Our day today was all about fun and relaxation in Maui! It was a day for our travel companions to experience their own adventures before gathering this evening for a traditional Hawaiian luau.
With so much to choose from, some of our travel companions began the day with a walk down to the local shopping area to enjoy breakfast and check out the shops. One of our couples took a helicopter ride to a neighboring island and saw beautiful waterfalls. Another traveler took surfing lessons for the first time. Some preferred to "hang loose" near the beach and pools. And, many in the group opted for a whale watching excursion.
Over the course of our trip, we've noticed a lot of whale activity in the waters off the coast of Maui. With mating season in full swing, there are plenty of whales in the area and February is actually a peak time to see them. And, the whales did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, one mother and calf swam up to our boat and decided to hang out for awhile. Everyone enjoyed watching the two of them breach, spout and play all around the boat.
We were fortunate to see many different pods of whales and even a few dolphins turning flips as we headed back to the harbor.
This evening, many in our group dressed up in Hawaiian attire as we attended a traditional island luau. Everyone received a floral lei to begin the experience. From there, we took some more group photos before heading to the party. As you might expect, we were treated to a feast of Hawaiian fare including pork, chicken, fish and more. My favorite was probably the chocolate macadamia nut pie they offered for dessert!
There was lots of music and dancing as a wonderful show took place after our dinner. The highlight was a fire dancer who twirled flaming batons while doing all sorts of dance moves. We all agreed that the young man performing should be auditioning to be the next drum major at Ohio State because he was very talented!
It's hard to believe this was the last full day of our vacation. Tomorrow we will check out of our hotel and enjoy seeing marine life at an Aquarium. We'll also have another group dinner before heading to the airport late in the evening. No doubt it will be difficult to say "Aloha" to Maui!
I uploaded pictures from our whale watching excursion and our Hawaiian luau to ABN Radio's Facebook page. You'll find pictures of the largest banyan tree in the United States while you're there!
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