Aloha!

 On August 11th, Craig and I boarded a plane (along with his family) for an exciting, and much needed vacation.  After a 2 1/2 hour plane ride, a layover in Denver, and another 7 1/2 hour plane ride, we arrived in Maui, to the sun, crystal blue waters, and the smell of a tropical paradise.

I will shamefully admit that Hawaii has never been on my bucket list of places to visit, but after 11 days here, I could most certainly be convinced to return.  It was the perfect blend of relaxation and adventure.  Any time you travel with the Person family, you're guaranteed to see all the sites, take in every opportunity to explore, and squeeze in some R&R.

 Snorkeling was one of the highlights for the group.  We stayed at a great resort, just feet from a great snorkeling spot, where we got to see beautiful fish and green turtles.  For anyone who knows Craig, it's no surprise he lived in the water most of the time, and adapted to a fishes way of life rather quickly.

  Of course, us girls enjoyed basquing in the sun and catching up on the Hollywood gossip, but were always willing to take a dip in the ocean to cool ourselves off.

Of course, what's a great vacation without great food.  Most nights, we followed the advice of those who know Hawaii best, and checked out the best restaurants on Maui.  It was fun to shower off the salty, sea water, and get dressed up for a nice meal.

We dined on the ocean in West Maui at The Tavern.  It sounds like a pub-style restaurant, but it was a little hole-in-the-wall with INCREDIBLY delicious food!  All organic and raised on Maui.  If you're ever there, I highly recommend the Gormet Mac & Cheese (Kraft?  Not even CLOSE!  This is literally the best you'll ever have!)

The next night, we ate at Mama's Fish House in North Maui.  Beautiful views of the ocean, all open-air seating, and phenominal seafood (if you're in to that sort of thing).

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We also took in a lot of sights.

One day, we traveled West Maui and snorkeled at Black Rock and explored Honolua Bay

(pictured below)

 We also stopped at the Blow Hole.

By day 5, I was dragging.  I missed the kids and needed a little pick-me-up.  Fortunately, Mother Nature has a little sense of humor as you can see from the sequence of pictures below:

 Needless to say, we got SOAKED!  And it lifted our spirits...can't help but laugh when you get blasted by a sporatic blow hole.

As we were leaving, Chad caught glimpse of a heart-shaped hole in the rock.  Perfect photo op!

The next day, we took a 2 day trip up to Hana.  A 32 mile trip turned into a full day of stops along the winding road to admire an array of waterfalls, streams and tropical scenery.

 Upper Falls

 3 Bears Falls

Fresh Water Pools at Black Stone Beach

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Once we arrived in Hana, we settled into our hotel, and then went exploring.  We found a great beach in the middle of nowhere that had tall, red stone cliffs surrounding it.  It was beautiful!  And we couldn't resist the urge to take some pictures.

 On our way home from Hana, we stopped at the Olivine Pool.  It was a crystal blue pool, hidden behind a cow pasture.  Large cliffs surrounded it from 3 sides, and the 4th side overlooked the ocean. 

 The only problem was there was only one way in...to jump from a 35 foot cliff.

 But the jump was well worth it!

 We also stopped at the 7 Sacred Pools...a national park with LOTS to see.  We took a 2 hour hike to the top of the falls, called Waimoku Falls.  On the way, we saw some amazing falls, as well as the Bamboo Forest.

One of the main reasons we went to Hawaii was to attend Craig's cousin's wedding.  They had a beautiful ceremony and reception at a private estate that overlooked the ocean.  Everyone met at the Grand Wailea and then took a bus to the location.

 The bride is from Australia, so people from all over the world were there.  What a fun mix of people!

 Those who attended the wedding were invited to join the bride and groom, the following night, at the Grand Luau.  It was fun to participate in a luau, from the pig roast, to the hula girls and the fire dancers.  Quite an evening to remember!

 After the luau, we had a couple more days to relax on the beach, soak up a little more sun, and read one more book before we took the long flight home.  Despite the perfect weather, free-time, and leisurely days, Craig and I were ready to get home.  There's nothing like coming home to huge hugs, big smiles and enthusiastic kisses from our 3 biggest fans.  And I know that when I'm really needing an escape, I can think back to our trip and escape to the paradise I was blessed to know for 11 days.  Aloha!