The Hawaiian Islands have always been a haven for our family, and we were excited to go back over spring break. This time, we focused only on our most beloved island, Maui. We were extremely active on some days and completely focused on relaxation on others. 

We visited Maui Tropical Plantation several times; it was my preferred place to get coffee most mornings. Their restaurant is also one of our favorites on the island and serves amazing mai tais. We had a blast ziplining over the plantation and visiting their market for fresh fruits and banana bread.

We used our National Park Pass as we drove to the 10K summit of Haleakala. The drive began with dense fog and rewarded us at the top with pure sunshine. The girls and I enjoyed the summit views. Shane and Mac hiked into the crater area and got a serious leg workout on the way back. 

One of my most memorable experiences was watching Lily, Eva Grace and Mac learn to surf. I learned to surf on Maui as a teenager, and it was extremely special to help my children do the same. They all rode the waves on their first try, and we surfed for more than 2 hours. Whales were breaching behind us while sea turtles swam beneath us. 

Shane was a wonderful driver and navigator as we drove the beautiful, windy Road to Hana. One of his favorite trees, the rainbow eucalyptus, was seen along our drive. We also stopped at a place called the Garden of Eden on this drive and saw filming locations from Jurassic Park, as well as wild peacocks. The very end of our drive to Hana brought us to a black pebble beach with a sea cave we enjoyed exploring. We also spent a little time in Lahaina. I wish I could tell you that the area has recovered significantly from the fire, but it has not outside of the resort area.

Molokini Crater snorkeling was another highlight, as was a visit to Turtle Town. We saw several humpback whales on that journey, a nice surprise since whale season was ending. We also made a visit to the Maui Ocean Center which is always interesting. 

Leaving Maui is always sad, but we were happy to get home to our pets and NC family. We look forward to returning to our island home in a few months, as new and familiar experiences and friends always await us.