Hawaii One-O

When we first traveled to the state of Hawaii, we hadn’t planned our trip very far in advance. It was one week before my husband and my 10 year wedding anniversary. We had talked about several different possible locations, but hadn’t booked anything yet. And then, there was a great deal on airfare to Maui out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Our tickets soon were booked, and we were off!

While we really enjoy planning out our trips ahead of time, it was an adventure not having everything figured out. We had booked our hotel stay at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and a car rental, but other than that the possibilities were endless!

It takes quite a few hours flying time to get to Maui. For us the travel is part of the experience and we enjoy getting a chance to catch up on recent movies, have uninterrupted conversations, nap, and read. The time actually flew by pretty quickly. I was surprised when we arrived at Kahului Airport that it was open air. It was such a comfortable temperature that I didn’t even realize it at first.

View of the Pacific Ocean looking out from Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.

We arrived at our hotel and were greeted right away by a welcoming staff with an Orchid lei for me, and a Kukui Nut lei for my husband. One thing we really like to do at the hotels we stay at is utilize their concierge services. Often times, they know so much more from first-hand knowledge than we can read about. After we were settled into our room, we headed back to the lobby to find out from the concierge what experiences we should seek out on our trip.

Each day the cleaning staff arranged my lei in a different way.

Evening torch lighting ceremony at Four Seasons.

One of the first activities we found out about was venturing to the top of Mount Haleakola, which at its peak is over 10,000 feet. We made plans to leave early in the morning for a chance to see the sun rise. Some other activities we were excited about were learning to paddle a traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe, hula dancing, snorkeling, beach yoga, viewing art galleries, and of course all of the possible dining options.

Visiting the top of Mount Haleakala.

Traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe excursion.

What we most loved about our first trip to Maui was the laid back feeling of its residents. My husband and I spent quite a bit of our time learning about some of the natural features of the island, its cultural history, and enjoying the many water activities. Of all of the places we’ve visited, it’s one of my favorite in the world. There were so many times on our trip that I felt like we were experiencing Heaven on Earth.

Maui Beach Wailea.

Hawaii was the perfect spot for us to go for our anniversary, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to take our children there someday. I hope that you will find a place that speaks to your soul in your travels as well!

Morning brunch at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.