There was just something about this trip that I couldn't keep myself from waking up before the sun to soak in the beautiful colors each sunrise shared. Every single one was different and stunning in its own way.
We headed down to grab breakfast when Swan Court opened so we would have time to let our food settle before our big activity of the day - surf lessons. But, before we get to sharing all that fun...
If you missed the other posts from our Five Moon in Maui, you can see them here:
Taking surf lessons while we visited Maui was something we definitely wanted to do. Dave had surfed before on a trip to Australia, but I had not and to be honest the whole idea of surfing in the ocean was actually pretty terrifying to me for a whole slew of reasons. Knowing this, it was important for us (me, especially!) to feel confident with the company we selected to take lessons with.
After researching, reading reviews and talking with locals we decided on Goofy Foot Surf And Stand Up Paddle School and it ended up being the best! Goofy Foot is in the town of Lahaina so we had a short drive back to where we were the night before. We sat aside time to explore it a little more after our lessons.
We signed up for the 10 a.m. two hour beginner group lesson. Group lessons are kept small at no more than five students per instructor. Somehow we completely lucked out and it ended up just being the two of us in our class so we practically had a private surf lesson. It could not have been better!
We signed up for the 10 a.m. two hour beginner group lesson. Group lessons are kept small at no more than five students per instructor. Somehow we completely lucked out and it ended up just being the two of us in our class so we practically had a private surf lesson. It could not have been better!
The class consisted of a beach lesson to go over basics before getting in the water for that lesson. Dave and I each took turns going out with the instructor catching waves. He was totally in his element and even made surfing look easy. Oh, and he looked pretty darn good doing it too if I do say so myself! ;)
We both had some pretty great rides, along with a few wipe out falls. I can honestly say even though we won't be competing anytime soon, we both pleasantly surprised ourselves with our surfing skills.
Dave finished the last 10 minutes or so of our lesson solo while I sat on my surfboard in the sand. If there's one thing we learned about surfing other than it's harder then it looks... it's also exhausting!
Even though it was hard work it was also really enjoyable. Dave continued to shine meeting each growing wave head on while I conquered a few fears to check a new experience off my list. Salt water in my eyes and/or my mouth is not appreciated and I successfully avoided any injury induced by falling on coral reef or having the end of a surfboard smack me in the head.
All that to say, it was a wildly successful surf lesson for the two of us and although neither of us probably have future surfer in our blood, we both caught a glimpse of how surfers fall in love with that office view.
If we learned a second thing about surfing... it works up an appetite. After finishing up we headed to Down the Hatch in Lahaina for lunch. This was a spot we discovered while watching a food show and knew it had to be on our list for this trip. Six words.... lobster and crab stuffed grilled cheese.
Oh, and the lava lava shrimp was pretty darn tasty too!
We loved getting to try all kinds of local craft beer in Maui and although we have access to certain names back in Kentucky, we can't get on hands on Maui Brewing Co. and it is a travesty. We tried a handful of the brews and even though some were better than others... they were all really, really good. We're hopeful their distribution eventually spreads a little further!
After lunch we walked around the town a bit. If we were to compare it to somewhere we've been before, it reminded us of a little beach town like St. Augustine. Little shops and restaurants lined the streets. Everything was so cute!
We had to make a stop for dole whip... which I have been dreaming about since we got back. Even Disney doesn't do dole whip like Hawaii, just sayin'!
Next we stopped by the famous banyan tree right in the middle of town. It was neat to see not only visitors checking out the tree, but to see so many locals enjoying it as well. It seemed to be a true gathering spot in Lahaina.
We headed back to the resort for pool time the rest of the afternoon. The CATS were playing that afternoon so we grabbed a spot at the Grotto Bar by the pool and enjoyed catching some of the game.
We camped out at the beach and pool the rest of the afternoon and took in all the views while taking it easy after our busy morning of surfing. It was such a great afternoon!
That evening we had reservations at The Mill House so we eventually made our way up to the room to get ready. We were excited about it, especially after the disappointment of Lahaina Grill the night before.
We made a pit stop on the way there to take in the views because you just can't get enough of them in Maui. The colors are absolutely gorgeous that time of day. We arrived with enough time to catch the sun setting and were surprised by everything located there on the grounds. We would definitely encourage you to plan to dine at a time to allow for sunset in addition to allowing yourselves extra time before reservations to walk around and check everything out.
From the view to the atmosphere and decor to the food, every single thing about this dinner was perfect. It exceeded our high expectations and was hands down our favorite dinner of the trip.
We'll let the photos speak for themselves. Such a perfectly complete dining experience in the truest sense. We absolutely loved, loved, loved The Mill House!
We'll let the photos speak for themselves. Such a perfectly complete dining experience in the truest sense. We absolutely loved, loved, loved The Mill House!
Ah, absolute perfection. Every bit of it! In fact, we loved it so much that we reached out to friends of ours who were getting married that night and leaving for Maui the next day to suggest they put this place on their list if it wasn't already. They enjoy great food and dining experiences like us and not only ended up making sure to eat there during their trip, but it was one of their favorite dinners as well.
Long story short... if you're in Maui, you HAVE to go the The Mill House. Period.
After dinner we drove back to the resort from Wailuku. On this night I had a surprise waiting in the room for Dave. It was funny that we had both planned surprises to be in the room for each other, but had selected different nights without ever mentioning it to one another.
We sat outside and took in the view of the stars that evening soaking in every last second. We only had one full day left and wanted to make the most of it. After all of the driving and adventure in the last few days, we were looking forward to not having to go anywhere the following day. We had packed in so much already, but still had a few things on the list. This was truly such a special trip for us!
If you missed the other posts from our Five Moon in Maui, you can see them here:
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