Hawaii

Very chill travel day. We arrived in Maui early, so we had lunch at Miso Phat Sushi before checking into our hotel. The 007 Roll was our favorite, with the Spider Roll coming in second. We explored for a while, then got dressed for a cute dinner at Leilani's on the beach. The Chicken and Rib Plate was sooo good, and the drinks were a 10/10. The Coconut Shrimp is also a good choice.

This is the day we drove the Road to Hana. Since we woke up early, we made sure to fuel up at Sugar Bake Beach shop. Everything there is yummy; you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Everyone says the drive is hard, but you'll be just fine with a rental car. We did a circle around the island, starting west from Kaanapali and then going south and around. We hiked Pipiwei Ridge Trail, which was a chill hike for people of all abilities. We were so hungry that we made 2 stops. One at the Hawaii Cultural Farm stand, which you can't really find on maps. If you're close to Waiʻānapanapa State Park, you should see it on the left if you're coming from the east. There at the park, we visited the black-sand beach, which should really be called Black Rock Beach. Make sure to bring shoes! Only stop for the banana bread, you won't regret it. We stopped for pizza at the Hana Farms Roadside Stand. It was a little pricey, but the pizza was solid. We would recommend the Hana Dragon.

This is the day we went surfing. We had a ton of fun with Eddy at Maui Beach Boys and paid the extra to have our photos taken by their photographer. I want to say it was about $30/ea. The lesson was an hour long, and we had a blast. Afterwards, we went up the road to the Cool Cat Cafe, where you can get free root beer floats with the cards your instructor will give you. Then, because the root beer floats weren't enough, we had to get Da Kine shave ice and some Musubi from the ABC store next door. After that, we went back to the hotel to chill and enjoy the rest of our night.

This is the day we went paddleboarding and snorkeling. We didn't get up early enough to see any fish, but it was still a fun time chilling on the beach and paddling in the ocean. Auntie Snorkel had us covered with the gear rentals. After spending some hours at the beach, we went to 808 Deli, where we had some of the best sandwiches of our lives. For something sweet afterwards, we went to Beach Street Maui Shave Ice to get the Maui Whip in a pineapple. There was more than enough for the 4 of us to share, and it was super yummy/refreshing. Haille (on the left) ended up getting a henna tattoo on her back *subtle foreshadowing to our Guatemala trip, go check that out on my page*) As if we didn't get enough beach, we went back to our hotel to hang out on the beach some more, then ended the night enjoying a fancy dinner at Mala Ocean Tavern. It wasn't our favorite place, but it was nice getting cute and taking photos. P.S. I totally recommend getting matching bikinis with your friends, so cute and fun! That Hawaii sun is also no joke, don't forget your sunscreen!!

On this day, we visited the Iao Valley State Monument. It was pretty, but maybe something I would skip if we went again. Instead, I'd love to spend more time at Waihee Ridge Trail. If you like to hike, it's definitely a must-visit. After our hike, we ate at Waikapu on 30. The food was SO GOOD. Definitely a must-visit. Of course, where did we end our day? At the beach.

We woke up early, went to the Maui Swap Meet, and then drove over to Paia. It's a cute area to walk around, and we also visited the beach. We wanted to watch the sunset at Haleakala, but left too late, so pro-tip: get there early! However, towards the base of the mountain, there's an inn/lodge/restaurant. The food was insanely delicious, and the view was gorgeous.

This morning, we checked out of our hotel went to brunch before going to Kihei (our fave town to hangout) for a coffee and Lava Java and to wait at the beach until it was time to head to the airport. This was when the group had to split up. Sheyla and Leilani (on the outsides) went home, and Haille and I headed to Oahu! We were fortunate enough to meet up with our friend Kavari, whom we hadn't seen in a while, who's stationed over there. We went to Bob's Barbecue near the airport which was so yummy for dinner.

Haille and I got our cute rental car, which her boyfriend nicknamed the "Island Beatbox," and drove it to the north shore. We ate at Tanaka to have some shrimp, Haille got the lemon pepper and I want to say I got spicy garlic. So good, definitely worth the drive. After lunch, we went in search of Turtle Bay. I'm not sure we really made it there, but we did get to see some turtles which was awesome. We also took a long walk through the trees and stumbled across some horse stables. For dinner we got sandwiches from Earl's. Definitely a must try, Im starting to think Hawaii has the best sandwiches in the states.

Before we embarked on our journey, we stopped at got some Malasada's from Leonard's. They were okay, but we definitely missed Sugar Beach Bakeshop. This hike was so hard! We were bamboozled by everyone telling us “go go go”; no one mentioned how grueling it was. Getting to the top was worth it, though. Afterwards, we went to Waimanalo Beach and ate at Restaurant 604 for lunch. We chose that restaurant because it was right next to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. For a little sweet treat around dinner we went to Purve's Donut Shop which was cute experience.

This is the day we went to the Byodo-In Temple and spent the rest of our money here at the Oahu Swap Meet. For lunch, we went to Up Roll Cafe for sushi burritos and Jejubing to try some Bingsu for the first time.

Sadly, the fun has to end and this is the day we went back home to TX. I absolutely loved my trip and I hope this guide gave you some ideas of what to do!