Boating on the Intracoastal in South Florida
This past weekend, as part of my birthday week, my husband, Tim, and friends rented a boat so that we could cruise the South Florida Intracoastal. We spent most of our time in the Boca Raton area and at Boca Lake.
I hope you enjoy the pictures of some of the mansions that we cruised by. Each picture contains only one house (even though it might seem impossible). Keep in mind that for most of these people, this is their second or third home and they are rarely in residence. We noted that no one was outside at any of the homes.
How cute is the first picture? It’s a smaller house among the mansions but I simply love the bright colors used for the chairs on the dock. Of all the houses, I think this is the one I would have chosen to kick back and enjoy a cold drink while watching the boats go by.
P.S. I loved the lively Floridian look Tim was sporting, complete with panama hat, and I couldn’t resist posting it here.
Packing and Checking out of the Grand Wailea in Maui - Day 10 - Friday
As we say good-bye to the Grand Wailea and sadly begin the chore of packing our suitcases, I leave you with the sounds of the tranquil waves that we’ve grown accustomed to listening to.
Enjoy,
Tammy
Our Last Full Day in Maui - Day 9 - Thursday
Today is our last full day at The Grand Wailea. Tim played a round of golf while I relaxed at the hotel and we met up for shopping at the Shops at Wailea and lunch at Tommy Bahamas. Picture three shows me wearing the beautiful crystal necklace and earrings that Tim bought me at the Swarovski store. Every time I wear them in the future, I will be reminded of a most amazing vacation.
After another lazy afternoon in the winding pool (I don’t think this would ever get old), we dressed for dinner at Humuhumunukunukuapua’a and met some new friends at the lobby bar.
The view was spectacular and the wine flowed. Before long, I was so drowsy, lulled by the sound of the waves, that we decided to end the night early and give in to the call of our soft bed.
Beaches in Wailea
Although we didn’t take this picture, I had to reblog it as I think the photographer definitely captured the beauty of the beaches here in Wailea.
Enjoy,
Tammy
Wailea Beach Maui by mojo2u on Flickr.
(via killurkatherine)
Enjoying Maui - Just Another Day in Paradise - Day 8 - Wednesday
Today was a wonderfully restful day. We decided to forgo the “Road to Hana” and spend the day relaxing at the beach. Good choice. We spent the morning drinking mimosas, while lounging on our balcony, and marveling at how lucky we are to have such a beautiful view. Life is good.
For lunch, we ventured out to the “Cafe on the Green” located just down the road at the Makena Beach and Golf Resort. This is a wonderful restaurant located at the golf course. The food was delicious (I had the lemongrass and corn veloute and the BLT avocado sandwich). Yum. The view of the course, ocean, and Molokini was exceptional. Oh yes, and the two Mai Tais hit the spot too!
After a very filling lunch, we changed into our bathing suits and hit the beach. The beach at the Grand Wailea is truly magnificent and calming. Given that it is a quiet little cove, only the guests of the Grand Wailea and the Four Seasons were enjoying it. I took a nap while listening to the waves gently rolling in. What can I say? I lead a tough life.
After such a grueling day, we showered off the sand and headed out to Ferraro’s at the Four Seasons to dine and watch the sunset. We started with Bruschetta and then I had the Pappardelle Bolognese – Traditional Veal and Meat Sauce and Tim had the Ricotta Gnocchi – Red Wine Braised Short Rib Ragout, Fresh Mint. We chose a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo to accompany it. So good!
We remarked at how funny it is that we’ve dined twice at the Four Season’s next door but have yet to experience the cuisine at our own hotel.
This is because we are working our way through the top restaurants recommended for Wailea on Trip Advisor:
- Number 1 - Ferraro’s - Wednesday dinner
- Number 2 - Duo - Monday dinner
- Number 3 - Cafe on the Green - Wednesday lunch
- Number 4 - Monkeypod - Thursday lunch
We’ve also eaten at Longhi’s (Tuesday lunch) at the Shops at Wailea (next door to our hotel).
Actually, we do have reservations at our hotel for our last night at Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (Yes, I did cut and paste that name!) at our hotel.
Named after Hawaii’s state fish, the Polynesian thatch roof restaurant seems to float on a million-gallon saltwater lagoon filled with tropical fish. Awarded “Best Resort Restaurant” in Maui by the readers of The Maui News and “Best Table for Two” by Islands magazine’s Best of the Worlds awards in February 2009.
After a fabulous dinner, we enjoyed port wine at Ferraro’s bar and listened to the instumental sounds of the violin and guitar. The couple beside us mentioned that the two very talented gentlemen playing for us had been playing at this bar for 12 years! Talk about job security.
The Grand Wailea is beautifully lit at night. I kicked off my stilettos and we strolled the grounds walking hand-in-hand. A synonym for Maui is romance.
Enjoying Maui - Experiencing the Old Lahaina Luau - Day 7 - Tuesday
After a day of exploring the Grand Wailea hotel and some time lounging by the pool, we cleaned up a bit and headed out to the Old Lahaina Luau. It is rated as one of the top traditional luaus in Maui (some say it is the best). We decided to go with common opinion and did not reserve the one at our hotel (which would have been very convenient) but, instead, drove the 45 minutes on a very slow road to the town of Lahaina to experience it. We were not disappointed.
After a short visit to the very touristy town of Lahaina, we entered the luau grounds and were seated at a table of eight. Although the food was bland, the show was not. The story told by the dancers was of Pele, the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes.
In a nutshell, Pele has a nasty temper. Every incident with a volcanic eruption in Hawaii is said to be Pele’s way of expressing her longing to be with her true love, in many stories a young chief named Lohiau, but she’s a fickle and dangerous lover who sometimes kills her husbands. It was a gripping story. :-) You can read more about Pele here.
I included a picture of my husband and I wearing our evening outfits that included some Hawaiian tradition. Tim is wearing a Kukui nut lei. The history of the Kukui nut lei dates back to the arrival of the early Polynesians to the Hawaiian Islands. The reigning chiefs and kings treasured the kukui nut lei and wore them proudly. You can read more about these necklaces here.
I’m wearing a plumeria in my hair. It’s very popular here in Hawaii. Wearing it behind your left ear means that you’re taken; behind the right means you’re available. Now that’s a cool way of getting a date! I’ve read that beautiful Hawaiian women will wear it on the left side until they see a man they are interested in. Then they quickly switch it to the right to show their interest. Love it!
Waking Up in Maui - Exploring the Grand Wailea - Day 7 - Tuesday
Today was an exploring day. The hotel that we’re staying at, The Grand Wailea, is like heaven on earth. It’s situated on 40 acres of lush vegetation and percisely manicured lawns and we took some time to explore it.
Note: I love the grass at these resorts. It looks nicer than a putting green and you can walk on it in stilettos without sinking in.
The first photo is the view from our balcony. This is what we wake up to every morning. Nice!
I’ve chosen only a few of the gorgeous pictures of the resort. Every where you turn there is a pocket of paradise.
Tonight we have reservations for the Old Lahaina Luau. It is a traditional style luau situated in the town of Lahaina and comes highly recommended.
Arriving in Maui - Day 6 - Monday
We’re now entering part 3 of our trip. Sadly, Maui is the last island we will explore. On a brighter note, we have heard from many that this is their favorite. We will be enjoying the Grand Wailea for the next 5 days.
After the slightly cooler temps in Volcano at 4000 feet elevation, Maui promises to deliver 82 degrees and allow us to change from jeans and sweaters to shorts and t-shirts. Nice. I’m ready for this.
Note: You can see my cute pink suitcase that I had to leave behind sitting beside the new tougher one that I bought. Sadly, the new one is not pink. Sigh.
Two short flights later and we arrived in Maui. Our hotel, The Grand Wailea, is only 30 minutes from the airport and after a quick stop to replenish our mimosa, wine, and appetizer supply, we arrived. The hotel is truly magnificent. Although we had already reserved an ocean view room, we were delighted to find out that we had been upgraded. Our view is of the magnificent gardens and the ocean. I don’t think the pictures will do it justice but I’ve posted two and will definitely be posting more over the next few days.
After having drinks out on the balcony, we made reservations at Duo, a highly recommended steakhouse at the Four Seasons, next door. A short walk along the beach and we arrived. We dined poolside/oceanside, with a view of the majestic fountain (see the picture with the fountain). After partaking in a wonderfully romantic dinner of champagne and filet mignon we strolled along the beach, back to our hotel and marvelled at how difficult it would be to spend the next few days in this heaven on earth. ;-)
I will be sharing pictures with you over the next couple of days.
In the meantime, you can see some pictures that I posted of the resort after we made reservations a couple months ago in this entry.
