Maui Day 8 ~ Lu’au

Maui 2026 Finale Travel Journal Post

Since many of the twelve of us had never had a Luau experience Dan made reservations for the Wailele Lu’au held at the Westin Resort. Our two vehicles were filled up for the short drive to the Westin Resort just south of our resort. We waited in line until the venue was ready for us. We were greeted with a beautiful lei greeting and a drink as we were ushered to our seats.

This is the description that the resort gives:

“The island’s most extreme fire knife dance finale” – Staged outdoors amidst a scenic oceanside setting alongside the shores of Ka‘anapali Beach, at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa’s Aloha Pavilion. A spectacular setting to immerse yourself in a pure, Hawaiian experience. Discover the legend of the mischievous demigod Mauiakalana, said to have revealed the secret of fire-making. Wailele Lu‘au takes you on a journey through a time when written language did not exist, the ‘oli (chant) and hula (dance) was a means of preserving the rich fabric of cultural knowledge, keeping our Hawaiian heritage, myths and genealogies alive.”

Before the dinner service and show began we managed to get a family photo by the photographer at the resort. This will probably be our Christmas card and letter photo this year. So if you’ve seen it here before our Christmas greeting reaches you…act surprised.

Since there were 12 of us we were at two tables next to each other.

We enjoyed the views of the sun setting. It was a show within a show. Something we didn’t have to pay for.

Birthdays and Anniversaries were honored, so our two 40 year olds stood up. Katie and Jamie were born about 19 days apart.

The Lu’au included an all you can eat dinner buffet and dessert offerings along with a generous offering of drinks.

It was an entertaining show. On the way out of the resort we had a few more photo ops.

Our sweet Lei Princess!

And that was the end of our last full day in Maui.

On Friday morning the 9th of October we were all packing up to get ready for our drive to the airport and flights home. I was on the deck taking in the morning view one last time when I looked over to our next door families deck and saw Addy’s decorations.

Thank you, LORD, for allowing us the privilege of this family vacation enjoying each other and your beautiful creation of the Island of Maui framed by the mighty Pacific Ocean and the sky above that proclaims your handiwork. We are forever grateful to You for your love and mercy and grace poured out abundantly on us.

Aloha and Mahalo Maui!

Maui Day 8 ~Baptisms

On Thursday October 8th we all gathered on the beach to witness the baptisms of Jamie and Jaymison.

Dan read the words he prepared, “Today we are gathered here with our families who we love dearly so that Jamie and Jaymison can display publicly their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that they have dedicated themselves to Him and have asked for the forgiveness for their sins and they proclaim through faith in Jesus Christ alone by His death and resurrection and by His blood that was shed on the cross for them that they are saved. Not by their own works but by the grace of God alone.”

Dan read Acts 2:38-39;

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For this promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Jamie- Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and that He is your Lord and Savior? She replied, Yes! Jamie, with your public confession of faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jaymison- Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and that He is your Lord and Savior? He replied, Yes. Jaymison, with your public confession of faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Buried with Christ in His death and raised to new life in Him through His resurrection!

What a wonderful day for Jamie and Jaymison and our whole family. This makes our Maui trip all the more special. We praise the Lord for this day and for the day He called each one of them to Himself!

Proud of our son for leading his family well.

The rest of the day was a time to relax until our last Maui experience, a Luau. That will most likely be my last travel journal post from our time in Maui.

Mahalo and thank you for your visits and lovely comments.

Maui Day 7

On Wednesday October 7th one of our cars would travel to Kapalua Cove to snorkel from the shore. The rest of us hung out at the resort and walked down to the artisan fair that set up just at the edge of our resort.

We could see the pop up tents going up.

All Six bedrooms in the two condos we rented had beach views, which was nice especially for Katie and Andrew when they were sequestered.

Greg and I walked down early to check out the wares that were being offered.

It was already hot and humid.

After scoping out the tents and what was being offered we headed back up to pick up Granny Great so she could do some shopping and to say goodbye to the crew who were going snorkeling.

They found a great shady spot to set up camp for their morning of snorkeling.

An adult was with our Grands the whole time they were in the water snorkeling and they had their life vests on and also used a pool noodle to help them stay steady as they snorkeled. The water was very choppy on this day and they had to cut their time short but Addy and JJ were excited about all the fish and eels and other creatures they were able to see.

Meanwhile back at the resort, Granny Great, Greg and I walked down to the beach and then did some shopping at the craft/artisan tents.

It was wonderful to have this daily view of the island of Molokai.

We bought fruit bowls and fruit smoothies for our lunch. Back in our rooms we were relaxing when the resort alarm and loud speakers in our rooms asked us to please exit the building via the stairs.

We headed next door to get Granny Great and found the stairs and exited down the 6 flights of stairs. Once outside we were informed with an apology that it was a false alarm. Yikes.

Our snorkeling crew made it back to the condos for showers and lunch instead of eating their packed lunches at the cove.

Wednesday afternoon was poolside with poolside orders of appetizers and drinks. Later in the evening after a last minute shopping trip for souvenirs and gifts we gathered at the food trucks again for our evening meal.

At this stage my recall from our time might have gotten mixed up with some things out of order. I do remember the major events but some of other things are foggy in my brain.

We did finish our second puzzle.

Thursday would be our last full day and it was packed from morning to night. It will take a few posts to cover our last day.

Mahalo for following along.

Maui Day 5 Early Morning

On Monday early morning Greg and I finally walked on the beach to see the sunrise.

Just outside the main lobby we stopped to say hi to one of the resident cats.

Our walk at dawn was a beautiful peaceful way to start our day.

Later in this week we did see one of these sea turtles come up out of a wave. Too fast for any camera to be able to capture.

We made it back to our room for some breakfast before heading to our zip lining destination.

Before we left I saw this boat out on the water and had to take a couple shots!

Off to our next adventure…

Maui Day 4

After a busy Saturday we had a free to relax day on Sunday October 4th.

There were early morning walks before the pools opened at 8am. Others had their early morning walks for some specialty coffee.

It was an egg breakfast in the condo day with a healthy shake (everyday). A beach day, pool day, quesadilla in the condo lunch day with drinks and Calamari at the poolside. A shopping across the street day at a one of a kind Island souvenir store. JJ had two items on his wish list, a shark tooth necklace and a wood carved turtle. This store had the necklace! Addy wanted a purple sweatshirt with Hawaii in bigger letters and Maui in smaller letters. She’d have to keep shopping…

Snorkel practice time in the pools before doing some big time snorkeling at a bay.

On this day we had strong winds and some rain, too. The white caps on the ocean were telling.

Dinner was a trip to the food truck park which is right across the street from our resort. Everyone could choose their own treats from the variety of trucks housed here.

We had evening milk and cookie times, cuddle times and puzzle time, too. Auntie LoLo brought the Hawaii puzzle for us to put together which we completed by day four and we started on a World Cup Puzzle that I brought after this one.

Both Katie and Andrew were sequestered on this day but we were happy to hear that Andrew’s Fever broke and he was feeling much better. We were able to bring them some dinner from the food trucks. We were praying that Katie and Andrew would be well enough for our Molokini trip on Tuesday.

Maui 2026 Part One

Our travel journal begins early on Thursday October 1st as we picked up our Colville family for our ride together to the Spokane Airport at 6am. The ride to the airport is about 2 hours from our homes. Our son dropped us off at the Alaska terminal with all our luggage that he tetrised into the back of our vehicle masterfully. I should have taken a photo!

We established our base camp and waited for the first leg of our flight to Maui which included a change of airplanes in Seattle.

Our kids from the Seattle side of the state were on a flight from Seattle earlier than our flight would be.

They arrived at our resort before us and paved the way for our easy entry.

We had the last two rows on the short ride from Spokane to Seattle. The flight attendants gave us some good laughs before we took off.

Mount Rainier was visible on our flight into Seattle.

The Puget Sound on our descent. We had enough time at Seatac airport for a quick bite before we boarded our next flight that would be approximately five and a half hours to Maui.

All aboard and ready to go on our final leg to Maui.

We saw a lot of the Pacific ocean before we finally saw land!

What a welcomed sight!

I took this photo above from the airport in Maui. Our Seattle crew of four secured two vehicles for our time in Maui. Our vehicle was waiting for us in the parking lot just across from our terminal exit. Another tetris job by our son and we had luggage for 8 and seating for 8 all set and ready for our hour+ trip to our resort.

Our daughter and daughter-in-law met us as we drove up to the resort with our room codes and to show us the lay of the land. Our first glimpse of our view from the condo was jaw dropping. The twelve of us enjoyed two condos side by side for the duration of our stay.

After we settled into our rooms, a walk down to the beach was on the agenda.

Looking back at our lodgings, Honua Kai Resort and Spa.

Looking north.

Looking South…

One of our side by side decks with some of our crew.

Our Seattle crew of four had already made the trip to Costco to stock up on water, snacks, breakfast and lunch items for the week. Our dinners would be eaten out at restaurants or the nearby food truck court.

Thursday was done and we were all looking forward to a relaxing Friday with nothing on the agenda.

Mahalo for stopping by today. More adventures coming tomorrow.

Happy Columbus Day here in the U.S.A. and a very Happy Thanksgiving Day to our friends in Canada!

Tropical Escape

This has been our view from our home away from home for the last 8 days. Our travels home started on Maui time Friday October 9th and we arrived in the wee hours of Saturday October 10th. I’ll be recuperating before I flood my blog with our Maui adventures. Aloha and Mahalo for stopping by today.

August Island Hodgepodge

We had a surprise on Sunday, clear blue skies and fluffy clouds. It was a one day event but we were grateful. The days here in NE Washington State have been like the following photo for a stretch now. Several fires are contributing to the smoke filled skies.

This photo isn’t the worst of how the skies have been but it gives you an idea of how our usual layered mountain views are hidden by the smoke.

Onward to the Hodgepodge…

Hello Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce!

1. What’s something on your August calendar you’re looking forward to? Or dreading if that’s easier to answer.

It is soccer month for our Grands with parks and recreation here in town and that is something I always enjoy. It’s the month that the folding chairs live in our vehicle ready to place on the sidelines to watch youth soccer.

2. August 5th is National Oyster Day…do you partake?

I do enjoy an occasional Oyster.

How do you feel about pearls?

I think pearls are elegant.

Here I am way back in 2008 wearing pearls to a ‘Tea Bridal Shower’.

3. Tell us about a time when you felt like ‘the world was your oyster’.

I think this phrase fit best with my High School and early college years. Carefree days, lots of choices, no huge responsibilities, still living at home, school achievements and awards, college acceptance letter, summer beach days, part time work, trip to the East Coast, and tours in England.

4. Trip Advisor lists seven islands in the US that require no passport (for US citizens). If you’re answering today from outside the US you’ll still need to produce yours. An-y-way, have you been to any of the seven? Let’s pretend you get an all expense paid trip to one this month…which one do you choose and why?

Catalina Island California~Martha’s Vineyard Massachusetts~Mackinac Island Michigan~Key West Florida~South Padre Island Texas~or Kauai Hawaii

I have been to Mackinac Island way back in the early 70’s. Greg was at Catalina Island for a school trip when he was in the 5th or 6th grade.

Twenty Six miles across the Sea, Santa Catalina is waiting for me…

This is a rare view of Catalina Island from Huntington Beach.

I lived in Southern California for 37 years and never ventured to Santa Catalina.

I would take an all expense paid trip to Catalina this time of year. The other spots, weather wise, are too hot and steamy for me this time of year.

Here are some photos I took on Mackinac Island. Heidi, Faye and I stayed in Michigan with Peter and Ruth who owned a cottage on a lake. Peter and Ruth generously entertained us at their home and took us up to Mackinac Island where we rode bikes around the island. I remember buying Mackinac Fudge and I have a letter opener that I bought for a souvenir.

I’m surprised Trip Advisor didn’t mention Whidbey Island in Washington State or the San Juan Islands.

5. Sylvia Plath is credited with the following-

“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.”

Agree or disagree? In other words, how do you feel about this month?

The quote doesn’t resonate with me.

Growing up we started school right after Labor day so August became the back to school shopping time. That was always exciting. There were big sales in downtown Los Angeles that we’d enjoy going to. We found great bargains at Buffums and in the wholesale shopping district.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We are in full swing with Vacation Bible School this week. I love the theme this year. I’ll share more on Thursday.

Happy August everyone!

Summertime Hodgepodge

Another Wednesday Hodgepodge hot off the press. Thank you, Joyce!

1. “Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” Sam Keen

Do you feel less guilty relaxing in July than you do in January? Elaborate.

No, but I would much rather sweat in January than in July. There is less for me to do in January. July is filled with mowing, weeding, watering which makes me sweat. Even if I weeded everyday there would still be more weeding to do. I generally do not feel guilty for relaxing.

Found this welcoming gate on a beach walk way back in 2009!

2. What’s a telltale sign you’re upset?

I stop smiling…

3. July 16th is National AI Day. What are your general thoughts and/or experiences with AI? Have you purposely used it? Does it excite you, scare you, or worry you? What do you see as a benefit? How about something relating to AI you see as a negative?

I haven’t given AI deep thoughts. I probably use it mostly in my google searches for information. I ignore the prompts that ask if I’d like help writing, etc. False information connected to people or misrepresenting images are worrisome.

4. You’re invited to a summer pot luck and are asked to bring an appetizer, salad/side, or dessert. Which category do you go for and what are you bringing?

Dessert is the easiest thing for me to sign up for. Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies or Peanut Butter Rice Krispie bars with Chocolate/Butterscotch Topping are what I’d probably bring.

5. It wouldn’t be summer without___________________.

It wouldn’t be summer without a trip to the beach…

…and Ice Cream.

We’ve had many enjoyable last minute adventures in the summertime.

Lavender Festival in Sequim, 2012. It always happens the third weekend in July. We enjoyed them very much in past summers. BTW: you pronounce Sequim -squim.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Update from last Wednesday’s Hodgepodge; I did manage to bake some blueberry muffins. I used this recipe. I left off the topping because I stay away from cinnamon these days, our grandson is allergic to it. I enjoyed them even more without the topping because the result was delicious muffin tops with just a bit of crispy edges.

I also liked the fact that this recipe makes 8 muffins, not a dozen.

Update on our A/C: A technician came out on Tuesday afternoon and within 20 minutes our unit was repaired and ready to cool us again. So thankful! Doubly thankful, as we are supposed to hit the 100’s next week!

Cannon Beach A.M. and P.M.

Our first morning in Cannon Beach it was our goal to make it to Haystack Rock and back before breakfast.

Our lodgings were where the Ecola River empties into the Pacific.

Haystack is not the only rock along the coast, just one of the most known.

It was fun to learn that there are Puffins that like these rocks.

Time to head back for breakfast.

This is the mouth of the river.

Another morning walk and we still haven’t seen the horizon because of the marine layer.

Birds, especially the pelicans and seagulls enjoyed flapping their wings in the river.

Our next walks on the beach were later in the morning or in the early afternoon.

We can see a horizon on this day.

Here come the pelicans!

For our last walk on the beach we started at Haystack and worked our way to another public access spot to head up to Hemlock for lunch before we made it back to our car.