Last Day in Paradise

Today we packed up and said goodbye to Maui. We started the morning off by laying on the beach for a bit, then went back to our condo and started packing up. We have a later flight today so we decided to drive up to Lahaina and have lunch there before heading to the airport. We love the town of Lahaina--very quaint. We stumbled upon Blue Lagoon off Front Street and decided to eat there. Afterwards we did some shopping and enjoyed the scenery.



After walking around Lahaina for a bit, we eventually headed back and checked into the airport to sadly await the arrival of our plane. However we were very blessed with a few more amazing rainbows that will forever be grained in our memories!

Rainbow over our plane after arriving:


Rainbow over our plane at the gate:


Double-rainbows as I looked out from my seat!


And I just HAVE to point out where I'm sitting in comparison to Dean on our flight home. We weren't booked next to each other, however we were only supposed to be one row apart so we could communicate if needed. Well lucky Dean gets offered to trade seats into the exit row b/c a young boy was originally booked there. So while he's stretching out his legs in the exit row, his wife of 5 days is cramped next to a total stranger. Next time, first class all the way... :-)

Snorkeling

Today we went on a snorkeling cruise to Molokini and Turtle Town. It was quite an experience! We were both thrilled to see sea turtles up close!

Haleakala Crater

Today we woke up at 3am to drive to the Haleakala Crater to watch the sunrise. It took about 30 minutes to get there and then another hour to ascend the 10,000 feet to the top of the crater, but it was well worth it... it was an amazing experience!! You're high above the clouds at that elevation.

Dinner at "Home"

After our long drive yesterday we decided to enjoy the reason we came to Hawaii--to relax on the beach! We spent the majority of the day laying on the beach across from our condo and eventually by the pool. :-)


In evening we enjoyed a very romantic dinner on our lanai. This proved to be a great idea based off the gorgeous sunset we had as a backdrop:


Today was probably the most popular wedding day of the year, 8/8/08. Of course Kendra took a picture to commerate it.

It's the Journey... Not the Destination

Today we drove the 'Road to Hana'. It's a drive that took us about 4 hours down the northeast coast of Maui from where we're staying (Kihei) down to town of Hana (plus three hours back). We know most people probably think we wasted a day in paradise driving, but this was one of the most incredible experiences! The drive includes over 600 curves, 54 bridges, and beauty beyond what you can imagine! We purchased a special CD to play during the drive that suggests places to stop and gives history on what we're seeing. We highly recommend this to anyone making this drive. We packed a cooler with snacks and water, wore our swim suits under our clothes, brought towels and a change of clothes all in preparation for this long, but beautiful drive.

Kendra's friend Jackie told us that we had to eat at Mama's Fish House while on Maui, and ironically we stumbled upon it on our way to Hana. So on the way back we decided to stop for dinner. The food was delicious and we lucked out being there at the right time for another beautiful sunset.

First Day in Maui

We arrived in Maui around noon, picked up our rental car, and checked into our condo rental. We are renting a two-bedroom condo and so far are loving it! It's very spacious and very close to the ocean. Check out the beautiful view from our lanai! We have a great view of the islands of Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Molokini.


In the evening we drove about 45 minutes northwest to Lahaina and had a romantic sunset dinner at Pacific'O, one of the few beachfront restaurants on Maui. The food was incredible and the sunset was breathtaking. Since this was to us the first official day of our honeymoon, we splurged and got the works: wine, appetizers, main course, and dessert. Pacific'O is definitely one of our top recommendations if you plan a trip to Maui. The food was great and you can't beat the view!


It sprinkled a little (more like mist) at the beginning of our dinner, but it didn't last long and we did get a beautiful reward for sitting in the rain. :-)







The view from our table:

First Full Day as Mr & Mrs

Today consisted of pure relaxation! We spent the majority of the morning/early afternoon hanging out poolside at the Hilton (where else?!) As you can tell, dean was obviously worn out from getting married!!

All but four of our guests departed today, so that evening we enjoyed dinner at Roy's (Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine) with Kathy & George and Megan & Isaac. Can't beat an evening of sushi, their killer signature Hawaiian martini (featuring pineapples soaked in vodka), and above all wonderful company! All together it was a perfect way to spend our last day on Oahu.

We're Married!!

We would say we're "Mauied" but that's the wrong island... LOL! The wedding went off without a hitch. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, the ceremony was beautiful, and we couldn't have asked for a better way to unify our lives! We haven't received all photos from our wedding yet, so here are some teasers.

Our guests and us at the Hale Koa Luau
for our "reception"

Mr & Mrs Converse

Da' Boys enjoying the moment

Cruisin' the Island

Today Kendra, Megan, and Bert went to get manicures for the wedding while the men went to the store to stock up food and drinks for our "rehearsal dinner" cruise. By the time the ladies were done the boys were long done with shopping and were found at The Yard House drinking.

At 4pm we all took a cruise around the island with Captain Joey and he accentric first mate. ;-) We took us to Haunuma Bay, docked for a bit to snorkel, toured the coastline (some some amazing houses and cliff divers), docked at Diamond Head to watch the sunset, and then headed back to the marina for a tour. Quite a agreat day, of course it is nothing compared to tomorrow...

Relaxation & Libations

Today was spent mainly in the ocean and/or poolside at the Hilton (drinks always in hand!) :) It was a fun day of hanging out with family and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. After Kendra took a swim in the ocean with her nieces, Dean gave Allison diving lessons and Madison warmed up to Kendra's best friend Megan.

Dean's mom Kathy and her fiance George arrived today so we headed to the airport to pick them up and wow, check out the view we had!

Afterwards we all went out to dinner and then some of us decided to go to Dukes Barefoot Bar at the Outrigger Hotel for some drinks.

Details, Details...

Today we went to the Honolulu Board of Health Building to get our marriage license... woohoo!



Then we had a meeting with our wedding planners Susan and Pam to go over all the little details. Afterwards we drove the beautifully scenic road to the beach that we're getting married on and WOW!!!!! It's soooooooo beautiful! We also stopped at scenic points for some pictures.

We also met with both our photographer and videographer to go over all the fun details. We know without a doubt that they will capture our special day in the most incredible way.