Our family started off August with a much-anticipated week-long trip to the island of Maui. It got off to a bit of a bumpy start, as our early-morning Alaska Airlines flight out of Portland (PDX) rolled out of the gate on time but then almost immediately paused before we even reached a taxiway. Our pilot informed us there was some issue with an engine read-out, and shortly thereafter we ended up at a different gate to deplane and wait for a replacement. That left us with a few hours to kill, so we used it to our advantage to get some breakfast and let our six-and-a-half and two-and-a-half year-old granddaughters literally run off some steam.

Once in the air, our nearly six-hour flight proved smooth and uneventful. (My daughter kept both girls entertained the whole time with games and activities and lots of snacks; she is amazing!) We landed in a warm, breezy, humid Kahului (OGG); quickly gathered up our bags and car seats; retrieved our rental minivan; made a provisions stop at the nearby Costco; and made our way to our WorldMark by Wyndham condo in Kīhei, on Maui’s south shore. Our three-bedroom, two-bath unit afforded us views of the ocean and beaches, just a block away, and made for a very comfortable home base for the next seven days. Our delayed arrival gave us less time that afternoon to settle in and explore than we had planned for, but we made sure to get down to the beach in time to take in the beautiful sunset and splash in the warm water a bit.

The other members of our party — older daughter, Sarah, and her husband and two boys — arrived late that evening and settled into their two-bedroom condo right next door to us. We planned the next day, a Sunday, to be a laidback day with nothing more urgent to do than go to the beach, enjoy the pool and indulge in some shave ice. The three-hour time difference from home meant we all woke up early, all the better to make the most of our days in Hawai‘i.

The next morning we headed to West Maui and Lahaina. We had last visited three years ago in April, just months before the devastating wildfire that leveled much of downtown Lahaina. (The three-year anniversary had just been marked days before we arrived this year.) I had seen the images of the destruction, but it still was stunning and heartbreaking to see how changed it was and how little has actually been rebuilt. From where we parked along Front Street (only just fully reopened to traffic) at the south end of the central core, all of the buildings were gone except for a few heritage buildings that will be restored and rebuilt. It was sobering to take in the twisted remnants of playground equipment within the fenced-off grounds of all that remained of  King Kamehameha III elementary school just across the street. Our walk to the harbor took us right past the famous banyan tree that miraculously survived the fire and, though diminished in area, looks healthy and flourishing. We also saw that the 19th-century cannons that preside over the harbor continue to serve as sentinels over the waterfront that is returning to business.

We had come to enjoy an Atlantis Submarines tour, so after a briefing from our guide, we climbed aboard the tender which would take us out to the sub, waiting about a 20-minute sail away from port. The trip out gave us broader views of Lahaina and a chance to learn more about the area and what we could expect to see on the sub. We tied up alongside the 48-passenger vessel and carefully transferred to it and down the ladder into it. Two back-to-back rows of seats faced the portholes on either side of the sub, and our pilot and guide sat in the bow. We traveled down to a depth of 100 feet or so, and our guide provided narration about the sea life we observed. We saw lots of fish and coral, and the highlight of the tour came as we circled an intentionally sunken replica of a 19th-century supply ship, the Carthaginian, which serves as a marine-life habitat and popular scuba dive site. The grandkids (and we grown-ups) thoroughly enjoyed the roughly one-hour excursion.

Back on land, we were ready for lunch and made a stop on the way back to Kīhei at Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop in Olowalu Village. It sits alongside the road under enormous trees, an unpretentious spot that produces excellent food (sandwiches, salads, specials and fresh-baked goods) and an assortment of personal-sized pies. Luckily, we arrived just before the lunch rush and secured a table for nine and enjoyed a hearty meal. (Of course, we purchased some of those pies for later!) After that, we all were ready for a nap before hitting the pool and beach later in the day.

More Maui adventures to come next week!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor