Goodbye Maui

Aloha, today is our last day in Maui. We got up and headed straight for the beach. We played in the sand, caught some waves on the boogie board and played paddle ball until about 11 am. We then headed to the pool to soak in our final hour of rays. We were pretty much packed so we just had to shower, change and check out. We grabbed some lunch downstairs at Cafe Ciao and then boarded the shuttle for the airport. We checked in and then stood in the security line for over 30 mins. We went straight to our gate and our plane was ready for us. Tony checked his email before we boarded and he had a message from the McVady's that said Chicago was under a winter advisory and are expecting 6-10 inches of snow. We were hoping to bring some sun back with us but it looks like that won't happen. We are excited to come home and share our stories from our trip with all of you.

Ma Halo

Maui Day 9

Updated photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/tony.viviano/StarredPhotos02?feat=directlink

Our last full day on Maui was today. All of us slept in until about 7:30 and then headed to the beach. We played at the beach for a while and then Tony had to take the rental car back to the Marriott. Once he returned we spent a a little time poolside before heading up to the room to change into some dry clothes. We then caught a taxi from our hotel to the Kihei celebration of the whales. The Pacific Whale Foundation sponsored the event at Koloma Park on the beach (near the skatepark) and they had a stage set up with live bands, food vendors and people selling their homemade products. We stopped by the Pacific Whale Foundation booth and got some information about the whales and bought a few things to support the cause. Afterwards we wandered around looking at all the interesting arts and crafts. They had a maze set up that had whale curtain made of 32,000 oragami whales.

After a couple hours we headed across the street for a light bite and a couple of bikini bottom brews. There was a live singer and hula dancer that eventually got Gina and Shelly up on stage to hula. We all had a few laughs before heading back to the hotel. Once we go back we headed to the coy ponds to see if we could spot some toads. The kids saw several of these large and loud toads. The were first a little scared but eventually they were petting them and almost picking them up. We had some laughs watching the toads trying to avoid the kids.

We went back to the room, packed a little and watch speed skating and bobsledding before calling it a night. It was a fun last day! Tomorrow we get a 1/2 day at the beach and then its off to the airport. Until then...Aloha (goodbye)

Maui Day 8

Updated photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/tony.viviano/StarredPhotos?feat=directlink

Another Day in Paradise! If it seems like all we do is hang out in the sun and occassionally eat thats actually somewhat accurate. Today we woke up had breakfast in the room and got out to the pool early today. The kids played in the water while Shelly took pictures. I went for a short run and then went to the gym. The gang spent the rest of the morning by the pool and then went to Ko (which means sugar cane) for lunch. After lunch we went back to the pool and then to the beach. We met up with our friends who helped us dig a giant hole and build sandcastles. Later Gina and I hit the waves for some boogie boarding while Shelly snapped pictures. After a long day in the sun we went to the room and got dressed for dinner. We stopped at a park in Kihei to watch the sunset and take some pictures. Once the sun went down we went to dinner at Cafe O'Lei where we had Ono and Mahi our entries. After dinner we were all pretty tired and drove back to the hotel. Back at the room we tried to watch the couples skating but it was just to hard. Tomorrow is our last day, stay tuned for our final updates. Aloha!

Maui Day 7

Yesterday was day seven for us and we started the day at Kihei cafe for some Kona coffee and pancakes. After breakfast the boys went across the street to the skate park while the girls picked up a few provisions at the store. John met up with a guy who was helping him with a few moves and Tony took a few pictures. By this time we were ready for a dip in the pool. The pool was not very crowded and the sun was not so hot thanks to a few clouds.

The kids met some friends and played soccer with them by the beach. We worked up a sweat and decided to hit the pool and water slide.

Later, Tony and Gina went boggie boarding and they were able to catch some tasty waves. Once they got back Johnny wanted to play paddle ball and try to break the resort record of 66 hits. They reached 78 to the amazement of the sunbathers who watched.

We didn't have lunch nut we had some coconut shrimp by the pool which were worth the $21 they charged us. At 5 the McVaidy's mentioned that they were going to Wok Star and we decided to join them. This time we picked up some beers to go with our meal since its "bring your own". Wok star was as good just like last time.

After dinner we went to the Henna Tattoo shop and Gina got a turtle tattoo and John a sun tattoo. We then we grabbed some ice cream and headed for home. Once we got home we took the kids for a walk to look at the stars. The stars are incredible here. The kids were amazed and laid in our laps and looked straight up while we listen to the waves crash. The moon was out and lit things up enough that we could see where we were going and reflected on the ocean too.

We headed to our room and then tried to watch the men's skating finals but we passed out after the first couple skaters.

Until tomorrow...Aloha

Maui Day 6

We had to get up a little early today because we needed to meet up with Buzzy Kerbox for another round of surfing. We needed to be in Lahina by 9 (its about a 30 min drive) so we had a quick breakfast and got on the road. The weather conditions were much better this morning so Shelly, Tony and Buzzy headed out into the ocean. Its pretty crazy because Buzzy takes you pretty far out and you can clearly see whales breaching out in the distance. Buzzy got us into position and soon we where up on our boards and riding some decent size waves. It is much tougher than it looks, especially the paddling out part! After we got the hang of it Buzzy went in to get the kids. Once a couple of good sets (sets of waves) came the kids were up on and riding. We hung out with Buzzy for almost 3 hours and everyone had a really great time.

After surfing we went into Kihei and had lunch at Pita Paradise which was awesome. After lunch John went to the skate park and made friends with a older guy who showed him a few skate moves. After skating we went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and then headed back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel we did the usual pool, beach and socializing with the few SAPers that were still around. Most of them left today and we expect only a few families to be here tomorrow. We met up with one of Tony's teamates and invited them out to dinner with us. We went to Freds Mexican restaurant for Margaritas and Fish Tacos. We knew it was good because we went there last time we were in Maui. We watched the sunset as we waited for our table and then enjoyed a good meal with friends.

We didn't do much after dinner, we just grabbed a icecream sandwhich at the gas station and went home and went to bed. We think the kids were wiped out after all the surfing and pool action. We got to see Shawn Whites halfpipe run and then we passed out.

Until tomorrow....Aloha

Maui Day 5 Surfing and Lahina

We started out with a morning workout then the plan was to hang out at the pool and relax. After Tony's workout he found us at the pool and said Buzzy Kerbox (famous retired surfer) called and said surfs up. So we ended up meeting Buzzy at mile marker 12 in Lahina. Buzzy gave us a land lesson then took the kids into the ocean. John and Gina were trying to paddel out but the wind was pretty strong. Buzzy at one point decided to pull the kids out together. This was impressive. Buzzy had his board, John had a board and Gina had a board. So that would be at least 140 extra pounds he was pulling through the ocean on a very windy day. After one or two tries he decided to take them one at a time. John and Gina both got up and were surfing. He then took the kids out one at a time tandem on his board to give them extra coaching. By the time he was done with the kids Buzzy was tired. He worked with the kids for about 2 hours. Buzzy said that he would take Tony and I out tomorrow.

It was about 2 PM at this point and we needed to get some lunch. We headed into Lahina to get lunch. We had lunch at Kimo's. This was Buzzy's suggestion. I had fish tacos, Tony had a fish sandwich, Gina had a cheese burger, and John had ribs. The food was good. We shopped around Lahina for the rest of the afternoon. We found pleanty of surf shops. We walked by a gelato shop the kids really wanted gelato...yum passion fruit and big island crunch.

Time to head back to the Fairmont. One last SAP gig. The kids had dinner on their own and we attended the Aloha party.

Maui Day 4

Another day in paradise. We had to get up at 6:00 to be on a bus to go snuba (snorkel meets scuba). We boarded the boat and headed to Molokini crater which is this amazing volcano crater in the middle of the ocean that is now a coral reef. Along the way we way several whales including a mother and baby just off the side of our boat. It is always an incredible sight to see a whale but seeing a whale and its baby is really special. Once we got anchored all of us got off the boat and went snorkeling. The kids struggled at first but got good at it after a short while. After snorkeling we went to another spot where there were suppose to be a lot of sea turtles but the water was too rough to have the visibility need to see them. We went back to Molokini and put on our wetsuits to get ready to snuba. Tony and John went together and Shelly and Gina went together. Tony and Gina ended up being brave enough to go down 15 - 20 feet below the surface but John and Shelly never went much below the surface. While we were under water we heard whale sounds which was probably the best part of the whole trip, it was really cool! After about 30 minutes of snuba we boarded the boat, had lunch and headed back to the harbor where we came from.

Once we got back to the Fairmount we grabbed our beach gear and headed down to the pool and beach. The weather was clear and breezy and perfect for hanging by the pool. All of us played paddle ball, caught rays and swam in the pool. Later Gina went to the beach with her boogie board and some friends. Around 4:30 we decided to go in and get cleaned up for the evening. Us adults were invited to a VIP dinner for the top performers with the head of SAP consulting at the Four Seasons. The setting and dinner where both excellent and we enjoyed connecting with old friends and meeting some new folks. The kids had dinner on their own at Ko which is a restaurant at our hotel and then hung out on property and in the room. We stayed in touch with them via text until we got home. On the way back from the Four Seasons we had to stop a couple times to look at the stars. The sky is so clear that you can see stars that I don't think we have ever seen before. When we got back there was a gift from SAP of Bon Jovi's new CD and a bracelet from Tiffany's, not to shabby! All of us were tired after a long day and headed off to bed.

A few updated photos:

Picasa Web Albums - Tony - Maui Feb 2010 Highlights

Picasa Web Albums - Daily Updates from Maui!

Here we will be sharing the highlight photos from Maui

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Picasa Web Albums - Tony - Maui Feb 2010 Highlights

Bon Jovi Live from Maui

Bon Jovi played for SAP at the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui...Awesome!

Maui Day 3

Today we slept in until 6:30! We didn't have anything planned until 10:00 so we had time for breakfast, some soccer on the beach and a quick swim. We boarded a shuttle to drive us up 4000 feet up haleakala (volcaneo) to the horse stables. It was cold up there and the staff gave all of us coats to wear because we were all somewhat underdressed. The staff selected a horse for each of us and we were off to the trail. The trail started through a eucalyptus forest. From the forest we came out unto a open space that overlooked the north and southsides of the island. After taking some pictures we headed back to the stable through the same forest. The shuttle took us back to our hotel and we then changed and headed to the pool for a few cocktails with one of Tony's co workers. After that we showered and grabbed a early dinner at Wok Star and had some excellent Chinese food! After dinner we dropped of the kids at a kids camp and we headed to the Bon Jovi concert. More to come on Bon Jovi later.

Maui Day 2

First day of the SAP Winners Circle/SEA award trip. Tony and I stopped by the hospitality suite to pick up our itinerary. We received a beach bag with a few goodies inside. Wrist bands for the concert on Sunday night (rumor is that Bon Jovi is playing), two small flash lights, two small backpacks, and a Kodak HD flip camera (video and still). Today the only scheduled item is the welcome reception at 7 PM the kids are included for this evening.

After this we went down to the pool to meet up with the kids. We hung out at the pool until around 11 AM. Tony and I had a outdoor massage while the kids hung out in the room for an hour. The massage was well needed after the long plane ride.

We decided to have lunch off resort property. We wanted to get out of the sun and decided that we did not want to pay $14 for the kids virgin pina coladas again. We went to a near by town, Kihei. We had lunch at the Kihei Cafe. This cafe is a greasy spoon. After lunch John and Tony headed over to the skate ramp across the street while Gina and I walk around the shopping bazaar. John had a great time at the skate park and Gina and I picked up a few souvieners. It was 2:30 PM, we went to a drug store near by and picked up some beach toys (boogie board and beach ball).

Now that we have the boogie board we decided to catch some waves back at the Fairmont. The kids took turns on the boogie board and playing paddle ball with us. John and a little boy named Evan tossed a football around at the beach. John was impressed by Evan's trowing ability. I think Evan was about 5 years old.

At the Welcome Reception we were entertained by Hawaiian music, hula dancers, and a fire thrower, juggler (I am not sure what they call those guys, maybe you call them crazy). There was a buffet dinner and all you could drink lava flows. There was face painting available for the kids. Gina decided to get a butterfly and a turtle on her hands. John thinks he is too old for face paint.

Sunday we are going horse back riding...stay tuned.

Kihea Skate Park

After a morning in the sun and pool we decided to go to Kihei to have lunch at the Kihei cafe. After lunch the girls shopped around the quirky area where the cafe was and the boys went across the street to the outdoor skate park. Johnny brough all of his gear from Grand Rapids to Hawaii to skate and after being there an hour I think we can say it was worth it. There were some really good skaters at the park who according to one of the older skaters there "come all the time" We decided we will try to come back on Tuesday in the morning and hopefully it won't be too busy.

Maui Day 1

February 12
First full day in Maui
We woke up early today, real early 5am-ish. Gina and Dad went down to the hotel store for coffee and a croissant and a hard boiled egg while John and mom hung out. Tony went for a run and while Shelly and the kids set up "camp" by the pool. Shelly and the kids fed the coy fish in one of the ponds. The Fairmont (hotel) has a few pools with one upper pool connected to a lower pool by cool water slide. The kids went on the slide a hundred times and met some friends in the process. At noon the kids had lunch by the pool and Shelly and I walked along the beach path (pictured here) to the Marriott to pick up a rental car. At the Marriott we met a friend from Grand Rapids uncle for a drink and split some fish taco's that were ok but it didn't matter since we had a Mai Tai. We then picked up our rental and then the kids. We decided to go pick up some surf stuff and groceries. We went to Maui Built - Tropix and scored so cool stuff. Then we hit the Safeway and got some stuff for breakfast, snacks and cocktails. We hung out at the hotel for an hour and then went down to the Shops of Wailea. We picked up a few more things and then decided to get a light dinner at Tommy Bahama's. After dinner the kids were pretty tired and so were we. We got back to the hotel and crashed. It was a long day but we knocked out a few things that we wanted get done. The SAP event starts tomorrow so stay tuned.

Ma halo

Maui - Departing from Chicago

We headed to the airport to catch our flight from O'Hare to LA. We made it to the airport with time enough time to grab some lunch and we had a quick sandwich before heading over to our gate. On the way to the gate we spotted Michael from Extreme Home Makeover. It ended up that he was on his way to LA as well so we introduced ourselves and chatted him up about Maui, the show etc. Michael told us that Maui is one of his favorite spots and gave us some tips. In fact he wrote a few places down in Gina's journal. Before we boarded we asked if we could take a quick picture. Michael was a nice guy and very approachable, we enjoyed out talk with him. Shortly after we boarded our plane and head to LA. The flight was painless except that United Airlines has to have the least legroom of any airline...and we don't need much! We didn't have much time to hang out in LA. We boarded the plane for Maui which seemed like a much longer flight (5 hours) Shelly and I upgrade to economy plus so the seats were slightly better. She and I tried to sleep while the kids stayed awake the whole time. John made friends with a couple of teenagers from Canada on the way and they told him about how they got busted shoplifting a PSP GO (portable game player) We landed Maui, got our bags, boarded a shuttle, and checked in. We decided to order some room service since it was 10pm and we were all a little hungry. We had a couple fruit plates, coconut shrimp and chips and salsa. By the time we were finished we were more than ready for bed. It was a big trip for all of us but we managed and how we are here for the next 9 days.

Shelly's Birthday

Shelly's birthday was yesterday (Feb 10. We receive about 10 inches of snow and the kids had their first "snow day" in recent history. We used the time off to pack and wrap up any loose ends. Over lunch Shelly and I went to her trainer for the hardest workout yet. Lets just say we were ready to throw up after the second set. We left around 5 for Chicago. The roads were not bad and we rolled into Fronterra Grill for dinner about 8. We had some excellent food and margarita's! Afterwards we headed to the Aloft Hotel in Rosemount (near the airport). Gina wrote in her journal and ate an ice cream sandwich while us boys played a few games of pool (I won 2 of 3 games, barely) The girls turned in early while John and I watched the end of the UNC vs. Duke game on 4 lg flat screen TV's grouped together to form one image. This morning we are taking it easy since we don't have to leave until 1:00 pm flight to LA and then from LA to Maui arriving about 8:30.

Maui February 2010

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