Maui Continued

We last left off chatting about the general goings on in Maui, so let's continue from Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, Terry wasn't feeling great all day Tuesday and Wednesday (chills, body aches), so we canceled our lunch date (we had hoped to sneak in one date with all those available babysitters, but fate had other plans) and headed to urgent care instead. Fun fact: In Hawaii, doctors wear flip flops.

Terry didn't feel immediately better, but he was back to 100% by the weekend, so at least the trip to urgent care bought us some peace of mind. Plus, since we knew he wasn't dying, he decided he was still up for a sushi double date with my brother and sister-in-law!

We had head amazing things about Sansei, and we wanted to take advantage of the happy hour specials, so we arrived for our 5:30 reservation (recommended if you try it) to place our order by the 6 pm cut off. We ordered a ton of food, and even with the 25% off deal it was pricey, but definitely deeeeeelicious! 

We grabbed dessert afterward and headed back to the baby and my parents, who generously watched the little guy for us. 

The next day, my dad and brother went golfing, and the rest of us headed to the beach for some sand time for Marshall. He had a BLAST getting all sandy and even taking a dip in the ocean.

At one point, Marshall turned toward the ocean and confidently crawled toward the waves. Brave little soldier. Watching Marshall play in the sand was the highlight of my trip!

Later that morning, Terry wasn't up for it but I took off on a run to keep up with our June challenge. I actually eked out three miles along the beach walk path and soaked in the gorgeous views.  

We loved our time on Maui, but sadly we had to say goodbye to our awesome patio and fun family...

...to head to Oahu!

On our way to the airport, we stopped at Da Kitchen for some local food. I asked for a recommendation from the server and ended up with the combination plate: lau lau, Kalua pork, and chicken noodle soup of some sort. It was phenomenal. The pork in particular made me regret not knowing about it earlier!

And then we were in Honolulu! We stayed at the Aqua Palms Waikiki, which was good enough for only two nights. I would probably stay somewhere else next time, though. The location was a good one, though, as we were able to walk around all evening.

By the way, we bought this Kolcraft stroller for the trip, and it was perfect. Super lightweight, comfy for Marshall, and sturdier than most umbrella strollers we saw at a lower price point.

Anyway, we checked out Honolulu a bit and ended up at Heavenly, an organic- and local-focused spot, for dinner. Terry had the loco moco with veggies and quinoa, and I had the acai bowl.

Not a bad view, Waikiki.

Saturday morning we all woke up early to head to Pearl Harbor. We enjoyed a gorgeous day and soaked in the history, but Marshall wasn't in the best of moods, so our trip was short. 

To make the most of the day, we let him sleep in the car and took a long drive out to North Shore and back. And then we hit up Ono Hawaiian Foods, a favorite of Terry's family's, for more local food. Again, delicious! I recommend it on par with Da Kitchen.

My sister-in-law Ashley recommended Leonard's for malasadas, which are Portuguese donuts. OH MAN. So good. We bought a bunch for later but they were best hot. My friend Jamie (a local--see below) said, "Oh, man, fried dough dipped in sugar? My dream." Exactly.

Speaking of Jamie, she was actually the reason we went to Hawaii in the first place. Her wedding took place on Saturday, and my parents were invited along with Terry and me. Terry stayed at the hotel with Marshall during the ceremony and then my parents swapped with him for the last hour or so so he could come congratulate the couple. 

It was a GORGEOUS wedding! It took place at Halekulani, a stunning hotel, and every detail was just perfect. I loved all the touches of pale pink, the hilarious speeches, and the fact that we ladies got real leis! Plus, Jamie (and Nicholas!) looked picture perfect. We had so much fun celebrating with them!

We also got lucky enough to get a chance to visit with the happy couple the next morning over a cup of tea. It was so wonderful to hang out and catch up (Jamie was my college roommate, and we were on the dance team together at UCLA for a year); plus Jamie and Nicholas got to meet Marshall! Hooray! I was so thrilled to get to see those two and can't wait for our next visit!

After our quick morning visit, we headed to the airport. Marshall snoozed in the car on the way there and then dozed off in the Ergo on me while we returned the rental car, which was perfect. You'll notice our relaxed faces--we're thinking, "Only one more flight to go! We can do this!" (Traveling with a baby is stressful!)

Thankfully these two didn't mind helping us out. Thanks, PopPop and JanJan!

Marshall was really great on the flight home. He slept some, played a lot, ate a bit, and loved looking at all the lights (and the wing light flashing!) during landing. I've never seen him sit so still for so long!

And now we're home, grateful for some normalcy and routine. It was a fun trip, and I'm so grateful for the time we spent with my family and the chance to attend my close friend's wedding. But three flights, two long car rides, lots of night wakings, and some serious jet lag make me wonder if we would ever travel so far and so long with a one-year-old again. 

Oh, and I don't have a photo of it (nor do I have a meaningful transition to it), but Marshall learned how to stand up by himself while we were in Hawaii! He chose the Maui airport (waiting to board our flight to Oahu) and just pushed himself up using my leg, then let go with both hands. Now he's able to use the floor to get up, but he just stands there, makes sure someone acknowledges his amazing feat, and sits down smiling. Then he claps. Pretty darn cute.

Speaking of jet lag, I'm trying to get to bed earlier tonight to get back on a normal schedule. Off I go! 

Let me know if you have any questions about the places we visited! I have LOTS of Maui tips and some general Oahu advice, too. Happy travels!