Our Ultimate Hawaii Trip

This summer, we finally got to take the adventurous, extravagant, wonderful trip to Maui and the Big Island that I’d been dreaming of for all these years. The boys were finally big enough to do ALL THE STUFF. Looking back, it feels like our earlier trips to Hawaii were research tools for this one.

Here’s a trip review and my candid advice for a few friends who are planning trips of their own. May you enjoy yours as much as we did ours!

My guidebook and constant companion was Maui Revealed. It’s essential for finding the out-of-the-way hiking spots and hidden gems that the rest of the tourists miss. Of course, we’ve been to Maui twice before, but always with the help of this book.

I would always advise bringing on this sort of trip several bathing suits, swim shirts/rashguards, and waterproof sandals or sturdy water shoes.

Day 1: Arrvial, direct flight San Jose->Kahului Maui, arriving 11 AM. It’s nice to have an early morning flight and start getting on Hawaii time (3 hours different in the summer, 2 in winter because they don’t do Daylight Savings).

We landed, picked up our car (a convertible for obvious reasons, but they don’t hold much luggage) and drove over to the Maui Swap meet, which happens every Saturday in Kahului on the grounds of the Maui Community College. It’s ten minutes from the airport and was a great place to pick up souvenirs for cheaper than you’ll find on the rest of your trip. It ends at 1 PM, so we were only there a short time.

Then we drove into Paia town (a fun, surfy/hippie kind of town, sort of like Santa Cruz but Hawaiian and much smaller) and got lunch at Flatbread Pizza Company, which is reputed to be the best pizza on Maui. It was excellent and more of a very thin-crust pizza than what I would think of as flatbread.

The kids wanted gelato, so we got them some of that as well in Paia, and picked up some cold drinks at the gas station to bring to our lodging for the first two nights, The Inn at Mama’s Fish House. More about that later.

Since we couldn’t check in until 3 PM, we had a little more time to spare and drove past our inn to Ho’okipa Beach to watch the surfers, windsurfers and sea turtles. The first two are always there, the third, usually. We got lucky with all three. (There are also often food trucks at the parking lot on the bluff, in case you haven’t yet done lunch.)

We checked into our hotel, The Inn at Mama’s Fish House, which I love for the spending the first few nights and exploring the sites on the north side of the island. Mama’s Fish House is really a restaurant, and it’s got a well-deserved reputation for the best fish on the island, but they have a few cottages and condos that they rent out. We rented one of the beachside cottages, and it was a splurge but so, so worth it (the others don’t have a beach view but are only 50-60 yards’ walk away from the beach). We had a two-bedroom cottage with this view, a full kitchen, lanai and a lovely shared barbecue area, lawn and hammock. The beach was right outside (shared with the customers from the restaurant who like to take pictures like these). It’s a lounging, wading and tidepooling beach, as it has large submerged rocks that make it unsuitable for boogie boarding or real swimming, but the kids understood that we’d be visiting that sort of beach later, and got into the spirit of things, enjoying our lovely semi-private beach for what it was.

Our condo came with a closet full of beach chairs, boogie boards and other beach equipment, which made it just so nice. The staff at Mama’s were incredible, so accommodating and lovely. You get 10% off meals at the restaurant while you’re staying there, so of course we did that the first night (let them make your dinner reservation when you reserve your cottage stay; the place books up months in advance).

The dinner was sublime, and they do accommodate kids with a very nice kids’ menu, but our guys went for the real stuff on the adult menu and were very appreciative of the quality of the ingredients and preparation. All of their fish is caught the morning they serve it by a fleet of local boats and they use almost exclusively local, seasonal produce to prepare it. I had the nightly special which was an inventive preparation of an unusual fish. Our server was amazing – she spent ages with us talking about the qualities of those fish we weren’t familiar with and helping us get our dinner orders just right. She brought extra bread for the kids (incredible guava sweet rolls, if I recall correctly) and even wrapped up some more for us to take home. I recommend an early dinner that first night for several reasons: We weren’t quite adjusted to the time yet, we had to get up waaaay early the next day, and Mama’s does run out of some fish items as the night goes on – whatever was caught that day is what there is.

Day 2: We did, as I mentioned, need to get up extremely early on our second day on Maui, because we were going up to the top of Haleakala (Maui’s large volcano) to see the sunrise, then bike back down. Experts advise doing this on your first full day in Hawaii to take advantage of the time change, and I admit that did make it a little easier. We had to be up at 2 AM in order to be at the bike shop by 3. (Luckily Mama’s is only about 15 minutes from Haleakala Bike Company, the company that drove us up to the top in a very nice mini-bus and supplied us with excellent mountain bikes, windbreakers, gloves and backpacks for our adventure.

The sunrise was breathtaking; you arrive at the top of the volcano (10,000+ feet elevation) in the dark and can start counting stars. Soon, though the horizon reddens up and you take a spot on the rim of the volcano’s crater with the rest who have decided to brave the early hour and 40-50 degree temperatures (good thing we had those windbreakers, plus our own fleeces). Even our jaded teen was enthused about how stunning this was.

Once the sun was up, we could see the crater emerging in breathtaking colors as the clouds receded. On the tip of our driver, we turned around shortly after the sun was up to see the shadow of Mt. Haleakala on the clouds behind it (look behind the parking lot). This only shows up for 10 or 15 minutes every morning – I’m glad we caught a picture!

We got on our bikes and started downhill on an experience that the boys called “The most fun we’ve ever had before breakfast!” The biking company we selected is one of only two that allows you to go down independently and at your own pace. They supply maps and you just need to turn in your bikes at the shop by 4pm. The others send you down in a large caravan with guides in front and behind, which may sound nice but in reality means you often go faster than you are comfortable going (and sometimes slower). Going on our own let us pick our speed and explore what stops we wanted to make.

The whole ride is around 24 miles, almost all of which is downhill. I don’t necessarily recommend the biking part of the adventure for kids under 10 or 12; you are riding downhill on the shoulder of a road and it’s moderately steep at times. All participants should be confident in their biking skills and mature enough to remember that you cannot stop on a dime in this situation and that you need to control your speed to stay safe. If your group is comfortable and capable, the bike ride down the mountain is an incredible experience, offering views that one is apt to miss in a car, and all day (if you want it) to explore the mountain towns and interesting sites on the way down.

We stopped at Kula Lodge for breakfast and some amazing views. (The pancakes, while fluffy, were a little flavorless. Stick with the eggs.) They have beautiful terraced gardens that guests are welcome to explore. We also stopped in the cowboy town/artist colony of Makawao for a little exploring; one could do breakfast or lunch here.

If biking’s beyond the comfort level of your party, I still recommend making it up top for the sunrise. Leave plenty of time for the drive up – at least an hour from Paia, longer from other parts of the island – and remember you’ll want to be there at least 30 minutes before the scheduled sunrise to see the sky change (and get a parking spot). Driving your own car would allow you more time to explore the summit after sunrise and watch the crater light up, even do a short hike into the crater if you like. It’s pretty otherworldly. On the way down, there are lots of additional Upcountry sights to see if you have a car: ziplining, a dairy goat farm and even a winery. You can make a whole day of exploring the upcountry.

We arrived back at the bike shop around noon, even with an extended stop for breakfast and some time poking around in Makawao. On the way back to our cottage at Mama’s, we stopped at Mana Foods in Paia to pick up supplies for lunch and dinner. Mana is like Whole Foods meets local general store, and we loved it for the local fish and produce.

We spent the rest of the afternoon napping on “our” beach to make up for the early morning. We cooked dinner at the cottage that evening and ate on the lanai, making good use of the gas barbecue grill at the cottage and the plethora of tropical fruits available everywhere on the island. (Monchong, a fish that’s not plentiful enough to be exported, with a relish of passionfruit [lilikoi], papaya and lime, grilled sweet potatoes with herb-garlic butter, sautéed local spinach, grilled pineapple, and our leftover guava bread from the previous night’s dinner at Mama’s.

Day 3: We checked out of the cottage that morning (it was hard to say goodbye!) and set off on our drive to Hana. While the trip there and back could be done in one day, we elected to arrange for a night in Hana so that we would have all the time we wanted to really explore along the way. If you don’t spend the night in Hana, I’d advise a third night at Mama’s, as it’s closer on the way back than the resorts on the other side of the island.

The thing to remember about Hana is that it’s called the “road to Hana” for a reason – there’s very little in the town itself; the experience and adventure is in making lots of stops along the way to take short hikes, view scenic overlooks and waterfalls, and swim in hidden pools. This is where Maui Revealed really shines. I advise spending time before your trip marking off which of the many, many stops and diversions on the road to Hana you want to see. It’s impossible to do everything the book lists. We’ve done this drive three times and have only repeated one stop.

This trip, we had a few particularly memorable stops: a swimmable waterfall and pool near the 11-mile marker, Ching’s pond near mile 19, the Ke’Anae peninsula, a hidden lava tube/cave, and the unmissable Waianapanapa State Park, the one stop we have made on each of our treks to Hana. Waianapanapa features a beautiful black sand beach, freshwater cave pools you can swim in (we did), lava tubes, and a blowhole.

By the time we pulled into Hana it was getting dark, and you should note that what few stores there are in town close early. We picked up some breakfast supplies at the general store and checked into our hotel, Hana Kai Maui. I absolutely recommend it for families, as units all have a kitchen. It’s also the only oceanfront lodgings I know of in Hana, which admittedly does not offer a lot of options. We ate a not-particularly-memorable dinner at Hana Ranch, then slept with all the windows open to listen to the sound of the surf.

Day 4: In the morning I set the alarm early to enjoy the sunrise from the perfectly East-facing Hana Bay in front of our hotel. (what the heck, I wasn’t really on Hawaii time yet anyway). It was worth it.

Then we got ourselves packed, checked out of the Hana Kai, and started our exploring for the day with a walk to the end of Hana Bay, along a little trail to a hidden red-sand pocket beach we read about in Maui Revealed.

If we were planning to spend the whole day in Hana, I would have liked to have rented kayaks and paddled around the end of the bay, visiting the small lighthouse and point. But we had other plans.

Rather than turning back, we continued driving past Hana to the Pools at O’heo Gulch. These are sometimes referred to in guidebooks as the Seven Sacred Pools, but in reality there are more than seven, and they’re not sacred to anyone except maybe the tourist board. What they are, is a lovely series of waterfalls and pools that tumble down the hillside to the sea. It’s part of Haleakala National Park, so if you kept your receipt from the mountaintop, you just show it here.

We climbed along the waterfalls and swam in the pools. Getting there in the morning had the advantage of them not being too crowded; I’d hate to see it at mid-day.

From there, most people turn around and drive the road back the way they came. If you drive straight through, it’s about 2 ½ hours to the Paia/Kahului area. We did the other thing, and continued around the island. This isn’t the “approved” way and there are a lot of warnings trying to convince tourists not to do it, but the road is not as bad as they make it out to be and the views are spectacular. Bear in mind, you’re out in the middle of nowhere and there’s no gas or services. The road is a single lane in many places and dirt in several. Be From there, most people turn around and drive the road back the way they came. If you drive straight through, it’s about 2 ½ hours to the Paia/Kahului area. We did the other thing, and continued around the island. This isn’t the “approved” way and there are a lot of warnings trying to convince tourists not to do it, but the road is not as bad as they make it out to be and the views are spectacular. Bear in mind, you’re out in the middle of nowhere and there’s no gas or services. The road is a single lane in many places and dirt in several. Be very cautious going around blind turns (there are many) and be courteous about backing up to a place where the road is wide enough to pull over if you meet someone coming the other way. That said, it is a little shorter (2 hours) and you see new scenery. It’s a reasonable thing to drive if you’re fresh and doing it early in the day, but I wouldn’t suggest it if you did Hana all in one day and are tired.

The views include the big island of Hawaii, the dry side of Maui, and the youngest (approx. 200 years old) lava flows down around La Perouse Bay (we’ll visit these again by boat).

We arrived back on the “populated” areas of Maui mid-day and made a stop for a seaside lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise in Lahaina Town. Lahaina is an old whaling town that nowadays has shops and restaurants along the waterfront, a nice harbor, and what nightlife there is to be found in West Maui. After a little walk along the strand and a stop to pick up snacks and drinks at an ABC store, we headed to our hotel for five days at the Westin Maui on Kaanapali Beach.

As on all the Hawaiian islands, the western and southern shores are sunnier and tend to house the resort areas. Kaanapali Beach is my favorite area to stay because in addition to having a gorgeous, mile-long strand of fluffy sand, its string of resorts and high-end condos are connected by a lovely beachwalk and centered by a small outdoor mall. Staying anywhere along Kaanapali Beach gives you access to all the other resorts and the mall via walkway or free shuttle (which also goes to Lahaina Town), which means you’ve got an almost endless number of restaurant and entertainment options within a short walk. There are also ocean activities (surfing lessions and rentals, snorkel rentals, catamaran and parasail rides) available beachfront.

That said, I do have my preferences about where exactly to stay along Kaanapali Beach, and the Westin is my top choice if you want a hotel. It’s got an amazing complex of five pools, great views from the rooms, and is located almost smack in the middle of the beach – next to the Whaler’s Village (mall) and in easy walking distance of everything. It’s not exactly cheap, but we got lucky and were offered a deal to come preview their timeshares, so it was a no-brainer for us. (Signing up for Westin’s Starwood Preferred Guest program tends to get you on their list for timeshare deals.)

If you want to have a kitchen and a little more space, my top choice would be to stay in the Kaanapali Ali’i, right next door to the Westin. There are no onsite restaurants, but all the resorts will happily let you visit theirs. The pool area is less elaborate, but also less crowded than the Westin. Be aware if you stay at the Ali’i that the ocean right in front tends to be more active than in front of the Westin. So when you want to surf or boogie board, go in front of the Ali’i, but if you want calmer waters, walk next door and plonk yourself down in front of the Westin.

It is a peculiarity of the Westin Maui that they do not offer free beach or lounge chairs to their guests on the beach. They will happily rent you some ($45 a day for two lounge chairs and an umbrella), but we elected to spend our money instead on a package of beach chairs, umbrella, snorkels and boogie boards from The Snorkel Store just across the road. These were high-end chairs with built-in coolers and a heavy-duty umbrella that withstood the sometimes-windy beach. The Ali’i does have a stack of free beach chairs for its guests to use on the beach (and no one checking to see if you’re actually staying there, for what it’s worth).

Note: After Kaanapali Beach was fully built out, hotel chains began building hotels on the beaches to the north of Black Rock. Although this is not part of Kaanapali Beach, the newer hotels and timeshares there began being marketed as being in “North Kaanapali.” There is actually no such thing as North Kaanapali; those hotels are on Kahekili Beach and several others. These days, some of them are being advertised as being on Kaanapali Beach. You want to avoid the area to the north of Black Rock – in addition to being far distant and completely cut off from the true Kaanapali Beach by Black Rock itself, hotels along the northern side of that stretch are located near an outlet for Maui’s wastewater. The water up there is usually cloudy with algae and sometimes smelly.

We spent our first evening enjoying the pool complex (our boys made friends at the pool’s basketball hoop and could reliably be found there all week), then walked over to Whaler’s Village for an easygoing dinner at Hula Grill’s beachside Barefoot Bar. (Note that the outdoor Barefoot Bar has a separate, more casual menu from the indoor restaurant.) True to its name, the sand floor makes it nearly irresistible to kick off your shoes and dig your toes in the sand while you eat.

Day 5: The next day was a rest-and-enjoy-the-resort day, which we did: There was plenty of beach, pool, fish-feeding, and lava flows (pina coladas with strawberry…yum).

That evening, we headed out to the Old Lahaina Luau, my top recommendation for luaus on Maui. The food and entertainment are both superior to that offered at the resort luaus, and it’s got a more authentic, less cheesy feel. (Our room was quite near the location of the Westin luau. It was cheesy.) You’ll want to reserve a few months ahead for good seats and get there early to stroll around the grounds, take pictures and enjoy the musicians and Hawaiian games and crafts.

Day 6: Next on our list of adventures was a snorkeling adventure by boat. Molokini Crater is one of Maui’s most-lauded snorkeling spots, and the only way to get there is by boat. It’s the mostly-sunken crater of an extinct volcano with a robust coral reef system inside and teeming wildlife all around. Many boat companies will take you there; you just need to decide on the kind of experience you want.

Our first trip to Molokini years ago was on a sailing catamaran with Trilogy. They have an excellent reputation and we had a wonderful experience with them. For most of these trips you usually motor on the way out to Molokini since winds are so light in the morning, eating a light breakfast on board, then snorkel Molokini, sail back toward Maui with a stop to snorkel with sea turtles at one of their known hotspots, have lunch and maybe drinks on the boat, and arrive back in the harbor in the early afternoon. We found Trilogy to be an excellent company; their boats were nicely appointed and not overcrowded, the food good, and the staff friendly. Plus, we encountered a pod of about 30 spinner dolphins that played around the boat on that trip.

This time we wanted to do something a little different, so we booked our trip on Blue Water Rafting’s inflatable (zodiac) motor boat. This is a much faster boat so the tour covered quite a bit more. First, we went south along the coast to La Peruse Bay, site of the last lava flow on Maui. We saw spinner dolphins (although not 30) and stopped to watch them for a while. The captain took us close enough to see all the sea caves and arches and explained what we were seeing in the various lava flows. The surf was crashing all around us and it was quite exciting for the boys.

After that we had several stops to snorkel. The first was Molokini – but not the inside of the crater where most boats go. Blue Water is the only outfit that takes snorkelers for a swim off the back side of Molokini, where you can look down through crystalline water to see the cliff wall disappear down into the depths. Our second snorkel stop was inside Molokini crater itself, but even then, it was unusual. Instead of mooring in place like the big boats do, our captain told us to explore the crater then allow the outgoing tide to sweep us over the edge of the crater – something passengers on the big boats are not supposed to do! Since it’s a small boat, he was able to navigate over and meet us on the other side. Our final snorkel stop was to visit sea turtles at one of their favorite spots, and we weren’t disappointed; we saw about five and got to watch several have their shells cleaned by black tangs.

While the regular boats to Molokini do a great job, this was a fantastic choice for our second visit – we got to do so many unusual things. Potential participants should be aware that this type of large inflatable boat does not provide a smooth ride. Those in the front of the boat will get bounced around quite a bit on the waves and actually do need to hold on to the provided lines. Those in the back will have a less wild, but wetter, ride.

We made a stop for shave ice on the way back at Maui’s hands-down best shave ice place: Ululani’s. Don’t bother with anyone else – at best they’re sad imitations and at worst, sno-cones covered in disgustingly sugary syrup. Fortunately Ululani’s has several locations (yes, we tried more than one).

That evening we walked up to the Sheraton at Black Rock for their sunset torchlighting and cliff dive ceremony, then had a nice dinner at Lelani’s on the Beach.

Day 7: Another day on the beach … just about right. This one started out with some snorkeling at Black Rock, which is one of Maui’s top snorkel spots and conveniently just a short walk down the beach from our hotel. Dinner was at one of our all-time favorite restaurants, Pacific’O in Lahaina. I recommend siting outside and ordering whatever is the fish special that day.

Day 8: The next day we set out by car to explore the far north end of the island. There is a road that goes all the way around this end of the island, but we didn’t go all the way. It is, in parts, another of those one-lane dirt roads on the side of a cliff, so if you go all the way, make sure your driver is alert. This was another day where Maui Revealed is an absolute must – many of the trails are not marked and you’ll need the descriptions from the book to find these things.

We started with a stop in Kapalua to hike out to the Dragon’s Teeth – an area with gorgeous views and oddly-eroded rocks like this. Next we drove to Honolua Bay for some snorkeling (stay along the right-hand side of the Bay for the best coral and wildlife), then parked the car partway down an access road for lunch with a view.

After lunch, we continued around the far north tip of the island with views of Molokai and a great stretch of ocean, stopping for a hike down to the Nakele blowhole. We got lucky and saw many spouts as high as 50 or 60 feet in the air. You can watch the blowhole easily from above, or make the somewhat challenging hike down to the ocean to see it at eye level. If you do, be aware that you are on your own as far as not getting killed goes; there’s no fence or rope to protect you from your own stupidity should you venture close enough for the water to wash you in.

Our final stop was a hike to the magnificent Olivine Pools. These may have been undiscovered before they were written up in Maui Revealed; these days it’s normal to see at least a few other people there in spite of the long climb down an unmarked boulder field. This may not be suitable for young kids but those who do make the climb are rewarded with an amazing series of calm pools fed by the ocean. They can be safely swum in unless the ocean is particularly active that day, but look carefully for the unmarked hole and small blowhole where the water drains out, and don’t get between the final pool and the ocean.

That night, the kids elected to stay late in the pool with their newfound friends while we adults had a romantic dinner at Relish Oceanside. Ask for a beachside table!

Day 9: Another day spent relaxing by the pool and ocean. By this time we had caught on: If we wanted lounge chairs together in the shade, we should bring our breakfasts out to the pool deck and eat there before everyone else claimed them. On days when we didn’t have shade on the pool deck, we preferred spending the hottest part of the day under an umbrella on the beach, relocating to the pool around 3pm when people started to give up those coveted shady loungers.

That evening we attended another luau, Feast at Lele. I’d long been intrigued by it, as I knew it was a collaboration between the folks at the Old Lahaina Luau and Pacific’O, two places we love. The concept of this one is that the show covers all the different Polynesian islands (so you get to see Samoan fire knife dancing), and serves courses from those islands as you watch the different dances. We had mixed feelings about this event. I don’t think we needed to see a second luau, although the performances and setting were very good. The food, too, was very good, but there was too much of it (several dishes per country, served to your table), in too many courses. We had food fatigue by the third serving and the kids preferred the somewhat simpler, but no less delicious, buffet at Old Lahaina Luau. An all-adult group might be more appreciative of Feast at Lele.

Day 10: We departed on a morning flight for the Big Island. My motivation for adding these last few days onto our trip was solely to see the eruption of Kilauea. Sure, it’s been erupting for 32 years, but who’s to say it’s not going to stop tomorrow?

After a quick and easy flight, I soothed my boys’ demands for hamburgers and mine for a view with lunch at the Kona Canoe Club in Kona. The burgers were good and I was entertained by watching the surf break over the seawall. I enjoyed getting to see a little of Kona, since that would be the only time we visited the town.

After driving a little to the north, we checked in at the Marriott Waikoloa for three nights, which was just right on so many levels. Waikoloa is quieter than Kaanapali, which I was ready for. I don’t know that I’d want to spend a week there, but for three or four days it’s great. The grounds are lovely, pools slightly less complex but still lots of fun (and much less crowded) than those of the Westin. It’s got a pair of ancient Hawaiian fish ponds between the pool/hotel and the beach, which were interesting and picturesque without extending the walk to the beach too much. The beachfront is a large bay with plenty of (free!) lounge chairs, shared only at the far end with a small public access and great restaurant, the Lava Lava Beach Club. Plus, the price was right, especially if you are a member of Marriot’s frequent guest program, which is free to join.

That first evening we walked over to Lava Lava Beach Club and had a great sunset dinner on the beach listening to the local-du-jour play Hawaiian music. If you can’t get a reservation, they have plenty of tables and couches on the sand that are first-come, first-served. I’d definitely go back there.

Day 11: My plan allowed for two whole days on the Big Island, just in case weather over the volcano was poor. Friends went once and found themselves in ground-level clouds with about ten feet of visibility—I wanted to leave a second chance.

Fortunately our planned day forecast only higher-level clouds, so we got up early and set out for Hilo, a 1 ½ hour drive (if you take the short way, the road across the saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.) We had enough time for a short stop to see the Hilo’s Boiling Pots and Rainbow Falls before reporting to the airport for our helicopter ride over the volcano.

Since the volcano is no longer sending lava across an accessible area, helicopters are the only way to view active lava flows right now. After much research I had judged Safari Helicopters to be the best combination of safe and affordable.

Our ride was pretty neat—but your expectations should be realistic. Cooling lava quickly turns silvery, then gray and finally black. Don’t expect to see long swathes of glowing red magma; you won’t. But we could see the glow at the edges of the flows as it moved through the forest burning down trees, and we had an amazing pass over the Pu’u O’o vent itself, where we could see magma flowing into the upper end of active lava tubes.

After the helicopter ride, we took a short detour to visit the mecca of all things Macadamia Nut: the Mauna Loa macadamia nut farm and visitor’s center. From there, it was upwards to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, with a stop to pick up some excellent sandwiches at the Kilauea General Store in the aptly named town of Volcano, HI.

The National Park has plenty to see and do; at the top of our list were the visitor’s center, Jaggar Overlook and Museum, steam vents hike and Thurston lava tube. We also took Chain of Craters Road all the way down to Holei Sea Arch, stopping along the way to see the leavings of various outbreaks and lava flows over the years.

We ended the day with dinner at Volcano House, a hotel within the National Park overlooking the crater. It’s pricey, but good. An option I would recommend for families is their more casual lounge area, which serves a reduced menu but also overlooks the crater. This would also be a fun place to spend the night.

And seeing the volcano at night is a really big deal. When the sun goes down, the glow comes up. The magma lake on top of Kilauea looked like this during the day, but this in full darkness. It was mesmerizing.

Day 12: Our final day in Hawaii was dedicated to goofing off on the beach. Since it was a Wednesday, we were able to take advantage of a low price on four hours of all-we-could-play beach toys from Ocean Sports right in front of our hotel. They call the program Aloha Days, and it operates Sundays and Wednesdays. The boys spent most of the day alternating between hyrdobikes and stand-up paddling, but they also offer snorkeling, rides in their glass bottom boats, kaying and a few other things.

On our final evening we tried to do something awesome, but it didn’t quite work the way we’d hoped. There is a spot on the Big Island where manta rays are known to come to feed at night, and there are a number of boats that will take you there for a nighttime snorkel. The reviews I read from other people sounded incredible—the rays sometimes even bump you while they feed—but on the evening we went, there were no rays at all, so it’s tough for me to recommend this outing. If you go, I would suggest trying to find the boat that launches from closest to the snorkel site—there’s really not a lot of fun to be had riding a boat in the dark when you’re wet and cold.

Day 13: Our flight left in the afternoon, so we enjoyed an outdoor buffet breakfast at the Marriott and spent the remainder of the morning relaxing at the pools. It was a terrific end to a really amazing trip.