Dickerson Diaries: Hawaii Anniversary Trip

For our 20th anniversary, Landon booked us a trip to Maui to celebrate. It was really the trip of a lifetime and wonderful in every way. On our way there, we had a seven hour layover in Oakland, CA. Instead of sitting in the airport, we went to spend a few hours in San Francisco since it was so close. This is a place neither of us have been before so this unexpected surprise made our day.

Carrying our luggage up this huge hill was a workout! It took me a few minutes to recover.

Leaving California and landing in Maui.

Our flight from Oakland to Maui was about a four and a half hour trip. Sitting in the emergency exit row with extra leg room made the trip better. When we landed it was almost dark, but when we got our rental car and headed to the hotel it was completely dark. As we drove to our hotel I mentioned to Landon that we have no idea how beautiful of a place we were probably driving through. The next morning when we woke up and looked out our window I gasped at the beauty of it. The line from an old hymn, "I scarce can take it in," kept ringing through my head because it was truly was almost too much to take in. I was on the verge of tears all morning overflowing with thankfulness for the opportunity to be able to be in such a beautiful place. I simply cannot image what heaven will be like!!

On our first day, we went to Nakalele Blowhole, a natural geyser where seawater trapped in an underwater lava tube is searching for a way to escape. It was a hike to get down there but it was worth it!

After we spent some time here, we drove to Front Street to see a massive banyan tree. It is the largest one in the US, and I couldn't capture the whole thing in a photo. It was a beautiful tree to see!

Front Street is the happening place to eat and shop in the town we stayed. We went here several times while we were here.

On our second day, our actual anniversary, we spent the day at the beach and by the pool. The only thing we had planned for the day was an evening luau. We tried to book Old Lahaina Luau because that is the one that everyone raves about and recommends, however you have to book it months in advance. We ended up going to Feast at Lele Luau and the food was wonderful. We had so many courses and I have no idea what most of it was, but it was delicious!

On the third day, we had breakfast, went to workout at a CrossFit gym, had a couples massage, and then relaxed on the beach. It was an amazing day!

This was our view on the run. So beautiful!!

We had dinner at a recommended restaurant by others around us at the beach. We had dinner at Star Noodle. The food was wonderful but I suggest getting a reservation if possible. If not, you have to sit with strangers and that's just awkward.

Friday, our fourth day, was a full day planned. Landon booked a snorkeling excursion to Molokini, a famous reef and a second location that was known for sea turtles. It ended up being a rainy day due to a tropical storm and we didn't get to see many turtles.

We went on a plantation tour and got reservations at the restaurant there on the property. The food was amazing and almost every single thing they serve is grown on their property. The Mill House is definitely a place I would like to return to eat!

I really wanted to see a rainbow in Hawaii, and on the way back from our plantation tour and meal, we saw a BEAUTIFUL double rainbow. It was so breathtaking and photos didn't really capture the beauty of it all.

This led to an amazing sunset.

Road to Hana......it's all about the journey. When you picture Hawaii, you think of lush foliage, waterfalls, craggy cliffs, beautiful beaches, tropical flowers, and cascading natural swimming holes. The Road to Hana has it all! The road is about 60 miles from Kahului to Hana. We used an app that guided us along the way telling us where to stop and what to look for. It was very helpful and gave us warning on where to park and pull over in tight spots. The road to Hana is narrow and winding along the coast. There are about 600 sharp curves and 54 bridges. It's a slow drive which makes it perfect for enjoying the scenery. It was a very long day and there was so much we didn't to see, but it was an incredible day.

I love these rainbow eucalyptus trees!

Amazing banana bread!

Black sand beach!

One of my absolute favorite things we were able to do was a helicopter tour. It was indescribable. There was a glare on our photos and they can't really capture it all.

We flew through these mountains.

This is our hotel from the helicopter.

After the helicopter tour, we drove up to Haleakala National Park and got to witness another incredible sight in creation. The drive was amazing and at the top, it felt like we were on another planet.

We had a photo shoot scheduled for this evening and we didn't have time to go back to the hotel to get ready so we went into a club house at a nice golf course and used their bathrooms to get ready. I felt like I was breaking the law.