With the rest of the family having arrived the night before, we could finally get our vacation off to a start with everyone on our second day in Maui. We fixed breakfast together, took a dip in the pool at our lodging, and then set out to hit the beaches!
A video of Mio giggling while playing on the beach with Uncle Ted:
After a couple hours at Kaanapali Beach, we moved a little further south in West Maui to Launiupoko Beach, which had a rocky cove, and had sand that was a lot darker, almost like a black sand beach. It was different from Kaanapali but still very beautiful!
Later in the afternoon, we drove over to downtown Lahaina area to visit the Banyan Tree Park.
We then walked around downtown Lahaina and did some souvenir shopping, and enjoyed an afternoon snack at Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice stand.
We had heard from our friend that Ululani’s had the best shave ice in all of the Hawaiian islands, and we were at first skeptical. Our favorite shave ice during our last trip to Hawaii was Waiola Shave Ice in Honolulu, which we’d found out about from our friends who had lived in Oahu who told us it was so much better than the more famous Matsumoto’s Shave Ice (and sure enough, Waiola was 10 times better than Matsumoto’s)! Dan and I have been having cravings for Waiola since our trip two years ago, so it was hard to imagine any shave ice could be better than Waiola — but we were pleasantly surprised to find that Ululani’s ice was really similar to Waiola, but even better! The ice was really fine and soft, the flavor variety expansive with their locally made syrup, combined with lots of great topping choices (like sweet cream, azuki beans, mochi pieces, and the option of adding ice cream at the bottom), and they poke holes throughout the shaved ice before pouring the syrup on so that it gets evenly saturated. It was truly shave ice perfection — so amazing! Ululani’s has since dethroned Waiola in our minds, and it’s now the new shave ice we dream of tasting again. (Thank you Komy for recommending it to us!)
Obligatory pictures of every one with their shave ice…
After a fun-filled day, we headed back to the condo to wash up, cook and eat dinner, and play board games at night (our favorite thing to do when we’re reunited with my siblings). I’ll post about Day Three next, in which we explore more of West Maui! 😀
(Special thanks to my brother Ted for taking some of the amazing photos that were used in this post.)
Heather
August 13, 2012 @ 6:31 pm
Aaaaah!!! Maui is my favorite! Beautiful!
Misono
August 13, 2012 @ 6:35 pm
I think it’s now my favorite island, too! (Although we haven’t been to Big Island yet… but Maui’s my favorite among the three that I’ve been to!)
Komy
August 13, 2012 @ 6:54 pm
I feel honored to be mentioned in your blog :). Beautiful pictures!!! I miss Maui now xD
Misono
August 13, 2012 @ 7:42 pm
Thank you again for all your recommendations. We used your spreadsheet as a reference the entire trip! heehee* 🙂
Masanori
August 13, 2012 @ 7:40 pm
You have an underwater housing for your Canon compact? Did you take it into the ocean? Or just the pool?
Misono
August 13, 2012 @ 7:47 pm
We have an underwater case for our point-and-shoot compact camera (it’s a Canon SD1100), and we took it in both the pool and the ocean – we got some great shots while snorkeling, including some of sea turtles we saw! 🙂 If you guys have a comparable camera, you’re totally welcome to borrow it – we can ship it over, since we only use it while on vacation.
Masanori
August 13, 2012 @ 7:56 pm
Komy has the same exact camera, lol.
I’m planning on borrowing my friend’s Canon S95 + underwater housing.
I read that it is somewhat difficult to take photos in the ocean without using flash. I’ve been trying to figure out how to remote trigger my strobes underwater. Radio doesn’t transmit well underwater, so I might have to go the optical route…anyway, my nerdy camera talk aside, please share the photos from under the ocean! I’d love to see them!
Misono
August 14, 2012 @ 5:36 pm
Yea, Dan and I just used the camera with the case as is… haha* So it sounds like you know your stuff a lot better! 🙂 You can see our underwater photos in the blog post I just posted for Day 3. Did you and Komyã¡ã‚ƒã‚“ decide which destination to go vacation in? 😀
Komy
August 14, 2012 @ 5:44 pm
Misonochan, we decided to go back to Oahu for our vacation 🙂 This time, we’re going with my brother and another couple. I might need your recommendations this time lol. I’m going to look for your old blog on your trip to Oahu 😉
Misono
August 14, 2012 @ 6:02 pm
ã„ã„ãªã〜ï¼ç§ãŸã¡ã‚‚ã¾ãŸã‚ªã‚¢ãƒ•å³¶ã«è¡ŒããŸã„ã€ã£ã¦è©±ã—ã¦ãŸã‚“ã ã‘ã©ãƒãƒ¯ã‚¤ã¯å½“分行ã‘ãªã„ã‹ã‚‚。カリフォルニアã‹ã‚‰ã¯ï¼•ã€ï¼–時間ã®ãƒ•ãƒ©ã‚¤ãƒˆãŒDCã‹ã‚‰ã¯ï¼‘2時間ã«ãªã£ã¡ã‚ƒã†ã—ã€å連れã®æ—…è¡ŒãŒã©ã‚Œã ã‘大変ã‹ä»Šå›žæ€ã„知らã•ã‚ŒãŸã€‚(><)楽ã—ã‹ã£ãŸã‘ã©ã€å‰å›žã»ã©ã‚†ã£ãã‚Šã§ããªã‹ã£ãŸã‚ˆãƒ»ãƒ»ãƒ»ã€‚Travel as much as you can before you have kids! When are you going to Oahu? I’ll send you the recommendations I collected last time! 🙂
Komy
August 14, 2012 @ 6:21 pm
12時間ã®ãƒ•ãƒ©ã‚¤ãƒˆé•·ã„よã(´・ω・`)ã§ã‚‚ガーリックシュリンプ食ã¹ã‚‹ã®æ¥½ã—ã¿ï½—å‰å›žã¯åˆã‚ã¦ã®ãƒãƒ¯ã‚¤ã§ã‚¹ã‚±ã‚¸ãƒ¥ãƒ¼ãƒ«ã¿ã£ã¡ã‚Šç«‹ã¦ãŸã‘ã©ä»Šå›žã¯ã‚‚ã£ã¨ã®ã‚“ã³ã‚Šã™ã‚‹äºˆå®š(^^♪8月31æ—¥ã‹ã‚‰ï¼™æœˆï¼”æ—¥ã®ï¼‘週間行ã予定ã よ。ã¿ãã®ã¡ã‚ƒã‚“ãŒã¾ãŸè¡ŒããŸã„ã¦æ€ã†ãŠå‹§ã‚ã®ãƒ¬ã‚¹ãƒˆãƒ©ãƒ³ã¨ã‹ãŠåº—覚ãˆã¦ãŸã‚‰æ•™ãˆã¦æ¬²ã—ã„ãªâ˜…ã‚ã€ã¨ã‚Šã‚ãˆãšãƒ¯ã‚¤ã‚ªãƒ©ã®ã‹ãæ°·ã¯è©¦ã—ã¦ã¿ã‚‹ãï¼ï¼ãƒ½(^。^)ノ
Komy
August 14, 2012 @ 6:26 pm
Miochan is such a lucky girl to be traveling a lot at such young age 🙂
Akiko
August 13, 2012 @ 8:32 pm
マウイã€ã‚¹ãƒ†ã‚ã ãï¼ï¼ã‚ãŸã—ã‚‚è¡ŒããŸããªã£ã¡ã‚ƒã£ãŸï¼
美園も美桜ã¡ã‚ƒã‚“ã‚‚ã‚レイãªãƒ‰ãƒ¬ã‚¹ç€ã¦ã‚¢ã‚¤ãƒ©ãƒ³ãƒ‰ã‚«ãƒ¼ãƒ«ã£ã¦ã‹ã‚“ã˜ï¼ï¼
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Misono
August 14, 2012 @ 5:25 pm
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マウイ島ã¯æœ¬å½“ã«ç´ 敵ã§ã€ã„ã‚ã‚“ãªç¶ºéº—ãªæ™¯è‰²ãŒã‚ã£ã¦ãŠå‹§ã‚ã§ã™ï¼ã‚ªã‚¢ãƒ•å³¶ã¯ã™ã”ã„「観光地ï¼ã€ã£ã¦æ„Ÿã˜ã§ã€ã‚«ã‚¦ã‚¢ã‚¤å³¶ã¯ç”°èˆŽã ã£ãŸã‘ã©ã€ãƒžã‚¦ã‚¤å³¶ã¯ãã®ä¸é–“ã¿ãŸã„ãªå³¶ãªã®ã§ã©ã£ã¡ã®é›°å›²æ°—も味ã‚ãˆãŸã®ã§ã™ã”ãよã‹ã£ãŸã§ã™ã€‚
Akiyo
August 13, 2012 @ 8:56 pm
I’m so glad you share your adventures on your blog! I feel like I get a mini getaway to dreamland, looking through your photos! 😀 Mio-chan is growing so fast! I can’t wait to see what you did the rest of the trip! ♥
Misono
August 14, 2012 @ 5:36 pm
Thank you! I love looking at your pictures and blogs as well! I struggle to take Mio to the park every day, but you take Bruce to Disneyland every day – what a lucky boy! 🙂 You’re the best mom ever! ♥
kristina
August 14, 2012 @ 3:59 am
wow, these pictures are gorgeous!!
can’t wait to see more from the rest of your trip! =D
Misono
August 14, 2012 @ 5:26 pm
Thanks Kristina! 🙂
There’s so many photos to go through, but I’m getting them up slowly! 😀 You guys will be sick of them by the time we’re done covering the whole trip! lol
Nicole
August 14, 2012 @ 1:22 pm
I love the one of Mio with the mug….. she looks like a cranky lady who needs her coffee! Love all the beach photos too- stunning!!
Misono
August 14, 2012 @ 5:28 pm
hahaha* I know, right? She cracks me up! She is really turning into a mini adult these days. The beaches in Maui were really breathtaking – I already want to go back…
Maui 2012: Day 3 | Blooming by the Bay
August 14, 2012 @ 5:28 pm
[…] up where we left off on Day Two, we explored more of West Maui on our third day. This was our last day staying in the Lahaina area, […]