Aloha,

Well, the much anticipated Hawaiian family vacation is close. We are taking our 3 daughters 5, 2 and 4 months to Maui on Sunday. We are also bringing a nanny to aid in critter control and to give me and my wife some real vacation time as well. We are staying the first 8 days on the ground floor of the Whaler at Ka'anapali, 50 feet from the sand. The next 7 will be spent with a bunch more of my family at a house on the beach in N. Kihei.

We aren't planning on doing anything. I am so stoked for that. The plan for all 15 days is to just relax, and hang around the beach, pool , hot tub, do some reading and take naps. I am really pumped to play with my kids on the beach, they already love the beach here, I can't imagine how much they will enjoy 78 degree ocean. It will also give me some time to just enjoy them being little, without a bunch of yardwork, remodeling, real work, house chores, and other BS taking my time.

Trying to force little kids to do the sightseeing thing generally sucks, because they aren't used to the travel and heat, and it is easier on everyone if they are happy( the key is just getting proper nutrition and sleep). So we can't stray too far from home base (but the nanny will allow for a lot of time away for my wife and I). I personally am happy about that, I don't care to look at stuff on vacation, I like to take it easy, or do something that gets me involved (in this case: skimboarding, fishing, surfing, boogie boarding, snorkeling, cliff jumping, general ocean stuff).

So anyways, the wife and I will have some chances to get away, alone and together. What are your recommendations for snorkeling?

Dinner?

Bank fishing (fly or gear)?

What was your favorite beach to hang at? I like Makena because of the big shorebreak for skimming (and it is just freakin' beautiful), but I don't want my kids venturing out there. Do you like DT Fleming?

Do you know any short activities that your kids loved?

What is the best technique to get those timeshare panhandlers to leave you alone?

The aquarium hands-down for snorkeling ... just make sure to have good shoes to cross the lava fields. The Caves / Graves is also a good bet for turtles. Molokini was a waste in my book outside of the clarity ... just not much life.

I liked Big Beach too ... never did spend any time at Fleming to speak of. Each has it's pro's & con's.

Might try an intro dive course, did one at Wailea Beach and had a ball ...

Zipline at Kaanapali was a hoot ... haven't done the Haleakala one though.

Never did find a dinner place that we loved ... not much for fancy dinner & wine places though ... we've greatly missed the Brazillian steakhouses of Aruba while on Maui. Perhaps the best grub we had was at the chinese place in Kapalua Village, spendy, but what isn't there?

Never did put a lot of time into shore fishing ... not much action from what I saw outside of tiny, trouty type stuff.

You should have parasailing and jet-skis available this time of year ... they aren't when we've gone in whale season. Don't be afraid to make deals on dual rentals though on the spot, they'll bite

Big water fishing is supposedly better now than other timeframers too ... look up Capt. Fuzzy on the Die Hard, in a tough fishery, he knows the tricks to give ya a little action.

Have a warm swim for me ... see AK Guide post, my last swim was in the Arctic Ocean

Hands down the best snorkeling in Maui is Honalua Bay. It's about 10 minutes up the hwy from Ka'anapali and you can just rent the snorkel gear and drive right to it.

You will not be disappointed. When you get to the beach (not a sandy spot to relax, but still worth going) Head out to the left along the rocks and you'll have a great time.

Google it.

Haleakala.

Drive to Hana.

Golf at Kapalua Bay.

The most kid-friendly beaches are right there at Ka'anapali.

Snorkeling at Molokini.

Bubba Gump's in Lahaina ain't the greatest eats... but the experience is fun... especiallty for kids.

I don't know if it's still there... but the weekend seafood buffet at the Kapalua Bay Hotel was pretty damned good! Pricey, but good.

I think your idea of just relaxing and letting the activities come to you is probably the best plan. Have fun and enjoy!

Honalua Bay was nice, and is perhaps the best of the drive-to spots, the visibilty there doesn't come close to that of the Aquarium .... it is in the middle of the newest lava flow on the Island and there are no sandy beaches in the region to allow sediments to become suspended in the area. As part of the Marine Preserve, the fishey life is more numerous as well

Just my $.02

I will probably do the Aquarium when we are down south because as of August 1 they are going to close it down for foot travel, most likely indefinetely. Then again when we are at Kaanapali we will probably do Honalua, since it will be close.

This is my 3rd time on Maui, I already did Hana and Haleakala. Hana was fun the first time when we got to that river. My bud and I jumped off the bridge, then down the cliffs through the pools. We followed some psychotic local. I can't do that stuff now that I have a wife and kids. There is no way I am putting 3 little kids in the car for that drive, or Haleakala for that matter.

I will probably dive off Black Rock when I am there.

I love Cheeseburger in Paradise, and the cocunut shrimp there are better than Bubba Gumps, but ya gotta go to Bubba Gumps just for the heck of it. The best food for the money, actually really liked the food, and the sunset, was Leilani's (spelling?) right in front, at Whalers Village. I didn't want to eat there, cuz it was at Whalers Village, after the first night we ate there, we went back the next. It was good. Take your kids to the Westin early in the morning to let them feed the penguins. Other than that, your kids will probably at that early age just want to spend most of their time, and be happiest, just being with you in the warm water and on the hot sand. Heading up from Kaanapali beach, there are quite a few "trails" to explore to the beaches up there, go act like you are in a movie with your wife up there, ya know, sand, warm water splashing over ya, you get the idea, only they make it look better in the movies. I also like just grilling up goods on the grills that were outside, checking out all the scenery and warm wind while I cooked steak, or chicken, or fish was cool. If ya rent a surf board, and/or boogie board, just get it for the week, then ya aren't in a big hurry to rush and use it all in one day, you can use it when ya feel like it. Most important thing to remember, ya gotta get to the bar early, 3 pm at the latest to watch your sports, and order your Lave Flows with 3 extra shots if you want them to taste like a drink rather than a slurpee.

To get the timeshare dudes to leave ya alone, as your are walking, approaching them, just look at them and say, "oh, out here agian huh?" before they can talk to you. "YUP" they will say as you walk by. Or of course the old stand by, as they are about to open their mouths, just say, "f off". Not so nice, but they get the point.

Beach fishing..... gear, spinners and spoons worked better than the huge, expensive poppers and other lures I bought there. I am however gonna try the lures I bought there on the muskie in Curlew next week.

Oh, and, Uh, ALOHA..............................................

Slowly cruise Big Beach parking lot looking for eye contact from a local, then pull over.

The last time I went to Big Beach the guy who was selling, had his stash stored in one of the garbage cans. He pulled it out as we walked up to him. I said "Why would you expect me to buy something you are storing in the garbage?" he said, "Its not a garbage can its a Magic Can".

That's funny.

The NW tip of the island is where Lipoa Point is. Cool place.

Driving the dirt road to Hana is pretty cool. You don't have to go all the way just go until you hit the church and turn around. I liked it over there because there wasn't a sole in sight. It's desert but the views are nice.

Hahaha. This one time my family was at Lover's Beach in Cabo, where apparently they filmed that beach scene in "From Here to Eternity". My parents tried to re-enact that scene. It was disgusting, and they were too close to the shore break so when the wave hit, instead of just going up and back it rolled them up the beach.

Good information though. We will maybe try Cheeseburger one time. We will probably try Leilanis and the Hula Grill, since they are both within close walking distance of the Whaler.

We are actually flying down with a boogie board, and my skimboard. I can't rent a high end skim on Maui, and my daughter really wants to bring her own board. We may rent a few others. I am hoping that I don't get dinged with the oversize charge, that would suck.

nice picture of the paddleboarder....hate those f$*%&%& cant keep ahold of their boards but fun to watch. Watch out on the road to hana...most rental car places wont let you take your car up that road...i will try to post pictures..its gnarly. I go to maui a few times a month on the Super Ferry my buddy works on. Thats funny GreenRiver....but in some places thats how Kane Haoles get robbed Maui is fun...i dont think you can go wrong no matter what. going through the climates is an awesome experience. you can actually bike down through all three or four? it goes from 50 degrees or less to like 90, depending on the time of year. I like 4salts advice. that is a killer golf course and awesome snorkeling spot. good luck

Nobody's mentioned Mama's. Great eats. Pukalani.

Golf on the South End...Wailea and Makena.
See if you can get in 'The Game'....ask a local.
Have a GHIN and buy the sides.
A local always wins but you can pay for your round with a few good shots.
Local rates, too.
After a round at Makena South (my favorite) hit Little Beach for some sightseeing and sublime surf swimming.

Forget Little Beach, last time I went by there on boat it was full of naked old men holding hands. Yikes!

I second Momma's fish house. Yum!