The Beauty of Maui

After visiting Maui four years ago, there were a handful of things I was looking forward to A LOT!  I couldn't wait to spend time at the beach and see the beautiful blue water with the deep green trees and the big bright clouds.  There are some incredible sea cliffs and rugged terrain that is truly breathtaking.  And then there was the food to look forward to... yummy seafood, tropical treats, and fresh fruit (apple bananas!!!! yummy).

I love apple bananas!  I practically dreamt about them for months leading up to our trip. 

(I guess I've developed an allergy to these little bananas... I had to call my doctor to double check what I could safely take to handle the reaction... but I didn't hold off from eating them again!  I just kept my benadryl handy.)

I love how adventurous one can be while visiting Maui.  There are canoe clubs, surf rentals, snorkeling trips, etc available everywhere you look.  These red canoes were calling my name just sitting there beside the blue, blue ocean.

There's just something about the sand and the sea that makes my heart smile.  

Do you spy two of my "boyfriends" in this picture.  Colby is just hot and Tyler is a little goofball and is always making me smile.  Having my three boys around for 10 days was definitely the highlight of the trip.

Pretty sunsets and yummy food...you gotta love the islands... Bubba Gump was one of our first stops.

(The kids kept calling it Bubble Gums and I thought it was cute.  Haha.)

Our view at dinner from Bubba Gump... ahhhh....!

 Here's a shot from out at sea looking back at the island.  This area is definitely not the most gorgeous part of Maui, but we spent a lot of time here in Lahaina.  Bubba Gump is just a little right of center in this picture... the boys thought it was cool to see it from out on the ocean.

Some shots from our drive along the northern coast of Maui.  It's so beautiful through there.  

I don't know whether I like this scenery or everything along the road to Hana better... they are both so lush and green with some great cliffs and black rocks.

These next few were taken in Kaanapali.  It's a little more tropical compared to further down the west coast and less crowded... at least while we were there.

(Marshall could not stay away from the water.  He loved it.)

This is the sweet little beach that was just down the street from our resort.  It had great snorkeling, just the right amount of space, and fairly mild waves.  

Perfect for our little family...

I didn't realize how much I wanted to go back until now as I look through the pictures again.  Everything was so new and stunning our first trip to Maui, and this time it was super nice to be there but didn't hold that WOW! factor.  I'm glad I snapped these pictures though, because it really is serene and magical to look at.