Most of all, catch this: These 2.5 weeks in Hawaii finish with me most in love with Kelli and most in awe of God's power and creativity and grace! This was a trip that we'll treasure always.
Now, to Maui, our favorite Hawaiian island...
Day 1: May 26, 2006
Kelli's last Boards exam, my seminary finals and final lesson in Beyond, Kel's graduation from optometry school, a move to Kentucky...all built anticipation for Maui day.
We left DFW early, then caught a few hours of the fourth "24" season during our extended layover in San Francisco, then off to Lihue, Kauai.
We got into Kauai around 4 p.m. before connecting to our inter-island flight to Maui, which we reached around 7:30 p.m. (Hawaii time). To say the very least, by the time we got to Maui, we were far over all this travel (16 hours in a Penske truck to Louisville, 12 hours of flights and layovers to DFW for Kelli's sisters graduation, and the 17 hours travelling to Hawaii)...all this in a week. So we were pretty bummed to hear the Thrifty clerk tell us it would take us 45 minutes to drive from the airport to the pink pyramind metropolis that is the Kaanapali Embassy Suites. She did assign us a yellow Jeep Wrangler, though, so all was forgiven.After check-in, we grabbed a quick dinner at Dollie's (a concierge recommendation...really the only nearby grindspot still open) and hit the hay.
Day 2: May 27, 2006
Rise and shine! We slept like lava rocks and accepted the hotel's invitation to an island orientation breakfast. We were looking forward to the fresh pineapple that captured our fruit affections in our Hawaiian honeymoon. And the Embassy Suites didn't disappoint...Breakfast and Maui tips were nice; they even did silly magic tricks and gave us one free admission to the local magic show, which, um, we didn't use. We did, however, schedule a snorkeling trip to Molokini and Turtle Town...you need no photo to picture Kelli's excited smile at the thought of swimming with turtles!
In our own island orientation, we putted around Maui to see in daylight what we drove past the night before. We stopped at a scenic lookout along the west coast and had a tasty lunch in Maalea. While balancing my responsibilities as the driver (not only carrying precious cargo, but also trying to honor the natives' wishes that mainlanders not speed, which proved tough for this Houston-trained racer), we set our favorite radio stations on our Maui ride. Didn't take long for us to realize the Hawaiians obsession with Kelly Clarkson; they love her! Every other song is "Breakaway" or "Because of You." And you know we're Kelly Clarkson fans, though my Profile doesn't reveal that, nor does it admit my fancy for Justin Timberlake's tunes (but oh how my dogs dance at the hearing of JT's beats). (RYAN, before publishing this blog, delete any mention of Justin Timberlake...keep that admission between you and the Lord...don't forget.) 
A certain few songs stand out in our memories of our honeymoon trip to the Big Island and Oahu, and we like to listen to them now and again to conjure recollection. For the same reason, we've turned to iTunes to build our Maui-Kauai play list -- which you can purchase at iTunes Music Store, just search Ryan and Kelli's Maui-Kauai Tunes (don't do that, you'll find nothing). As I type, I'm listening to our play list and am enjoying memories of those vast, lush valleys smack dab in the middle of Maui's north half; exceedingly more stunning than "The Valley Island" moniker suggests.We spent a few hours at the pool and then at a secluded portion of Kaanapali Beach, where Kelli promises she saw Fred the Turtle 22 times, though we haven't the pictures to prove it since we left our camera in the room. Bummer. If proof is what you need, I stand as an eyewitness to Kelli's discovery, and should you and I meet at a body of water, I do a spot-on impression of Fred the Turtle.
The evening in Lahaina Town was fun, despite our wasteful dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. If you collect Hard Rock Cafe Tees and just have to have the Maui version, fine; but too many fine eateries line Front Street to spend your time and money at Hard Rock. Surely, Scoops, the Lappert's Ice Cream-serving treat spot could redeem dinner. Yes, Ed, it did, and your Kauai Pie rants weren't misplaced. Yummy! (I should say that this Lappert's plug does not have the approval of Dr. Bishop. No offense, Glasscocks, Kelli just doesn't like coffee-flavored anything. She did, however, make peace with the Hawaiian ice cream maker in Kauai.)
Day 3: May 28, 2006
Laps at the hotel pool begun the day. Then we stocked our kitchenette with cereal flakes and milk for Maui breakfasts.
Determined never again to pick a meal spot so whimsically, we followed a local recommendation to Aloha Mixed Plate...good call; the ribs and chicken and smoothie pleased. A neighboring diner even captured our pose along with the restaurant's impressive beachside view; his wife was kind too, calling Kelli's board shorts "darlin." (Now I've resolved to use "darlin" as often as possible.)That afternoon, we browsed local shops and split time between cat naps and the Mavs-Suns game.
Another night in Lahaina. We shared a darlin dinner and incredible sunset at Pacific'O. Then we hit the remaining Front Street shops, when, all of a sudden, an attempt was made on my life. We were admiring a local's wares when a mango jumped off the tree above us and narily missed its target -- my head. "That mango almost knocked you out!" a passerby declared. "I know," I replied. "It was a close one."And as we finished Season 4 that night, I couldn't help but think...gee, if I were Jack Bauer, that mango wouldn't have reached the pavement before I foiled his assasination schemes. No, were I Jack Bauer, that bananas mango would've been served that morning at some island orientation breakfast...not hanging in wait, watching for its mark to happen by. (I'd go on...believe me...but this fantasy's gone on long enough. That Jack Bauer's one bad mamma jamma, though, right!?!) Fruit and felons, beware!
Day 4: May 29, 2006
Quicksilver was to anchor's away early, so my cell phone's alarm started us toward our Maalea departure. A rare Monk Seal saw us out of the harbor. The boat ride to the Molokini Crater was awesome. Sun shining, waves crashing, Kelli beaming...this would be a fine day indeed. Not much to say about snorkeling at Molokini, but Turtle Town, now that's a different story. We must've swam with at least five different turtles. And we were playing with a baby turtle when the Quicksilver horn sounded, calling us back to the ship. When we turned in our fins and masks, we saw we were two of the last to re-board. The rest of the 100-plus snorkelers were either eating lunch or in line to start. Over lunch, Captain Mike showed us the southwest coast of Maui and suggested beaches and other snorkeling spots.
The anchor's ropes were housed beneath our seats, so we got plenty of time to observe one senior crewmember of the Quicksilver. His name escapes me, but his voice is vibrant in my memory. That's because he'd fade in and out of an accent. Most of the time, R.J. -- that's his name, R.J. -- sounded like any other former Californian EMT. But when asked about Hawaiian to-dos, well, then R.J. would slide into surfer speak. Lots of "bras" and "mans" and "yahs" were dropped when pointing out preferred surf spots. Then -- and this was bizarre -- he infused an Irish accent into his mainland-turned-local talk. I'm still confused. But it was fun; the snorkeling trip was wonderful!
We hit the pool that afternoon before driving north to Kapalua.
I just had to stop by the clubhouse at the renowned Kapalua golf course in search of an affordable souveneir, in tribute to one of my dearest friends, who, at a tender age had his left breast branded with the Kapalua butterfly. Sure enough, I found a fitting cap (and, later, a more fitting shirt).
Then we dined at another sunset favorite, Plantation House. Another dear friend turned us on to this marvelous view of the dynamic north side of Maui, its tall, green trees, manicured greens, varied flowers, dramatic cliffs and scenic sea. Great tip, Justin. Thank you, Lord, for this spectacular day!
Day 5: May 30, 2006
2:45 a.m., and we're off to Haleakala. Ahead of us is a 2-hour drive to and up Maui's volcano. Watching a Haleakala Sunrise tops nearly everyone's list of Maui musts, so we weren't going to miss it, and we're so blessed we didn't.
As the topless yellow Jeep climbed to 10,000 feet, we were shivering. It was very cold that morning, above the clouds and above the wind protection the volcano's outer walls had given us previous days. So very, very worth it, though. The sunrise was inspiring.We were exhausted driving back to the hotel, but we got back around 8:30, so we had the whole day before us and even time for a nap...
We met up with the Hemphills at lunch. Stephen and Karyn are great friends from Houston. We met in our Sunday school class and became friends in our home group. The Hemphills were oft Wally Bear's loving caretakers while Kelli and I vacationed.
We caught up over pizza at BJ's in Lahaina, snuck in a quick snorkel/hike near Kapalua, watched the Mavs game and the sunset at our hotel, then broke bread at Roy's. The Hemphills were kind enough to give us a large chunk of their vacation, and the time flew. Good friends are a treasure.Day 6: May 31, 2006
After our insanely early morning at Haleakala, we woke questioning the benefits of the Road to Hana. Some have called it overrated, while others cite Hana as their favorite Maui site. Honestly, when the alarm woke us, I was skeptical about a full day in the car. So I texted my best bud for his opinion. He was persuasive, so we gassed up the Jeep and made our way to Hana. Wasn't long before our decision was affirmed. The most amazing views of the most beautiful place I know...
We negotiated the more than 50 one-lane bridges and 617 haripin turns all the way to our favorite day of the entire Hawaiian trip. We took hundreds of Hana photos, visited the Blue Pool and the famed Seven Pools. We even made the 4-mile roundtrip hike to the 400-foot Waimoku Falls. 
The Jeep begged us to take the forbidden route home, so we complied and found facinating returns for our small risk. So, if you're in Maui, spend at least a day -- two would be better -- in Hana! And stop at the roadside taco and smoothie stands near Mile Marker 29.Day 7: June 1, 2006
Day 7 was to begin with a timeshare presentation, in consideration for the deep discount the hotel scored us on the Quicksilver Snorkel Trip. Surprise, surprise, though, as the sales pitch began, as we were enjoying the free breakfast, the lady said we could be dismissed since we don't own a home (a pre-requisite for their timeshare program). So we got our snorkel discount and breakfast without suffering through their 90-minute spiel. Sweet, to the beach, Kelli!
We aimed at the southwest side of Maui for snorkeling. Makenna and Wailea are known for their fish-infested waters. We heard about a short but "pesky" hike to the "Aquarium," supposedly the very best spot on Maui. The hike was more than pesky. We traversed slippery shore rocks at the beginning of the hike because we had to thread the Pacific and private land.
Next we had to climb insecure lava rock piles for like an hour and got lost many times, nearly giving up till we met some Germans who were making their way over the lava rock wall, just leaving the Aquarium. Another Houstonian couple followed us over the tall lava lid and down into the water. And, again, the difficult hike was worth it. Loads and loads of fish.But when we got out of the water, we had to hike back. Though it was another hour-and-a-half, sunburning trek, we at least stuck to the trail on this leg.
We were starving and exhausted, so we mimicked the Hemphills and fixed our Mexican food fix at Fred's in Wailea, where we also watched the Mavs bully the Suns.
By the time we got back to the hotel, we were done. Burned and still exhausted, we watched the Spelling Bee all night. Awesome!
Day 8: June 2, 2006
With our last few hours on Maui, we did some last-minute shopping, and we toured the north side of Maui. It was a relaxing afternoon; just what we needed to ready ourselves for Kauai!
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