Day 5 (Haleakala and Road to Hana)

 Okay. So there isn't much relaxing vacation to this relaxing vacation. We had yet another early morning. Fortunately for us, we have only teenagers. And teenagers love nothing more that to wake up early on days that they don't have to go to school. This morning was exceptionally early. Our alarms sounded at 2am because this very morning we were racing to be last! Last Americans to see the sun rise! There is this thing that crazy people can do if they are next-level crazy. You set your alarm for midnight 30 days in advance of your target date so that you might snag a sunrise reservation and be afforded the opportunity to drag your exhausted teenagers up the road that holds the world's record for the highest elevation gain in the shortest distance. In the pitch black dark. Fortunately, in the dark you aren't able to see the cliffs that neighbor your trek up the mountain. You are death adjacent, but none the wiser.  Then when you get to there, even though you left the temperate Hawaiian climate of 70ish degrees, at the summit of Haleakala, it is about 35 degrees with a windchill of arctic tundra during a cold snap. And, inevitably, one teen will forget their coat on purpose because coats are stupid and "it's not going to be that cold (because i'm a teen and I know that all weather scenarios are fine with no coats/also shorts)". But, if you know me, you know I love some humanity. And there is just something extra special about huddling together with a bunch of strangers. Surrounded by a rainbow of colors, and ages, and languages. All crazy like you. Sharing one beautiful, poignant moment when the sun peaks her shiny face up over the clouds. A bunch of strangers get to start a new day together. And all that tries to divide us does not exist in that moment. Just a bunch of people taking pictures for each other and freezing our faces off. Because fresh starts can happen every time the sun rises. An important thing to remember when traveling with/raising teen-humans. Because, they are a lot....

Come on, Sun! You can do it! 

Above the clouds

Another National Park!

As we were headed back down the mountain, we stopped at a little fruit stand where we met the farmer, David. He grows a variety of fruits in his orchard and gorgeous exotic (to us) flowers. He was so sweet and gave us a few on the house!

 

 

We descended the mountain and landed in the cute little town of Makawao. We happened upon this sweet little bakery, Komodo Bakery, that has been in business for over 100 years. And they were serving their special pastry that they only make on Fat Tuesday! And guess what today is?!?!? Those tasty little pastries paired nicely with my coffee from Espresso Mafia. The cute little owners gave us lots of tips for the rest of our travel days! 

Maui Cookie Lady makes Cookies the size of your head 

We've a rather ambitious itinerary today. After our bright and early start, we are also tackling the "Road to Hana". This little trek might be one of my favorite things in the world. John and I drove the entire loop when we were last here and couldn't wait to share it with the tired teens. And bonus, the Jeep provided lots of closeness and very little personal space.   For eight hours. We Bullingtons aren't afraid of a road trip, and this is the ultimate! The "road" is narrow at her best, has over 600 hairpin curves, 57 100+ year-old bridges, stunning rainforests, waterfalls, and the grave of Charles Lindbergh. What more could a girl want?

Waterfalls at every turn

Jeep Life

Drinking out of a Coconut as one does when in Hawaii

I don't know what he's looking at, but I know he's not looking at a screen

Whew! We almost left Hawaii without visiting a weird grave in the middle of nowhere. RIP Chuck...

 

There were moments of Zen and of chaos. There were moments when certain siblings accused other siblings of having thumbs that looked like toes and this was deeply offensive and became a thing. There were sister giggles (my favorite of all of the giggles), brother noises that annoyed sisters but made them giggle and lots of togetherness. There were daddy yells and mama yells, but we soaked in the gorgeous scenery. Mr. Bullington gets major props because he drove the entire way without a break. The rest of us snuck in a few cat naps because we'd been up since 2am. 

After we got back we grabbed a quick dinner from Coconuts (known for their fish tacos for a reason, Yum!) and then took to the bed. Because guess what? We have another early morning tomorrow! 

https://www.tiktok.com/@charlottee.bullington/video/7202137098420342059?lang=en&q=charlotte%20bullington&t=1677381812528

https://www.tiktok.com/@maebullington/video/7202815211487743274?lang=en

Day 4- Hawaii (Paia, Haleakala)

Another trip adjustment today. We'd booked this experience months ago. Mr. Bullington loves adventure time and reads Outdoor Magazine like it is his job. I love him, so I get suckered into many adventures that are not at a spa.  He'd gotten a wild hair to pay a bunch of money to have some hippies drop him off at the top of a volcano so we could ride down it on a bicycle and hopefully not die. My friend and Maui expert, Kim C, said it was fun and not that deadly, so I relented. Unfortunately, we received notice last week that as of February 1st, the minimum age had changed from 13 to 15, therefore, Thomas could not go. Perhaps the Hawaiian Safety Gods anticipated that Thomakazi whizzing down a curvy mountain road without impulse control or a lick of sense might end in catastrophe. I broke the news to him and proposed that he and I rent bikes and do our own thing while John and the girls risked life and limb. Apparently, my sales pitch worked a little too well. When we got there, I communicated that we'd love to all risk our lives together and that my 13-year-old son was quite adept at bike riding. They were totally taking the bait and they asked Thomas if he ever rode his bike. He said, "nah, I'm really not that good at it". John and I reacted with shock because this kid has ridden his bike through downtown Portland, all over Marietta, and on Mt. Biking Trails with his dad. And then the bike manager interpreted our reaction as two pushy parents trying to force their kid to do something he didn't want to do and even gave us a mini-lecture!  The truth is that I had promised Thomas mommy time and shave ice and apparently, that was too sweet a deal. So John and the girls headed to the top of Haleakala, and Thomas and I set out on our rental ebikes to explore Paia and beyond. It was a chill way to spend a morning and he got his shave ice and some mama one-on-one time. And, John and the girls made it back with bodies intact. #winning. And, did you know that ebikes have this little button you can push based on how lazy you are and it will give you a little push up hills and such. #winningwinning

Crazies

Lazies

We rode along the coast and stopped at several little beaches. This one was aptly named Turtle Beach

Shave Ice and a smile

We met back up and stood in a forever line to eat at Paia Fish House. It was tasty and worth the wait. We shopped around and then decided that although we were supposed to trade-in our minivan for a Jeep Wrangler tomorrow, there is no time like the present. We'd tired of the van life and wanted something a little more funl We swung by the airport and upgraded to a Jeep. Now we can feel the wind in our hair and the hair of our loved ones slapping us in the face. 

Jeep Hair Don't Care

We ended the day in the little park across from our condo. It's a thing to take your chair and libations out around sunset and hang out on the green. Some little enterprising Girl Scouts were working the crowd selling their wares. So we dined on Thin Mints... and Samoas.... and Tagalongs while the Hawaiian sun dipped below the horizon.

Keeping the Girls Scouts Afloat One Cookie At A Time

Hawaii Day 3 (Molokini Crater and Lahaina)

 We woke before the rooster crowed. That's a thing here. Actual Roosters crowing and chickens crossing the road, why? There are lots of theories. 

We set out for our sunrise snorkel tour on the Kai Kanani Catamaran. We met our fellow cruisers while it was still dark, so hard to make out faces. But, a thick Louisiana accent cut through the darkness and I knew all was right with the world. Clint was our first mate and gave us the run down on snorkeling and what not. I think he took a shine to us because we asked him about his people and his hometown, the way Southerners do. Clint is doing just fine and living his best Hawaiian life. Our fellow snorkelers included a nice couple from Vancouver, a few other families, and a rather large gaggle of 15-year-old girls celebrating something or other, perhaps the advent of the tiniest bikinis known to modern man, or so it seemed. I vowed never to comment about the size of my girls bathing suits again. By comparison they looked like they'd come straight from the nunnery. I didn't know you could even fashion a swimsuit from dental floss and band-aids. But, YOLO I reckon... The plan was to start our snorkel trip as the sun rose at  Molokini Crater and end swimming with sea turtles at another location.....

Sunrise over Molokini Crater

Nature had other plans. 'Tis whale season in fair Hawaii. It has been a treat to see them all day frolicking in the ocean. And, imagine our surprise when en route to our first snorkel stop, one such humpback took a liking to our boat.  The thing about whale encounters is that the captain must shut down the engine as to not harm the whale. #savethewhales We oooohed and aaaaaahed as she nuzzled the boat, peeked up at us, kanoodled with the starboard side, blew her blow hole, rolled over, swam to the other side, hid under the catamaran and peeked up at us through the nets. It was so incredible! I guess she liked the attention because she hung out for 2 hours. TWO HOURS. We had to open the sails to get us into the crater to snorkel and by that time, it was time to head back. We didn't get to swim with turtles, but we had a once in a lifetime whale encounter, so I'm not sad about it. 

Hey Girl, hey!

Make sure you get my good side

I think I'll "hide" under the boat so you definitely can't turn the motor on, and stare up at you

Finally snorkeling!

When we got back, Clint gave us the lowdown on how to get to the turtle spot, so we rented snorkel equipment and went back out on our own because we are resourceful like that. We saw a few turtles and didn't have to snuggle any whales

After our close encounters of the marine kind, we got cleaned up and headed out to The Old Lahaina Luau. John and I had been to this particular Luau on our last trip to Hawaii about 10 years ago. It had really improved since last time. It felt very authentic and we recommend it if you are in the area. The food was amazing and they bring out so many unique things to try. The children unknowingly learned things about Hawaiian culture and we have a new respect for their story. But, not their Poi. That stuff is nasty. 

Beautiful costumes, incredible food, and a whole lotta shakin' going on! It turns out warriors of the Hawaiian ilk managed to bravely fight for their land wearing little else than a dish cloth 'round their nether regions and a smile. I declare! #clutchespearls

Traditional seating: You sacrifice a chair for a seat up front. 

They like each other. Occasionally. 

Hula Practice

These sweet little fellas consented to one picture with an old lady! I live here now. 

Day 2- Hawaii (Kihei, Maui)

 We slept like the dead, until I woke up at 3am ready to take on the world. The world was not quite ready for me, so I rolled over and slept until the East Coast equivalent of noon o'clock. At that point I was so well rested I was invincible! We all emerged from our nests and had time to actually cook and enjoy breakfast. As a family. Together. At the same table.  A far cry from the "stuffing a granola bar down your gullet and screaming you out the door" to which my my precious imps have become accustomed.  It felt very The Brady Bunch goes to Hawaii, without the terrifying tarantula and voodoo curse.  Because the weather was a little iffy, we postponed our sunrise snorkel trip until tomorrow and decided to spend this morning settling into our new digs. This included a trip to the farmers market for fresh fruit at the girls insistence.  I believe that this was most assuredly because of some TikTac influencer some such nonsense. They don't care a lick about my "fruit haul" when I get home from the Krogers. But, we did procure some "exotic" local fruit (ahem, I can get fruit at the Krogers, and that farmer's market didn't play any Hall and Oates)

Fruit. It's for sale.

It was decided that because we had an open window of time, it would be an excellent opportunity for the family Bullington to take a surf lesson. A timely lesson, since Thomas considers himself a world class surfer with  one lesson under his belt. Mrs. Bullington is noticeably absent from said lesson as she still has flashbacks from her first surfing experience in Hawaii. The one when she learned that despite her desire to be Bethany Hamilton (pre shark encounter), her sturdy frame coupled with her lack of coordination and balance did not a surfer make. Anyhoo, 4/5 Bullingtons surfed while Mama Smurf went to the grocery store. Y'all. Mayonnaise is $13. I can't live like this. And I bought Spam: Story at 11:00.

Charlotte Hangs Ten

Mae killing it

Thomas strategically heading straight toward a girl 

After the lesson everyone was starving, so we headed back to our digs for lunch. Thomakazi had requested several atypical items at the store. Namely, Spam, rice, and seaweed. At this particular lunch hour, he  bestowed upon us a most creative concoction incorporating all of said ingredients into some sort of sushi situation (but with Spam). I tried to keep an open mind, but when a food stuff is categorized as "potted meat" and consists of ground up leftover pig parts, I take pause. And, I've eaten a lot of weird stuff in my day. I gritted my teeth, took a bite,  and marveled at Thomas' meat parts savvy. 0/5 stars. Would not recommend. 

The face the first Taste O' Spam. 

We headed to our dinner spot, Monkey Pod (Thanks for the excellent rec, Jennifer Fowler! I know you got married forever ago and you have an different last name now, but I'm a creature of habit and I'm a little miffed that you don't live in Maui anymore. I had planned on a grand Gilmer County reunion!) When we arrived it was pouring rain. The wait was over an hour so we put our name on the list and headed back to Kehei where we were staying because it doesn't seem to rain there. The weather is hella weird here. I was breaking out it literal hives because our forecast said it was going to rain non-stop the entire time we were here. There was a FLOOD WARNING. And aside from some drizzle when we arrived, there has been no rain where we are staying. Drive five minutes up the road, deluge.  It has to do with the micro-climates. Which I totally knew about before some sciency person told me about them. At any rate, we wanted to see the sunset.  We found an open spot in a random beachside parking lot and dug in for the light show. I did have to take off my fancy shoes and scale some rocks barefoot in my dinner frock. But, the sunset was spectacular and I didn't fall on my can. #soblessed

Day 1: Atlanta to Hawaii

Mile 4423:  Looks like we made it! State #50!

 How did we get here? 10 years ago, we set a goal to "See The Nation By Graduation". And, we just did it. We certainly had to endure much feedback from the wee-Bullingtons. "Why can't we just go to the beach like normal people", "I don't even like taxidermied _______". "No one cares about a hair museum" (Well, someone must, you little ingrate) We saved our money, we sacrificed, and we did it. And, now we're done.....That's probably going to be further expounded upon in some later, weepy-sad post. But now, Hawaii! 

I'll say it again. There is something to be said for traveling with teenagers. Especially, when 2/3 have emerged from their middle school years as lovely humans. The least of these... well, there is nothing that will spin your head faster than a 13-year-old boy who goes from silly to sullen in a blink, eats like a zombie at a brain buffet, then falls asleep. Repeat. One minute he's sitting in my too-small-for-him-lap, the next minute he's melted into his hoodie, giving me the stink eye through a little hoodie hole. 

But, to all those mamas and daddies dragging themselves on the plane with toddlers, and babies, and binkies, and goldfish (snack, not pet),  and irreplaceable beloved lovies that will inevitably slip between the seats and be forgotten in your haste to leave this 10 hour jail sentence thusly adding a crying toddler to your vacation......I see you. I've been you. I'm happy that I'm no longer you. I've moved out of that crazy-town an into Grumpy-Teen City. But, the view from here is fine, because it's usually enshrouded in a hoodie.

Our flight was uneventful. Just what you want from a trip that is mostly over the ocean. I appreciated the hours to just be.  I watched a movie, ate snacks, and napped. My dang watch kept telling me it was "time to stand".  Curse you, Apple Watch. 

We arrived, claimed our schweet Dodge Minivan, and headed to see our Marietta friends, Jeff and Kim Castle. We've a history with Jeff and Kim. Their daughter babysat for wee-Bullingtons back in the day and now my girls babysit for her daughter that babysat for us! Kim was that mom who I admired when I was a young mother. She was laid back, but always coordinated her kids matchy-matchy on Easter. EVEN WHEN THEY WERE TEENAGERS. I know now what a modern marvel she is! 

Kim and Jeff have been here for two weeks and graciously fed our hungry brood and passed along their remaining groceries so we wouldn't have to start the next day uncaffeinated and unfed. They are good people, those Castles. 

We sat on their Lanai (folks don't call it porch in these parts) and Jeff pointed out the different features of the surrounding islands and we watched pods of whales rising and falling and breaching (that means jumping OUT of the water like you see on the TV.)  It was like a living postcard. Except for the incessant drizzle. The weather forecast had been haunting me as we prepared to set off, Kim assured me it would be fine. It was raining when we left Atlanta and it was raining when we landed. This caused a few alterations to tomorrow's plans, but nothing major.  We bid them adieu, checked into our condo and fell into the bed about 2am our time (after being up since 5am). Night-Night!