Honeymoon to Maui- Part 4

Saturday, May 14, 2011- Last day in Maui :(

This was a sad day...time to go home. We spent the entire day by the pool. We made sure we had plenty of time to just lay out and relax and this was definitely one of those days. We took a walk on the beach, ate lunch by the pool and shopped at one of the hotels down the street (The Marriott in Wailea has the BEST gift store).
In the evening we had dinner reservations at Spago, which was at our resort. We had a table with a great view of the ocean, champagne and a delicious "last meal."
After our dinner we headed back to our room to finish packing and then head to the airport. Our limo picked us up around 9 PM and I started kinda feeling sick. I was really tired and little sick to my stomach but hoped it would pass. Nope, it didn't. It just got worse. We boarded the plane around 11 PM and I just knew this was not going to be good. We were in first class and the flight attendants started bringing out food and drinks (before we even took off). As soon as I smelled the food Chris had to have them take both of ours away because he thought I was going to get sick. Sure enough, 30 minutes after taking off Chris had to get the flight attendant's attention because I was getting more and more nauseous. She told me the back of the plane was empty so I could go lay down and be away from the smells and people. I made it all the way to the bag of the plane, laid down and then it started. I threw up off and on for the next 5 hours, until we got to LA. I can officially say...there is no worse place to be sick like that than at 1 AM over the ocean with a really, really long flight ahead of you. UGH. It was awful. The flight attendants were so nice though...they kept checking on me, bringing me new sick bags and ginger ale.
I was so ready to get home now! And we finally made it on Sunday, May 15 around noon. Between the 5 hour time change, not sleeping all night, throwing up for hours, I was pretty darn miserable, but so happy to be home.

Our Honeymoon to Maui was amazing. It is romantic, fun, beautiful and relaxing. We had the best time and made memories we will remember forever. I hope those of you that are going soon or that have ever considered going can use these posts to help plan your trip! And thank you to everyone who has been asking us about out trip over the past couple months...this gave me a chance to re-live the best vacation ever :)

Our Honeymoon to Maui- Part 3

Thursday, May 12, 2011

This day was probably Chris's favorite day because it involved golfing! A lot of people could not believe I "let" him golf on our honeymoon. But for me, I did not mind at all...the course was AMAZING, the views were so pretty, I got to drive the cart and I read an entire book during those 4 hours. Plus, he got to do something he loves and that makes me happy.

The course is The Plantation Course in Kapalua ( on the west side of Maui ). This is where the Hyundai PGA tournament is played in January. He was paired with 2 other guys...one from LA and one from Canada. They had a great time playing and experiencing such a famous and beautiful golf course. I took A LOT of pictures and read an entire book. I never knew golfing for 4 hours could be so much fun!
Now, to play this course be prepared to pay an arm and a leg...it is NOT cheap ( this is becoming the theme of our honeymoon ). But, just a tip- If you play before a certain time (1:00 I think?? ) you get a discount. So, when booking, try to get a morning tee time.

After we finished at the course we showered and got ready in their locker rooms and headed to Merriman's for dinner. We had reservations around sunset (highly recommended) but we got there a little early. This restaurant is right on the water next to the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua. We came here thanks to a friend in The Woodlands who ate here on her Honeymoon several months ago. She blogged about it and said it was a must do, so we did it! And we do not regret it. It was one of the best meals either of us have ever had and one of the prettiest views. Look at my pictures and you will understand :)








Friday, May 13, 2011

Today we had snorkeling and a Luau booked! It was our last full day in Maui and the last day we had actual plans. We booked a catamaran tour for the snorkeling and headed out early that morning. Honestly, we were pretty disappointed in the catamaran AND the snorkeling. We have both snorkeled and scuba dived many, many times all over Mexico and the Caribbean and this was just boring for lack of a better word. The catamaran we went on had SO many people on it. There were not a lot of places to sit out in the sun because there were so many people. The actual snorkeling- we did not see any cool fish or pretty coral. It was just very average and not impressive. We were under the impression that it is some of the best snorkeling in the US but it definitely was not. Don't get me wrong- we had a lot of fun and it is still fun to snorkel...but just don't have a lot of expectations for seeing much. We went to Molokini first then to a Turtle area. We were pretty much guaranteed to see turtles. Well, we didn't. =(
We got back to our resort and had a few hours to lay out and swim at our pool before we had to get ready for the Luau! The Luau was just down the road from our resort, at the Wailea Marriott. We had heard it was one of the best on the island and I don't have anything to compare it to, but it was awesome and so fun! I can't imagine there being one better than that. You pay approximately $100 per person and that includes a huuuuge buffet, open bar and the show. The food was delicious...a pig, tons of sides and desserts. The pina colada's were kinda watered down but still cool and refreshing. We were given beautiful lei's, shopped at some of the little huts set up, had our picture taken, learned how to make coconut milk, played some Hawaiian games and more. The show was incredible...those dancers are really talented and they have the skinniest, most toned bodies ever. This was one of my favorite parts of our honeymoon!! We were seated at a table with a few other couples...one odd couple from Denmark and one from Maine. This is a fun experience if you are visiting Hawaii...you really get a good taste of the Hawaiian culture. I definitely recommend this to anyone taking a vacation to Hawaii!

Tasty Tuesday- Seattle Rosemary Roasted Crab Legs

Since I am in Seattle and the seafood here is amazing, I wanted to post a local recipe! A lady I am working with here this week that lives here gave me this recipe. If Chris was here with me and my hotel room had a kitchen I think I would make this tonight but it will just have to wait until this weekend..........

Seattle Rosemary Roasted Crab Legs



Ingredients:
2 whole cooked Dungeness crabs (about 2 pounds each), cleaned, portioned, shells lightly cracked, or 1-1/2 pounds king crab legs
6 to 8 long sprigs rosemary
1 large lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the crab in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and top with rosemary sprigs and lemon slices. Add the olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes, and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to evenly coat the crab pieces with the seasonings, and arrange them in an even layer. Roast the crab until it is heated and shells are lightly browned, eight to ten minutes. Garnish with the rosemary and lemon slices.

Sounds amazing, huh??

Hello from Seattle!!

Hi Everyone!! I am so behind on blogging! EEK! I have so many things I wanted to post about over the past week and a half but things have been a little crazy. So, here is a quick update on our lives over the past couple of weeks...
We spent last weekend on the beach in North Carolina with family and had a great time! We got a lot of sun, spent a lot of time with family we don't get to see much, and ate way too much. We even got to see my Dad & Step-Mom...they were coming up to NC to see one of my sister's and it worked out for them to stop and see Chris and I for one night. We had dinner with them and spent a couple hours hanging out. It was so fun to get to see them and spend time with family. I spent a lot of time holding my sweet little nephew, Tanner. He is getting so big and I miss him so much! We got back really, really late Tuesday night ( thanks to our flight getting delayed about 20 times )so, Wednesday I was exhausted. Wednesday night was the Niki Minaj and Britney Spears concert in Houston...it was my 5th time seening Britney and this was one of the best. We went with our friends Greg & Jenny Clark and had a lot of fun. By then I was even more exhausted. So, I was really happy that we did not have any plans for a couple nights and the weekend would be spent in town. Saturday we headed to The Woodlands to spend some time with Chris's families. We hung out with his Dad & brother for awhile then spent the evening with his Mom and brothers. And somewhere in the middle of all that I went to my good friend, Vanessa's, baby shower. I got to see some of my best friends and eat some of the most delicious cake I have ever had =) Sunday we had breakfast at one of our favorite spots in Houston- Barnabys. YUM! Then we headed out to Sugarland to look at some houses and areas that we will probably eventually move to. We are probably going to put our house up for sale in the Spring of 2012 and move out to Sugarland. So, we just wanted to get an idea of what areas we liked and did not like. We pretty much narrowed it down to 2 areas...Telfair & Greatwood. We loved the areas and the houses in both. We'll see what happens in about 8 or 9 months!
And now...I am in Seattle for work for the week. This is my 2nd time to Seattle and I love it here ( at least during the Summer ). The temps are in the 60's and low 70's, there is always a breeze and there are no clouds in the sky most days. It is such a nice break from the Texas heat! Chris's uncle, aunt and cousins live here so I am going to see their new house and have dinner with them tonight and then going to watch his uncle in some sail races in downtown Seattle Thursday night! After this trip I am in town for about 4 weeks then it is off to Salt Lake City for a week... whew! It is hard to keep track of where I am sometimes...at least I am racking up Continental miles and Hilton points =)
I wish I had time to post some pictures from the past week but that will have to wait. In the meantime, here is my view- =)




So, there is a re-cap of my crazy schedule lately. I will get caught up on all the other posts when I get back in town. Have a wonderful week!!!

Summer Reads, Wine Bar and North Carolina

HAPPY FRIDAY, YALL!!

I love to read but I especially love to read when I am laying out at the pool or on the beach. I am currently finishing up the 4th book in Nora Roberts Bridal Quartet series. I have loved all 4 of these books so much. They are easy to read and make my wedding obsessed heart smile. =)



Here is what is next on my reading list-





My Nook is going to have a busy Summer!

Next...I am SO excited beacuse a new wine bar opened close to us and Chris and I went last night and absolutely LOVED it! Well, I guess it is not so new to us...there is one in The Woodlands and we actually went to that one on our first date almost 4 years ago. But, one finally opened in Houston and we went yesterday after work. It is called CRU. It has a great wine selection, yummy brick oven pizzas, tasty calamari and chocolate fondue dessert that is amazing and so much more. I had 2 Riesling flights ( that would be 6 mini glasses of wine ) and Chris had a Pinot Noir flight. The music was trendy and fun but not too loud...our server was fast and friendly...it wasn't too crowded at 5:30 but by 7 is was packed...the crowd is a mix of young professionals, groups of girls and a lot of blonde, skinny River Oaks women ( seriously...there had to be 20 of them ). Our quick happy hour turned into being a 3 hour, expensive happy hour. This is definitely a place we will be coming to a lot in the future!




Tomorrow we are off to spend a few days on the beach in North Carolina with family! I can not wait to spend 4 days in the water, laying out, with family, eating lots of yummy food and working on this reading list. Here is where you can find me:




More Honeymoon posts next week! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Our Honeymoon to Maui- Part 2

Welcome back for part 2 of my honeymoon recap!

Day 3- Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Today was the day we chose to do the Road to Hana. We were told to reserve a whole day for this so we did. We got up around 5:30, got our fun rental car (I highly recommend getting a convertible while in Maui) and made our way to the beginning of the Road to Hana. We stopped in Paia for a smoothie and breakfast sandwich before we started this all day, winding journey. Paia is a really cute, little town full of shops and tiny restaurants. Also, it is where the last gas station is for over 50 miles, so it is a must stop. We loaded up on Dramamine, a picnic lunch, a bunch of water and started the drive. For those of you who have not heard of the Road to Hana, this is one of the top 5 drives in the US, but it is seriously intense, scary and dangerous at times...but it is beautiful and so worth it. Just make sure to read a lot about it, get a good guide book, talk to others about it and take a lot of Dramamine :) You will understand more as I go on...
So...you want to make sure you pay close attention to the mile markers on this road. And just an FYI- they start over at 0 a little ways after Paia, so make sure to reset your odometer then.
This trip literally takes all day, there and back. It is about 68 miles total but you have to drive really slow and you will want to stop a lot. Make sure to get started really early and the morning and get back to your hotel or at least almost back by dark. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE ON THIS ROAD IN THE DARK.

Here are some of our favorite stops a long the way-
1. Mile Marker 10 1/2- Garden of Eden Arboretum & Botanical Gardens- You have to pay about $10 per person to enter. You will see tons of birds, peacocks, bamboo forests, beautiful flowers and my favorite part- the view of Keopuka Rock from the opening scenes of Jurassic Park. BEAAAAUUUUTIFUL! From here you can do some hiking or get back on the road.
2. Along the road keep a look out for some really cool looking trees- there are painted bark Eucalyptus trees that smell amazing and are so pretty.
3. Mile Marker 17 (almost)- Keanae Village- This was one of my favorite stops. This is a tiny seaside village that has been around since the 1800's. We found these random little stands where ladies sell homemade banana bread & mango bread so we bought 1 of each and found a spot on some lava rocks and chowed down. This whole town was wiped out a long time ago because of a hurricane. All that was left was a missionary church and it is still there today.
4. Mile Marker 32- Wainapanapa State Park- Here you will find a beautiful black sand beach and a really cool cave. Make sure to wear shoes when you walk down to the beach...it hurts really bad if you don't. I had to learn the hard way.
5. All along the way there are random waterfalls, swimming holes and hiking trails...we just stopped when we saw something we wanted to see.
6. Mile Marker 42 ( 20 minutes past Hana )- Oheo's Gulch aka Seven Sacred Pools
It is 7 small swimming holes that all pour into the Ocean. When it has been raining a lot the pools all combine into one big pool

The Road to Hana consists of approximately 68 miles, 56 bridges ( 46 are ONE-WAY bridges...SCARY!! ) and over 600 curves. Many people get sick driving it but thanks to the Dramamine and having a convertible, I did not get sick!
Here are some pics from our journey-

Our Honeymoon to Maui- Part 1

The past few weeks Chris and I have gotten A LOT of questions about our honeymoon...what our favorite parts were, where we ate, which companies we used for certain things we did, etc. It seems like so many people we know are planning trips to Maui in the near future so I got the idea to do a few posts on our entire honeymoon! It gives me a chance to re-live it a little, share with our family & friends all the details and hopefully help out those of you who are planning trips there! So, I am going to try to fit it all into 3 or 4 different posts over the next week so, make sure to check back in.
Maui was amazing, beautiful and we had the best time. If you ever have an opportunity to go, GO! I hope these posts give you a little glimpse into one of the best vacations we have ever been on :) Enjoy!

Day 1- Monday, May 9, 2011
We arrived in Maui on Sunday night but it was already dark so we did not get to see much. We pretty much checked in to our unbelievable suite in The Four Seasons Wailea, unpacked and went to sleep ( It was after midnight Houston time when we got to Maui so we were exhausted ). Of course Monday morning we wake up around 5:00 AM because that is 10 AM Houston time. It is already getting sunny there so we go out onto our enormous balcony and get to really see Maui for the first time...it was BEAUTIFUL. We plan on staying at our resort all day Monday. We really wanted to have a couple days to just relax, hang out on our beach and pool and not go anywhere. We get ready and head down for breakfast at Duo in The Four Seasons. Our honeymoon package included "free" breakfast buffet every morning so that was awesome. This is not your average buffet people...this had every thing you can imagine. From eggs and bacon to a big table full of pastries, breads, muffins, to a waffle, pancake and omelet station, fruit and veggie section, cereals, granola, gluten free table and more and more. Plus, with every breakfast you got a "breakfast shot of the day". They were little smoothies they brought out each morning- one morning it was orange, one morning purple and so on. Always something different and interesting. We spend almost the entire day laying out in really comfy chairs by the pool and ocean. We move a couple times so we can be in the sun some of the time, and out of the sun. There were pool views and oceans views. The resort staff come by and refill your water every few minutes, bring you cold towels, cucumbers for your eyes, fruit kabobs and brownie bites...I was in Heaven! They even have sunscreen at the towel tents for you to use. They smelled like mango & coconut! Yum! For dinner, we had reservations at Ferraro's ( one of the resorts restaurants ). We had a great table with a beautiful view of the ocean & sunset.
Our time was still a little off so we got tired pretty early every night and really never stayed up past 10. HA! We felt so old. But, it was nice to be rested every day. So, that was it for day 1...it was very relaxing just being at the resort all day with no plans. Here are a few pictures of our room, resort, view and dinner at Ferraro's:









Day 2- Tuesday, May 10, 2011
This was one of our favorite days of our honeymoon. We attempted to sleep in ( did not work ), ate breakfast, took a long walk on the beach the headed to the airport for a helicopter tour over West Maui and Molokai. There are several helicopter companies but we were told the best ones were Sunshine Helicopters and Blue Hawaiian. One of my best friends, Jenn, used Sunshine Helicopters when her and her hubby were there for their honeymoon so we went with that one! Be prepared- it is EXPENSIVE. Around $300 per person...and then we paid a little bit extra so we could have first row seats ( by the pilot, best view )...but it is definitely worth every penny. We saw tons of waterfalls, beautiful coasts, clear blue water, mountains, cliffs...just look at my pictures ( although they do not do it justice ). It was a 1 hour tour and it was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had. Make sure you do a helicopter tour if you are in Maui, save your money and do it...you won't regret it!
After that was over we headed over to Ho'okipa Beach to watch the world famous windsurfers. That was so cool to watch, those guys are really talented!
And finally, we had reservations at Mama's Fish House. We were too early for dinner so we sat at the bar and had a fruity cocktail while we waited. We were finally seated for dinner and we had the best table in the restaurant...it was on the outer edge overlooking the beach and in it's own little private nook. We had lobster guacamole, champagne, mahi-mahi stuffed with crab & lobster ( one of the best things I have ever eaten ) and bread pudding. On the table was a personalized card from the restaurant congratulating us on our marriage and the manager even came over and brought me a fresh lei and chatted with us for awhile. This was a wonderful restaurant and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone! The food and service were awesome and the view is beautiful.
Here are some pictures from Day 2:









Check back tomorrow for Part 2! =)