Aloha hawaii🤙
Alohaaaaa - Legatt fambam took on Hawaii 2022!
Family trips are quite rare around this crew as my family has never been avid travelers (Jake & I are an exception), but sometime last year, Paps called me with a grand plan to bring the fam to Hawaii. Between sissy getting preggo (& having a babe prior to leaving) and Mama’s breast cancer journey, there was a lot of uncertainty into IF and WHO would be up for this vacay. But in the end, all but sissy’s fam made the adventure and since YOLO, we made it happen - all cancer-free I must say :D #blessed
Now when I say my family of origin are not big travelers, let me provide some context. Growing up, I definitely got to go to Disney World - like multiple times. I also indulged at the Wiscy Dells, Mount Rushmore, and I even remember going to Mackinac Island once! I grew up on a hobby farm, but as this girl who has chickens knows, animals need tending to daily - no matter if you have 3 or 987. So it was always a process if we were gone for more than a weekend at a time and let’s be real, my parents are BIG homebodies.
Change and new things are intimidating; this trip was very much outside of their comfort zone & easily the longest flight any of them have ever been on. I was excited to show them another world (one I also didn’t know) and also knew that meant I would be the tour guide for this trip :D I know how to do this quite well when it’s just Jake & I, but planning for 6 people, aged 17-60, I knew this would be more of a challenge than I was used to. I did my best to get some things on the calendar in advance (so more planning than typical) and have a rough layout of each day to set expectations with the crew. We still had flexible hours - because how relaxing is a vacation without any free time??!?! But each day we had like one goal or excursion or road trip to plan around. Some activities were more of a hit than others as it goes when traveling new places :)
Alohaaaa Oh-ah-who (Oahu)
Even though I typically gravitate towards mountains and adventure, after having lots of that this spring, we were ready for some chill vibes and ocean blues. After a short stop in Seattle for some grub, we arrived at our first stop: Oahu! We were staying near Waikiki and the place was pretty tight for a crew of 6, but we managed sharing 1 bathroom (painfully), and spent most of our time walking around town, checking out the be*ches (not to be confused with b*tches), hitting up some stops on the way to the north shore, and as Hawaiian tourists do, going to a luau.
Waikiki was busy, as expected. I knew this would be less our scene - high rises, busy sidewalks, lots of traffic, expensive “downtime” prices, loads of tourists, etc. BUT it was a central location with pretty easy access to many parts of the island and activities. My Ma & Paps had a tour booked for Pearl Harbor (one of the main reasons Oahu was included in our visit), with notification the night before that there was some serious dock damage for the USS Arizona, meaning the # of boats heading over there was dramatically reduced. Thus, it was very challenging to get tickets - you either had to get really lucky OR wait in a 3-4 hour long standby line (lines are not something my family is into…) And when my parents were at the museum, a bomb threat caused forced evacuation of all PH facilities. Thus, that was sort of a bust unfortunately, but everyone did make it out safely & they got to learn some Hawaiian history instead! Thanks Ma & Pa for all the scattered facts about the old king :D
Fav things in Oahu:
Turtle beach on the North Shore: our first stop where the sea turtles were one with the humans! Our Air BnB even had snorkel gear, so we had our first snorkel with the sea turtles. Absolutely AMAZING.
Kuiliouou Ridge hike: this was the morning Ma & Pa had the PH tour, so the boys and I headed out for some nature! This trail was great with a mix of woods, ridge hiking, and 360 views at the top. Definitely some incline involved; highly recommend! (& Logan’s legs were sore for the next 5 days…#weak #highschoolathlete)
Beach time: we also had some body boards at our place, so we packed a cooler and went down to the beach one afternoon. Waves weren’t great where we posted up, so they ended up being more like floaties :P But still a fun afternoon! Even just walking around the Waikiki area was nice. Lots of surfers and people watching #hangloose
Diamond Head: everyone knows this one, but I actually really liked this short, family friendly hike. One challenge of traveling with a group of various ages is finding something we all 1) like to do and 2) are capable of doing. This was the perfect mix!
Least fav things:
Busy-ness and crowds of Waikiki
LONGGGG lines for all things, even to see pineapple plants :0
Prices at downtown grocery stores!!!
The Waikiki area (where we stayed) was quite expensive. Knowing what I know now, I would highly recommend finding a Walmart or bigger grocery store outside of the downtown area if you are looking for some groceries! I also would have loved more time bouncing around the North Shore and doing the full loop. We made it to the Dole plantation, a coffee farm, the food truck ally, and a couple beaches, but there is SO much more we didn’t get to! I really underestimated how much time getting in and out of a car with a full load really takes. But the day we did the North Shore, we had the luau in the evening, so we were strapped for time unfortunately. Would definitely consider staying in the north shore if we were there for a longer period of time. Still enjoyed what we got to see of it!
Total length: 2.5 days / 3 nights [probs a little too tight for full exploration]
Alohaaaa Meow-eee (Maui)
After 3 short days spending way too much money on a bag of Doritos, we did an island hop over to Maui. Maui was magical to me, and I purposely planned for more time here than in Oahu because I knew it would fit the fam (& my vibes) more (perks of being the tour guide). Very, very laid back nature-loving, chill island. I loved how wherever you drove, you looked one way and saw mountains and looked the other way and you saw ocean. A blend I don’t see very often in the states! :P It was more the tropical, go pick a mango on the tree outside our condo, Hawaiian life I pictured and longed to explore.
We stayed in the Lahaina side of Maui (west side) which was about an hour drive from the airport in normal conditions (we ran into a burning field on our way and had a long re-route while squished into a Four Runner with groceries on our lap because the only Walmart was on that side of the island :P) But I really liked this city and would definitely recommend staying nearby! The only downside was the airport, Road to Hana, and Hakeakala NP were all on the opposite side of the island. So we tried to pair some of these plans to reduce some of our drive excursions!
Our resort just north of Lahaina was great. For a big group with varying interests, having some space and things to do at the accommodation is huge. We had a pool, grassy area, and a private beach with great snorkeling! There was also SO many beaches nearby for exploring. Most of the beaches appear to be public lands as well, so there were lots of camper vans and other cars posting up. IDK what actual island rules are, but there were vehicles that didn’t move for the time we were on the island.
Fav things in Maui:
SNORKELING: easily my favorite activity in all of Hawaii; per a coworker’s recommendation, we picked up a few cheap sets ($15ea) at Walmart and just had a blast with them! Our resort had a private beach with a sea turtle family homing nearby and honestly so many kinds of fishies so it was fun to just go out for 20mins in our free time. We also were trying to go to a well-known snorkel bay nearby, but parked at the bay next door with the intention of snorkeling over to the other bay. After making it to at least 100ft of water depth and the water getting very muddy due to the waves crashing against the peninsula, we chickened out and went back (to also a great snorkel area). TIP: snorkel with the buddy system!
Haleakala NP sunrise: IF you are thinking about this, make sure you appreciate sunrises!!! If you don’t, it’s a VERY early morning (like 2:30AM from Lahaina), an intense road, and REALLY windy and cold temps for exactly what you should expect - a sunrise :) Ask Logan, he’ll tell you about it (reservation required, positive attitude suggested)
Road to Hana: curvy roads, swimming holes, and luscious jungle - this was a highlight of the trip for sure! Plan ahead because phone service is non-existent on this road. The boys were stuck in the back which was tough because they couldn’t really see, but views from the front seat were spectacular! The road is intense and you must drive slow. We paired this after the NP sunrise due to location on the island, but it made for a very long day & we didn’t even make it the full way around! Three Bears Falls was one of my favorite spots because it was harder to access and not many people.
Aunt Sandy’s banana bread on Keanae point: this is along the road to Hana and WILL have a line (all about setting expectations). BUT being a big banana bread fan, I was so thrilled to see that banay bread is a staple in Hawaii. And Aunt Sandy did NOT disappoint. Baked upon ordering & served warm in perfectly cute loaf pans, this was TDF, even without added butter.
Paia Fish Market: we went to the market east of the airport after we landed, and all of us LOVED it. Which didn’t happen often for this crew. From shrimp tacos to fish ‘n’ chips to chicken pasta (S/O to Paps!) to local brews to kombucha, it had something for all!
Least fav things:
Coconut water: said everyone who has ever tried coconut water. But hey, sometimes you just have to see things for yo’self :D
Deep sea fishing: simply because we didn’t catch fish, so it was more like an early morning boat ride. In all fairness, they told us this was a possibility, you just hope you get lucky!
4 showers a day (but those salt water curls though >>>)
Total length: 4 days / 4 nights [felt right for the fam - could have definitely stayed longer for more hiking and if intermittent working]
Hawaiian Vacay Tips:
Buy snorkel gear: renting is $15 / day vs $15 for an entire set. IF you plan to go out more than once (which you should), I cannot recommend this enough! Also, I encourage you to check with your accommodation to see if they have beach gear as well. Lots of people do this and leave the gear! Even Mama worked up the courage to try it on the last morning & loved it!
Shop at Walmart in Maui if you’re looking to save $$$. I never went to a Walmart is Oahu, but I’m certain it’s cheaper to drive a few miles out of Waikiki for groceries.
Always plan more time to do driving tours than you think!!! Especially with a carload of people.
I would suggest getting rental cars in both islands; however, you do NOT need 4WD UNLESS you plan to do the entire loop of the Road to Hana. Although we didn’t end up taking it, there is a 7 mile unpaved stretch on the backside of the Road to Hana that I hear can get hairy. But everywhere we drove did NOT require 4WD and made the car quite uncomfortable for the boys in the back. We would rent a van next time :P #hawt
If you rent a car, look into Turo!!! We found WAY cheaper rates on cars on Turo than at any rental car place. We did end up cabbing from the airport to the car pickup location which was sort of annoying, but typically was pretty quick.
Reservations are needed for a LOT of things. Which I didn’t love about Hawaii. And June is high season there too, so things did book out. It’s all with intention of controlling crowds and helping things move easier, but it does require some pre-trip planning!
Overall, Hawaii was great and some place we want to go back to explore. Specifically the wilder parts of Hawaii like the big island are really calling my name :) I will definitely get up into the mountains more! There are loads of great hikes in both Oahu and Maui that we didn’t get the chance to do. For a family vacay, 8 days was a good amount of time, but a little tight for fully seeing 2 islands. Very thankful the space we had in Maui to get some of our own space. As much as I love my family, there are many different travel styles and sometimes I just need to go read my book in silence with the waves crashing in the background vs crashing voices (as I’m sure others felt the same) <3 Until our next Hawaiian adventure, aloha!
Peace, love, and hang loose my friend,
yo’ girl Jen (pictured: salt water curls)
