growth in the tourism in the last 15 years has been unbelievable. We had thought we might return in 10 years for our 50th anniversary…perhaps we will go back to Tahiti. It is much quieter there or at least it was in 1999…lol.
I do want to say..I am blessed beyond words and I know it.
