Saturday, July 7, 2018

Maui'd for 10:::Day 1 and 2 - Exploring Kihei

Hey there!
I know...it has been a LONG time
since I last blogged. :(
There are so many things trapped in "Cyber Pic Land"
just waiting to be blogged about...but...I am just going
to jump ahead and blog about our most recent adventure.
I might come back and recap the other things...maybe. ;)

Chad and I celebrated our 
10 year anniversary on June 21st!
About a year ago we decided to go on
a big trip...just the two of us.
We were originally thinking about going back
to our honeymoon location, Cozumel, Mexico...
but then decided on Maui instead.

We knew that we wanted to stay some place
quiet, relaxing, not necessarily in the "hustle and bustle,"
not some place super touristy, and as affordable as possible.
So, after doing some research...I decided on Kihei, Maui.
It was PERFECT!
Yes, I said "I" because...if you know us,
then you know that yes, I planned the entire
trip because...well...Chad isn't much of a planner. ;)

Here we are...on our lanai...in MAUI!!!

The view from our lanai...beautiful!


I found the perfect condo for us on VRBO.
The following pictures are from the 
listing on the website...not mine...
but this is EXACTLY what it looked like when we walked in!




I really wanted to stay in a room that opened
up to the beach, where we could lay out and relax
without having to travel far. I also wanted a kitchen
so that we had the option of "cooking" if we wanted to.
We didn't need any fancy resort amenities because
I knew that we would be spending most of our days
"out and about" so we wouldn't be utilizing them.




As you can see, our condo was ground level...
and mere steps from the beach!
On just the other side of the greenery
was the sand of the beach.
Being that Chad and I are both fair skinned
I also loved that we had a covered lanai where we
could still lay out and relax...but hopefully not get fried.



Our condo was at the Sugar Beach Resort,
and as you can see there was a large pool, spa, barbecue area
and even a place where you could rent water activities.
Another bonus of our condo...it was stocked with everything
we could need - snorkel gear, iced chest, beach chairs,
umbrella, canopy, beach towels, and so much more.
If you want more info on it...let me know.
It was perfect for us...and less expensive than
what we have paid stay pretty much anywhere in CA.


After getting settled in the condo
we decided to head out and explore Kihei a bit.
First stop...FOOD!
We just happened to stumble upon this
restaurant, and I had heard that they had the best
fish tacos..so it was a win-win.



The below picture is from Google Images...not mine.

I went ahead with the fish tacos and Chad got coconut covered shrimp.
They were both so delicious!!!
The reviews online were spot-on.
These were the best fish tacos I've ever had.
Good news...they have locations in CA now. :)


As we got in the car to leave I realized
that another "must-stop" place was two doors
down...so I had to go. ;)

Again, the next two pics are from Google Images.


Other travel blogs had highly recommended
Wow Wow Lemonade...again...they did not disappoint.
They have every flavor of lemonade you can imagine.
I went with Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade
and it was delicious. 
Perfect combination of sweet...and a hint of sour.


We spent the rest of the evening getting groceries,
relaxing, and enjoying the quiet...and these views!



The next morning I woke up super early,
still being on CA time...and was
rewarded with this beautiful view...
at 5:00 in the morning. Hahahaha!



I decided to head to the farmers market
in Kihei...that was about two minutes away. ;)


It was open daily,
and super small compared  what we think
of as a farmers market...but it had some
delicious local foods.
Here is a wide variety of dips and sauces...


there were also beautiful flower arrangements,
poke, and a wide assortment of fruits and veggies.


Right next door was this gem...
that had the most delicious pastries!



After gathering some local favorites,
shrimp poke, ahi poke, spam musabi, and banana bread,
I headed back to the condo for a relaxing morning.


This is how I spent the next two hours!


With no plans for the day,
we set out and decided to drive up to Kaanapali
and check out Whaler's Village and Black Rock.


Neither one of us decided to jump
 off Black Rock...but we watched a lot of others do it. ;)
After walking along the beach, enjoying some people
watching, and grabbing a quick lunch, we decided that we were
super happy with our choice to stay in Kihei...
where the beach was nice and quiet and peaceful.
We headed back to the condo to relax a bit,
freshen up...and then headed back for dinner at 
Leilani's On the Beach.

Picture from Google Images

Being kid-free we enjoyed some yummy
drinks at the bar...


and then a delicious dinner!



Thanks, Mom and Dad for the gift certificate. ;)

It was a wonderful first two days...relaxing...with a little bit of exploring.
So far...we had no complaints about living the Maui life!