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Families in Paradise
Three generations visit
Aloha State
By Monique Cole, Special to The Denver Post
Ohana
means family in Hawaiian, not just the nuclear family, but the
entire tribe. And it was a small tribe we took with us to Maui
in February - my husband and two daughters, along with my parents.
In the past, our visits with the grandparents
were either at our home in Boulder, which doubles as my office,
or at their home on Oahu, headquarters for their real estate
business. I decided that to have a true vacation together, we
should all meet on neutral territory, away from the distractions
of phones, faxes and e-mail.
Of course, the presence of grandparents
provided incredibly well qualified, built-in babysitters. My
husband and I set a record for number of dates in a single week,
with two romantic dinners, a kid-free hike and a two-hour longboard
surf session. That's not even counting the quick runs on the
beach or snorkeling circuits we sneaked in while the grandparents
supervised sandcastle building.
We chose our destination well, discovering
the tourism department slogan, "Maui loves kids," was
more than just marketing hype. There appeared to be more parents
traveling with children than without, and nearly all the local
restaurants and hotels treat kids - or keiki - like visiting
royalty.
Take, for example, the host at the Blue
Marlin Restaurant, where we ate lunch after our snorkeling excursion
to the small offshore island of Molokini. The pre-dawn departure
had wilted our 4-year-old, so the host turned two chairs toward
each other, added a pillow and created a chaise worthy of a Cleopatra.
On a snorkel trip earlier that day we
really appreciated the two extra sets of hands in our group.
The Pacific Whale Foundation provided snorkeling gear and flotation
devices for all sizes of guests. Even Katarina, only 22 months,
got to see a turtle in the wild as she peered through a Plexiglas
window inserted into a Boogie board. Powered by grandparents,
with one pushing from behind and another pulling, Katarina easily
kept up with the green sea turtle swimming 20 feet below.
Meanwhile, my husband and I took turns
helping Sammy test her new snorkeling skills. We knew she was
still breathing thanks to her excited giggles coming from the
tube.
We considered scheduling a separate
whale-watching boat ride, but the woman taking our reservation
assured us that in February on the boat ride to Molokini, "you'd
have to be unconscious not to see whales."
Cetacean families seem to love Maui
vacations, too. The closely clustered islands of Maui, Lanai
and Molokai form a cradle of calm, warm waters that are protected
as part of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine
Sanctuary. Each winter, from November to May, nearly 3,500 of
the endangered whales gather here to breed, give birth and nurse
their calves, having traveled from as far as Alaska.
We saw at least five mothers with calves,
often accompanied by a male escort who, the on-board marine naturalist
explained, may be vying for the next round of breeding rights.
Although our closest view was from the
catamaran, the whales' distinctive salty exhalations and tail-waving
salutations were also constant companions throughout our trip.
One frisky humpback put on a great breaching show for us during
an oceanside lunch in Lahaina.
On another evening in that quaint but
crowded whaling village, we caught the Old Lahaina Luau. Before
dinner, guests browsed Polynesian crafts and learned to play
ancient Hawaiian games. My daughters warmed up to three local
girls who were pounding poi and making kapa cloth with their
tutu (grandma). The local girls were in a Hawaiian immersion
school and communicated with their tutu in the ancient tongue.
I almost felt like a local resident
myself, recognizing a Tongan woman weaving baskets at the luau
whom I had met earlier in the day at the Ritz-Carlton's aloha
Friday festivities. We had chatted about our families, and here
she was with her youngest of eight children. Considering the
strength of the ohana in Hawaiian culture, it made sense that
these parents could bring their children to work.
After the kalua pig was lifted out of
the imu, or cooking pit, we settled at our tables. Everyone had
a great view of the stage, thanks to a theatre-in-the-round configuration,
with a picturesque backdrop formed by palm trees, the Pacific
Ocean and the island of Lanai. I've never seen my two energetic
girls sit still as long as they did in Grandpa's lap transfixed
by the hula show, which traced the development of Hawaiian hula
from its Tahitian roots, to the ancient hula kahiko, and finally
the post-missionary modern hula.
"The hula dancers tell stories
with their hands," my daughter announced to me in the ladies
room. This pearl of cultural wisdom had been passed to her by
my mother. It drove home the idea that my parents were more than
just built-in babysitters or extra sets of hands, they added
another perspective to the kids' travel experiences.
We all decided that we weren't "tick-list
tourists." Some of the scheduled activities - the luau,
the Molokini trip and a sandcastle-building lesson on Kaanapali
Beach - were definitely appreciated. But our fondest memories
also included long hours of playing at the beach and walking
on ancient reef. Sammy found that lava rock walls were the ideal
place to practice her Colorado climbing moves while waiting for
restaurants to open for lunch.
At the Whale Day Celebration in Kihei,
we observed that we could see similar booths and carnival rides
back home, but were delighted to discover a perfect climbing
tree. Then, Grandma got the inside scoop from a local resident,
and we walked to an idyllic cove with shoreline caves to explore,
view colorful sea urchins through a snorkel mask and toss small
rocks to create that simplest of toddler pleasures: "plunking."
Grandma concluded the title of Katarina's
travel journal should be "Places I Have Plunked." She
plunked kukui nuts in the sea near Kaanapali, she plunked coral
into tide pools at Hookipa and she plunked round river rocks
into a secluded pool below a waterfall.
We decided not to take our ohana on
the famously scenic - but eight hours long - drive to Hana. Both
girls had learned a well-placed hand on a sister's car seat could
inspire incredible tantrums, so we tried to minimize long drives.
On our last day we planned to start
the drive to Hana, pull over when inspiration hit and turn around
with enough time to reach the airport for a 10 p.m. departure.
That's how we ended up having a picnic at the world-famous windsurfing
beach of Hookipa. Conditions were perfect - the wind was strong
and steady, and 10-foot waves created launch ramps for phenomenal
aerial maneuvers. While the grown-ups watched in awe, the kids
made friends with other keiki playing in the tide pools.
Farther along the Hana Highway, we stopped
at a classic roadside fruit stand for coconut and sugar cane
samples. It was also the trailhead for a short hike to a waterfall,
so we slipped on muddy rocks and waded across a cold stream,
wondering if the struggle would be worth it. It was.
A 40-foot cascade plunged into an oval
pool through a fringe curtain of giant ferns. We had the place
to ourselves, and while the girls and I walked along a shelf
of rock to peer from behind the waterfall, my mother braved the
chilly waters. Grandma floated on her back gazing at the blue
sky above and swam breaststroke under the misty water.
With a mixture of amusement and adoration,
her husband of 37 years declared, "In her mind, she's a
Hawaiian princess."
On Maui, it seems, visitors are never
too old to feel like royalty.
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Multigenerational travel tips for
Maui
A vacation together can either
bring a family closer or tear it asunder. To keep your trip more
on the blissful side, here are some tips.
Plan ahead.
Include all the members of your group in the planning process.
Consider your group's individual travel styles, physical abilities
and activity preferences when choosing a destination and creating
an itinerary. Also discuss in advance how expenses will be divided.
Compromise.
Our ohana was lucky because we all love active outdoor fun and
a generally relaxed itinerary. But we did have to compromise
on the timing of morning outings and dinners to accommodate my
night-owl parents and early-bird daughters. Be prepared to compromise
on issues of lodging, activities, timing, prices and more.
Don't overschedule. We were running late, and as I tried to pry
Sammy off the chaise lounge, she replied, "I just want to
lie here and watch the coconut trees." The larger your group,
the harder it will be to arrive anywhere on time. Although reservations
may sometimes be necessary, try not to plan more than one time-sensitive
activity each day. After all, it's a vacation.
Eat in or alfresco. Three formal restaurant meals per day can be
hard on children (and their elders). A box of cereal and a carton
of milk stored in your hotel wet bar can be a sanity-saver. Part
of our trip was spent in a two-bedroom Kaanapali Alii condo where
we enjoyed several relaxing meals in an ocean-view dining room.
Beachside picnics were also a welcome break from the expense
and hassle of restaurants.
Stay flexible.
When high winds and cold temperatures kept us out of the ocean,
we checked out the incredible aquarium at the Maui Ocean Center.
The next day the wind still hadn't abated, so we headed inland
for an educational hike with Maui Eco-Adventures. A foul-weather
contingency plan will save you from wasting precious vacation
time.
Put someone in charge. After 15 minutes of debate about where we should
go one windy afternoon, and directions being shouted from three
different navigators, I was afraid my husband might crash the
minivan. At that point, I instituted a constitutional monarchy,
led by me. I took input from all my loyal citizens, but I made
the final decisions and gave the driving directions.
Divide and conquer. Family togetherness is great, but sometimes
a break is necessary. We made sure Grandma and Grandpa had some
romantic time together, while they gave us a chance for several
kid-free dates. Depending on your destination, renting two vehicles
may be necessary.
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