You Had Me at Aloha: Hawaii – Trip in Review

Posted on June 16, 2015 By Joe Hardenbrook

I thought the trip to Hawaii would never come! It was booked deep in the depths of a Wisconsin winter (what’s that like?). It was my little thing to look forward to…forget Spring, I was thinking of Hawaii!

In January, I posted about redeeming my airline miles for this dream trip. Now it was actually happening: 3 days in Honolulu and 5 days in Maui.

Flew from Milwaukee and connected in Atlanta for a non-stop flight to Honolulu. It was a long flight (9 hours) but I got a chance to fly on a Boeing 747 before they start to retire them.

In Honolulu, Waikiki was home base and we enjoyed the stay at Vive Hotel Waikiki. The goal here was simple relaxation. So no big travels all over Oahu, although we did hike Diamond Head and see Pearl Harbor.

Waikiki Beach

After three days, it was on to Maui with a short hop on a Hawaiian Airlines interisland flight. We stayed in the Kihei area at Maui Coast Hotel, right across the street from the ocean.

In Maui, we rented a car and tried to hit all the major sites like the Road to Hana and the Haleakala crater.

Where we drove on Maui

There was plenty of beach time in Maui, too…but it was also great to see the waterfalls, the mountains, and all of the varied landscapes.

Makahiku Falls, Road to Hana, Maui

Highlights of the Hawaii trip:

Waikiki Beach, Honolulu
Diamond Head hike, Honolulu
Pearl Harbor & historic Honolulu
Honolulu to Maui interisland flight
South Maui: Sun & Beaches
Iao Valley, Maui
Nakalele Blowhole & Heart-Shaped Rock, Maui
Road to Hana, Maui
Feast at Lele luau, Maui
Haleakala crater and Maui Upcountry

By the end of the trip, I was finally getting the hang of saying aloha and mahalo. I didn’t want to leave! But as they say, it’s not “goodbye” to Hawaii, it’s, “until next time.” Let’s hope so.

For more pics, check out my Flickr album.