By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff Rendall
Summing up our Hawaii vacation
One thing I neglected to touch on when detailing the highlights of our most recent visit to the island of Maui in Hawaii is the length of time it takes to get there. Short answer: It’s a lot.
I opted to halve the initial jaunt by stopping for a couple days in the Los Angeles area to visit family, which makes for two fairly long travel segments to reach the destination but breaks up the journey into more manageable portions. With an east coast base, heading to Hawaii equates to about 11-12 hours flying time no matter how you slice it. And six (or five in the winter) time zones to boot. When you arrive there, you’re exhausted from being confined to an airborne tube and stunned by the time change, which takes a day or two to get conditioned to.
Flying east to Europe seems easier to adjust to, as does coming home after your vacation. It’s just the way it is. Why fret about it?
From the east coast, the mission can be accomplished more or less straight-through by flying to Dallas (DFW) in the early morning and then catching the longer leg to Maui (OGG), arriving mid-afternoon Hawaii time. It makes for a very long day of flying, but cuts the allotted time somewhat… can you sleep on an airplane? American Airlines did an admirable job of getting us to paradise without too many glitches other than the usual airport hassles and rushing between connections. No missed flights this time.
One positive note – the Boeing 787 Dreamliner between Dallas and Kahului was a great plane – roomy and the in-seat entertainment was excellent. We’ve flown the Boeing 777 overseas as well, but I would rate the 787 higher, just from a pure comfort standpoint. You can’t do anything about a jampacked flight these days, but the model of plane matters, particularly the difference between a widebody craft and the smaller Airbus 321 or Boeing 737.
Overhead bin space alone makes riding the big jets preferable. It’s the way it is.
One thing you’d need never worry about when paying a visit to Maui is finding enough to do there. I think the biggest lesson to be drawn from our Hawaii visit was re-learning the fact that you won’t run out of new and interesting things to do once you arrive at your island destination. It’s terrific to experience 
Maui – again – and it’s exciting to cross more items off your “to do” list, with a number of them waiting for the next time in addition.
Every day was filled to the extent we wanted to fill it, and not everything in Hawaii calls for exploding your bank account, either. Deals can be found if you search long enough and it helps to be a little flexible on dates, with the winter or fall months probably the friendliest time to explore a Hawaii vacation. A good chunk of the Hawaii clientele is from the west coast, so escaping the harsh winter isn’t as dire a need for the warm-weather southern Californians.
East-coast based travelers likely find Florida and the Caribbean as preferred destinations for a winter jaunt, and I can see why. From experience and observation, the Caribbean is some cheaper and, of course, much easier to get to from Atlantic-based starting points. The drive to Florida is lengthy, but relatively easy in terms of traffic and the availability of stops like Buc-ee’s on I-95 help to break the monotony.
All factors to consider.
Maui has become easier to choose over the years due to the presence of Costco and resort facilities that make cooking your own meals much more workable. Time certainly equals money in Hawaii, but devoting hours to meal planning and execution also equals time and foregoing the “experience” of dining out. It’s according to your preferences… and budget.
The diverse age range of our group made cooking and in-room dining a real convenience. Our resort had a beautiful deck with ocean views as well, so post-meal chill-sessions were a favorite. There was very little “night life” to view from our place, but there’s nothing wrong with relaxation, either.
It’s been our experience that Hawaii resorts have scaled-back their guest offerings in more recent times, likely due to an absence of demand/participation as well as the boosted costs involved with putting on the shows/presentations in the first place. It’s a sign of the times, but going to Hawaii will cost you for everything you do.
A good example is the new parking fee at the Nakalele Blowhole. It used to be free to go there… now you have to chock up $10 to enjoy it (collected through a passport app). Here’s thinking people abused the privilege to inspire the charge, which forced the change, but Hawaiian government entities are desperate to raise cash, too.
The reception for visitors by Hawaiian residents isn’t what it used to be, either. Since the Lahaina fire especially, it’s evident that people who live there resent the snooping and probing tourists. You can’t blame the locals, but Hawaiians are dependent on tourism in a big way. Be prepared to tip generously – the staff and service personnel will definitely appreciate it.
The passage of time will begin to restore more of what made western Maui a special place to go, well worth the effort and expense. Right now, it’s still a terrific destination, one I’m very fond of and hope to get back to… someday. The near future will determine whether some of the “old” quality will return. I guess we’ll see next time around!
Going to Maui (Hawaii)? Part I — Tips – Who and what to bring and why bigger is better
https://www.golfintheusa.com/going-to-maui-hawaii-part-i-tips-who-and-what-to-bring-and-why-bigger-is-better/
Going to Maui (Hawaii)? Tips, Part II – Saving money in Hawaii, and Lahaina offers sadness… and hope
https://www.golfintheusa.com/going-to-maui-hawaii-tips-part-ii-saving-money-in-hawaii-and-lahaina-offers-sadness-and-hope/
Going to Maui? Part III – Touring the ocean depths from the comfort of an air-conditioned building
https://www.golfintheusa.com/going-to-maui-part-iii-touring-the-ocean-depths-from-the-comfort-of-an-air-conditioned-building/
Going to Maui? Part IV – Plan golf in Hawaii? — and what you can’t do without (hint: it’s Costco membership)
https://www.golfintheusa.com/going-to-maui-part-iv-plan-golf-in-hawaii-and-what-you-cant-do-without-hint-its-costco-membership/
Going to Maui? Part V – Beer on the beach and the hipp(-i-)est town on Maui’s north shore!
https://www.golfintheusa.com/going-to-maui-part-v-beer-on-the-beach-and-the-hipp-i-est-town-on-mauis-north-shore/
Going to Maui? Part VI – Hana Highway is as bad – or as awesome – as you want it to be
https://www.golfintheusa.com/going-to-maui-part-vi-hana-highway-is-as-bad-or-as-awesome-as-you-want-it-to-be/
Going to Maui? Part VII – Hana highway substitute offers views without the carsickness; plus, Maui Wine
https://www.golfintheusa.com/going-to-maui-part-vii-hana-highway-substitute-offers-views-without-the-carsickness-plus-maui-wine/