We were just in Maui nine months ago and we had a lovely trip. It was our first opportunity to travel together since the beginning of the pandemic and it was a perfect place to be. Lots of outdoor dining, strict mask mandates and a real sense of taking COVID seriously.
The run up to departure has been a lot easier this time. Last trip we ran into some difficulties getting a COVID test within 72 hours of our departure due to the 4th of July holiday. This time no testing was required, just proof of vaccination. We’ll have to grab a bracelet in San Francisco before we depart but Mike got us a quick solution that should expedite that process. Which is good since we have a quick turnaround there.
I began pre-missing the dog a few days ago. It really hit Mike yesterday and this morning. She and I have spent so much time together and since we had a little scare with her back (she had a bulging disc, a common problem with short legged, long spined dogs) she’s received a bunch of extra attention. (Mike and I camped on the floor downstairs with her for nearly three weeks.)
She’s doing much better now and we have all sorts of ramps and gates around the house to help keep her spine healthy. Still, the extra worry and attention make it all the more difficult to leave her for a bit. Fortunately, Rachel stays with her while we’re gone and Lainey loves Rachel!
Our TSA Pre allowed us to pass by a really long security line. Yay! We tried out the Escape Lounge in Sacramento. It was underwhelming but nice to be away from the crowded airport.
We had a smooth flight to SFO. For my plane geek friends we were on an ERJ-175. The skies are super clear today.
The 777-200 above will take us to Maui. They have the newer Polaris Class lie flat seats that will make the flight incredibly comfortable for us.
I follow several travel gadget gurus on YouTube and one of them recommended this little thing.
It’s a Bluetooth device called AirFly that allows me to use my wireless headphones to listen to the in-flight entertainment. I usually just plug my headphones in but at least 4-5 times a flight I accidentally yank it out. With this device I’m cord free. It works great!
I slept for an hour or so after they served us breakfast. The flight was uneventful except for when we hit a pretty big turbulence bump and the captain came on an demanded the flight crew take there seats NOW. That freaked me out for a few seconds but things quickly smoothed out.
I watched a YouTube video of a Maui local who listed his top ten places to eat on Maui without a reservation. Some on the list are our favorites so we assume the guy has good taste. I made a google maps list (thanks Tom!) of the eateries that looked interesting to us so we could hit a few of his recommendations we haven’t yet tried.
As is our way, I went to the rental car place while Mike grabbed our luggage. By the time I picked Mike and the bags up we were both ready for lunch so we went to our first new recommended food place, Tin Roof.
Mike got the Mochiko Chicken over garlic noodles and I got Garlic Shrimp, also over garlic noodles. Both were spectacular. The sauce on the chicken was magical. YouTube guy for the win.
Hertz allows us to choose a car from their “5-Star” section and I think someone parked this in the wrong section so, woohoo! Comfy ride on Maui.
After lunch and a nice needed nap at the condo (we are staying in the exact same condo we stayed in 9 months ago, Maui Kai, #803) we got up and watched the sunset. It wasn’t anything special and it was eclipsed by a baby whale leaping out of the water. It must have jumped out more than a dozen times in 20 minutes. Mike got some good shots.
Still stuffed from lunch we decided to head over to the grocery store to grab some snacks and stuff to make breakfast. Our biggest issue was, “do we have gelato before we shop or after?” We chose before.
Groceries put away, suitcases unpacked, we are all set for a lovely trip. Expect lots of sunset pictures, whale pictures, sea turtle pictures and food pictures. Thanks for joining us on our little getaway.
Art’s Travel Adventures 