Let's see...the next adventure I had was our next company trip, in July of 2013. If you read a previous post, we went to New York after meeting a goal at work. Since we met our next goal in such a quick amount of time, we went to (drum roll please) Maui! I had never been to a beach before, much less, Maui!
We stayed at the Hyatt. That may have been at my suggestion. I mean, they have penguins in the lobby, how could I not stay there?! What I didn't know was that they also have swans in this beautiful little pond just outside a restaurant. It was the most serene setting. I could have sat there all day.
Our first full day there, I woke up before sunset. About a week before the trip, I suddenly had the idea to do a photoshoot out there. I wanted to capture my first trip to a beach. Somehow it all fell together in time. I found an amazing photographer (Natalie Brown Photography) and she put me in touch with a great make-up artist. I got to watch the sunrise over the ocean on the way to get my make-up done. Natalie picked out a beach (Baldwin Bay Beach) for the shoot and it was absolutely perfect. I can't say enough about her. I met back up with the office team and we went to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. It felt so relaxed compared to the other Hard Rock Cafes I have been to. Light pouring in from windows all around the building. You can watch the ocean from your table. Also, the food was amazing, as usual. I always have to get the mac and cheese (delish!). We then walked along a street of boutiques and I met a salesgirl that was a little too good. I walked out with two dresses and a shirt. That evening we went for a sunset, mountain horse ride. Maui was just a bunch of firsts for me, first time to a beach and first time on a horse. I really had fun. However, my horse liked to tailgate. lol. At one point, he got so close to the horse in front of him that she got aggravated and kicked him. That, of course, made my horse go up on its back legs and had me hanging on for dear life. Thankfully, I stayed on.
The next day, we didn't have anything planned until the evening. My boss and his wife went for massages and the rest of us went snorkeling. I absolutely love the beach! Listening to the waves is so calming. As we were waiting to get our snorkles, I noticed the "Do NOT Pet the Sea Turtles" signs. Could I really see a sea turtle? Yep! I saw two! One of them started swimming straight toward me! He turned away before he reached me. Good thing, because I would have been tempted to pet him if he came to say hi. I forgot to put on sunscreen until we were down at the beach. I figured, "Oh well, we are going to be in the water snorkeling anyway." Mmhmm...totally didn't think about the fact that when you snorkel, your back is out of the water. Hahaha! My back was red for days! I wouldn't have traded it, though. Relaxing by the beach and then by the outdoor bar at the hotel was my favorite part of the trip. Reality no longer existed. That night, we met back up with our boss to go on a champagne cruise at sunset. Again, the beauty of everything is difficult to describe. It is definitely a must-do if you are in Maui.
On the last full day, we drove up to a crater, not sure what it is called. Tropical Storm Fanny was blowing in. We weren't sure if we were going to be allowed up to the top. As we drove, we could see the bands of the storm blowing in. It was truly fascinating to watch. The farther up we went, the thicker the clouds started getting around us. We were able to drive to the top. We couldn't see a bit of the crater because the clouds were all around us. There was such an eerie feeling about the fog surrounding us. It made for some fun photography. I love a picture that I took of a bench. It is so simple but I feel like there is so much that the picture could symbolize. By the time we were heading back down the mountain, they had closed the roads leading up due to weather conditions. Phew, glad we made it in time. We finished out the day with a magic show at a dinner theatre.
The last day was just spent driving around the mountains before having to head back to the airport. I wish I could have had another day at the beach. I definitely have to return one day.
We stayed at the Hyatt. That may have been at my suggestion. I mean, they have penguins in the lobby, how could I not stay there?! What I didn't know was that they also have swans in this beautiful little pond just outside a restaurant. It was the most serene setting. I could have sat there all day.
Our first full day there, I woke up before sunset. About a week before the trip, I suddenly had the idea to do a photoshoot out there. I wanted to capture my first trip to a beach. Somehow it all fell together in time. I found an amazing photographer (Natalie Brown Photography) and she put me in touch with a great make-up artist. I got to watch the sunrise over the ocean on the way to get my make-up done. Natalie picked out a beach (Baldwin Bay Beach) for the shoot and it was absolutely perfect. I can't say enough about her. I met back up with the office team and we went to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. It felt so relaxed compared to the other Hard Rock Cafes I have been to. Light pouring in from windows all around the building. You can watch the ocean from your table. Also, the food was amazing, as usual. I always have to get the mac and cheese (delish!). We then walked along a street of boutiques and I met a salesgirl that was a little too good. I walked out with two dresses and a shirt. That evening we went for a sunset, mountain horse ride. Maui was just a bunch of firsts for me, first time to a beach and first time on a horse. I really had fun. However, my horse liked to tailgate. lol. At one point, he got so close to the horse in front of him that she got aggravated and kicked him. That, of course, made my horse go up on its back legs and had me hanging on for dear life. Thankfully, I stayed on.
The next day, we didn't have anything planned until the evening. My boss and his wife went for massages and the rest of us went snorkeling. I absolutely love the beach! Listening to the waves is so calming. As we were waiting to get our snorkles, I noticed the "Do NOT Pet the Sea Turtles" signs. Could I really see a sea turtle? Yep! I saw two! One of them started swimming straight toward me! He turned away before he reached me. Good thing, because I would have been tempted to pet him if he came to say hi. I forgot to put on sunscreen until we were down at the beach. I figured, "Oh well, we are going to be in the water snorkeling anyway." Mmhmm...totally didn't think about the fact that when you snorkel, your back is out of the water. Hahaha! My back was red for days! I wouldn't have traded it, though. Relaxing by the beach and then by the outdoor bar at the hotel was my favorite part of the trip. Reality no longer existed. That night, we met back up with our boss to go on a champagne cruise at sunset. Again, the beauty of everything is difficult to describe. It is definitely a must-do if you are in Maui.
On the last full day, we drove up to a crater, not sure what it is called. Tropical Storm Fanny was blowing in. We weren't sure if we were going to be allowed up to the top. As we drove, we could see the bands of the storm blowing in. It was truly fascinating to watch. The farther up we went, the thicker the clouds started getting around us. We were able to drive to the top. We couldn't see a bit of the crater because the clouds were all around us. There was such an eerie feeling about the fog surrounding us. It made for some fun photography. I love a picture that I took of a bench. It is so simple but I feel like there is so much that the picture could symbolize. By the time we were heading back down the mountain, they had closed the roads leading up due to weather conditions. Phew, glad we made it in time. We finished out the day with a magic show at a dinner theatre.
The last day was just spent driving around the mountains before having to head back to the airport. I wish I could have had another day at the beach. I definitely have to return one day.
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