Well, we aren’t sure that we could have had a better way to end the trip than day ten. With a 7:00 am appointment, we rolled out of bed early and took the Mustang 15 miles West to the Maui Ocean Center. From there, we would board the Four Winds II catamaran en route to a nature preserve on an island off Molokini.

For those of you who don’t know, Molokini has a crescent shaped island that is strictly protected as a nature and marine wildlife preserve. Located between Maui and Kaho’olawe, this partially submerged volcanic crater is inhabited by rich coral beds that make it a top snorkel and scuba destination for amateurs and pros alike.

Without scuba certification, Blyth and I were given the option to upgrade our package to “Snuba”. Snuba provides the benefits of scuba diving without the difficulty of carrying your own tank…or needing any certification for that matter. We opted for that package as we checked in…and settled on a seat in the rear of the boat.

Before we knew it, we were off. The captain (and owner of the boat) was actually hilarious. From Chicago, it was hard enough to get over his ridiculously stereotypical accent over the PA…but his commentary was both insightful and hilarious at the same time. Over the course of the trip, he pointed out Oprah’s new house, rare species of birds overhead, history of the various beaches we passed, and local legends all while poking fun at passengers in between.

As we neared Molokini, we were served a light breakfast and briefed on how to Snuba. The view from the ship was already breathtaking enough as the island came into view…how could it get any better than this?

As we anchored, we were outfitted in wet suits, given masks and flippers, and equipped with weight belts and oxygen lines. Our guide prepared a raft for our oxygen tank and hooked each of us to our tank/raft as we were sent into the ocean.

We would finally make our way toward the wall of the crater and slowly descend into the water. Once we got used to the important stuff (you know, like breathing)… the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. The reef was painted with all varieties of color with countless nooks and crannies for the fish to dart in and out of. Curious tropical fish would follow us the whole dive and even swim up to us face-to-face. During the dive, we would spot numerous species of tropical fish, an eel, and a pacific octopus (definitely the highlight of the dive).

An hour and a half later, we would take off and head back toward the dock. We were served kalua pork sandwiches that rival any of the BBQ we’ve had in Hawaii…they were simply delicious. 25 minutes from the dock, we would take a short detour through what our captain called “turtle universe”. As we drifted for 5 minutes, we spotted at least 4 sea turtles before continuing on to dock. This excursion flew by, but was certainly memorable.

Returning to our room, we would rest for an hour or two before heading down to the pool for a little sun. We didn’t have much time to spend here as we had 5:45 dinner reservations…so we quickly headed to the room to get ready.

As we thought about our trip, there was one thing that we hadn’t done that almost every visitor to Hawaii has to do once. A luau! We headed over to the Old Lahaina Luau…one of the most famous (and longest running) luaus on Maui. We weren’t really sure what to expect (or how hokey it would be) but it was actually really cool.

As we arrived, we were given the standard issue fresh leis and led to our table. We aren’t really sure how she pulled it off, but Blyth actually had us sitting in the front row, first table. We would walk around and watch some of the traditional crafts, take our picture by the sunset, and grab some beverages before heading over to the buffet.

The food was traditional…but pretty exceptional. Blyth was a little more light on her plate, but Billy gave almost everything a try. We aren’t really sure what all Billy had… But we know he at least tried pacific octopus, raw ahi salad, fresh pineapple, fried rice, stir fry veggies, BBQ chicken, steak, kalua pork (cooked underground), grilled ono, poi, purple sweet potatoes, and two different desserts.

After stuffing our faces, the show began. With a perfect mix of Hawaiian Legend, history, and traditional dance..this production was simply amazing. It literally took us three dances to realize that the instrumentation was live as well. If you ever come to Maui and want to do the cheesy luau thing, you’ll disappointed by Old Lahaina Luau…if you want a great dinner show, though…we highly recommend it.

After the show, we walked about a mile South to Lahaina Town. We had heard live music coming from Moose McGillycuddy’s the night before, so we decided to pop in and unwind. The band was pretty good there too. With all original songs, their sound definitely had a heavy island influence (almost like 311…minus the white boy rap). After a few songs, we decided to head in early for bed. After all, we would have a full day of travel in the morning.

Overall, our trip to Hawaii has been incredible. Yes, we are extremely sad to leave…but we are looking forward to heading home and seeing what married life in the real world has to bring. For those of you who have followed our honeymoon, it has been fun…and we are so glad you could join us on this ride. We will continue to post on this blog…so check back in on us if you want. As they say on the island… Mahalo…and Aloha!

Our traditional table at ground level…

The view over our right shoulder wasn’t bad either…