Maui 2023 Recap

March 28, 2023

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We’ve been suffering from what we affectionately call the “Hawaii Hangover” ever since we arrived home late Friday night… it’s essentially this inability to let go of the magic of Hawaii… sunny skies, beautiful beaches, concentrated and intentional family time, embracing a slower pace of life, and just taking in all that Hawaii has to offer. It’s usually followed by trying to get creative and figure out ways to get back sooner, rather than later.

All of that to say, we had a wonderful time in Maui over our Spring Break. We had a hiccup along the way, with Camille dislocating her elbow by the pool (with a visit by the EMTs and then a couple of hours at Urgent Care), but it didn’t put a damper on our time. Once the elbow was popped back into place, back to the beach we went, per Camille’s request.

That mishap aside, the trip was filled with wonderful memories, tired kiddos (and parents), and lots of sun, sand, and salty water. I’m highlighting where we stayed, ate, and what we wore from the trip below!

WHERE WE STAYED

Westin Nanea Villas: We’ve stayed here twice, and this is where we stayed this last trip. We really like it here. It’s still in Ka’anapali, but on a little less congested side, which we appreciated. The pool is great and you have access to all the amenities at the Westin Villas which are next door (they have a kid’s pirate ship area, which the girls enjoyed, as well as a much larger, albeit slower, slide). The gym is great… the beach in front of the hotel is beautiful (not rocky, very calm which is where we spent our days… kiddo friendly) and the rooms are new and modern. They have a kid’s klub (not the one where you can drop your kiddos off) which has some cute and fun family activities as well (we did soap making the morning it was raining…). We also appreciate that they have full kitchens and BBQs. We don’t always want to rush out to dinner or breakfast, so it’s nice to have the option of staying in and cooking (you can stop by Costco, which is close to the airport) on the way to the hotel, or you can do an instacart delivery order as well.

EATS

Merriman’s: This is a must stop spot for us… the views are spectacular and the food is delicious. More upscale if you choose to dine on the inside, but we prefer to head there for a beautiful happy hour, which overlooks Kapalua. For us, they’re the best Mai Tais on the island (and yes, we’ve been to Monkeypod…. they’re actually owned by the same person).

Farmer’s Market: A great market/sandwich/smoothie spot for healthy eats (they have a ton of products that you would find at Whole Foods). We go there every time for the açai bowls.

Duke’s: Love it here for the open air setting, beautiful views, and excellent happy hour (Mai Tais are great here too!). They have live music at their happy hour, which is something we always appreciate.

Japengo Sushi: We get take-out from this spot every time we come. It’s fresh + so delicious. Dining in is a beautiful experience as well.

Prison Street Pizza: Undoubtedly the best pizza we’ve had on the island. We order it for take-out…. and did so twice this past trip (on evenings where we went to a later happy hour). One of my all time favorite memories is when we took out a bottle of champagne, this pizza, and headed down to the beach to watch the sunset.

Belle Surf Cafe: This was a new spot that was recommended to us by the owner’s mother… and I’m so glad she recommended it. The decor was so cute, the caffeinated beverages were excellent, and the food (we had the avocado toast) was delicious. I highly, highly recommend this spot.

Monkeypod (we’ve been here… I loved it the first couple of times, but feel as if the quality has decreased slightly…. just my personal opinion though)

Hula Grill: This was our first time actually dining here and it was so great! I loved the live music, barefoot bar feel (although they do have a more traditional dining area as well), and around 7pm a hula dancer comes out and has the kiddos up on stage for a hula lesson. It was so cute to see Camille and Harper up there.

ACTIVITIES

This really all depends on how active you want to be. We’ve been to Maui several times, so we opted for lesser, organized, activities, but in the past we’ve hiked, gone to a Luau, gone on a snorkeling tour, parasailed, sunset sail, horse back riding…. there are so many options that your hotel can organize for you.
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(And we’re off… leggings, knit, sandals (ITSYBITSYINDULGENCES10 for 10% off)

(Arrived in time to enjoy some lunch and then an afternoon at the beach… swimsuit, shorts, girl’s suits)

(Morning walk for some caffeine…. since we had a 5am wakeup… shorts, tank)

(Our first full day…. beautiful views, lots of pool and beach time… and ended it with live music + Mai Tais… crochet coverup, bucket hat (or here), bag, Camille’s cover-up)

(Headed to our favorite acai spot, Farmer’s Market, and then took them across the street to the park for breakfast with a view…)

(More pool and beach with shrimp fish tacos on the beach from The Fish Market Maui… cover-up, bottoms, top, girl’s cover-up, girl’s swimsuit)

(Headed to dinner… dress (also works as a coverup, I went up 2 sizes for this loose fit, otherwise it’s pretty fitted)

(Breakfast at Belle Surf Cafe… such a cute and tasty spot… shorts, knit, sandals (ITSYBITSYINDULGENCES10 for 10% off), Crochet Bag)

(Another day, and more beach and pool time… swim bottoms, top, girl’s unicorn suits, pink suit, floral suit)

(Dinner and drinks at Merriman’s… my dress, girl’s dresses)

(Always one of my favorite nights- staying in the pool until dinnertime, ordering pizza from our favorite spot, and taking it down on the beach to enjoy the sunset with an end of the day sunset swim….)