Hawaiian Honeymoon

WHERE WE STAYED

Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa in Maui. This was such an amazing resort! We loved it so much. There were so many great amenities. We had access to the "Resort Club" which was quite possibly the best part. There was a free breakfast every morning that was phenomenal. Then, they had afternoon snacks, hors d'oeuvres, and then desserts in the evening. We went to the club at least a few times a day for snacks and treats. They also had the best white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies I think I've ever had. ever. We ate so many of those things ;) But other great things about this hotel include a coffee shop in the lobby, great beaches with tons of space, several pools that were so nice, great restaurants, a wonderful spa, and a great workout facility that we used daily! It was gorgeous and such a wonderful place to stay. We loved it! 

WHAT WE ATE

**Down the Hatch -- our absolute favorite place. Reminded us of a bar/eatery we loved in our college town. Nate said the best fish tacos he had the whole trip. I had fresh tilapia and veggies. Also sooo amazing!!!

**Dukes Beach House -- a Maui favorite. Food was really good and they had these rolls that were amazing -- they were slightly purple? I ate so much on this trip and I think I ate five of these rolls they were so good. Also you have to get the Hula Pie. Basically the most amazing dessert you'll ever have! (see photo above of me with the most extra dessert you've ever seen. yep. you need to go!)

**Paia Fish Market -- this one was really neat. I loved the feel of the place. Of course amazing seafood too. Nate had fish tacos that were really good. I had grilled fish!

**Fork & Salad -- a local, hawaiian grown 'healthy' eat -- but Nate liked it too! We had a running joke because he always called it "fig and fork" but this place was definitely in our tops. SO fresh and simple but so good.

**Lahaina Fish Co -- this one was really amazing. We sat over the water which was way cool. It was a gorgeous evening and we had fish they caught from the restaurant that day. I had veggies and shrimp which were soooo good. I ate shrimp almost every night!

WHAT WE DID

**Sunrise Bike Tour. Definitely the top of our list of things we did. We Left our hotel around 1AM, checked in around 3AM, and then we were driven up to the top of a mountain/crater formation in Haleakala National Park. Its neat because there are only a certain amount of people allowed daily in the park, so getting to watch the sunrise was so special. It was so beautiful. Then, we biked down the mountain 23 miles. Great stops along the way was a lavender farm with a coffee shop that sells yummy donuts, and a cafe called Kula Lodge Restaurant. 

**Jet Skis. We did this at a spot near our resort. Super fun -- Nate loved it. I was terrified of being thrown off into the ocean (I am kinda scared of the ocean) but it was fun to do it together. 

**Cliff/Waterfall Hiking/Jumping. Another favorite. We drove part of the road to Hana and found some cool places to hike/jump from waterfalls. It was beautiful and so much fun!

**Roadside Fruit Stand. This was a bucket list item of mine. We found a produce stand on the side of the road between Lahaina and our resort. It was so fun and picturesque. 

**Shopping @ Whaler's Wharf -- this was in Kaanapali, but walking distance from our resort. We loved walking around and going to all the beach shops!

**Golfing @ Grand Wailea -- this was a really fun day. We went golfing at the Grand Wailea hotel and then hung out on the beach there. We golfed with two older guys who were best friends and they were a hoot. We also had drinks and appetizers afterwards in the restaurant at the golf shop and that was really yummy too. 

**Lei Making -- this was offered by our hotel and it was really fun. Nate wasn't sure this would be fun but we had a good time. Plus they turned out so beautiful!

**Hula Lessons -- another thing offered by our resort. Nate skipped out on this one, but I really liked it! It was also cool to learn more about the culture and the significance of the hula!

**Luau @ the Marriott -- we went down the beach to another resort's luau because ours was booked, and it was a lot of fun. We ate so much at the buffet and it was phenomenal. I liked getting to eat 'traditional' Hawaiian food and see all the dancing and history!

**Maui Pineapple Tour -- this was really cool; we toured a pineapple farm, learned about how to grow pineapples, and then went to a distillery tour that was on site as well. The pineapple was so amazing!

All in all, it was truly an amazing trip. One of the best in my entire life! Nate and I were so lucky to be able to take this trip and start our marriage in such an amazing place. I already can’t wait to go back!

— Kenzie