One Week in Maui Vacation Itinerary

Many head to Maui for different reasons. My husband and I returned yesterday from our one week in paradise. There was never a dull moment and so many different things to see and do. Here is my 7-day itinerary that provides the most out of your Maui vacation with a mixture of adventure and relaxation: 

Day 1 – Welcome to Maui

> Arrive Kaluhui airport
> Pick up rental car (we found a great deal at Enterprise)
> Head to Safeway near the airport to stock up on food, snacks, water
> Check into resort (we stayed at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort and you can find my full review on the resort here)
> Dinner on the Andaz resort at Morimoto which did not disappoint! 

Day 2 – Explore Beaches and Pool

> Grab coffee at Andaz (free from 6:30AM to 9:00AM) and drive to Kamaole Beach and walk up to Kalama Park (approxmimately 2 miles)
> Get lunch at South Maui Fish Company (Even though this is a food truck this is honestly one of my favorite meals in Maui. The poke and fish tacos are amazing!)
> Explore town of Kihei and buy souvenirs
> Get shaved ice at Local Boys Shave Ice
> Walk back along the beach to the car
> Head to hotel and spend the rest of the day soaking up the sun at the Andaz pools
> In the evening use the car service at Andaz to head to dinner at Monkeypod - Make sure to get the infamous Mai Tai's!

Day 3 – Haleakala

> Before your jet lag fully sets in you make sure to see the sunset at Haleakala National Park. You’ll want to leave Wailea at 3:00AM latest and the drive will take about 2 ½ hours to arrive at the top of the summit. For sunrise, make sure to make reservations in advance (link can be found here) and the reservation for your car costs $1.50.  Once you arrive at the national park, you will have to pay $25 for the entrance fee (make sure to save this receipt because you can use it during the Road to Hana on the last stop!). Make sure to dress warmly as you'll be close to 10,000 feet elevation and it's very cold! As a side note, you can also opt to do this for sunset, however, I heard the sunrise is better.
> After you see the beautiful sunrise and make your way back down, stop by Kula Lodge for a breakfast with a view
> Head back to Andaz to rest, shower, and freshen up
> Drive down to Makena State Park (also known as Big Beach). This is my favorite beach along this side of Maui and is also good for snorkeling! If you keep driving past Makena State Park you'll hit the lava field which is so pretty!
> In the evening head to Maui Brewing Company to try their amazing beers and eat dinner at the food trucks which are parked outside (if you don’t like the food truck options walk across the street to Cow Pig Bun).

Day 4 – Road to Hana!

> You'll want to wake up early and get on the road (make sure to pack snacks and water!). We woke up around 6:30AM and had breakfast at Kihei Caffe 
> After breakfast you'll want to be on the road by 7:30AM.  When you reach the start of Road to Hana in Paia make sure to fill up on gas as there are no gas stations on the Road to Hana itself
> Spend the day exploring the 64.4-mile long stretch of Hawaii Routes 36 and 360. As they say, it’s all about the journey and not the destination. There is no cell service during most parts of the trip so we found it helpful to download the GyPSy app. Even though the app is $4.99 it's honestly worth every penny and I highly recommend it! It is not only serves as a GPS but it narrates to you so you don’t miss any stops.  The app is interesting with fun facts and stories about Maui's history. One thing to note is that we back-tracked up Hana Highway after the last stop at Haleakala National Park. You could continue onto Route 31 and take the backside of Haleakala which is not recommended (especially if you have a rental car) as it is remote and there are dirt roads. There are so many cute little stands for food and fruit which I highly recommend!
> On the way back stop at Paia Fish Market for dinner

Day 5 – Visit Lahaina on West side of Maui

> Check out of Andaz Maui in Wailea Resort
> Even though this is about 25 minutes out of the way, stop at Mama’s Fish House for lunch (it is expensive but worth it!)
> Check into Sheraton Maui resort in Lahaina
> Using the hotel provided shuttle (included in resort fee), head to Front Street and if there is time make sure to check out the cute stores that line Front Street
> Have a romantic dinner at Lahaina Grill

Day 6 – Snorkeling Day and Luau Night

> Rent Snorkel gear at Snorkel Bob's or directly from Sheraton which is $20 for the day
> Snorkel at the famous Black Rock (we saw so many different colored fishes and even the beautiful and huge green sea turtle!)
> Take advantage of the 10:00AM – 12:00PM happy hour at Mai Tai bar at the Sheraton pool area
> For a late lunch, walk along the beach to Hula Grill
> If time permits, check out Whaler’s Village shopping center
> In the evening head to the Old Lahaina Luau and since this is the best Luau on the island, make sure to make your reservation ahead of time!

Day 7 – Departure Day

> If your flight isn’t until the late evening fit in some last quality time at the beach or pool area (or a massage at the Sheraton like we did!)
> On the way to the airport fill up your stomach at Da Kitchen (their fried spam musubi is the best!)
> Depart from Kahului Airport

We had such an amazing time in Maui and we hope to come back some day! If you have any questions or comments drop some love in the comments below or send me an email!

Resort Review Andaz Maui in Wailea

The hubby and I have been in Maui, Hawaii since the last week and have been staying at the Andaz Maui in Wailea Resort. The Andaz is a Hyatt property, was opened in September 2015 and has brought a new modern luxury resort to the area.

Once you pull up to the resort and get out of your car, you are greeted by the parking attendent placing a lei on each of you. The women receive a lei made out of orchid's and the men receive a lei which is made out of plastic stones.

The walkway into the lobby is made up of dark marble floors and wooden columns.

The lobby area itself is so airy and modern, nothing like I've seen before. There is a large sand pit in the middle of the lobby (to put it straightforward). We were offered lavender lemonade which was very tasty and after a long flight all the way from Philadelphia it was well deserved!. There weren’t any upgrades available (the resort was completely sold out) so we were on our way up to our room in no time.

Upon entering the room you are greeted by these strange wooden shutters as I would like to put it which contains the closet, toilet room, sink area, and shower.  My only complaint is that the shower is super long and narrow. There were these strange wooden blinds that you can open in the room which you can see into the shower which I found a little odd. I also like the Malie organics line of bathroom products (also a local brand too!). The room itself is modern and tastefully decorated. There is also a lanai with two chairs and a table. 

I also liked the fact that you could choose to either have no blinds down, sheer, or blackout. Everything is electronic and at first it was hard to figure out how to use all the switches. Next to the bed there are two USB charging ports which is nice. In the entryway there are also "Privacy Please" and "Service Now" buttons which let housekeeping know if you want your room cleaned.

After being in the room for a short bit there was a knock on our door and we were greeted by a bottle of champagne for our wedding anniversary which was such a nice gesture!

On the first full day we did a beach and pool day. The beach itself isn’t the best but that’s what I found of the majority of beaches on that side of Maui. The waves are rather large and there are many rocks. The Andaz Beach Crew at the beach were on their A game for service – they immediately set up chairs and towels for us.

Romper: Bobi / Sunglasses: Sperry

The main pool area had four pools and then an adults only pool on the north side. The pools look so amazing looking down from the lobby, they are like tiers.  The water itself in the pools was too chilly for my taste so I honestly only went in the water for about 10 minutes or so the entire time we were there. The service itself at the pool was pretty good with towel service and drinks/food.

There is a daily resort fee which was $40 that I found a little steep as we did not do any of the activities on the resort. Here are a couple of things I REALLY appreciated and the only resort amenities we used:

* Coffee in the lobby each morning from 6:30AM-9:00AM
* Free laundry with detergent and dryer sheets
* Car service which will take you anywhere you want in the Wailea area
*Two water bottles and water refilling stations (and the beach bag)
* GoPRO camera and lab use
*Mini-bar refreshments and snacks
*Turn down service
*Sun Bum sunscreen at the pools

Additionally, the parking is also $35 daily and valet only.

There are a number of restaurants and bars to choose from:

Morimoto
Ka’ana Kitchen
Bumbye Beach Bar
Mokapu Market
Lehua Lodge

My husband and I grabbed a drink from Lehua Lodge and ate a wonderful dinner at Morimoto. Funny thing is that there is one in Philadelphia which I have never been too and will definetly have to try! All of their dishes are amazing, great so fresh, and have an amazing presentation!

I would have to say that the resort is more adults oriented (which is one of the things I was looking for and love!). We had a wonderful stay at the Andaz Maui in Wailea and hope to come back some day!

Travel Review of The Breakers in West Palm Beach

If you’ve been following my Instagram account you’ll know that I was at The Breakers in West Palm Beach over the weekend. Also, if you aren’t following me on Instagram you can do so here @MyGoldenBeauty.

This is the second year in a row that I’ve been to this historic hotel and I can tell you that it does not disappoint! So a little about the hotel. The hotel was founded by Henry M. Flagler and was called “The Breakers” due to the proximity of the water and location – it is literally where the waves crash. What is interesting is that the hotel has gone through multiple renovations due to two fires in the early 1900’s. The current style of the hotel has European influences with so much beautiful architecture.

When you first pull into the long palm tree lined boulevard, you feel as though you are transported in time. You pull up into what is about to be the beginning of the most luxurious weekend. After being escorted out of your car and luggage taken inside, the lobby greats you with it absolutely stunning ceiling. Check-in was seamless and we were off to our room in no time.

We had a king room with ocean views and it sure didn’t disappoint! The bed is sooo comfortable and linens are top notch as well. There is also a cute little sitting area with two chairs and a table next to the window. The closet is also a pretty good size with plenty of wooden hangers and shelving. Now the bathroom is one of my favorites with its good lighting and the small face mirror and don't forget (my favorite part) - the television that is built into the mirror. It seriously made getting ready each day all that more enjoyable.

There are FOUR pools in total – we would congregate at the pool furthest away from the resort each day since it’s near a large bar and the lavish private beach bungalows. The pool service is also pretty good. Our cups were always full as there were always servers taking our drink orders. Each pool has a stand for towels (no limit to how many towels you take) and water. There is also a life guard on duty. In the beach area there are activities such as paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, etc (but for a fee). There is also a golf course and tennis courts which we didn't check out since we were in the pool all day. There is also a Spa which we did not venture into but heard it was amazing from a few people that had services.

The resort also has many beautiful places to relax. This location is just off the courtyard.

Outfit Details:
Coverup: South Moon Under / Hat: JCrew / Sandals: Tory Burch

There are definetly plenty of dining and drink options at the resort:

HMF
Steakhouse
The Italian Restaurant
Echo (Asian food)
Seafood Bar
The Circle
Beach Club Restaurant
Ocean House

Each place has really good food and HMF is where everyone goes at night to grab drinks. It is packed each night and is quite the scene! The Seafood Bar is also worth checking out – the bar is literally a fish tank! We ate lunch at the Beach Club Restaurant each day andyou won't be disappointed (my favorite is the flat bread pizza with the prosciutto and arugula and also the turkey burger). Last year when we were at The Breakers, we dined at the Italian Restaurant which is also pretty good.

We ventured out of the resort and had dinner at our friends friend restaurant called Kitchen. It was really good! They had set up a pre-fix menu for our large group - seriously there was about 20 of us! Afterwards we ventured to Clematis street and bar hopped.

Outfit Details:
Dress: ASOS / Handbag: Saint Laurent / Heels: Sam Edelman

Overall, we had an amazing time on our trip and I can't wait to return again! If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below or shoot me and email!

One of My Favorite Fall Activities in New England

Shirt: Banana Republic (Old) / Jeans: LOFT
Sneakers: Sperry / Sunglasses: Sperry

Over the weekend I was in Connecticut visiting my parents (if you are new to reading my blog one fact about me is that I was born and raised in Connecticut but I now live in Philadelphia). One activity we do as a family each year is to go apple picking. We definitely lucked out last weekend as my parents informed me that the apple season had just started and it was going to be a beautiful sunny day! We always do our apple picking at Johnny Appleseed Farm in Ellington, Connecticut and always have such a great time! Johnny Appleseed Farm always has such a great variety of apples - the first photo shows which apples were available for picking on the day we went!

Here's what you can make with apples:
* Apple Pie
* Apple Fritters
* Apple Dumplings
* Apple Crisp
* Applesauce
* Add to Fruit Salad
* Add to Smoothies
* Add to Yogurt Parfait
* Eat them as a snack!

Have any of you gone apple picking or plan on going apple picking this fall?! 

The Most Affordable Maxi Dress For the Summer

Floral Maxi Dress: H&M / Fringe Sandals: GAP (Similar)
Watch: Movado Bold / Purse: Louis Vuitton / Sunglasses: Ray-Ban Aviator

As summer is in full swing, maxi dresses are making quite the statement this season.  One of my favorite maxi dresses this season is this floral maxi dress that gives the illusion of a crop top and skirt. I can see myself wearing this dress over and over again this season! It’s definitely a must have for the summer and for under $25 this dress is a no-brainer!

Last Sunday over the weekend in Arizona, our family friend told us he was taking my husband and I out for the afternoon. I honestly did not know what to expect and since we were going out to dinner with my in-laws right after I figured I would get dressed up for the occasion. The drive was absolutely gorgeous and scenic with beautiful mountain views, different types of cactus’, flowers, and view of these huge mansions built into the cliffs. The suspense was growing and I was quite excited wondering where he was taking us.  Well we arrived at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Arizona and it did not disappoint. It was BEAUTIFUL! Honestly words cannot describe how pretty the resort was. We had a couple of drinks at R Bar which is located in the lobby of the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn.  The patio area was absolutely stunning with fire pits, cabanas set among palm trees and a picturesque view of the mountains (as you can see in the photos above). I'll definitely be coming back here!