Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Our travel day to Maui! We left Turtle Bay at 8:45 AM with Lynn, Ava, AJ, and me in one car, and the rest of the crew in the other. We made a quick stop at a 76 gas station in Wahiawa, where poor Ford was fighting the motion sickness demons, then continued on to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
While waiting to board, AJ and I appreciated the natural beauty of the airport’s scattered open-air areas, which was a refreshing way to say goodbye to Oʻahu.
Boarding began at 11:25 AM, but thanks to a last-minute plane change, I ended up sitting alone. Not ideal for this ball of anxiety. Even though it was a short flight, my irrational fears were unfazed by rational reasoning. I put my noise-canceling headphones on, blasted the same song on repeat, and clutched my armrests as our little tin can of an island-hopper took to the sky, with all of us flapping our arms. At least I managed to snap a quick photo of what I think was Waikiki below.
The flight was over in a blink (just 43 minutes, including taxiing) and we touched down at Kahului Airport on Maui at 12:30 PM. AJ and I opted out of the tram ride to the rental cars and walked the five minutes instead.
For this island, we picked a Ford Explorer with cooled seats (my grateful booty thanks us), while the Ham Fam chose a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Since both cars seated six, Lynn decided to ride with them, and AJ and I hit up the nearby Costco to stock up on supplies just like before. Fifteen minutes later, we were back on the road for the scenic hour-long drive to the North Shore.
We arrived at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa at 2:45 PM, delighted to find our rooms ready early. Our room on the ninth floor had another spectacular ocean-facing balcony view.
Lynn and Andi went to grab their free welcome drinks; Andi got a virgin strawberry daiquiri.
AJ and I soon followed. AJ kept his piña streak alive while I tried Maui’s version of the mai tai.
After a quick look around the resort, we returned to our room to get ready. At 5:30 PM, we set out for the Old Lāhainā Lūʻau.
Our route took us down historic Front Street, where the devastation from the 2023 fires was hard to miss. The heart of Lahaina still bore scars… charred earth, skeletal foundations, and quiet streets where so much history and life had thrived. Yet among all this, there were also signs of hope and resilience: foundations being poured, homes being built, and workers steadily rebuilding what was lost. It was a powerful reminder of the spirit of the people of Maui, rising from the ashes, determined to restore their home.
Even so, as we arrived at the luʻau and stepped out into the warm evening air, we couldn’t help but be struck by the beauty of the ocean and the sunset beyond, a quiet reminder that Maui’s spirit endures.
Ford, however, had a tender moment when he saw the pig being pulled from the sand pit and shed a few quiet tears.
Dinner at the luʻau was unforgettable. It was a mix of authentic Hawaiian flavors and some surprising standouts. The garlic ulu (breadfruit) hummus in the starter course was so good AJ and I are still talking about it. We scooped it up with fresh chips and slathered taro rolls with guava-honey butter. The traditional Hawaiian course featured smoky, tender kālua pork, savory laulau wrapped in taro leaves, and bright bites of lomi lomi salmon and ahi poke.
The main course brought perfectly cooked steak and pineapple huli huli chicken, and the sides were standouts, too. The purple sweet potato wrapped in banana leaf was unimaginably flavorful, and the seasonal vegetables (especially the carrots) were cooked to perfection.
We ended with Pineapple Delight: a light pineapple sponge cake topped with toasted meringue, garnished with a chocolate petroglyph and a delicate, candied hibiscus, which was the perfect sweet, floral note to finish the meal.
The sun continued to set as the dancers made their way to the stage to tell the story of Pele, her sister Hiʻiaka, and the chief Lohiʻau; a tale of love, jealousy, and heartbreak. Pele, the goddess of fire, fell in love with Lohiʻau and sent Hiʻiaka to bring him back, making her promise not to fall in love with him along the way. But after a long and trying journey, Pele had grown impatient, and Hiʻiaka returned to find Pele had destroyed her beloved forest in a jealous rage. In defiance, Hiʻiaka wrapped her arms around Lohiʻau right in front of Pele.. an unforgettable moment of grief, love, and quiet rebellion.
Watching the dancers bring this story to life under the Lahaina stars was truly magical.
By 9:20 PM, we made our way back to the resort. AJ and I grabbed a drink and wandered the grounds, still soaking in the beauty of Maui. On one path, we stepped up to what we thought was a pile of leaves — only to realize, just as we were on top of it, that it was actually a huge frog. We both jumped about as high as the frog itself and spent the next several minutes laughing about our fright.
We ended the evening strolling up the resort’s front drive, pausing to admire a massive tree draped in twinkling lights that cast a romantic glow.
As we passed a lush plant wall welcoming us back to the resort, we couldn’t help but feel grateful (mahalo nui loa) and excited for the days ahead on Maui.
The Life of Babeman 
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