Just returned from Maui, Hawaii

So many other posts on here I've tried to compile, plus a few things we learned on our own. <br><br>We are from Texas and traveled form CFR airport to OGG. Flew Hawaiian and our first three flights were uneventful. The forth was delayed, and the final was super delayed. <br><br>We rented a car one-way from Kahului airport to Ka'anapali. A lot of people are saying don't do this - but we thought it was perfect and will continue to do it this way. We had a morning flight and it was 2.5 hours from the time we walked off the plane until we were off the airport in our rental car. For us it was well worth it, we got to see a lot of the island on the way to our hotel and didn't have to waste a day traveling or sitting at an airport. <br><br>We stayed at the Hyatt Regency. It is a great hotel, but the pools are a little smaller than what we would have expected. The water slide is a big hit with kids and the swim up bar has a little cavern you can sit in. <br><br>The first night we always go to a local favorite restaurant. This time it was the Fish Hopper. Local seafood, great service and a good view. <br><br>On day two we drove the Road to Hana. We downloaded the Road to Hana app and used the Audio functionality. At each stop it would tell us about the location, the geology and history. It was super helpful and made the drive a lot more interesting than just looking at the scenery. <br><br>We stopped at Kahanu Garden, but our favorite stop was Wai'anapanapa State Park. We took a short hike on the Ka'ana'pali Trail, and then chilled on the beach for a couple of hours. The black sand is really cool and the water is icy cold. I loved getting in and out of the water as the sun beat down and then the cold water cooled me off. <br><br>We also stopped at Hana Town and got some Shaved Ice and some fresh fruit. We also stopped at the Hana Lava Tube, but did not take the tour. Our kids didn't really want to take the time, plus it was a little pricy. <br><br>That night we went to Mama's Fish House. Amazing restaurant and the food was the best we've ever had. It is a little pricy, but we thought well worth it. <br><br>On day three we took surf lessons in Lahaina and then did a little shopping. None of us were very good at catching waves, but it was a lot of fun. <br><br>That night we went to Star Noodle. It was a cool restaurant and the food was really good. Not as good as Mama's, but at a lower price point. <br><br>On day four we did a snorkeling tour to Molokini Crater. We had never snorkeled in the ocean before and we were blown away at how clear and beautiful the water was. We say a ton of tropical fish and even a couple of sea turtles. We went with Maui Adventure Cruises and they were great. We did the 5.5 hour tour and it was a good length for us. <br><br>That night we went to the Drunken Noodle. It was really good and the Pad Thai was our favorite dish of the trip. <br><br>On day five we went to a Luau. We went with the Old Lahaina Luau. The food was great and there was a ton of it. The show was a little cheesy, but it was a great value for the price. <br><br>Our last night we went to the Sea House. It was another great restaurant. <br><br>On our departure day we dropped our rental car off at the Sheraton and they took us to the airport. Again, no issues. <br><br>Overall great trip and would love to go back. <br><br>A few takeaways, we didn't see any whales, but its not really the time of year for that. Also, the trade winds were pretty strong, so we had more breeze than we thought we would. I think the biggest surprise was how cool it was in the mornings and evenings. It was probably mid 60's most of the time. We also didn't have any rain. <br><br>It is a long way from Texas, but worth it.