Tuesday, August 7th, 2007
We woke up before dawn and piled the sleepy boys into the car in my parent’s driveway, and after filling their laps with cinnamon rolls and bottles of milk, flicked the headlights on and headed for the Sand Diego airport. The first challenge of the journey would be to check all eleven of our bags at the curb without leaving something behind, losing the kids, or getting the cars towed. The mad scramble went fairly well, although at one point after getting my driver’s license back from the check in clerk I turned to see the boys, alone in their stroller, staring blankly at the piles of bags around them, probably wondering if they would be checked next. Cars were parked in a long term lot, and my dad and I cruised through the security, and met up with the rest of the crew in front of a large indoor, kelp forest fountain. Colt and Landon spent the down time before boarding, checking out all of the planes and other vehicles that scurried around outside on the runway, anticipating their turn to take to the skies.
Rhiannon and I were very nervous about the potential madness that could ensue during a 5 hour flight with two young boys trapped within the confines of a few seats on a plane. We were prepped with toys and snacks and more toys, and blankets. And thankfully the flight was uneventful. Colt slept for a few hours, and Landon lap hopped playing new games with each family member along the way. When I explained to Landon that the plane was going really fast so that it could fly through the air, he looked perplexed since it didn’t feel like we were moving at all. I guess he had hoped to feel the rush of a 500mph wind flowing through his curly mop.
After touching down we got to do the same eleven bag shuffle, except this time in the tropical heat, but that humid blast of Maui air awakened old memories that made the sweat nearly enjoyable. We piled in a big black van and headed to our final destination Maui Sunset.
The condo we stayed in at Maui Sunset - sweet, sweet B219, had been my grandparent’s tropical getaway since 1980. During my adolescence our family spent at least ten Augusts in Maui at the condo, and not only do I have a bank filled with memories from those trips, but I feel that this time spent splashing around has had a significant impact on my development into the person I am today. To say that I was excited to begin my sons’ baptism into this inspiring arena would be more than an understatement. Admittedly, it did feel a little strange to be a parent, while my parents were now the grandparents of the two latest Buhr boys. Time marches on.
Landon passed out in the van shuttle to the condo and was tired enough that we could transfer him into a stroller where he slept for the next few hours. Colt wasn’t quite as interested in sleep, but we managed to get him to rest in his travel crib for awhile as well. This provided us with time to unpack, grab some groceries, pick up rental cars and install the mildew infused car seats provided by the rental company. More importantly we got a chance to sit on the balcony and stare through the palm trees at the familiar Pacific.
After Landon awoke he joined Rhiannon and I in a game of shuffle board. The courts are right below the condo balcony and have always provided a source of entertainment for the family. Granddad Mleynek was particularly fond of the game, and so of course pushing around the discs with my son caused another flood of memories that I realized would become unavoidable throughout the trip. At one point in the game Rhiannon built a lead of 28 to -1, but I managed to overcome the 29 point deficit and claim victory.
Colt and Justin soon joined us so we decided it would be a good time to visit the adjacent beach. The beach fronting Maui Sunset is a very thin strip of sand that becomes inundated with stranded green algae after high tides. This abandoned algae quickly rots in the island sun and expectedly begins to stink. The condo has contracted a local tractor driver to pile up the offending plant material and cover it with sand daily which works fairly well to minimize the stench and clear the beach. This trip the algae seemed noticeably less present so perhaps the situation is improving. We found a clean patch of sand and proceeded to throw rocks and coral rubble into the gentle approaching waves. The boys ended up covered in wet sand and smiles. Justin caught two small papio for them to investigate. The sun began to set. It was a great end to the day of our arrival. We had some great local fish from Alexander’s for dinner and all were asleep at a relatively early our, which turned out be a good thing because….
We woke up before dawn and piled the sleepy boys into the car in my parent’s driveway, and after filling their laps with cinnamon rolls and bottles of milk, flicked the headlights on and headed for the Sand Diego airport. The first challenge of the journey would be to check all eleven of our bags at the curb without leaving something behind, losing the kids, or getting the cars towed. The mad scramble went fairly well, although at one point after getting my driver’s license back from the check in clerk I turned to see the boys, alone in their stroller, staring blankly at the piles of bags around them, probably wondering if they would be checked next. Cars were parked in a long term lot, and my dad and I cruised through the security, and met up with the rest of the crew in front of a large indoor, kelp forest fountain. Colt and Landon spent the down time before boarding, checking out all of the planes and other vehicles that scurried around outside on the runway, anticipating their turn to take to the skies.
Rhiannon and I were very nervous about the potential madness that could ensue during a 5 hour flight with two young boys trapped within the confines of a few seats on a plane. We were prepped with toys and snacks and more toys, and blankets. And thankfully the flight was uneventful. Colt slept for a few hours, and Landon lap hopped playing new games with each family member along the way. When I explained to Landon that the plane was going really fast so that it could fly through the air, he looked perplexed since it didn’t feel like we were moving at all. I guess he had hoped to feel the rush of a 500mph wind flowing through his curly mop.
After touching down we got to do the same eleven bag shuffle, except this time in the tropical heat, but that humid blast of Maui air awakened old memories that made the sweat nearly enjoyable. We piled in a big black van and headed to our final destination Maui Sunset.
The condo we stayed in at Maui Sunset - sweet, sweet B219, had been my grandparent’s tropical getaway since 1980. During my adolescence our family spent at least ten Augusts in Maui at the condo, and not only do I have a bank filled with memories from those trips, but I feel that this time spent splashing around has had a significant impact on my development into the person I am today. To say that I was excited to begin my sons’ baptism into this inspiring arena would be more than an understatement. Admittedly, it did feel a little strange to be a parent, while my parents were now the grandparents of the two latest Buhr boys. Time marches on.
Landon passed out in the van shuttle to the condo and was tired enough that we could transfer him into a stroller where he slept for the next few hours. Colt wasn’t quite as interested in sleep, but we managed to get him to rest in his travel crib for awhile as well. This provided us with time to unpack, grab some groceries, pick up rental cars and install the mildew infused car seats provided by the rental company. More importantly we got a chance to sit on the balcony and stare through the palm trees at the familiar Pacific.
After Landon awoke he joined Rhiannon and I in a game of shuffle board. The courts are right below the condo balcony and have always provided a source of entertainment for the family. Granddad Mleynek was particularly fond of the game, and so of course pushing around the discs with my son caused another flood of memories that I realized would become unavoidable throughout the trip. At one point in the game Rhiannon built a lead of 28 to -1, but I managed to overcome the 29 point deficit and claim victory.
Colt and Justin soon joined us so we decided it would be a good time to visit the adjacent beach. The beach fronting Maui Sunset is a very thin strip of sand that becomes inundated with stranded green algae after high tides. This abandoned algae quickly rots in the island sun and expectedly begins to stink. The condo has contracted a local tractor driver to pile up the offending plant material and cover it with sand daily which works fairly well to minimize the stench and clear the beach. This trip the algae seemed noticeably less present so perhaps the situation is improving. We found a clean patch of sand and proceeded to throw rocks and coral rubble into the gentle approaching waves. The boys ended up covered in wet sand and smiles. Justin caught two small papio for them to investigate. The sun began to set. It was a great end to the day of our arrival. We had some great local fish from Alexander’s for dinner and all were asleep at a relatively early our, which turned out be a good thing because….
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