Maui 2013 - Grand Wailea

Sorry it has taken me so long to post about our Hawaii trip! We had so much fun, but I was definitely exhausted afterwards, and it's taken me a week to recoup!

Our flight to Maui was awesome! Leah was having fun playing the first couple hours and napped for 2 hours. We've been on 15+ flights with her, and this was her best one! The flight back wasn't as blissful though.

We were in Maui for 5 nights because Matt had a work conference, and Leah and I got to tag along! We stayed at the Grand Wailea which is a kid's paradise. The resort is huge, and it felt like a work out walking from one area to the next, but that gave Leah plenty of space to explore and run around. We were in the Terrace Room that was a decent size with a very large bathroom and a small, private lanai. They provided a mini wooden crib that worked well for us, and they even included a cute stuffed turtle as a gift for Leah. She loved it! {I always bring my own crib sheets when we travel.} 

Lappert's Ice Cream!

They have some great dining options that range from the super casual to fine dining. Our room was close to Cafe Kula which was great for quick meals and snacks so that we could take advantage of the rest of the resort. It provides a wide variety of food to fit any palate, even kids. Banana taro pancakes? Yes, please. Macadamia Nut Waffles? Drool. Spam Masubi? We all had at least 1 a day. We had another meal at Humuhumunukunukuapuaa {say what?} which was delicious. The fish was so fresh and when we saw the table next to us order the Humu Hula Pie, we knew we had to get one. They also gave Leah a stuffed fish toy to add to her collection, and you can even ask the reception desk for fish food and feed the fish in the koi ponds. We ate at Alan Wong's Amasia twice! Not as amazing as the Alan Wong's restaurant in Honolulu, but the short ribs and the sashimi platter was delicious, and Leah loved the tempura salmon kids meal.

Left: Playing with Legos; Right: Patting and shushing the babies

They also have a kids area called The Rock/Camp Grande. For kids over 13, you can drop them off, and the camp provides different activities for the kids to participate in for an extra cost. For kids under 13, children can still use The Rock facilities under adult supervision for free. Leah had fun playing with Legos, dollhouses, and the soft toy room.

The best part of the resort is the pool area. Everyday we spent the majority of the day swimming. Leah could not get enough of the water. The family pool area consists of 9 different pools on various levels connected by lazy rivers, water rapids, and slides. They even have an infant pool area where the toddlers can walk into the very shallow water. Leah would start off yelling "Slide! More slide!" Then she would say "No more slide. Baby pool!" and direct us to the infant pool area. After she was done with that, she'd walk out of the pool and run straight for the beach/ocean. This girl had no fear. We had to keep our eyes on her like a hawk! The pool area is for registered guests only, and everyday we had to get a different colored wrist band to wear. There are definitely a ton of families here, and grabbing chairs was always difficult. Luckily, we had friends who would grab chairs at 6:30am! They also have an adult only pool, but we obviously didn't use that one. :)

I got to also enjoy the Spa Grande facilities, which was one of the best I've ever been too. There are Western, Eastern, and Hawaiian influenced areas which consists of different amenities, and each treatment includes a honey-mango loofah exfoliation treatment. This was definitely a nice break from the craziness of our pool morning.

Since we didn't rent a car, we only ventured off the resort once to eat at Mama's Fish House, but we definitely didn't get cabin fever. We had a great stay, and I love looking back at our Maui pictures.

I have a bunch of other photos I will share on the next post!