Hawaii Archives - Future Southern Belle

Where To Eat In Maui

Jenna — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 23:37:34 +0000

In O’ahu, I had all the places we were going to eat mapped out. It wasn’t the same for Maui. I took it upon myself to try out restaurants all around Maui. I wanted to make sure I was creating a list that reflected the essence of Maui. It was a tiring task, but well worth it! Sea House Restaurant We went to the Sea House for breakfast one of the mornings and I can’t say enough good things. They have outside deck seating which sits on a rocky cliffside on the West Coast of Maui. It takes in the beautiful coastline of Maui. At the Sea House I decided to get something that I wouldn’t normally get. I got the Haleakala Pancake which is a custard batter pancake that is baked and is caramelized with bananas and pineapple! It was as good as it sounds! Choice Health Bar Who else loves Açaí bowls?! They are so healthy and delicious. When you get them in Hawaii, they are as fresh as they will ever be! Since we were only about a 5 minute walk from Whalers Village, we went to the Choice Health Bar probably every day for lunch. We were obsessed! They have other options as well like smoothies, salads, and grain bowls. Leilani’s On The Beach Speaking of Whalers Village, we also ate at the Beachside Grill part of Leilani’s On The Beach Restaurant. My dad and I split the Sriracha-Guava chicken wings and they were out of this world good. The wings were so tender and the sauce was spicy and sweet which was the perfect combination. This was an easy pick for my list of where to eat in Maui. Sunrise Cafe One of the mornings, my sister and I decided to head out and get breakfast just the two of us. We were walking early in the morning in downtown Lahaina and came across this darling little cafe. When we walked in it was quintessential Hawaii. This is definitely a place to eat in Maui! The breakfast sandwich I got was incredible and so fresh! Komoda Store and Bakery Okay so I forgot to take pictures of what we got here but there’s a funny story about this place. Komoda is known for their donuts on a stick and cream puffs. The bike tour company told us about it because it was on our way down the volcano. Well, when we arrived at the bakery, we found out they were all sold out. My shoulders dropped to my knees. The look on my face was pure disappointment. We decided to stick around for a little bit and it paid off-big time! A graduation order was never picked up so they sold it to us (and other people that were also waiting). Haha no, we couldn’t eat all of it. So that’s the story on how I got to try their donuts and cream puffs. They did not disappoint…definitely the best pastries I’ve ever eaten! I would definitely recommend this as a must as far as where to eat in Maui! I unfortunately didn’t get any pictures. Mostly because I devoured the pastries…whoops! Hopefully this gives y’all a better idea of some places to eat in Maui! What’s your favorite restaurant in Maui? Leave a comment below! XoXi,

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What To Do In Maui

Jenna — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 20:57:22 +0000

Hey Y’all, Sometimes, my family has a hard time deciding what to do. That’s why I created this post to help all the other families out there come to a decision on what to do while in Maui. Maui doesn’t really have any “cities” which is why it can be sometimes difficult to figure out what to do. It is a much more relaxing, laid back island compared to O’ahu. I have compiled some of the things that my family and I did while vacationing on Maui. We found that by going into Lahaina was the best option when we wanted to do an activity. While roaming around the streets, we came across a stand that helped us figure out what we wanted to do. We ended up going to a Luau, a bike trip down Mt. Haleakalā, as well as parasailing. Luau So first up I’ll talk about the Luau. We went to the Royal Lahaina Luau (The Myths of Maui). We really enjoyed this because we got to learn more about the Island of Maui as well as other Polynesian Islands. Plus, the food was incredible! It was my mom’s birthday too so they sang to her! I don’t know how we will ever top that birthday for her! Click here for making your reservations at the Royal Lahaina Luau The Myths of Maui. Mt. Haleakalā So this was definitely one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We rode bikes 22 miles downhill on Mt. Haleakalā. Mt. Haleakalā is a dormant volcano and the tallest peak is over 10,000 feet. We stopped in a little village on our way down and got the most mouthwatering donuts on a stick. They were honestly so delicious after biking for so long. As we were going up to the top of the volcano, there came a point where we were higher than the clouds! It was such a cool feeling knowing that we were so high up. There is an option to do a sunrise bike trip but we knew we wouldn’t be able to be up that early. We felt like the one we did (I believe it was around 9am?) was perfectly fine. We were able to see more too. Once you reach the top, you see that the volcano portion resembles the moon. It was so cool! Click here to check out the place we used for the bike tour. Parasailing So I think there’s a misconception about parasailing. A lot of people think it’s this super thrilling, adrenaline pumping activity, but it is really so tranquil and calm. Yes, it is a little scary just floating up in the air, but it’s one of the most safe activities. When you’re up in the sky you can see for miles and miles. It’s rather breathtaking. Click here if you are looking to go parasailing in Maui! Overall, we found plenty to do in Maui. Plus, we felt like Maui was the most relaxing, laid back part of our vacation. We spent a lot of time walking in Lahaina as well as Whalers Village. XoXi,

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Hawaiian Flowers

Jenna — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 18:25:57 +0000

The second best thing about Hawaii besides the beautiful beaches, are definitely the Hawaiian flowers. If flowers make you happy on a cold, and rainy day, then this post is for you! I am such a flower person. Flowers will always make me happy so Kevin knows that whenever I’m down, all he needs to do is buy some pretty flowers! They remind me of spring and warmer weather! There were so many lovely flowers on both O’ahu and Maui. I decided to write an entire post about all of the exquisite flowers I saw on both of the islands. If you love Hawaiian flowers, you will definitely enjoy this post! These flowers are giving me all the tropical vibes! While I’m not sure about each individual flower, I can tell you some of the flowers we encountered on our trip. I’m not an expert, so bear with me! We saw Plumeria, Hibiscus, and Lantana flowers. Along with those we also saw Allamandas, Glory bush and Red Ginger just to name a few. These were just the flowers that I took pictures of! There were plenty of flowers in which I didn’t take pictures of. Reminiscing about seeing these Hawaiian flowers are making me wish I was back in Hawaii. I’m sitting here writing this post as the snow is falling down, and I am seriously considering booking a ticket back to Hawaii right now! Whenever I need a little pick-me-up, I always turn to the beauty in nature. What better way to connect with Earth than to look at what Mother Nature has provided us. Looking at these flowers makes me appreciate this planet that much more. There is so much beauty around us all the time, it is our duty to stop and smell the flowers! Who else loves flowers as much as I do?! Leave a comment below about what your favorite flower is! XoXi,

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Kaanapali Alii Resort

Jenna — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 02:46:14 +0000

Hey Y’all, The Kaanapali Alii Resort in Lahaina, Hawaii is where my family and I stayed during our time in Maui. This beautiful Four Star resort did not disappoint. The resort is set up as a part of a larger culmination of other hotels and golf courses. The beachwalk is the only thing in between the hotels and the ocean. The beachwalk leads to Whalers Village. There are many restaurants as well as shops located in Whalers Village. My family and I all agreed, the Kaanapali Alii Resort was the best place for us to stay. There’s a funny story to when we first arrived at the resort. My mom was telling us that she had booked us a room with a kitchenette so we could have breakfast and lunch at the resort. We were staying for 7 days so it made more sense. As we open the door to our room, we walk in only to find that we had more than a kitchenette. We had a full kitchen, with a stove, oven, dishwasher, full fridge and freezer. When we walked around we realized we had two bedrooms, each with a full bathroom and one of the rooms was even a full master suite with a laundry unit. We also had a full living room and dining area. Needless to say, we were very pleased with the “room” that my mom had booked. Why Kaanapali Alii Resort The Kaanapali Alii Resort is comprised of condos that you can rent as your “hotel room”. This is a fantastic option for families and people who are staying for more than a few days on the island. We enjoyed staying in Lahaina because we felt as though we were a part of a larger resort. We had access to our own pool and yet we were right on the ocean as well. Plus we were only a short five minute walk from Whalers Village which is where we ate a lot of our meals. The Kaanapali Alii Resort had the perfect atmosphere for my family and I. We absolutely loved our stay and we can’t wait to go back soon! XoXi,

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Where To Eat In O’ahu

Jenna — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 19:41:10 +0000

Hey Y’all, This post made me want to go back to Hawaii just to eat the food. This post will cover some of the best places to eat in O’ahu. Anyone that knows me knows I love to eat. I’m always down to do something if theres food involved. It came as no surprise to my family that I had mapped out all the restaurants I wanted to try during our trip to Hawaii. My favorite places to eat and what I got So I hope this gave you a better idea about where to get food while on O’ahu. My family also tried some other restaurants but these were the places where the food was too incredible not to write about. If you have been to O’ahu, let me know what were some of your favorite restaurants to eat at! I’m always on the hunt for good food when I’m traveling, so let me know in the comments below! XoXi,

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Hiking Diamond Head

Jenna — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 19:08:27 +0000

Hey Y’all, One of the best mornings in Hawaii was getting up early and hiking Diamond Head. Several of my friends who had previously gone to O’ahu had suggested we hike Diamond Head. Diamond Head is located on the West Coast of the island of O’ahu. It is actually a crater that dates back nearly 300,000 years! The views that this hike offers is unlike any other. It offers panoramic views of the Pacific, as well as Waikiki Beach. Below are some pictures from the hike as well as a list of good things to know before you take the hike! Things to keep in mind if you are planning on hiking Diamond Head Get there early! We tried to be there by 7am and it was already packed. There is very limited parking so keep that in mind. The park is open from 6am to 6pm although the cutoff for the last entrance is at 4:30 pm. They are open 7 days a week as well. Bring water! There are water fountains as you first enter the park but that is it. So make sure you bring water as well! It costs money to get into the park. Don’t worry it’s not going to cost you a lot of money but just make sure you bring some cash with you when you go! It costs $5 per car and it is cash only! If you are planning on bringing small children it is perfectly okay! The hike was definitely do-able but just make sure you leave plenty of time because it was a long hike. It took my family about 1.5-2 hours round trip because we stopped to take pictures. Kids can do the hike, but keep in mind it is very steep in parts. Hopefully this helps you when looking for an activity to do on the Island of O’ahu! My family thoroughly enjoyed our hike and we would definitely do it again. The views were spectacular! XoXi,

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Exploring O’ahu

Jenna — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 23:57:54 +0000

Hey Y’all, Out of our ten day vacation to Hawaii, we spent three days total on the island of O’ahu. This post is all about exploring the island of O’ahu and what it has to offer. Since we didn’t have much time on the island, it was important for us to be able to explore as much as we could in such a short amount of time. We rented an SUV so that made getting around a lot easier. That way, we didn’t have to rely on walking or taking a bus. We spent an entire day just driving around the island and it was probably one of my favorite days. We first went to the North Shore of O’ahu and explored the coastline. After exploring North Shore, we just continued on down the road and drove around the rest of the island. The views that we encountered were impeccable. It took our breath away to see the beauty that the island has to offer. We were all awe struck by the stunning views. Enjoy looking through the pictures! Hopefully looking through these photos has inspired you to travel to this beautiful destination! There will be another blog post about the specific places we went to on the island. I will also be included fantastic restaurants along with the hike we took on Diamond head. Stay tuned for more O’ahu posts! XoXi,

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Pearl Harbor Memorial

Jenna — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 19:26:12 +0000

Hey Y’all, I was excited to have finally published where we stayed in O’ahu. Now it’s time to see what we did on the island! I am excited to share with you all of the adventures my family and I had while we were there! The first day on the island we went and visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial. Unfortunately, this was after there was structural damage to the memorial so had to see everything by boat. Things to know before visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial: I suggest giving yourself no more than a few hours at the memorial. Now that you can’t walk around the memorial, it limits where you can go. We did end up taking the boat out there but they can only get you so close. There is a lot of history of the memorial that you can read while you’re there. They also had a submarine that you can see as well. The memorial also had some parts of the ships that you could go into. My sister also got her picture on one of the guns that was on display. I also recommend getting to watch the video they provide if you go on the boat. It is a powerful video that makes you appreciate the history of this country so much more. The Pearl Harbor memorial is certainly one of the biggest attractions in O’ahu so plan accordingly. We went early in the morning and there was already a large crowd of people. Seeing the Pearl Harbor Memorial was an incredible experience. It really makes you appreciate everything that our service men and women put on the line every single day while protecting our great nation. Whether you love history (like me) or you just appreciate an impressive memorial that overlooks the beautiful waters of Hawaii, then you will want to put the Pearl Harbor Memorial on your to-do list while visiting O’ahu! XoXi,

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‘Alohilani Resort

Jenna — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 18:51:02 +0000

Hey Y’all, My family and I got to stay at the ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach for our Hawaii vacation. It was an incredible experience and the resort definitely made our trip even better. So for a little backstory… I graduate college in December so my family decided to take one last family vacation together before our lives got crazy. My parents went to Hawaii for their anniversary 25 years ago and vowed to take my sister and I back, but never did. In January of 2018, we had an unexpected influx of travel miles (thanks United Airlines!) and we decided to use it towards a family trip to Hawaii! This is going to be one of several blog posts about our trip. I decided that one blog post just wasn’t enough (wayyyyy too many pictures to show y’all!) so I broke the posts up to better help people planning a vacation to either O’ahu or Maui! Where we stayed: For O’ahu, we decided to stay in the city of Honolulu. Our hotel was across the street from Waikiki beach so the views were amazing! We also had a beautiful view of Diamond Head (more on that in a later blog post). Below are the pictures of our hotel. My review of the ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach The ‘Alohilani Resort was the perfect hotel for my family and I to stay at when we traveled to O’ahu. It had everything we were looking for: affordability, luxury, on Waikiki Beach, stunning views, and an awesome pool area. It checked every box! Our room not only looked over the ocean, but it also looked over at the mountains. We were in walking distance of all of the restaurants which was awesome. The pool area was my personal favorite. It had an infinity pool, hot tub, bar, fire pits, cabanas, and plenty of lounging area. The staff was so attentive and pleasant and they gave us plenty of recommendations for places to eat and things to see and do. We also got two coupons for Mai Tai’s to redeem at their bar! Overall, I would definitely recommend the ‘Alohilani Resort for anyone interested in visiting the beautiful island of O’ahu! The rooms were spectacular and came equipped with a hair dryer, soaps, and shampoo all from a store that is also located right in the hotel. It is also a very short walk to downtown Waikiki with a lot of shops and restaurants to choose from! XoXi,

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