Tuesday 8/5:

We all arrived without incident and on time Tuesday afternoon and evening. The condos are magnificent. The four older Barnes are in the two-bedroom condo (54C) at the top of the property with a very panoramic view, including the best view of the ocean we have ever had here. Adam and Stacy are in the one-bedroom condo (41D) toward the middle of the property with all of the flora. Beverly and Stacy went out to dinner while Adam and I were picking up Crystal and Justin from the airport. We dropped Adam off at his and Stacy's condo. He was more interested in sleep than food. Actually the only one really interested in food was Justin. Justin, Crystal and I went to “Cheeseburgers, Mai Tais, and Rock & Roll”. After dinner, an early bedtime. An uneventful travel day, which is good. Aloha.

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Wednesday 8/6:

Justin and I made an initial trip into town for breakfast groceries, to last us until a more serious trip to the grocery store was made later (or at least that was the plan). Among our get-thru breakfast groceries were 5 bottles of liquors and liqueurs (breakfast of ex-champions).

After a leisurely morning of settling in, we all went to lunch at the Maui Onion, the very picturesque poolside café at what the sign reads today is a Renaissance Hotel. It is the property that is just down the road or beach from where we are staying. When we first came to Maui and stayed in the hotel it was a Westin. Then Stouffer Hotels bought the property, then Renaissance. It may have come full circle, as we heard the property was just purchased by Starwood, which owns, among other hotels, Westin. We have eaten at the Maui Onion at least 50 times over the years. Kim, who is from Lodi , Ca, and has been working at the Maui Onion for all the years we have been going there, remembered and greeted us. It was like old home week. A very delightful lunch (great food, atmosphere and company).

After lunch the three couples went their separate ways to the beach, in Beverly 's and my case, after a trip into Kihei for groceries and a few other essentials.

The six of us dined together while watching the sun set at a Ruth's Chris Steak House. The three ladies were very elegantly dressed and turned a number of male heads as we walked in and out. The three men were in competing Hawaiian shirts and slacks. Our tropical drinks included Mai Tais, a Long Island Ice Tea and a Lemon Drop. For dinner we ordered a variety of steaks and BBQ shrimp (Stacy). Desserts included bread pudding, sorbet, key lime pie and berries with cream.

After dinner, an early bedtime, as the four younger of the group were planning an early awakening for an all-day trip to Hana (where Beverly gave up several of her 9-lives many years ago).

Nice day. Aloha.

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Thursday 8/7:

Justin, Crystal, Adam and Stacy did leave for Hana early this morning and did not return until late afternoon. They all had a very enjoyable time and no one got car sick (though Crystal had some concerns during the first part of the trip). Once they began stopping and walking around, she was fine and enjoyed the day. They saw a number of picturesque sites, many of which Justin captured on his digital camera.

The first stop was at Nahiku, about 2/3 of the way to Hana. There is a short side road that goes from the highway down to the water. Along the road are a number of fruit stands, coffee stands, flower stands, all of which are on the honor system. Apparently the thought is that no one will leave change, so that a 5 cent cup of coffee will get you a buck. The foliage down Nahiku road is magnificent – heliconias, gingers, bananas and coconut palms everywhere, none of which are even watered except by Mother Nature. At the ocean, one can see well up the coast back towards Kahului.

The second stop was at a state park just north of Hana Bay . The park has a number of camping spots, but what it is famous for is its black sand beach. The pictures from the black sand beach turned out very well. This beach is frequently used in postcards and posters. Near Hana Bay there is a red sand beach, where Adam took some samples. The sand is a little more coarse than most sand, but still relatively fine. And it's not exactly red either – more a mixture of red and black. It was raining when they got to the red sand beach, the path down was slick, and most of the beach was under water (apparently high tide). Hence Adam taking samples for everyone to see. From the red sand beach it was a short drive to lunch, at a hole-in-the-wall right on Hana Bay

After lunch they went to the Venus pool, a hole-in-the-wall in the middle of nowhere where there is a large pool of relatively still water. Justin and Adam gave some thought to diving in from 40 feet up, as the water below was very deep, but they thought better of it. The last stop was at the 7 Sacred Pools, which are neither 7 nor sacred, but the big tourist draw of Hana. It was actually the group's least favorite stop, as it was full of other people (they had basically been all alone all day prior to this stop, since they left so early and had gone places that the tour groups don't go to).

Rather than drive back the way they came, the group chose driving around the south end of the island and making a complete circle. They saw the Big Island, as well as a number of other picturesque sites. Some of the pictures turned out, despite the fact that in one spot the wind was blowing about 50 miles an hour, shaking the car up and down and almost knocking Justin over. The road is actually better on the south side of the island, and the traffic is quite a bit less.

Beverly spent the morning at the Wailea Shops, which are way more extensive and upscale than they were 9-years ago. They now compete with the shops at Kaanapali as the best on Maui. I spent the morning going south around the island, turning the car in every access road, re-orienting the best spots to snorkel.

Beverly and I met up for lunch at the Maui Onion. We went down to the beach together and had a very relaxing afternoon, playing in the waves, reading, walking ( Beverly ) and sunning.

The six of us went to dinner at the SeaWatch Restaurant, which is located at one of the hillside Country Clubs. We had a nice table outside and watched the sun set while drinking our cocktails (top shelf Mai Tais). For appetizers we had the chef prepare a platter that included crab cakes, brie, prawns with crab salad and sashimi. Entrées included fresh fish prepared a number of different ways, prawns, chicken and lamb. For dessert, the boys remembered what they had eaten there 9-years ago and it was still one of the restaurant's specialties (brownie-all-the-way). It is the normal ice cream over a brownie, with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. In this particular case, all of the parts are home made, including the ice cream. I had a mango sorbet with sliced strawberries on top and Stacy and Beverly shared a bananas Foster.

Another nice day in paradise. Aloha.

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Friday 8/8:

Justin, Crystal, Beverly and I got up relatively early today and went out snorkeling. The first stop was a black sand beach that I may go back to with Adam. The snorkeling is supposed to be good once you are in the water and a reasonable distance from the beach. The problem is the entry, as there are a number of rocks in the water and the waves were of a pretty good size. The moon is waxing and will be full the middle of next week, so the waves should be getting bigger each day (every other factor being equal). This was not the right beach for our group so we went back to Ahihi Bay (game preserve at the south coast of the island).

After we got back, Justin and Crystal had appointments at Grand Wailea's spa. Beverly and I took the walk along the paved walkway (Beach Walk) that is just above the beach. It is a public access that crosses all the major properties in Wailea. It covers something over a mile and a half and is very picturesque. Adam and Stacy caught up on their sleep and then explored some of the beaches you have to drive to.

The six of us converged for a late lunch at the Maui Onion and had another delightful time. This vacationing was too stressful, so the four older Barnes read and took afternoon naps. Stacy and Adam went out exploring and shopping.

We had an early dinner at the Grand Wailea's Humuhumunukunukuapua'a Polynesian Cuisine restaurant. Because of Dad, I was one of the few people who could correctly pronounce the name, which impressed several people at the hotel. I expect they take some perverse pleasure listening to guests ask for directions to the restaurant. The restaurant is open air and built over a lagoon. Very pleasant setting, watching the sun set through the palm trees while sipping our tropical drinks which were served in freshly split coconut shells. We ordered a couple of appetizer platters which included ribs, kalua pork potstickers, ahi tempura and tiger prawns. For entrees Adam and Stacy shared a steak and lobster tail. Others included blackened red snapper and tempura prawns (Rick), seared ahi ( Crystal ), duck ( Beverly ) and chicken (Justin).

Another great day and great memories in paradise. Aloha.

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Saturday 8/9:

Beverly, Crystal and I went out snorkeling at Ahihi bay first thing this morning. Near shore it was rather silty, but out a distance was clear with a lot of fish to see. Beverly seemed most interested in a flounder she found. On the way back we stopped by a place that Kim, our waitress at the Maui Onion and a long-time local, told us about. I may check it out in the morning. From what I recall, it would certainly be our easiest entrance into the water, as it is a sandy beach.

Justin, Crystal and Beverly left around 10 am for the Upcountry – East of the coast but still on the west side of Haleakala, about 3000 feet up. They went to Kula Botanical Gardens. There were a number of proteas (they grow in the upcountry only) at the botanical gardens, as well as two Ground Cranes, which live in a large area built especially for them. Most of the flora in Kula closely resembles where Justin and Crystal live – the climate is remarkably similar. The view is just a little better here, though. For lunch they went to the Kula Lodge, which offers a spectacular panoramic view of the beaches below, and the ocean on both sides of the island. Justin and Beverly had burgers. Crystal had Maui onion soup and a salad, but apparently the quantities were huge. After lunch they went to the protea farm and then up to the summit at Haleakala, where they saw both the silversword plants and a nene goose.

Adam and Stacy went to some of the stores near the airport and ate an L&L, a local fast food chain Stacy remembers from when her family lived on Oahu. Adam purchased a skim board, which is a flat, smaller version of a surf board that one throws in front of one's self on the beach, where the waves are breaking at the shore line, then runs and jumps on top of it and surfs. The warning on the boards is “do not run faster then you want to fall”. Adam and Stacy went back to Big Beach to spend the afternoon. Stacy fell asleep sunning on the beach. Adam spent the afternoon learning to use his new toy. At dinner Stacy seemed very refreshed, while Adam, similar to when he was a little boy, tired from playing in the waves all day, almost fell asleep face first in his food.

After snorkeling this morning, I went down to the beach for an hour, then to the Maui Onion by myself for lunch and reading my book. After lunch I went back to the beach, where I read, napped, walked down the beach, relaxed.

We all reconvened for dinner at Joe's (at the Wailea Tennis Club). Again, over tropical drinks, we watched the sun set. I think the massive quantities of food and drink is catching up with most of us (Justin excepted). Fewer appetizers and desserts. Beverly had one of the local fish dishes. I had a pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon, with mashed potatoes and Maui onions. Justin had Joe's famous meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Crystal had a salad, after her large lunch. Stacy and Adam had clam chowder and salads, with Adam adding an order of fried calamari. Though we did not order dessert at Joe's, the four young people have all headed to the Wailea Shops for ice cream.

Another great day in Maui . Aloha.

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Sunday 8/10:

I got up early this morning and went alone to check out the snorkel spot Kim had suggested. It was ideal. It was just on the south side of the Maui Prince Hotel, so it had a good road leading to it. Nice paved parking lot, with a paved path leading to the edge of the beach. Restrooms and showers, as it is a public park beach. Nice sandy entry into and out of the water. Clear with plenty to see. In the short time I was in the water, I saw more fish than we had in the preceding two days plus I saw three sea turtles (bonus).

I came back and got cleaned up and we did Christmas card pictures prior to going to brunch at the Maui Prince. We took pictures in our room and then tried a couple of different sites on the grounds of the property. Brunch was very nice with a combination of the typical quantities of brunch foods and a number of local delicacies. After brunch, we all went our separate ways. Beverly and I dropped off the film from the Christmas card pictures, then went down to the beach.

Adam and Stacy went to another beach, where Stacy sunned and Adam figured out first hand new ways to injure himself with his new skim board. His favorite was when one of your feet gets in front of the moving skim board and the board crashes into your foot.

Justin and Crystal had the most adventurous afternoon. They drove down to the end of the island, then got out there and walked to the real edge of the island. The road stops about 2 to 3 miles before the southwest corner of the island, but there is a path that does go to the edge. They hadn't planned on taking a hike there – they had parked there to go on a different hike. But after looking around the bay that was by the parking area, they found the other path. Since they didn't know it was there, however, they had none of their hiking gear (cell phone, water, etc.). Apparently they passed no less than three crosses on their walk, they were about three miles from any other people, Justin was hiking in his sandals, they had no water and no cell phone, the footing was treacherous (medium sized lava rocks), and at the end of the island there was an 80 foot cliff and the wind was blowing about 50-60 miles an hour. Good fun.

We all met for dinner and went to Sarento's by the Sea, which is an open air restaurant, on the beach at the edge of Wailea. The intention was to celebrate Crystal 's birthday, which is later this month. We toasted her with our tropical drinks at the beginning of the meal, but the restaurant dropped the happy birthday singing ball at the end of the meal. They did throw water on her (must be a local custom). Oh well, we will just have to celebrate Crystal 's birthday again later in the trip. The food was very good, but limited appetizers and no desserts (still recovering from brunch). For drinks we had Nick's Sunsets, Mai Tais, Kiawe Cactus , Singapore Slings and Blue Hawaiians. Excellent bread with oil and vinegar before the meal. For dinner, Beverly and I had huge Tiger Shrimp prepared scampi style over ravioli. Adam had a rib eye steak that came on a platter. Stacy thought she was getting off light by ordering the calamari appetizer for her entrée, but the portion was huge. Justin had spaghetti, meatballs and sausage. The birthday girl designate had penne pasta. After dinner and the bumper car want-to-be valet parking attendants, the four older Barnes picked up the Christmas card pictures. There were several keepers, so we were all happy.

Too much food, but a very nice day with great company. Aloha.

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Monday 8/11

Adam and I got up early and went snorkeling near the Maui Prince Hotel, at the spot I had been to the previous day (the one Kim told us about). In previous trips to Maui , Adam always wanted to see a turtle in the water, but rarely did so (maybe one). We saw our first turtle within the first three minutes and saw three turtles overall, in addition to a number of beautiful fish. Adam got to pet the back of the largest turtle (probably weighed as much as Adam) as it came up for air. He was vibrating with excitement, similar to what he did as a little boy. A great snorkel trip.

We came back and got cleaned up and then the six of us went out on an excursion to the Lahaina and Kaanapali part of the island. While both are nice places to visit and shop, we all agreed we preferred the tranquility of our part of the island. Very frenetic at the north end of the island.

After a little shopping in Lahaina, we had a delightful lunch (with tropical drinks) at Pacific ‘O, on the water in Lahaina. Among the drinks we had were Mai Tai, Volcano, Pacific Breeze, and Banana Madness. For lunch we had Kalua Quesadillas (Stacy and Rick), Club Med Sandwich (Adam and Justin), Macaroni and Cheese Pacific Stuff (Beverly) and Pacific Fish and Chips ( Crystal ). A very nice cooling breeze was blowing through the restaurant in addition to the fans. Justin and Adam had a view that included watching beginning surfers crash and burn, and women sunning on the beach. They spent lunch rating the want-to-be surfer's crashes and trying to figure out a way to get the sunning women who had undone their bikini tops to get up in a hurry.

After lunch we continued to shop in Lahaina. Crystal and Justin bought a black pearl and diamond necklace, which is beautiful. After downtown Lahaina, we stopped at a mall between Lahaina and Kaanapali. Then, we went to the Whaler's Village shopping center and museum in Kaanapali.

After coming home and cleaning up, we went to dinner at Hula Moons in the Wailea Marriott (Outrigger). Our tropical drinks included Mai Tai, Blue Hawaiian, Lychee Martini, and Mangotini. Dinner was a little lighter (we are wearing down). Beverly and I had soup (Maui Onion for Beverly and I had a crab and coconut soup). Both were excellent. I had crab cakes and Beverly had Kalua pork quesadillas. Justin had chicken chow mein and Crystal had a salad. Adam had short ribs and mashed potatoes and Stacy had jumbo shrimp. The food was very good, but the service was very slow, which made no sense, given there were not that many people in the restaurant.

Another enjoyable day. Aloha.

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Tuesday 8/12

All six of us got up early (for vacation) and went snorkeling where Adam and I had been the day before (southern edge of the beach below the Maui Prince property). With the higher waves, snorkeling is much better in the mornings. It has been exceptionally clear every morning so far. Another great snorkel trip, including at least three turtles. One of the turtles had a growth on its head that looked like it had a fist sized rock stuck on its head. It did not seem to bother the turtle, which was one of the largest we have seen this trip. Both Adam and Beverly petted one of the turtles as it was on the surface for air.

After snorkeling, I spent the next hour walking around and taking movies of parts of Ekahi property I had not been to over the years. These were units in the northwest corner of the property. I found the fourth swimming pool and the second paddle tennis court.

Upon my return I joined Crystal and Justin on another excursion to the south end of the island, which is primarily lava fields, the result of the last volcanic activity on the island in the late 1700s. I say excursion, as those who survived the Bataan Death March had it better. The objective of the trip was to find the trail and walk across the lava fields to Kalua o Lapa, the vent of the last eruption. The Maui guide book that Justin and Crystal brought says the following regarding the hike: “The problem is that, although there is a trail most of the way, at some point you'll have to make you way through the lava field on you own.” “The lava here is hell on shoes. Hiking shoes or boots are strongly recommended, as sneakers will get chewed up in no time.” The trail is not well defined or marked, particularly at the beginning and end. The result of this is that you are crossing the lava field looking for the trail. Very treacherous. No one got hurt, which was a miracle, given the shoes we were walking in. Despite all the complaining, it really was an amazing walk. The views were awe inspiring and the crater or vent itself was very interesting.

After returning to the car (out of water), we headed to the grocery store to pick up lunch provisions, following a failed lunch trip to the Maui Prince's poolside café. It became evident we were not going to get waited on in a timeframe we felt appropriate. We drank the ice water Crystal had gotten from the bar and left.

Beverly spent the day writing post cards, reading and shopping. She dined alone at the Maui Onion and spent the middle of the day unsuccessfully attempting to retrieve the phone message Justin had left her from the lava field telling her that we were not going to be joining her for lunch.

After snorkeling, Adam and Stacy had breakfast at L&L, then went down to the beach, where Stacy sunned and Adam played on his skim board.

Except for Beverly , everyone got more sun than they needed and will be taking it a little easier tomorrow.

Dinner this night was the Luau at the Marriott Outrigger Hotel. It was an open bar, which was needed after all the sun. Beverly discovered that she could ask for two mai tais, “one for her husband”, and no one said anything. Her husband, needless to say, did not get that second mai tai. We then had a group picture made with the ocean in the background. It turned out very nice. Adam and Stacy had another picture made of just the two of them at sunset. It was also a very cute picture.

The food was good, but the Kalua pig was not one of the better ones we have had. Normally, it is very smoky and salty, but this time is was quite bland—probably the health police have been there. The rest of the food was great. The entertainment was very good and the weather perfect, once the sun set. A very nice evening.

After dinner we went back to the Wailea Shop, where we had parked and did some shopping. Beverly finally found stamps, so she could mail her postcards and Adam found the Birkenstock sandals we had been looking for.

Another nice day in Maui (nobody died in the lava fields). Aloha.

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Wednesday 8/13:

Crystal, Stacy, Justin and Adam went on an excursion today toward the Northeast shore of the island. They started at the Tropical Plantation, which is about halfway between Wailuku and Ma'alaea in the narrow part of the island. It was decent – everyone got what they paid for (it was free). After that they drove around the north shore of the island on a road similar to the road to Hana. It is very curvy and narrow in spots. Apparently no one is Hawaii knows what a honking horn around a blind curve means – twice, cars almost hit them despite the fact that Justin had honked before going around the corner.

Also like the road to Hana, the flora is amazing due to all the rain. The views are also great, as most of the road is well above the ocean (not really any sandy beaches – mostly cliffs and rocks). They stopped at the Olivine Pools, which are similar to the Venus pool in Hana. The water gets heated throughout the day, and can get up to 90 degrees. Waves were crashing all around, and it was very windy, so only Adam went down to the bottom.

The next stop was Justin and Adam's favorite part of the whole trip – the Nakalele Blowhole. Water comes in from the ocean through a tunnel, then goes blasting into the air a la Old Faithful . Waves were crashing everywhere, the wind was blowing very hard, but the blowhole was amazing. There are some pictures of Adam standing next to the blowhole where the top of the water stream isn't even in the picture.

Somewhere shortly into their trip (but after leaving civilization), the group realized that the gas tank was on “E.” The entire morning they fretted over running out of gas, but finally found some in Kapalua. They ate lunch shortly thereafter in Lahaina. They ate at Kimo's, which made Hula Pie famous. Crystal had been looking for Hula Pie, but there is none near Wailea. Hula Pie consists of a chocolate cookie crust, ice cream, macadamia nuts, whipped cream and hot fudge. The four of them split one piece.

Beverly and I took it easy today (not that we have really exerted ourselves any day of this vacation so far). I went down to the beach late morning and played in the waves and read for an hour or so, then came up to get ready for an early lunch. Beverly worked out (Denise Austin Workout DVD she brought with her). The workout includes a session with weights. Beverly obviously did not bring weights with her, so she has substituted full liquor bottles. We have a picture that is a classic.

Beverly and I ate lunch at the Maui Onion. We shared onion rings and I had a fruit boat and banana bread while Beverly had the seared Ahi Caesars salad.

After lunch we both went down to the beach to sun, read, walk down the beach and play in the waves.

Again, all six of us came together for dinner. Adam and Stacy had a little excitement as they had both fallen asleep after returning from their excursion. After Justin called and woke them, they got ready in under 5 minutes and looked great. I told them the repair and recovery time increases with age.

We got to the hotel (Fairmont Kea Lani) early and had a couple of pictures made on the grounds. We dined at Nick's Fishmarket, which was one of the classiest restaurants we have been to in Maui . The food and the service matched the company. A very nice evening. We had a variety of tropical drinks, then Justin and I had the Portuguese bean soup and Stacy and Adam split a crab cake appetizer. For entrees Beverly and I had the Opakapaka (pink snapper), Stacy and Adam split a steak and lobster platter, Crystal had the seared Ahi Mignon and Justin had a Filet. For dessert we had Nick's famous flaming Strawberries Panzini, which was served on individually decorated (with creme fraiche, chocolate, and brown sugar) at the table plates, Chocolate Decadence Cake and Bananas Foster.

Between courses, we left the table to have a group photo made by the restaurant's professional photographer, which turned out very nice and we have added to our growing collection. Many of the hotels are now doing what Las Vegas has for sometime, with the wandering photographers.

A very nice evening, to top another nice day. Aloha.

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Thursday 8/14:

Stacy, Adam, Beverly and I went out snorkeling this morning. We stayed in pairs and did not see much of each other in the water. The waves are still relatively big, even at 7:00 am , when we have been going in the water. It is fine once you get out a ways, but you have to get there first. Adam and Stacy went much further out from shore than any of us had been before and saw a number of fish. On their way in they got their turtle fix for the day. Beverly and I went back to the rock and coral formation that is apx. 100 yards off shore, and where the turtles seem to like to hang out. We saw 7+ turtles, including 4 who were in our line of sight at the same time. The turtle with the best coloring we saw while coming in. Adam and Stacy came out of the water before us and Adam stepped on a bee. He got the stinger out of the outside edge of the bottom of his foot and, while it stung for 30 minutes or so, has not bothered him since. His comment was that he would trade a bee sting for a turtle sighting.

As they have for the last couple of mornings, Justin and Crystal went out for an early morning power walk.

Around 10:00 am Justin went to the Grand Wailea for the botanical tour of their grounds. While he found it interesting and informative, he was looking for the Latin names of some of the plants, and the tour guide only knew the local names.

Before lunch I made a trip back into Kihei to Star Market (grocery store that has been there as long as we have been coming to Maui ). I exchanged all the liquor Justin bought the first day. As I said earlier, the sole benefit of the liquor bottles has been as a substitute for free weights in Beverly 's exercise workouts. My returning the liquor is not to say we have not consumed our share (and several others' shares) of tropical drinks. We have just allowed others to prepare the drinks for us, rather than preparing them in our condos. With the store credit I purchased a few provisions and then a lot of candy and coffee for gifts.

Crystal and Justin were waiting for us at the Maui Onion at 11:30 . We had tropical drinks, onion rings and split two lunches. While enjoying our drinks and onion rings, we introduced Crystal to “Pass the Pigs”, an English dice-type game where the scoring is based on the positioning of two small plastic pigs one shakes and drops on the table. We first starting rolling pigs in Maui during our first trips with the boys, when we were looking for something to entertain them while waiting for lunch.

After lunch, Justin and Crystal went in the car to explore some of the beaches they have not been to yet. They are leaving tomorrow night (sad). They had purchased a travel guidebook on Maui , and had flagged probably 50 items they wanted to do or see. I believe the only remaining flags were a couple of the beaches. With the high tide (full moon) and high afternoon winds, the waves have been pretty good (not as good as previous trips when there were hurricanes near the islands). Big Beach, which is one of the beaches on their list, is famous for some of the better (bigger) waves on the island. Adjacent to Big Beach (a short walk over a hill at the north end of Big Beach ) is Little Beach, which is a clothing optional beach. Crystal and Justin spent time on both. They both seemed to have gotten a lot of pleasure watching and rating people (including Crystal ) getting plowed over and over again into the sand by big waves. Apparently there was a middle-aged couple that showed up at Little Beach, put down their stuff, including their clothes, and within the first five minutes on the beach the lady had stepped into the path of a wake boarder, got knocked down and then got pounded by three successive waves. They got dressed and left immediately (apparently not hurt). Justin took some delight in retelling the blow by blow description at dinner.

Stacy and Adam went out to breakfast at L&L, where Stacy had Spam and Eggs and Adam had Bacon and Eggs. Spam is a big item in Hawaii (I saw an entire end cap at Star Market) and Stacy grew up with it. Adam is not enamored of Spam at this juncture, and he and Stacy have a friendly running verbal battle over Spam.

Beverly and I caught up with Adam and Stacy at the beach/pool area at the bottom of the Ekahi property. He was skim boarding and playing in the waves. Stacy was sunning. Beverly and I spent the afternoon down there reading, walking down the beach and playing in the waves. Very relaxing.

We dined at Pacific Grill at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. A very nice table outside. A couple of us kept our Mai Tai survey current. Other tropical drinks included Lava Flows and a Kiwitini. Appetizers included Potstickers (Justin), Prawns Tempura (Beverly) and Portuguese Bean and Sausage Soup (Rick). For entrees we had BBQ Rack of Lamb (Adam), Pork Tenderloin and BBQ Prawns (Rick), Udon Noodle dish (Stacy), Crusted Onaga (Beverly), Rotisserie Chicken (Crystal) and Beef Tenderloin (Justin). We had all saved room for desserts – An assortment of Tropical Sorbets (Rick), Apple Banana Foster (Stacy), Brownie something (Crystal) and Warm Chocolate Cake (Adam, Justin, and Beverly). I know Adam had it, because he had reverted to his little boy vibrating-with-excitement mode. He felt this equaled or exceeded his previous favorite dessert – a Godiva Chocolate filled Cake from Morton's of Chicago (where we have gone for Mother's Day the last several years). A particularly pleasant evening, with great company, conversation, service, food and atmosphere.

Another great day. Aloha.

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Friday 8/15:

Adam and I got up early this morning for a power-snorkel trip. We stayed out longer and went places I would not have felt comfortable going with Beverly, who doesn't know how to swim. Crystal, who could likely swim circles around both Adam and me (she was on swim teams in school), opted for additional sleep this morning. Stacy also slept in. I do not know what Stacy's swimming/snorkeling abilities are, though she seems very comfortable in the water. Excellent snorkeling trip, with half a dozen sea turtles of varying shapes, sizes and activity (sitting on the bottom or swimming). We saw a couple of larger (presumably older) turtles that looked like they had barnacles on them. We also saw the whole assortment of fish, and Adam saw a large eel out of its hole.

Mid-morning Justin and Crystal went to Iao Needle, which they missed the other day when they ended up going all the way around the North side, rather than double back. The Needle was decent, but a tropical garden near the Needle was quite good. There were many rare palms and other tropical plants, as well as a dog that liked all the attention it got. On the way back they stopped in Ma'alaea, at an ice cream store. The store is famous for its ice cream sandwiches, which has fresh ice cream between two fresh cookies. Justin, Crystal, Beverly and I had a farewell lunch at the Maui Onion. More tropical drinks, onion rings, bacon cheeseburger (J & C) and Cobb salad (R & B). We finished the game of pigs we had started yesterday and then played another game. Crystal won both games, coming from behind to beat Justin in the second game.

After lunch, Crystal and Justin went back to the Spa at the Grand Wailea to free their skin of all the saltwater, sand, suntan lotion, aloe vera lotion and chlorine amassed over their stay.

Justin and Crystal dropped Beverly off at the Shops at Wailea on their way to the Spa. She got the remainder of the pictures developed and completed her gift shopping.

After lunch I shot some video around the Maui Onion and Renaissance Hotel, then went back to the beach until time to get ready for dinner.

Stacy and Adam went back to L&L for breakfast after Adam returned from snorkeling. Adam was happy that they had not run out of hash browns today—he doesn't feel that rice is an adequate starch for breakfast. Late morning they returned to Big Beach , where they stayed until mid-afternoon, when the wind really picks up.

Dinner tonight was at Roy 's, an upscale restaurant chain that Crystal, Justin and Stacy had all eaten at. Tropical drinks included Mai Tais, Mandarin Lemonade, Manchurian Coconut, Snow on the Beach and Kihei Cooler. Appetizers included a “Canoe” which had Ahi, ribs, potstickers, ravioli, and Kalua pork lumpia. We added an additional order of the lumpia. Entrees included Rack of Lamb (Justin), Butterfish ( Crystal – a big hit), Flat Iron Skillet Steak (Adam), Opakapaka (Rick), Walu (Beverly) and Yama Mama Meatloaf (Stacy).

All good things must begin to end. After dinner, Adam and Stacy said their goodbyes to Justin and Crystal and returned to their condo. Beverly and I drove Crystal and Justin to the airport. It was a quiet drive home and an empty condo we returned to.

An exceptionally nice visit with Justin and Crystal. We were particularly happy how well the boys interacted. Because of the age difference, they really did not have a lot to do with each other growing up. Now they seem to really enjoy each other's company. Sounds similar to Dad and his younger brother Bob.

Except for the sad ending, another great day and I look forward to the remaining three days. Aloha.