We spent the past week visiting our family and friends on the West Coast! We first arrived in Los Angeles the first weekend of March, before flying up to the Bay Area to spend the rest of the time with Dan’s parents before we flew back to Virginia this past weekend. We really wanted to make the stop in Los Angeles while we were in California, because some of our closest friends that we’d made in Bay Area had relocated to Southern California in recent years, and we couldn’t imagine making the trip out West without seeing them! Our dear friends Megumi and Daniel graciously opened up their beautiful home in Alhambra for us to stay in, and we have Estella and Brent to thank for picking us up at LAX and shuttling us around everywhere the first day in their spacious car. It’s not easy to host and take care of a family of three (especially when one is a jetlagged toddler), and we can’t express how grateful we were for all their thoughtful preparation and warm hospitality!
As usual, we took so many pictures throughout the trip, that I’m going to break our trip up into separate posts. Enjoy our snapshots from Day 1, below…
At Dulles: waiting to take the shuttle to our terminal.
Mio only fell asleep for the last 5 minutes of the flight. Of course.
After getting picked up at LAX by Brent and Estella, we met up with Megumi and Daniel for lunch at Shinsengumi Hakata Ramen.
My friend Mariko had first taken me to Shinsengumi a few years ago, and it’s since become one of my favorite ramen places in SoCal! So delicious. 🙂
I got a side of spam musubi to go with my ramen. I was so full afterwards!
After lunch, we headed over to spend the afternoon at Manhattan Beach… while it had been 28 degrees when we left DC, it got up to 85 degrees in LA that day! Life is not fair… made us wonder why we didn’t just move down to SoCal instead of to Northern Virginia! 😛
Sunny skies at Manhattan Beach
Mio was asleep in the stroller, and we couldn’t take the stroller through the sand, so the guys carried her out onto the beach. Princess status!
Megumi is glowing! A true California girl ♥
Mio sleeping peacefully on the beach.
Friends relaxing on the beach.
Mio woke up, but was not in the best mood… I think we discovered that she is not a fan of sand. She would cry every time her feet touched it!
Reunited and it feels so good! We missed them so much.
A family picture at Manhattan Beach ♥
Everyone trying to cheer Mio up. 🙂
For dinner, Estella and Brent took us to an awesome Taiwanese place called Kang Kang Food Court for dinner. They’d introduced us to delicious soup dumplings before up in NorCal, but this time they took us to eat crispy soup dumplings! So good!!!
Pan-fried soup dumplings!
Dinner with our favorite people!
So much delicious food!
Our family of three at dinner!
After dinner, Megumi suggested we go get dessert at Fluff Ice, which serves fluffly Taiwanese style shaved ice! True to its name, it was so fluffy soft and light, and we loved it! 😀
I got green tea flavored fluff ice with red bean and mochi!
Special thanks to Megumi for the picture!
Mio was jetlagged and exhausted, but was such a trooper and in good spirits, staying up until about 9pm Pacific Time!
When we got back to Megumi & Daniel’s we put Mio to bed, and stayed up playing board games together while munching on delicious desserts that Megumi had prepared! You can see the rest of our stay in Los Angeles in Day 2, which happened to land on Hinamatsuri!
August 3 was our last full day in Maui, and because my sister Miwa and brother Kosei had to catch a flight in the late morning, we stayed in the central Maui area. We asked them what they wanted to do before they left, and they said they wanted shave ice one last time! Upon doing a quick search, we discovered that there’d been an Ululani’s in Kihei the whole time — it had just opened two months ago! There was no question; we had to go get a taste of Ululani’s one last time!
The Ululani’s Shave Ice that had just opened in Kihei!
Indulging in Ululani’s one last time!
Right before seeing Miwa and Kosei off to the airport.
After dropping them off at the airport, it was just Dan, Mio, and I, and we had the whole rest of the day to do anything we wanted. We hadn’t made any plans, so we just drove around central Maui and explored the area. We first stopped by the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum, which showcases Maui’s once thriving sugar industry.
I didn’t know that many Japanese had come to Maui in the mid-1800s to work as laborers in the sugar plantations.
This is how Japanese women dressed while working in the sugarcane fields.
Mio and I inside the Sugar Museum
Daddy and Mio by the huge tractor (?) outside the museum.
It’s no secret that Dan is a fan of anything related to machinery!
Mio is hanging onto Daddy for dear life…
Back in Mama’s arms…
We then visited the Kanaha Pond National Wildlife Refuge, which served as a sanctuary for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds including the tall and pink-legged Hawaiian black-necked stilt, the brown koloa duck, and the white-billed Hawaiian coot.
Everything inside the visitors center was really modern, clean, educational, and child-friendly. We got to learn a lot about the sanctuary and the waterbirds that were protected there.
Kanaha Pond National Wildlife Refuge
We went back to the cottage to eat lunch and relax for a while, and pondered how to spend the rest of our last day in Maui. One regret that we had had (besides not being able to see the Haleakala sunrise) was that we didn’t get to drive the back road when we traveled the Road to Hana. As we mentioned, we found out afterwards that the back roads had been fixed in recent years, and that it does offer its own beautiful, unique views along the Piilani Highway, as you drive around the southeast part of the island. Who knew when we’d be in Maui again, so we decided to just screw the car rental company’s rule forbidding us to drive those roads, and drive the opposite way towards Hana so that we could see a little of what we missed. (I know, we are such fearless rebels.) We agreed, though, that we would not go all the way to Hana, and that we would just try to see as much as we could until we hit roads that seemed a little too dangerous, and that we’d try to get back before we lost daylight. (So I guess we’re not that fearless.)
We headed out in the late afternoon, around 4:00pm and drove along the Piilani Highway.
We could see great coastal views of Maui — even a clear view of the Molokini crater in the ocean.
The coast of Maui.
There was a random Chinese memorial dedicated to Sun Yat Sen along the Piilani Highway. It was nice, but it seemed like a very remote place to put a memorial…
Statue of Sun Yat Sen
Mountains of Maui rising up from the ocean
Dan with the Maui coast behind him.
We also spotted what looked like giant marshmallows in the fields alongside the road. I then couldn’t stop thinking about how much I wanted marshmallows during the rest of the drive.
A house among the clouds, above the ocean.
Majestic cliffs by the ocean.
A canyon along Piilani Highway.
Dan on the cliffs. I was terrified that he was going to lose footing and tumble down.
Wrecked cars at the foot of the cliff… scary!
Walls of volcanic rock towering by the narrow roads.
The back side of the Road to Hana definitely has a very different landscape than the lush, green views we’d seen going around the northeastern side. It’s much more rugged and can be more treacherous, but it’s not without its own beauty. We were in awe of the huge cliffs, canyons, and rock formations along the way, with incredible views of the coast and mountains across the water. We were really glad that we took the risk and the initiative to take the back roads, because we felt like we were able to really see all the variety of landscapes and scenic views that Maui has to offer.
Approaching the unpaved area of the road. We decided then to turn back, especially since it was getting late.
Mountains shrouded by the fog in the distance.
Before heading back, though, we stopped by the Nuu Bay area to check out the pebble beach and the natural bridge there.
Pebble beach by Nuu Bay
The natural bridge at Nuu Bay
Mio and Dan at Nuu Bay
Love you, Mio!
On the drive back, we saw these beautiful rays shining through the clouds — you can see why they call them God rays, or Fingers of God. A truly beautiful sight!
The sun rays shining down on the Molokini Crater. Stunning!
Driving the back road of Hana was a spontaneous but really great way to end our vacation in Maui. We got back in the evening, and got a good night’s sleep before we had to catch our flight back to California the following morning. It was a truly memorable vacation spent with the family, and we hope that we have a chance to visit the beautiful island of Maui again someday! 😀
We didn’t have any strict plans for the rest of our time in Maui after my brother left, so on our eighth day, we decided to explore more of the Wailea-Makena area (the southern part of the island) to do more snorkeling and visit the beaches there.
Mio, Miwa, and I by our cottage in the morning.
Our first stop was the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Reserve, as we’d heard that Ahihi Bay is a good place to snorkel.
Arriving at the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Preserve
Snorkeling time!
It seemed a little murkier than some of the previous areas we’d snorkeled in Maui, but we still got to see a lot of coral and fish.
Back from snorkeling, on the shore with Mio. Rock those shades!
Mio and Mama under the hot Maui sun
After spending a couple hours snorkeling, we headed over to La Perouse Bay, which had the most beautifully clear blue waters! According to the people there, though, it wasn’t a great place to snorkel, so we just walked around and admired the views.
Miwa by the gorgeous blue waters! Family picture at La Perouse Bay Yokoyama picture! Kosei looks so stoic… lol
Our next stop was Makena Bay. Mio had fallen asleep in the car ride there, so my brother Kosei stayed back to watch her while Dan, Miwa, and I had some fun on the beach.
Miwa and I at gorgeous Makena Bay Wave coming in! Dipping our feet in…
Dan and I in paradise Dan’s romantic message in the sand… heehee*
Aloha!
Sisters with our shaka signs
Silly poses!
Running away from the wave!
Miwa pushed me in while we were frolicking around…
We couldn’t stop laughing! We felt like kids again.
Letting the waves crash against us.
We could see the Molokini Crater in the distance.
Sad that our time in Hawaii is coming to an end…
By the trees at Makena Bay
After getting our beach time, we stopped at Bubba’s Gourmet Dog Shack for a quick snack…
Garlic fries from Bubba’s Gourmet Dog Shack! Dan also got some shave ice.
We also saw a craft market by the road, so we stopped there to get some souvenirs.
Everyone’s in here! Even Mio… sort of.
We went back to Kihei to go to the Whale Watching Center / Sanctuary Education Center.
It was nice and cool inside, and there was even a little play area for kids.
Entertaining Mio with the fish!
Uncle Kosei playing with Mio
Mio clinging to her newfound friend, the stuffed turtle.
Death by turtles.
We then headed over to Eskimo Candy Seafood Market & Deli for a late lunch — they’re known to have awesome poke! 🙂
Shrimp taco plate for me!
Shoyu and furikake ahi poke… yum!
We then went back to Makena Bay (because we loved it so much there), laid out on the beach for a couple hours, and then went back to Kihei for some shave ice before going home.
Miwa with her shave ice from Surf Monkey Shave Ice.
Dan and I sharing a shave ice together.
Oh, and of course Mio too!
The following day would be our last full day in Maui! I’m sure everyone is starting to get sick of these posts, so you can breathe a sigh of relief that the next one will be the last of our posts about our trip! 😉 It’s been a lot of work to upload all the pictures and document everything for me, too, so I’m relieved as well! haha* 😛
We took things easy on our seventh day in Maui, because we were still pretty exhausted from the Road to Hana the day before, and because my brother Ted needed to get dropped off at the airport to fly home in the evening. We decided to just drive around and leisurely explore, hitting a couple food places we wanted to eat. One place we wanted to try together before Ted left was Geste Shrimp Truck!
Geste Shrimp Truck in Kahului.
Putting our orders in.
Waiting for our shrimp!
One of the foods I’ve been dreaming of having again since our trip two years ago to Oahu was garlic shrimp from a shrimp truck. The shrimp at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck in Kahuku had been pretty amazing, and I was eager to find out how Geste measured up, as the two are often compared to each other.
I got the shrimp scampi, loaded with garlic – yum!
Miwa’s lemon pepper shrimp
Dan got the hot, spicy shrimp… of course.
The verdict? Geste Shrimp was pretty good… but Dan and I agreed that Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck in Oahu is better, especially with their garlic shrimp and the garlic rice that accompanies it. In terms of their variety, though, Geste has a better selection of flavors to choose from.
After stuffing ourselves with shrimp, we drove over to Leilani Farm Sanctuary in Haiku for a Mio-friendly attraction — with goats, rabbits, donkeys, cats, peahens, pigs, tortoises, ducks, chickens, and deer residing at this animal farm, it’s known as “a paradise for rescued animals.”
A visit to Maui is not complete without traveling the Road to Hana, or the Hana Highway, which offers some of the most gorgeous scenic views of the Hawaiian Islands. Even though this legendary road is only 52 miles (84 km) long from Kahului to Hana, it takes the average driver around three hours and can be quite a challenge to navigate, because of how narrow and winding it is. There are about 620 sharp curves and 59 bridges, 46 of which are one-lane bridges. I’d read that the road can take such a toll on one’s nerves, that it’s also known as the “Divorce Highway,†because the stress from driving on the road has caused quite a few arguments among couples (although thankfully, that was not the case for us). It’s also not a course you should undertake if you are prone to carsickness because of how windy it is. Sounds awful, doesn’t it? Well, we were told that it was well worth all the inconveniences, because there are so many stunning scenic views along the way; everyone who had been to Maui encouraged us to go on the Road to Hana, so we knew it was not to be missed during our time there. We at first questioned our own sanity for taking a toddler on such a long, treacherous trip, but we hoped for the best and planned to dedicate Day 6 of our trip to the Road to Hana. Because most people make frequent stops to hike and check out the breathtaking sights along the way, it is advised to dedicate a whole day to the excursion (the three hours mentioned above is driving time only). We’re so glad that we did make the effort to go, though, because we were treated to some of the most incredible views, and we were able to see for ourselves why they call it Heavenly Hana!
We left Kihei in the morning, so it took us over an hour to get to the start of the Road to Hana in Kahului. Towards the beginning, I was getting so carsick from all the winding roads that I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to handle the whole trip. Thankfully, the motion sickness subsided for me after the first half hour.
Stopping at Halfway to Hana in Keanae
Mio taking a much-needed break from the car. This was actually moments before Dan injured himself badly in the knee when he tripped and protected Mio from the fall.
A view along the Road to Hana.
We made a stop at the Hana Lava Tube, which is also known as the Ka’eleku Caverns. It’s one of the world’s largest lava tubes, and you can explore 1/3 mile of unusual underground formations that were created by an ancient subterranean river of lava! Liquid rock flowing through the passages one thousand years ago has cooled into myriads of beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone.
Dan is excited to go into the lava tube. Mio, not so much.
Descending into the caverns. The cow skull is there because cattle ranchers used to dispose of the remains of slaughtered cattle in this lava tube.
