Spring Break in Maui - Part 1

When we decided to take a trip to Maui for Spring Break 2013, I must admit that I had mixed feelings about it. I wanted to go, of course! But I wasn't sure how the trip would go with our two youngest travelers, ages 2 and 4. Yes, we had travelled together before. We visit the family in New Jersey each year, but we do not stay in a hotel. We stay at my parents' house. All of us, in one hotel room, well that hasn't historically gone very well. Usually, Mayhem keeps us up. The last time we all slept in one room was MLK Day, this year. And I was up. all. night. So here is a summary of our family vacation, and hopefully some useful tips.



Day 1: The flight from LAX to Kahului. We woke up at 5:30 am and loaded our group into the car. They were both excited and eager to climb in. We got through security rather quickly, and grabbed some food for the plane.

Traveling Tip #1: If you are renting a car, and your child is old enough for a booster seat- the rental car agency MUST provide you with one. Don't waste your energy dragging a booster seat around the airport!

Traveling Tip #2: Make sure you have something for your child's ears on the plane. The pressure during takeoff and landing can be very painful. For us, lollipops are great and 'gummy' goodies work well too.

Traveling Tip #3: Before you leave, stock up on 'new things' like coloring books, stickers, and flash cards. Pack them a backpack, with their 'new things' for the plane and don't let them open it until they get on the plane. Hype it up, make it like Christmas for them. I usually try to include a 'prize', which is an inexpensive Lego set for Little J or dinosaur figurines. For some reason, they are very exciting?

When we arrived at the hotel, we asked for a crib for Mayhem (I had called ahead to make sure this was an option). We got there around dinner time, so we ordered room service and relaxed in the room for the evening.

Day 2: We got up early, and scoped out the kids pool area. The pool had a waterfall, was only about a foot deep and there was also an adjacent playground! Oh, and the view from the kids pool? The ocean. Can't beat that! We laid our towels out after breakfast, and then headed back to the room to get ready. We ended up back in the room pretty early for a nap, since this trip involved a three hour time change.

For dinner, we went to La Haina and had dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise. We really enjoyed this, and we had an ocean view. Live music and great atmosphere, what more could you want on vacation!

Traveling Tip #5: Don't 'over plan' the trip with young children. Be flexible, and have backup options!

Day 3: We wanted to get off the hotel property for a bit, so we talked to the hotel concierge and decided to try to find 'the blowhole'. It was not particularly easy to find, and when we got there we realized it was not a hike fit for a 2 year old. Mayhem had to stay behind with Grandma and Grandpa while Little J, Daddy and I hiked down the mountain in search of 'the blowhole'.

After some more pool time, my husband and I got a chance to leave the boys with Grandma and Grandpa to go exploring on our own. We opted to head back into La Haina for some people-watching. We had a great time, visiting the local craft fair and grabbing a drink at Captain Jack's.

So far, so good! More on the trip soon!