The helmets and waiver are really for the van ride...

Day 7:

Ziplining - COMING SOON.


{Sorry folks, we are exhausted and off to bed! I promise pics though}

<3
Brandie

Journey thru the islands

Day 6:

We really enjoy renting out the beach side cabanas from our resort, they are right on the beach, comfortable, with shading hoods, they come around with water bottles and ice cold face cloths for you and well -- it's great!

So we did a little beach time today and then off to 'The Feast of Lele' a luau in downtown Lahania.

The pics:

Bri doing his snorkling - only 30 feet out from the shore you can see green sea turtles and NEMOS!!
Our first view of a Hawaiian Rainbow right outside our hotel window.

Bri and I when we arrived at the Feast of Lele

Sunset from our table at the luau

Me and one of the local luau dancers :)

The luau and dancing! { I have 5 videos of the 7 dances they did, I will have to figure out how to put them up }

Aloha!

Brandie

I

Tiki Tiki

Day 5 :

It was another day spent at the pool and then later at night we met up with a couple, Michelle and Mike {back story: Michelle and I were bff in elementary school, and then she moved :( but we kept in touch here and there thru the years. Mike and I met in highschool, he was a few grades ahead of me but we had the same lunch period. So when I found out these 2 were dating - then got engaged - then got married - AND they were going to be on their honeymoon in Maui at the same time as us!! Well dinner happened!! }
We met up M&M at their hotel about 2 mintues down the road and headed more North on the Maui shower to Kanapi, and Pineapple Grill resturant. Which was amazing.
Afterwards we took our new to the island friends {we got in about 4 days before them} to Front Street, the downtown area of Lahaina, to look around the strip and do some shopping.

Pictures:

Huge tikis that a guy hand craves on Front Street!
Bri and his shaved ice ... they are HUGE!
The 4 of us in front of the Bankoar tree. It's the largest and widest tree because it's branches actually will root into the ground and create other trees, yet it is one tree.

{Mike, Michelle, Bri and Me}

Aloha!

Brandie

10,023 feet on a bike...

Day 4:
Our day began at 2:15am {which is kinda normal for us right now, since that would be 8:15am back home -- still adjusting} Which we woke up to but on shorts, jeans, t-shirts, socks, sneakers, long sleeve shirts, hoodies and a scarf. I know, this all sounds un-Maui like, but trust me there was a very good reason for all of this.

We took a bike tour down Haleakala. Which is a huge crater on Maui. It's highest point is 10,023 feet. So we got picked up at the hotel at 3am and then took a van ride with another couple to 'Cruiser Phil's' office to fill out paperwork {which was just like skydiving} they then distribute to you jackets, gloves and rain gear {just in case} then its back in the van for the 1 hour drive to Haleakala. Then the 1 1/2 drive up to the point where you watch the sunrise.

Here is our day thru some pictures....

2:46am is when we finally left the room to get our butts downstairs.
This is at the top of the lookout where we would be watching the sunrise. This is about 6amish above the clouds, 9,000 feet above the ground. {the black is all the clouds}
Us all bundled up waiting for the sunrise.


The sun starting to peak above the clouds ... this is my favorite picture of the day. Magical.
Sunrise :)

10,023 feet. This is the highest point on the crater. For some reason I felt very comfortable right about here ... :) {skydiving}

This is a plant that ONLY grows on this crater and no where else in the world.

At one of the rest points on the bike tour, you can see how we are all geared up for our ride down the mountain.
Look at him pose on his bike ... haha.

After the ride you end up in a small town call Paia. Where we got breakfast {we got there at about 9:15am) and did some walking around. We were back to the hotel by 11:00!! So we suited up and hung out by the pool all day long.
Dinner that night was in downtown Lahiana at IO's. Wow. Just wow. It was incredible. 100% thanks goes to the resort's activities planner for this reservation. The food was knock out wonderful and sooooo fresh!
After that we were beat! Watched another goregous sunset from our balcony and it was even more goregous with the cresent moon hanging above in the starry decorated sky.


Aloha!
<3 Brandie

Reef Shoes Necessary

Day 3:

Was spent lounging in our rented cabana. We enjoyed a day of tanning and sunshine and ocean. Also, we met the nicest couple sitting next to us, they are here on their 22nd Wedding anniversary. It was there last day on the island and the gentleman left us the boogie board he was using. It was so extremely nice. Mainly it would be too much for them to ship home.

We got our car rental today and we are now looking forward to exploring the rest of the island. :) Then after the beach day we decided to have dinner at the resort resturant, the "Longboard" right at sunset, since the whole seating area is outdoors on the shore.

Well here are our favorites of the day ...
Our little 'baby' car ... It's a Vibe. ;)

The crazy mountain on the otherside of our hotel.

Attempt at a self photo on the balcony of our hotel room.

Our tropical drinks at dinner.

Sunset from dinner, it was goregous. Yet, again.

Aloha

<3 Brandie

Bodies still on CT time....

Day 2:
We are struggling with the time change. Our bodies are very much on East Coast time and coffee does not seem to have much of an effect. I am convinced my body is rejecting the caffine, it wants to sleep. But, here are our favorite pictures of our day.

View from our balcony..
{{ sigh }} He sat in these chairs for 20 mintues till I caved and took a picture. These are some of the tables offered at the beachside resturant 'Longboard' at our hotel.

Our walk on the beach was from one end to the other was goregous and surreal. It's just goregous. Goregous goregous.

{{ my bikini for the day }}

Taking in the warm water, breeze & goregous suroundings.

..... just relaxing

These plumeria trees are everywhere. They smell amazing and I love them in my hair :)

Our first sunset in Maui ... it was goregous <3

Aloha <3

B.

ALOHA!!

Aloha!!

We finally made it. It was the longest day and we are both ready to crash.
5:15am the alarms went off to pack our things in the car and head to NY to catch our 10 am flight to Atlanta, Georgia. From there we had about 2 hours till our next flight which was 4-5 hours from Atlanta, Georgia to LA, California. We almost missed our flight in LAX!! We were so over tired we thought the flight BOARDED at 5:10 -- instead that was the departure time!! Well we got on ontime and then proceeded on another 4 1/2 hour flight from LAX to Maui. Landing in the Maui airport we then were informed we had an hour van ride to our hotel. (yeaaaaaa) It has been a long and exhausting day of traveling!!

Our hotel is beautiful and I can't wait to take pictures in the morning, we are on the ocean side and currently I can only hear the ocean waves from our bedroom. Off to bed to get some much needed shut eye.

Loves <3
Brandie

" All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go ...."

So, I am totally overpacked and had to sit on my suitcase to shut it. 2 weeks and you would think I was moving to Maui! I am all set to keep myself occupied on the flight. 3 books. 3 packs of gum. My journal and a Maui travel guide. I will be journaling most of the time I am sure. Camera is charged and ready to snap away. :)

I hate to say it, but I am kinda not as excitied as I should be. I mean this is my honeymoon. It's almost unreal I guess. Or maybe because it's been 4 months now it's not really our "honeymoon" but more a 'vacation' at this point. Also factor in that I HATE flying ... planes scare me.

Yes, I am completely aware I just jumped out of one! At 10,500 feet no less. Doesn't mean I want to be INSIDE of them all the time. Ugh, hate flying.

Well Maui is 6 hours behind Connecticut. So my time schedule will be all types of screwy and different. I can't wait to get there and start snapping pictures of everything that is wonderfully goregous!

Best of all -- we will be going to Oahu one day to see my friend Bill who is station out there in the Navy!! It will be great to hang out with someone we know. Also an old friend of mine is getting married this weekend and she and her husband will be traveling to Maui shortly afterwards, so again we will have people we know in Maui to converse with.

Off to bed. 5 am will come oh too quickly!

Aloha!
<3 Brandie

Clothing Clothing Everwhere but not a thing to Wear

I started to some what pack for { my honeymoon } Maui. I am thinking this is the outfit I am going to wear on the plane ... I am need to find slip on slippers though.

Jeans are a must and I got a cute sling bag from Old Navy.



Hmmmmm.... well back to packing.

<3 Brandie

Crazy times

Finally getting over this head cold that I've had all Labor day weekend. No way to spend a long weekend then blowing your nose every 5 seconds and falling sleep every 4 hours due to lack of energy!
So much is coming up this month and next for me, that my head is spinning and I cant keep dates straight. Hense, the purchase of the ginko biloba last night. Thankfully all the craziness is all fun stuff.
*Sept. 13th -- Skydiving with a bunch of friends and my best Frank
*Spet. 16th -- Dutch pancakes with my co-blogger Jessica!
*Sept. 18th to Oct 2nd -- MAUI!! For my belated Honeymoon
{ Married June 13th, Honeymoon was delayed due to the Timeshare we are using was booked till the month of September, and we have 2 weeks to plan so that made it a tad bit harder to book! }
*Oct 13th -- My 25th!!
*Oct 24th -- Jen's wedding

.... this honeymoon brings some bittersweet moments though, due to the late departure, we will be missing my bestfriend 25th and my brother in law's 30th birthdays, my sorority sister/my bridesmaid/ I am her bridesmaid {Jen}'s bachelorette party, and the all time biggest event we are missing -- a 3 day traditional Indian wedding in Flordia for one of the hubby's friends. EXTREMELY bummed about that one!!

Off to play...
<3Brandie