Our beloved ward family in Maui

Upcountry view from the church grounds

I regularly fall in love with destinations but Maui was different–it felt like we belonged. Two months later, I’m still moderately obsessed with buying a second home on the Valley Isle (P.S. Our dream home is still on the market. Why have you not bought it so we can come visit?)

I was reminded just how small the world really is and how connected we all are.  We’d only been in Maui a few days when we attended the Pukalani Ward in the upcountry. Shortly after I won the trip to Maui, I started researching activities. I also took to Instagram for real photos from locals and somehow happened upon an LDS mom Malia. I was inspired by her self-sustained country lifestyle, gorgeous photography and the way she captures the simple beauties in life.

We corresponded a few times and she casually mentioned that her ward was the best on Maui. As the trip drew closer, I Googled it and was pleased to see it was in what is known as Maui’s “upcountry” and its location made a lot of sense. We would drive an hour to get there from Napili, go to church 9 a.m.-noon, lunch at Kula Lodge and take a Sunday drive to Haleakala Crater. I also loved it was off-the-beaten path because I wanted my kids to have a more authentic Hawaiian church experiences vs. being in a ward near the beach that was constantly overrun by tourists.

Since Malia and I had only corresponded a few times, I didn’t want to appear like a stalker who just shows up at someone’s ward so I was undecided whether I should approach her. During the whole meeting, her beautiful 8-year-old daughter kept smiling at me, later saying, “I just felt like I knew you.”

That’s how this entire ward felt for me. Here’s the great thing about being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Literally anywhere you go in the world, you have a ward family. Of course, every congregation has varying degrees of closeness but I’ve never experienced anything like the Pukalani Ward. Call it the “Aloha” spirit but I call it the most loving, welcoming group of people I’ve ever met.

Sacrament meeting was lovely and there were plenty of Hawaiian touches such as the ward choir and leadership who wore Kukui Nut Leis. As soon as the first meeting was over, I looked up and there was Malia. “Are you?…” And I assured her I was. (She recognized my hair–shocker). We hugged and I was grateful she didn’t make me feel like it was weird that I was there. We dropped the kids off in Primary, went back to hear Malia’s great lesson where we talked about the state of the world and she called upon me to share some insights. Her husband, not knowing us from Adam, came over a few minutes into the lesson and whispered to us, “Are you Bode’s parents? He’s a really cool kid.” Again, such unsolicited kindness.

It was their ward conference so the final meeting was taught by the stake leadership. We waited…and waited before the person teaching mentioned they were waiting for the pianist to show up. “Do we have anyone else who can play?”  Jamie glanced at me. I shrugged. I wasn’t about to volunteer in a ward that wasn’t my own but Doug, a hilarious podiatrist we had met, called out, “Sister Johnson can play,” and then a few people chimed in supporting him and before I knew it, I was getting volunteered to perform a song I’d never played in my life in a ward that was not my own.

Let’s just say it was memorable.

After the meeting, we dashed out to collect the kids and Malia came after us. “A few families are getting together at a potluck later today and we’d love to invite you,” she generously offered. How could we turn down that kind of opportunity? Doug later told us he was going to invite us as well but we had slipped out before he could catch us.

Jamie, the kids and I lunched at the gorgeous Kula Lodge and spent a memorable afternoon driving to the top of 10,023-foot Haleakala.

We were to meet Malia and company at the beautiful Pulehu LDS Chapel.  Although the chapel is not an official church historical site (and is no longer used for anything except for informal gatherings and firesides), it is the oldest LDS church building still standing in Hawaii and one of the first permanent structures completed by the church in Hawaii.

Pulehu LDS Chapel

A lava rock wall surrounds the grounds now and there is a stone monument with a marker that reads: “ERECTED BY THE LDS HAWAIIAN MISSION IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH IN HAWAII. NEAR THIS SPOT THE FIRST BAPTISM (PALE) WAS PERFORMED AND THE FIRST BRANCH OF THE CHURCH ORGANIZED IN 1851 BY GEORGE Q. CANNON AND JAMES KEELER.”

We spent the evening on the chapel’s verdant grounds and it was magic. Malia and her gracious family. Julia with her adorable little boy who is trying to get her novel published. Doug the podiatrist who had us in stitches the whole night. Not literal ones. Though he said plantar-fasciitis people like me keep him in business.

Free backrubs with Hadley’s new besties

Tag at twilight

The kids raced and played on the lawn with their new friends into the golden hour while the adults gathered in the chapel. The get together was intended to introduce everyone to the fiance of one of their dear friends who will be moving to the Mainland. While she played the violin, Kevin played the guitar and we sang hymns in that little chapel–beautiful, reverberating songs of praise, solidarity, love and beauty in a carnival of sound.

Photo: Malia. Just look at that sky out the window

Photo: Malia

As darkness intruded upon our night, we sang “God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again” before filing out of that blessed chapel. Malia pulled me aside. “Kevin wants to serenade your family with a Hawaiian farewell song.”

Because really, doesn’t everyone get serenaded all the time? The shaky video I shot.

I have saved his song on my iPhone and whenever I’m feeling sad, I listen to it and remember that enchanted evening. As we reluctantly walked back to our car, Bode pointed up. “Mom, look at the stars.” Black velvet draped the heavens as a million stars’ ribbons of light pin-pricked the sky.

Serenaded by moonlight. Photo: Malia

Malia and I kept in touch for the duration of our vacation and on the final night, we were invited back to Doug and his wife Kristen’s for a farewell dinner with many of the same wonderful people. Their upcountry home has gorgeous views on the 16th fairway (and they actually rent out the other side for just just $129/night).

Fairway tag in Maui’s upcountry

Hadley and Kalena

The kids had a blast playing with their friends all night long as we watched the sun set into the ocean.

I regularly fall in love with destinations  but this trip was different: we truly fell in love with the people.

How grateful I am for experiencing a little slice of Maui heaven.

Family Travel: 4 family-friendly resorts on Maui

A room with our favorite view at Napili Kai

One of the advantages of winning a trip to Maui was staying at four resorts. It was also the disadvantage. But despite being on-the-go every two nights, our nomadic lifestyle gave us the opportunity to visit various parts of the island and discover what properties worked best for us.

Each was family-friendly but that was where the similarities stopped. Napili Kai Beach Resort was the most budget-friendly and had our favorite views. All of the accommodations at the Honua Kai Resort & Spa are luxury suites overlooking the world-famous North Kaanapali Beach. Travaasa’s experiential resort in remote Hana was dripping with beauty, relaxation and on-site activities. The Fairmont Kea Lani’s only all-suite and villa luxury oceanfront resort on the white sands of Wailea’s Polo Beach looked like it had been plucked out of a scene from Arabian Nights.

It was the best of four worlds. CLICK TO KEEP READING

Maui Family Vacation: Day 7′s memorable coastal walk and luau humiliation to remember

Wailea Beach Walk at sunrise

We spent our two final days playing in the pool and beach at the luxurious Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea. Located on the sun-kissed south shore of Maui, this unapologetically upscale resort community is famous for their crescent-shaped beaches and for having the most sunshine on Maui with less than 10 inches of annual rainfall.

Of course, it rained much of the time we were there.

Wailea Coastal Walk. On our final morning, I went on a sunrise run on this popular boardwalk past five white sand beaches, eight world-class resorts and three islands (Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Molokini, the tiny, partially sunken volcanic crater between Maui and Kahoolawe). This 1.5-mile trail was well-maintained and the scenery stunned.

 Hawaiian Canoe Experience. While the boys snorkeled in Polo Beach’s clear waters, Hadley and I signed up for the Hawaiian Canoe Experience.

CLICK TO KEEP READING

Maui Family Vacation: Days 5 and 6′s Famous Road to Hana

Day 5—The Road to Hana

Me: “My goal on the road to Hana is to hike to a waterfall and eat a lot of fruit from the fruit stands.”

Jamie (driver): “My goal is to not throw up or kill anyone.”

Driving the 52-mile serpentine road along Maui’s rugged northeastern coastline to Hana was a divisive issue. Some told us “it’s pretty but after you’ve seen one waterfall you’ve seen them all” while others touted Hana as the last of Hawaii’s unspoiled frontiers. Our conclusion: if you love the remote and don’t mind hairpin turns and one-lane bridges, you will love Hwy. 36’s stunning seascapes, taro patches waterfalls, botanical gardens and verdant rainforests.

With our guidebook Maui Revealed in hand, we had our route mapped out and planned to hike to a few lesser-known waterfalls. We quickly realized that other than obtuse mile markers, very few of the landmarks were marked, a curious phenomenon in a tourism-dominated land. We inadvertently drove past most of them in the beginning, after which we’d jokingly announce, “OK, moving on.”

Our drive wasn’t a complete fail. We CLICK TO KEEP READING ABOUT OUR FAVORITE SECRET SPOT ON THE ISLAND.

Our favorite secret spot on Maui

Join us on our week-long journey to Maui! In case you missed them:
Maui Family Travel–Your guide to 7 days in paradise Days 1 & 2
Maui Family Travel: Days 3 and 4 in the Glorious Upcountry and Beach Bums

Maui Family Vacation: Days 3 and 4 in the Upcountry and Famous Beach!

This week, I am dedicating my blog to all-things Maui. On Days 3 and 4, I become obsessed with my favorite region in Maui: the upcountry.

Maui’s “upcountry” is a cluster of sites located 2,000+ feet up the slope of the famed crater Haleakala. What we expected: a welcome respite from our sunburned couple of days at the beach. What we did: fell in love.

Parts of this region are referred to as the “Maui Alps.” With cooler temperatures, gorgeous bi-coastal views and a tropical forest, it was easy to see why so many locals live here. Watching the sunrise and sunset from atop 10,023-foot Haleakala is legendary (though finding parking is not).

We opted to drive to the summit in the mid-afternoon once the crowds cleared. Our guidebook assured us that, though a ring of clouds often shrouded the mountain it generally cleared at the summit. As we wove around Haleakala National Park, I read the kids stories of ancient and modern Hawaiian culture that protected this land and its people. Lush rain forest gave way to pine, which evolved into shrub lands to volcanic landscape that was curiously similar to Colorado’s tundra.

At the 17-mile mark, CLICK TO KEEP READING

My dream home in Maui’s upcountry

My Maui Dream Home

I’m still working through all the fun details of our trip but something I was not prepared for was falling in love with Maui’s upcountry. With sweeping ocean views, a gorgeous tropical mountain setting, cooler climes and wonderful people, this area really had it all.

I’ve never understood snowbirds, particularly because I love winter. We know quite a few who head south when the temperatures drop but I’m just not a fan of Arizona or most parts of Florida. However, there is a couple in our ward who winter in Hawaii and *that* I get.

It’s not uncommon for me to check real estate listings when I return home from a trip but I’m at the borderline obsession stage looking at cottages in Maui’s upcountry. I wouldn’t go during my beloved winter…we’d summer there (sounds perfect, right?)

Most of the homes were just that–dream homes. Really big, really expensive and frankly, I’m just not the type to buy a big, stuffy ostentatious home or car. But I found this little gem in the upcountry that is right around the corner from the Kula Lodge, a place we loved. (See the listing here).


Though the price isn’t nearly as steep as its waterfront counterparts, $785,000 is a tough pill to swallow for a three-bedroom, 1,600-square-foot cottage. So who wants to go in on it with us? Or, I am generously offering it up to you because we’ll never be able to afford it unless I win the lottery. You buy, I come visit.

It’s a win-win for everyone.

The Amazing Race: Maui

We’re back from an amazing 9 days in Maui and it was truly an adventure of a lifetime. We’ve traveled extensively and this was our favorite trip, ever.

Many more details are forthcoming but I’m wading through a deluge of deadlines and emails. Oh, and I decided to get sick at the very end so my all-nighter on our red-eye flight home was super fun.

In the interim, Jamie put together a fun video with some of our adventures.