FIVE DAYS IN MAUI - DAY TWO


We were so excited that we ended up waking up a little before the sun and enjoyed taking in the breath taking views.  Seriously, Maui is one of the most beautiful places we've ever been.  I think we would both put it up there right behind the Grand Tetons, which happen to be at the very top of our list.  Before we get to day two, if you missed DAY ONE of our Five Moon in Maui you can see that HERE.

After waking up so early and checking out the views, we got back in bed with the doors wide open to listen to the ocean.  We had a while to wait before we could head down to the breakfast buffet.  I also used this time to take in the beautiful bouquet for me that Dave had arranged to have waiting in our room when we arrived.  I saw it the night before, but the natural lighting that morning was stunning.  It was such a thoughtful touch he planned out.  He makes me the luckiest every single day!


When we booked the resort we picked the package that included a breakfast buffet for two each morning.  We knew we'd miss out on it a morning or two with our adventure schedule, but it was definitely worth it.  It helped waking up each day knowing we just had to walk downstairs to fill up on breakfast.


The food was what you would imagine from a breakfast buffet at a resort, but they changed out the menu daily and had all kinds of fresh pastries, fruit and juices.  The breakfast area was a restaurant also used for fine dinning during dinner.  The area is wide open to the outdoors and had beautiful views.  We really enjoyed this time each morning and discovered my new found love for guava juice, yum!


On this day we had one thing on the agenda... relax!  We broke up our days in Maui by relaxing and adventure and it really worked out perfectly.  We checked out the beautiful private beach at the resort and spent lots of time in the pool.


Dave wanted to snorkel on our trip so we went to the little stand at our resort to rent some gear and check out the spots we should hit.  I was a good sport about this activity since I knew it was something he really wanted to do, but my motion sickness didn't really allow for me to join in on the fun for long.


I didn't mind hanging out on the beach while he took his time exploring.  There are so many great places to snorkel in Maui and with our resort being right on the private Ka’anapali Beacg, we didn't have to go far.


For lunch we walked next door to the Marriott and sat at a casual restaurant outside called Ka'anapali Grille and Tap Room.  We grabbed a drink, shared a burger and then headed back towards our place to soak in more sun that afternoon.


The lunch options at our resort consisted of pool side and we knew we would have that on future days that we rented cabanas so we wanted to get something different, but easy on this day.  One of the great things about our resort, was that it was walking distance to several other resorts along the beach there as well as Whalers Village, a beach side mall with several boutiques and restaurants.  

   
We enjoyed the afternoon at the pool and then it was time to head to the spa for our couples massage.  We planned this for the first afternoon just in case someone got a little sunburn while we were there, which thankfully never happened.  This was the perfect way to relax and slip into full out vacation mode.

  Our massages were great... as in maybe the best actual couples massage we've had.  However, the environment was a bit of a let down.  We've been fortunate to visit spas at places like the Bellagio and the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess that have incredible spas and spectacular spa amenities.  So I say that with the understanding that we have been spoiled when it comes to the spa department.  When we walked into the room for service Dave actually said he felt like we were in a doctors office.  


I think we had a different expectation in mind with the spa promoting being one of the only beach side facilities in Maui and the photos led us to believe there would be stunning views.  Due to the lack of spa amenities we were happy we hadn't scheduled any other services the remainder of our trip.   

We were impressed, then had amazing massages and then were taken to an open air second story room wide open to the ocean with fluffy lounge chaises.  It was perfection, but that is what we had been expecting the atmosphere to be like the entire time.  At least it made up for our disappointment a bit, although we were wishing we had the rest of the day to lay there.  

   
We headed to our room to get ready for a quick trip to Whalers Village before heading back to our resort for dinner on property at Japengo.  We loved the little over half a mile walk to Whalers Village.  The sun was setting and we stopped often to take in the sights and even snag a few photos.  


Our trip to Whalers Visit consisted of a really anticipated visit to Louis Vuitton.  Dave wanted to get me my very first Louie for our five year anniversary... as if a vacation to Maui wasn't enough!  I am one lucky girl!  Here's the thing... I've gone back and forth on wanting one.  Who wouldn't want one, right?  But then I find myself feeling guilty for spending that kind of money on a bag.  

Dave really wanted to do this for me on this anniversary and it was special to him.  So what woman is going to argue with that!?  Getting my first Louie, in Maui... this is what dreams are made of!  After all that I legit worried that I wouldn't find one I wanted and then there would be absolutely no way I could imagine spending money on a bag I wasn't in love with and then ultimately Dave would be disappointed.

Silly me!  In less than two minutes of walking in the store Dave and I had both secretly laid eyes on THE bag I ended up walking out with... and it was absolutely perfect!  We both loved it, but didn't say a thing when we each initially spotted it.  Oprah was the sweet woman who assisted us and made the entire experience a dream.  After all, it isn't every day (or really any day) this girl gets a Louie!  


Dave found a comfy spot to sit while she shared wallet options with me that would match and then presented us each with a glass of champagne and insisted taking a few photos for us.  The last thing I wanted was to draw any attention, but looking back I was so grateful she made the whole experience so special for us.  It really was magical! 

On the walk back to the resort I talked about my new bag and the experience non-stop.  It had to have been annoying but Dave was so sweet and listened to every word.  He knew how much it meant to me.  The whole thing was just perfect.  I get that expensive bags can be silly, but this one is really special to me and always will be.  That's why I'm sharing about it here... as a sweet little reminder.


  We safely dropped the purse off at our room and headed to dinner downstairs to Japengo which featured Asian cuisine.  We made reservations early on for this evening after booking the resort. We waited just a few minutes before being seated at our table which had a great view (even though it was dark) towards the edge of the restaurant at an elevated area.  


We got a selection of items and shared everything.  Everything was so, so good!  We started with the kung pao duck meatballs then had the tastiest (and prettiest) roll and finished up with the apengo fried rice.  The order of everything was great and allowed us to have time between each separate little course. 



Our server this night at the resort was awesome.  He was so friendly and his service was spot on.  After finishing our meal, he allowed us to select any dessert off the menu on him for our anniversary.  We though this was so nice because it made it more personal to us.  


Complementary desserts are great, but getting to select what you're getting is even better.  There was never a question as to what we were picking after seeing molten chocolate cake and he brought it with this sweet little happy anniversary note with it.  This was the perfect little dessert for us!  

After dinner we headed back up to the room to get settled in bed because we had a super early wake up call the next morning for our first adventure day... Road to Hana.  We were excited to get away from the resort again and see more of what beautiful Maui had to offer.  If you missed DAY ONE from our Five Moon in Maui, you can see it HERE.

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