Our Babymoon in Maui

Aloha!  Eric and I just got back from our trip to Maui a few weeks ago and it has quickly become one of our new favorite places.  Eric won the trip through Jostens for his growth/sales last year and since we found out we were expecting it also became our Babymoon.  It was our first time venturing to Hawaii, but it certainly won't be our last!

We arrived after a very, very long day of travel on Thursday evening and we were welcomed with Eric's missing luggage and a nice oceanfront reception hosted by Jostens.  We checked in to the Westin at Maui, enjoyed some food and drinks, and I got to know some more of the Jostens family while Eric was busy catching up with his friends. 

We stayed at the Westin in Maui and it was beautiful!  It was at the most perfect location, right on the beach and walking distance to lots of restaurants and shopping. 

Flamingos in the lobby, how cool is that?!?

The views from our balcony were breathtaking, both at day and at night!

The next couple of days we were totally spoiled by Jostens and had a packed itinerary complete with fun excursions and lots of yummy dinners and drinks:

• Friday- Snorkeling catamaran cruise complete with sea turtle and humpback whale sightings during the day.  A traditional Hawaiian Luau at night in which Eric became the star of the show!
• Saturday- A morning of golf for the guys followed by a helicopter tour of the islands and dinner, drinks, and the most amazing Hula pie at Leilani's on the Beach.
• Sunday- Couple's massage and catching rays by the pool during the day and night a farewell dinner reception at Merriman's which was located at the point overlooking Kapalua Bay with the most amazing sunset views

One of the many whales we saw on our catamaran cruise.  We even had 2 swim right up to our boat!

Ready to take off..

A family of humpback whales from up above, so cool to see!

Farewell dinner at Merriman's

A lot of the Jostens crew left Monday morning, but luckily Eric and I had a few more days left of relaxation and exploring the island...

• Monday- Mustang convertible.  The Road to Hana.  Enough said. (a separate post coming on this really fun adventure soon!)
• Tuesday- Exploring Front Street and brunch with Brian and Carla followed by a romantic evening of watching the sunset and ordering pizza for Valentine's Day.
• Wednesday- Golf round 2 for Eric and a repeat massage for me to start out the day, then a pool day and oceanfront dinner with friends at Pacifico Restaurant.
• Thursday- On our last day in paradise we spent the day on the beach and had a late flight and very, very long night of traveling home.

Our trip to Maui was just what we needed before welcoming our little man in a few shorts months.  We had a blast hanging out with friends and are already planning a trip with the group again next year.  It was nice to be able to take a break from the mom/dad life and just be husband and wife for a little!

Here are my must-see, must-do, must-eat things for Maui:

• Rent a jeep or mustang and explore the Road to Hana, the black sand beaches, waterfalls, and local food trucks will not disappoint.  It's an all day excursion, but so worth it!
• Go to a traditional Hawaiian  Luau, a must-do when in Hawaii!
• Eat Hula pie at Lahaina's by the grill and check out the sunset at Merriman's - it was too difficult to choose just one favorite restaurants, these were both amazing!  
• Book a helicopter tour to see the islands from up above.  We went with Maverick tours and would highly recommend them!
• Eric would be upset if I didn't put golfing on the list.  He played at the Plantation Course in Maui and still hasn't stopped talking about it!  I recommend a massage/pool day while your hubby golfs!
• Explore Front Street, lots of cool shops and yummy food!  Also, make sure you stop to see the banyan tree by the courthouse and try out some gelato.

A few things on our list of things to do on our next visit:

• Eat at Mama's Fish House and make reservations early!
• Wake up bright and early to see the sunrise at Mt. Haleakala and then bike down the mountain, obviously not a pregnant friendly activity but at the top of our list next time.
• Try out zip lining or surfing with the locals.
• Island hop!  We loved, loved, loved Maui, but would love to see what the other islands have to offer too.