Maui Travel Guide

Excursions

Road to Hana

The Road to Hana is miles of winding road through the rainforest with many one lane bridges. It's an excursion that you only need to do once in your life time and is also an all day excursion. You can go in your rental car or go through a tour group. 

Whale Watching excursion with Pacific Whale Foundation

The Pacific Whale Foundation hosts whale explorations out of Lahaina that lasts for two hours and has drinks available for purchase. Over the two hours you will learn more about the humpback whales that visit Maui from November to March to give birth. I recommend taking a jacket if go on an early morning exertion and make sure to take your camera. Keep in mind that whale sightings are not always going to happen, but always make sure to have your camera ready. 

Before getting on the boat, stop at Bad Ass Coffee for coffee, which is just on the other side of the banyan tree on Front St.

Where to Eat

Note: I highly recommend making reservations for all of these in advance. Especially Mama's Fish House. My mom made that reservation almost a year in advance of our trip to Maui. 

Lahaina

Star Noodle: 4/5

Featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives

While the food was amazing, the service could definitely have been improved. We were very excited to visit the restaurant after seeing it on Food Network. My parents and I shared the Vietnamese Crepe and I had the Hot n Sour noodles for my main course. All of the flavors were  excellent, and the cocktails offered on the menu were also good. Definitely make reservations or you will be waiting for more than an hour for a table.

Make reservations on Yelp.

Cost: $

Fleetwood's On Front St. : 4/5

Featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives

Located on Front St. in Lahaina, Fleetwood's On Front Street offers custom cocktails and a menu filled with fresh, locally caught fish as well as other options. I recommend setting up reservations 30 days in advance and try to get in around sunset with a seat on the upper deck for the best view. Meal wise, my parents and I shared the Crab Cake for an appetizer and I had the Ono in the Citrus Beurre Blanc preparation. For a cocktail I had the "Lime in the Coconut drink". If you would rather have wine, Fleetwood's also offers an extensive wine list.

Make reservations.

Cost: $$

Lahaina Fish Company: 4/5

Also located on Front St, Lahaina Fish Company offers an extensive menu with both fresh fish and red meat as well as other options. I recommend making reservations for around sunset because all of the restaurants facing the bay on Front St. are great spots to see the sunset.

Make reservations.

Cost: $$

Maui Brewing Co. Brewpub: 3/5

All ages. Maui Brewing Co. Brewpub features all of the Maui Brewing Co. beers with a menu appetizers and lunch picks.

My Brew Picks:
Coconut Hiwa- Porter
Pineapple Mana- Wheat

No need to make reservations.

Roy's- Kaanapali (5/5)

Located near all of the resorts at Kaanapali, Roys offers dinner from the sea and the land. The best Ahi that I have ever had in my life. If you love Ahi, go to Roy's and order the Ahi. Instead of bread being served at the table, they deliver edamame at the beginning of the meal and you can request refills. Roy's also has a large wine and cocktail menu to choose from.

Cost: $$-$$$

Make reservations.

Wailea

Morimoto Maui: 5/5

One of Iron Chef Morimoto's restaurants that features a unique menu with cold and warm appetizers, sushi, and entrees. I recommend the "ishi yaki buri bop", which is cooked at your table. The yellowtail in the dish was absolutely delicious. 

Cost: $$$

Paia

Cafe Mambo 

A great breakfast spot to stop at before starting the Road to Hana. Has a wide variety of breakfast items and coffee menu. Is also open for lunch, but I have only had breakfast there. 

Cost: $

Mama's Fish House: 5/5

If you decide that you want to have one meal where you can splurge, make it Mama's Fish House. The menu is full of freshly caught fish from that day and the menu says the vessel that the fish was caught on and where the vessel was when the fish were caught. I would recommend making reservations well in advance.

Cost: $$$

Pin it: 

Reno Travel Guide

Today's post is going to be the first guest post I've shared. My friend Eric spent the summer in Reno for an internship so I asked him to share some of his favorite places to visit in a guest post.

______________________________________________________________________

Hi everyone!

My name is Eric, and I’m a hometown friend of Mal’s. After spending my summer in Reno for an internship she has asked me to write on my experiences, my favorite places, and any recommendations that I may have. So here goes nothing.

Kings Beach

Reno was an ideal location for an internship for many reasons. It is conveniently located to other cities and it is home to University of Nevada Reno (about 25,000 students), so it was very easy to make friends and gives Reno a very ‘young-adult vibe’.

First off, TAHOE. Lake Tahoe is an easy 45-minute drive from Reno and where I spent most weekends. There are several cities around the lake, so it’s important to either enter from the north or the south. The north route takes you over Mt. Rose, which is beautiful in itself, into Incline Village, and the south route will take you through Carson City into Stateline/South Lake Tahoe.

Emerald Bay on the south shore

Because Tahoe is a popular winter destination, a lot of the towns around the lake are aimed at the skiing/snowboarding tourist populations. For that reason, the focus of the summer season is obviously the lake.

One beach that I would recommend is Zephyr Cove. It is a popular destination on holidays and weekends, especially for college students. Although alcohol and glass containers are prohibited, the scene is similar to a Florida party beach (especially during the 4^th of July). Another great beach is Chimney Beach. It’s on the east side of the lake and it is both family friendly and pet friendly. It is notorious for a standing chimney that remains from an old house. My favorite beach on Tahoe is certainly Kiva Beach. It is a popular dog beach and has the most beautiful view of Tahoe.

Sand Harbor

Kiva Beach 

Sand Harbor

Regardless of what beach you choose to visit I would definitely recommend researching parking options. Parking fills up very fast at beaches with lots, so having alternatives is necessary.

Within Reno there are several hiking trails, including my favorite, Hunter Creek Trail. It is a six mile (roundtrip) hike that ends at a beautiful waterfall! In the city I would also recommend visiting University Ridge Park, which overlooks the entire city. Every building downtown is illuminated with bright, colorful lights, making it a spectacular view.

Hunter Creek Trail 

One of the most appealing aspects of Reno is the nightlife. It is the main draw for tourists, considering the large amount of casinos and clubs. I’m glad to say that throughout my nightlife experiences in Reno I always felt safe and never had a reason to feel uneasy, although I can’t speak for everyone. I am not interested in gambling, so I cannot give advice on casinos, but the Peppermill Casino has a nightclub called EDGE, which is a higher-end club. Overall, I preferred to stay downtown. My favorite bars downtown are The Rack, Faces, Lincoln Lounge, Imperial, Five Star Saloon, and Our Bar. If you decide to go out, I’d certainly recommend taking Uber everywhere you go. Some streets are poorly lit, especially when you get further from downtown.

I didn’t broaden my palette too much this summer, but I definitely have a few food recommendations. First, I highly recommend brunch at chez louie. It is a small French bistro located in the first floor foyer in the Nevada Museum of Art. You can enjoy a nice breakfast, a few mimosas or Bloody Mary’s, and finish your afternoon exploring the museum. My favorite lunch locations were various Vietnamese restaurants. I’m a huge fan of pho, so Pho Cali and Golden Flower were two of my favorite lunch locations. An amazing dinner/evening location is The Eddy. It is an outdoor space with three bars and rotating food trucks. It’s an amazing location for socializing, and you can play jumbo Jenga, cornhole, or bocce with your friends. For late night options, I’d suggest either In-n-Out (duh) or Roberto’s, which is a 24-hour taco shop (perfect for late nights).

As I stated earlier, Reno is very conveniently located to other cities. This summer I was able to visit San Francisco a few times, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. I first went to San Francisco for SF Pride, and it is an easy 3-hour trip from Reno on I-80, which takes you through Sacramento. Not only is the drive to San Fran beautiful, but San Fran itself is spectacular. If you find yourself in Reno, make the drive to SF, even if it’s only for the day.

In addition, flights out of Reno to California cities are very affordable. I visited a friend in Los Angeles for five days, and my last minute plane ticket was about $200 on American Airlines. The flights from Reno to both Las Vegas and Los Angeles are only about an hour each, so it’s a very easy commute and well worth it.

At Griffith Observatory 

At the Getty 

Thanks for reading and comment down below if you have any Reno or Tahoe suggestions or recommendations. I'll be sharing another guest post with tips on obtaining internships and scholarships soon!

Eric

Kansas City Travel Guide

I just got back from visiting family in the Kansas City area and I thought that I would share some of my favorite places in the area to visit. I only visit my family every now and then, so don't take these suggestions as 'OMG I go here all of the time and you need to check these out', but take them as, I went here while I was in KC and maybe you should check these places out.

Note: I forgot my camera for the trip so all photos are from my phone. Also, I lost a few photos after getting a new phone earlier this week.

coffee

The Roasterie

Located in Kansas City, MO, The Roasterie is a coffee shop that air roasts their coffee beans in house.  The outside of the building is a joyful yellow and has an airplane on top of it. You can even take a tour of the facility. I think the times for tours are 10:00 AM and 12:30 PM. When we got there, we arrived just after 10 AM so we didn't get to join the tour, but that's okay. 

The Roasterie has a coffee bar where you can order all of the normal coffee drinks as well as purchase local baked goods. I honestly had the best latte of my life there. If you ever visit, try a double soy sugar free vanilla latte, I hope that you won't be disappointed. They also have shirts, cups, french presses, drips, and BBQ sauce (is that Kansas City or what??) for purchase as well. 

Also a little outfit post even though I said I wasn't going to post one. I love this top from ASOS and these shorts from J. Crew! 

Food

Dean and DeLuca

Located in Leawood, KS, Dean and DeLuca is an upscale grocery store that has a great sandwich and salad selection as well as a coffee bar. One of my sorority sisters that lives in the area suggested it to my family so we decided to stop in for a quick lunch. 

I got a turkey and brie sandwich that had apricot marmalade on it, and it was honestly to die for. Dean and DeLuca has locations in New York, Kansas, North Carolina, Honolulu, and International. If you ever see one, stop in and grab a bite! 

(Note: I lost my picture for Dean and DeLuca while switching over everything on my phones)

Pig and Finch

Located in Leawood, KS, Pig and Finch has a great happy hour as well as a Sunday brunch and a wide menu. 

I visited Pig and Finch with my family for a quick happy hour stop and had a red sangria. They also offered Pimms, a Manhattan, as well as other delicious drinks. 

Pig and Finch is surrounded by cute boutiques, unique restaurants, and Town Center shopping mall.  

Tours

Steamboat Arabia

If you like history, I would suggest visiting the Steamboat Arabia in downtown Kansas City, MO. The museum depicts what happened surrounding the sinking of the Arabia and thousands of artifacts recovered from the boat in the 80s. 

Boulevard Brewery 

View from the viewing deck. To the left is the smokestack of the original building. 

Even though this tour is of a brewery, you do not have to be 21 to go on it. You just have to be 21 to be able to drink the beer. This was my second time going on a tour of Boulevard, but my first time being 21. The tour takes you through the original building as well as the current building that stores all things related to the brewing of the beers. The tour ends in the tasting room where you, if you're 21,  can choose two beers to taste. I personally recommend the Radler! 

Tasting Room 

Some of the beers available to taste. 

Following the tour, you can visit the beer hall above the tasting room where you can buy beer flights, 5 oz, 11 oz, or 14 oz glasses as well as food. My family purchased a meat and cheese board as well as a veggie plate to go along with our beers. I would definitely recommend grabbing a beer and a bite at Boulevard. 

If you want to go on a tour of Boulevard, make sure to get to there at 10 AM, when the tourism center opens so you can grab your tickets for the daily tours. There are tours all afternoon long. We purchased our tickets and then went to The Roasterie, which was about a block as away, and the Steamboat Arabia, which was about a 10 minute drive before returning for our 1 PM tour. 

Some cute prints on the wall of the beer hall. Can you spot the Evelyn Hensen print?

If you're from Kansas City or have ever visited, please leave some other suggestions below!