Travel Diaries | Maui, Part 1

My husband and I have officially been married one year! Woot woot! To celebrate, we put our miles into (almost free) plane tickets to one of my favorite places, Hawaii! Having loved the place when I visited over 3 years ago, I knew my husband would be just as ecstatic as I was about exploring this gorgeous lush island.

We found a sweet little Airbnb in Kihei for the first part of our trip and loved that it was within walking distance to the delicious Belle Surf Cafe (must try the crepes), little farmers markets and a variety of local shops. We had a fantastic host (Thanks Maree!) who recommended great snorkeling and dining options from a local's perspective.

My mom gave us a great tip for viewing the classic Haleakala sunrise, which was to go within the first couple days of your trip before you've started adjusting to the time change. This way, getting up at 4am HI time isn't such a rude start! This was originally our plan, but after discussing it and taking to our host, we opted to drive up for sunset instead. I've already seen the glorious sunrise on my previous trip and though I had no problem going again, I was totally down for a days ending up in the clouds. Plus, the crowds weren't nearly as bad at sunset we heard. And that was accurate! Do NOT forget warm clothes and blankets though. It absolutely is just as cold as I remembered atop that volcano and as bundled as I was, I couldn't stop shaking. Ehh, I still caught a few great photos and attempted a couple of double exposures in camera of the crowds + clouds. Oh, and I have to admit I was a creeper and snuck a photo of a stranger up top with my iphone because this girl looked RADIANT! I had one split second to capture her before she ran back to her blanket. However, I admit I was shaking and it was low light, thus the overall photo isn't awesome, but I can't help but remember that moment which is enough reason for me to share it. Okay, enough chatting, more scrolling...