OT: Thanks to Floridians for advice but....

[Jewel]

For everyone who gave me advice on where to go in Florida for our weeklong summer vacation in July, thanks very much...but there has been a change of plans! DH has racked up about 200,000 frequent flyer miles because of constant business trips to Alaska, so we were trying to use our FF miles for tickets to Florida this year. When I called yesterday, there were no 'freebie' tickets being given up for Florida on ANY Partner Airline! The only way we could have gone to Florida was to pay the fares, which would have been about $1000. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif We don't want to go to Florida THAT bad!

So Mr. Reservation Man went a-looking for beach destinations that were allowing the FF Miles tickets, and guess where we're headed off to for my birthday in July? MAUI!!

Neither DH or I have ever been. I found a condo right on the beach in Kahana (sp?) and we're there for six nights. Studio with a Queen size Murphy Bed in the wall, a full kitchen, and a lenai bigger than my master bedroom with a patio set and lounge chairs looking right over the Pacific! Yahoo! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Now the race is on...not only do I have two weeks and three days left on this Turbo Diet, but I have to make sure that the rest of my body (legs, arms, back, bottoms of my feet!) are ready for HAWAII!! Trip is set for six weeks after my surgery, so let's hope the swelling has gone down enough for me to look halfway decent in a swimsuit!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

Anybody have any advice about Maui?

[This message has been edited by Jewel (edited 04-26-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Jewel (edited 04-26-2001).]

[dearamy]

Jewel,
How fun! I was in Hawaii in February--that is where my now fiancee proposed. We took a fabulous hike to the seven sacred pools. It's a long & windy road to get there, but the beauty of the place is inspiring. And, if you like Mexican food, I recommend Maui Tacos--bascically just a fast food place, but they have fabulous fish tacos!

[schuh]

Maui is paradise. We went there on our honeymoon (almost 10 years ago) -- did three of the islands and Maui was by far our favorite. We stayed at the Kapalua resort which I think is not too far from where you were staying. We splurged and did just about anything.

I think the biggest rip-off was parasailing. You're not up in the air that long -- and it was $50 then. I can only imagine what it would cost now.

The two great (albeit touristy) experiences we had were:
- Snorkeling near Molokini, which is a partially submerged volcano. We went on a boat called the Wailea Kai, and the people were just great. You don't have to be a swimmer -- you can snorkel with life jackets. They'll give you bread, which you can wad up in your hands, and fish will come and eat out of your hands.
- Biking down the Haleakala volcano. They give you these mountain bikes with amazing brakes and you basically zoom down around the volcano. There's only a few places where you actually have to pedal the bike! If you can handle getting up at 3 a.m., go see the sunrise over the volcano.

If you're a golfer, Kapalua has great courses! You can rent great clubs there, too.

We used our kitchen to do light breakfasts and some lunches. When you're in such a place, you don't feel like eating heavy (so you don't have to worry about backsliding over all the wonderful progress you've made so far). I'd give you the names of restaurants but I'm sure that after 10 years they would be out of date.

Have a glorious time. I'm so envious.

[Jewel]

Whoops! Couldn't read any replies and I wanted to see if I could post on this one...never mind! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif

[jd]

Jewel, I think there are a couple of previous threads on Hawaii. You may want to try the search on this board and the archives. Hawaii is wonderful!!

[mb]

wowie maui! that is too cool. even though i am a big-florida advocate, i definitely think that the hawaii trip will beat the gulf coast! i wish i was going too! i've heard that maui is one of the best islands to go to. i did a little research a while ago, as hawaii was a potential honeymoon destination for us. however, being floridians, it's just SOOOOO far away!

have a great time and good luck with your research. again, i'd try to use www.fodors.com/forums (http://www.fodors.com/forums) to get some info. people there are usually pretty helpful when it comes to travel plans.

[Gail]

Seems my original response got eaten up by the computer problem yesterday.

Ah, Jewel... I'm sure you will have a great time. I think Maui is fast earning the reputation as the most popular of the Hawaiian islands, possibly because of the wide diversity of things to do. Plus, if you happen to be a night person, this island doesn't roll up its sidewalks as early as some of the others.

Ironically, although I've been to Hawaii a number of times, I've opted for some of the less-popular spots, so my information will be a bit dated. However, certain constants remain. West Maui is the the hotter, drier, more densely populated side of the island where most everything is, which by no means you should not bother with the rest of the island. Upper Maui is kind of dreamy and deserted, the southern end tends to get windier. The east side of the island has the lovely, winding and waterfall-peppered Hana Highway, which gives you a completely different impression of the place. Although I recommend renting a car and exploring your environs, I understand this isn't everyone's thing. If it is, I recommend bringing both bug repellent and something for bites because it's jungly on the Hana side of the island and the mosquitoes are chomping! (Case in point, the 13 bites I acquired on a single ankle while there on my honeymoon!) If you're attracted by the lure of Hana's Seven Sacred Pools, forget an illusions of something out of an old Steve Reeves movie. I mean the pools are nice, but nothing spectacular. Actually, the ride's probably nicer than the final destination and the area (at least years ago when I was there) gives you a better feel for the Old Hawaii.

Though I'm a night person, though obviously not a vampire with all the garlic I consume, I'm told Haleakala Crater is fabulous at sunrise. And unless you're into the tourist scene, I'd skip the highly overrated cattle calls they tout as luaus which mostly served mediocre food at best.

You're a lucky duck with your ocean front condo. Sounds like we you're staying within spitting distance of where we were many years ago. Our condo had a full kitchen and lanai overlooking the ocean; consequently we visited a market, laid in supplies, and had our morning breakfast enjoying our magnificent view. Check out Erik's for dinner-- though granted it's been 18 or so years since I was there, it used to have some of the most fabulous local seafood I can recall. (I still sigh remembering some multisyllabic fish with maltaise sauce. Mmmmmm...)

Do check out the other threads (presumably archived by now) for current suggestions on dining since my recollections are as old as some of CL's readers! My vote for a great travel guide, by the way, goes to Richard Saul Wurman's Hawaii Access. I found his advice right on the nose!

Have a wonderful time, bring sunscreen (the sun'll fry even those of us heartier-skinned types) make it a point to try any fish with a wonderfully tropical name, and have a wonderful, wonderful time!


[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 04-27-2001).]