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 Ocean views are plentiful at the Kaanapali Golf Resort in Maui. My wife and I have made several trips to the island paradise over the years, but this was a family trip. Our children, Kaylin, 10, and Jeffrey, 8, are experienced travelers but had never been to Maui. With fewer options to the islands these days, direct flights have become tougher to find. Careful planning will earn you a direct flight to Maui’s Kahului airport, however, and an early morning flight will have you in Maui by early afternoon. We were a little tardy in our planning, which resulted in a three-hour layover in Honolulu. Try to avoid that. We finally landed in Maui as the sun was setting. Giant raindrops pelted the windshield of our rental car as we set out on the 40-minute drive on Highway 30 to the Kaanapali Golf Resort. If there is a more beautiful drive in the world, I have yet to find it. Too bad the kids missed it. They clocked out and were asleep in the back seat long before we hit the Kaanapali Alii, where our magnificent oceanfront suite was replete with three flat-screen televisions, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, dining room and full kitchen. Each condominium is decorated to the individual owner’s taste and style. Before pouring the kids into bed we opened all the sliding doors to our home on the 10th floor to allow the soothing sounds of the tranquil surf to flood in and enjoyed a drink on the patio. Day 1 We awoke early the first day to a steady rain, which is typically a passing hindrance on Maui. Our first activity, a trip on the UFO Parasail, is postponed due to the weather. Not to worry. It’s still warm, and if you’re going to be out in the rain somewhere, Maui isn’t a bad place to be. We took a short walk to the Whalers Village, which is home to eclectic shopping options and numerous restaurants. We stocked up on some supplies that would allow us to eat breakfast and snack in the comfort of our condo. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the surf on the beach before retreating to the room to clean up for dinner in nearby Lahaina, where we visited Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for their delicious local fish and steak combo. Day 2 The clouds have cleared and I’m walking from my room to the golf course for a round on the Royal Kaanapali. The course has undergone a recent renovation, and it shows. The two Kaanapali layouts have hosted the Champions Tour Skins Game and the Golf Channel’s “Big Break” reality show in the past year and are in magnificent condition. The biggest improvement is on the putting greens, which have been replaced with a new grass that allows for smoother rolls and better reception of incoming shots. The course plays through mild elevation changes and rolling terrain, with every shot influenced by the ever-present trade winds, and here’s a bit of local knowledge: Look for the side of the cup where brown roots are exposed. This will show you the direction of the grain and the direction the putt will move as it gets near the hole. Dinner that night was at the Hula Grill in Whalers Village. Dining in the Barefoot Bar, try the Spicy Honey Pork Ribs. Also, everything goes better with a Lava Flow, an island favorite that is a pina colada with strawberries mixed in. The virgin version was extremely popular with the kids. Day 3 I didn’t check the itinerary that closely and had no idea we were gong on a day-long snorkeling trip across the Auau channel to the neighboring island of Lanai. What a treat. It’s about a 20-minute ride in a small boat before you hit the first snorkel location. The passing storm has left the seas a bit rough so we moved to Manele Bay. The captains aboard Maui Adventure Cruises out of Lahaina have 15 snorkel locations they can hit at their own discretion. The more secluded bay allowed an up-close look at some brilliant sea life, including the local “Honu” green sea turtles. Upon moving to our next stop we encountered a pod of spinner dolphins that put on an acrobatic show all around the boat. Our crew then deposited us on the beach for lunch and an afternoon investigating the tide pools and playing in the surf of a beach that looked as if it was the set of a Corona commercial. On the trip back to Lahaina, we encountered an even larger group of dolphins and a brief visit with a grey whale. We capped the day with a sunset dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise. There may not be a better meal than a guacamole bacon cheeseburger with Maui onion after spending the day out in the sun and sea. Day 4  I moved to the golf course to experience the Kai layout while my family moved from the home-style comfort of the Alii for the classy elegance of the Westin Maui Resort and Spa. The Kai is an entertaining layout that plays about 6,200 yards from the back tees. It has loads of character and an abundance of beautiful views. After the round we enjoyed a great meal at the Rusty Harpoon, which recently moved from the Whalers Village to its new home in the clubhouse. The shredded Kalua pork sandwich was outstanding. A quick golf cart ride back to the hotel had me poolside with the family as the kids enjoyed the wild water slide. That night, we participated in the obligatory Hawaiian luau hosted by the Westin. For the uninitiated, it’s a giant party of traditional Hawaiian foods enhanced by beautiful hula girls and fire dancers. If you’ve never experienced one, you should do it just so you can cross it off the list. Day 5 Even on a family vacation, parents need some quality time alone. The kids were dropped off at the Westin Keiki Kids Club at 8:30 a.m. They were going to experience a half-day of fun, exploration and video games while we were going to the Heavenly Spa for a couples massage. The kids barely acknowledged us as we left them in a whirlwind of activity. We checked into the Heavenly Spa and were escorted to our respective locker rooms where we could enjoy the whirlpool, sauna or steam room before meeting again in couples massage room. The dimly lit room with soothing music was the perfect setting for a relaxing 50-minute massage. Sarina enjoyed the standard massage while I was treated to a golfer’s massage to work out the kinks acquired during my wild flailing on the course. That evening, we were treated to an amazing show titled Ulalena. It’s a folk tale that tells of the formation of Maui that is part Cirque de Soleil and part musical theater set to the native rhythms of the house band. At the request of the kids, we dined at Bubba Gump’s in Lahaina, which proved to be a popular spot for tourists and the many college basketball players in town for the Maui Invitational. Day 6 Finally, we are aboard the UFO parasail boat. The kids are talking a good game, but I’m afraid they’re going to chicken out. Thankfully, the staff aboard the boat has dealt with an apprehensive tourist or two. Sarina and Jeffrey line up to lock into the harness that will attach to the parachute that will lift them to more than 40 stories above the ocean. Before Jeffrey has a chance to reconsider, they are airborne and loving it. Now it’s our turn. Kaylin is scared and I have to admit that my heart is racing. We lock in and are released into the breeze. It’s an awesome feeling to glide through the air. It’s peaceful and serene as the line releases. As we reach our apex, it is almost eerily quiet as we soar for our 10-minute ride above the sea. We’re drawn back down to touch the ocean before being reeled into the boat for our voyage back to the beach. Dinner was at Leilani’s in Whaler’s Village. If you have never tried ono, this is the place. The ono fish and chips are so meaty, I had the kids convinced I was eating chicken strips. They actually tried some and liked it. Sarina ordered the grilled ono fish tacos and they were off the chart. Day 7 It ‘s terrible. It’s horrible. It always makes me cry. It’s time to go home. We squeeze every last ounce of enjoyment out of the pool at the Westin where they’re nice enough to extend a late checkout to correspond to our early evening flight home. The kids and I are desperately trying to negotiate an extra day in paradise, but my rational wife turned a deaf ear to our pleas. The bellman loaded up the rental car and made a final pass through Lahaina for another trip to Cheeseburger in Paradise just to confirm that the deliciousness of their cheeseburgers wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t. We made the solemn drive back to the airport and, with another perfect sunset behind us, we began plotting our next trip to paradise. For more information Kaanapali Golf Resort kaanapaligolfresort.com (866) 454-4653 Kaanapali Alii kaanapalialii.com (866) 902-1503 Westin Maui Resort & Spa westinmaui.com (866) 716-8112 |
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