I've never been anywhere tropical before, so when my husband and kids indicated an interest in visiting Hawaii, I was all in. After consulting many friends who had been there before, we settled on Maui, mainly for the laid-back attitude and beautiful beaches. We were certainly not disappointed. Though we found the heat an humidity unfriendly at first, by our second day in we enjoyed the cool breeze as we watched the sunset. 

We arrived shortly before noon, and immediately visited Iao Valley, since the condo we were staying in wouldn't be ready till 4. This was our first glimpse of a truly lush landscape, and an excellent way to begin our journey. Then of course, we cooled off at the beach in crystal-clear water right outside of the resort we were staying in, just north of Kaanapali Baach. 

On day 2, we visited "Dragon's Teeth": a lava rock formation resembling the lower jaw of a mighty beast. It rained that morning, providing a most welcome relief from the heat. Then we meandered on to Honolua Bay, where some of the best snorkeling is to be found, and, to my surprise, many chickens. We loved the tropical feel of the short path leading to the beach. 

Our third day was the biggest day for travel. We opted to skip the windy Road to Hana (some of us get carsick easily), and trekked up to Haleakala National Park instead. Here we enjoyed cool weather, dramatic landscapes, and a challenging hike at 10,000 ft. On the way back we stopped to eat at Aloha Mixed Plate. Maybe we were hungry and tired, or maybe the food really is that good. 

We took it pretty easy on our fourth day, and did a short hike through the area of Twin Falls. We didn't make it to the famous Caveman Falls, but enjoyed the smaller falls and cascades along the way, and stopped for some most delicious banana bread. 

On our final day, we headed up the west shore, and did a short hike at the Ohai trail. With dramatic cliff views, and so much greenery, this is a hike I'd definitely revisit. Of course, we visited the beach every day as well, where we saw sea turtles, and some pretty impressive fish displays as we snorkeled along the reef not far from the shore. The kids loved the warmer, calm beaches and the abundance of wildlife. The adults loved the views. Everyone was happy, which makes for a great vacation. 

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We finished our trip with an early breakfast at Slappy Cakes, where you can make your own pancakes on a table-embedded griddle, then headed off to the airport to return to Sacramento, where a balmy 105 awaited us.