little black journal

Here we go – Zion in the books!

We left Minnesota early Monday morning, but Isaac caught his lost Z’s on the plane.

We landed in Vegas early afternoon, swung through In N Out for a late lunch, and then hit the road to Zion.  The landscape right outside of Vegas is largely flat and brown, but a couple of hours into our drive, things got interesting…

We made it to our hotel in Springdale just in time for an evening swim in the day’s last rays.  I was wowed by the little town’s backdrop, with dramatic peaks in every direction.  I couldn’t wait to do some exploring.

First things first, though.

I love a good hotel bed snuggle.

Tuesday dawned sunny and breezy.  I walked along the river with the kids to the nearby coffee shop while Shane headed further down the road to see about some e-bike rentals.

Rentals secured!

We breezed through the park entrance and it was one stunner of a view after another.

Water stop.  Photo stop.

We hopped off the bikes a few miles in to hike the Emerald Pools Trail.

Higher…

Higher…

And a quick descent.

We found a little ledge beneath the falls to eat our sandwiches and drink our neon Powerades.

Isaac was such a sweet little trooper, scampering around in the heat.  My fanny pack full of gummy bears helped, but still, he gets lots of credit for hanging tough.

The bridge back across the river at the other end of the trail was closed, so we summoned our pioneer spirit, found a shallow spot, and forded it.  Time to give Juliette trooper credit – that water was cold!

Though there were busloads upon busloads of visitors traversing the park, there were moments like these when we felt like we had the whole magical place to ourselves.  Shane is so good at getting us just the right amount of off the beaten path.

Onward!

We stopped at the overlook at Big Bend and I made a mental note: must come back here.

We zoomed all the way to the end of the road and then turned back, satisfied that we had fully maximized our bike rentals.  This was such a good way to see the park – most of the road is closed to cars, so we shared a lane only with other bikes and the occasional park bus.

Cold drink pitstop at the lodge…

And then the final stretch.

Just. Couldn’t. Make it.

Afternoon pool time.

And then watermelon margaritas to round out a spectacular day.  Five stars, all of it.

On Wednesday we used the shuttle bus to make our way into the park.  We hopped off at the Temple of Sinawava and set out on the Riverside Walk, thinking we’d do our hiking early while the kids were still feeling carbo-loaded from their pancake breakfast.

The trail ended at The Narrows, which is an adventure I’m putting on my bucket list for another day when we don’t have a toddler in tow.

Another quiet, crowd-free place to pause.  Just a boy, his mama, and a river.

We played a lot of hide and seek on the walk back.  “Run up to that tree and hide, Isaac!  I’ll come find you!”  Whatever it takes…

We got back on the bus and then disembarked at Big Bend, again in search of a place to call our own.

Found it!

We ate our lunch and roamed a bit.

The kids got real cute.

Shane scampered across a fallen tree while Isaac shouted at him to pleeeeeeease come back.

He made it back across, assuring the kids it was easy-peasy, and then a branch broke and he fell knee-deep in the water.  Whoopsie Daisy.

BIG BEND.  One of the best log lunches I’ve ever had.

We vegged for awhile back at the hotel and then grabbed dinner at a burger joint in town.  It was so nice to walk everywhere – restaurants and cafes and pottery shops lined up just-so.

And ice cream?  What more could one want?  I can’t even imagine.

The final installment!  Wednesday was our last full day in Maui.  Shane and Juliette took off early that morning for a zipline adventure while Isaac and I lived our best lives back in Wailea.  He hit the swings while I drank my coffee…

This courtyard has the best morning light.

Isaac doesn’t know the rules of chess, but he did enjoy lining the knights up face-to-face for a smooch.

Lawn laps…

And then we hit the pool.

Isaac had been admiring another kid’s Spider Man rash guard all week and we finally broke the ice that day and made some proper intros.  They played together for much of the morning while I sat by the edge of the pool and read my book.

Fly, Buddy, FLY!

Snack break…

And back at it.  Spider Man brought a full kitchen set to the pool!

Look who’s back!  Shane and Juliette had a grand adventure – I’m glad they got some one-on-one time.

But it felt good to be the four of us again.

We knew the waterslides wouldn’t be open before we had to pack up and leave the next morning, so this was our last chance.  We did the full circuit several times over after lunch.

We had our route down pat; we knew which slides Isaac could brave alone, which ones he needed a partner on so that he wasn’t dunked in the rapids.  We knew to swim quickly past the dragon statue, which Isaac said was a monster, and knew where the lazy river split with a particularly fast current that would pull you left if you didn’t veer right soon enough.

Every time we paddled through this misty canyon, Isaac would exclaim, “It’s so SOGGY (foggy) in here!  I can’t seeeeee!”

Isaac feels so big in so many ways these days, but his hands look so tiny here as they grip my shoulders.  That’s a comfort…

Finally, (most of us) got our pool fix and felt ready to head back to the room for a bit.  We took our usual route through the hotel lobby, past the granite statue of a reclining nude where Isaac would stop every time, point, and yell, “EWW!  BUTTS!”.  Bonafide art critic, that kid…

Shane and I snuck away for a quick cocktail at the Four Seasons bar next door while the kids watched a movie in the room.  It was a treat.

Golden hour drew us back down to the beach for reading and splashing and tossing the frisbee around.

Shane went for a swim…

I snapped photos…

And then I held Isaac for a bit, as he was tired and grumpy and needed a little love.  Don’t let these hundreds of photos of his cheesy grins fool you – he did in fact still throw some fits in Maui, he still annoyed his sister sometimes and acted very three.

But dang if it’s not easier to sweep all that stuff under the rug when you’re in paradise.  The attitude reset cycle felt shorter here…

There he is…

This evening was one of those evenings when Isaac really drove Juliette crazy, irrationally screaming at her for accidentally stepping on whatever project he was building in the sand, but like I said, it was hard for her to stay mad.

Isaac was so happy in Juliette’s arms that I decided to go for a quick dip with Shane – I’d gone all week without a proper ocean swim, but I couldn’t leave the island without at least a short bob session among the waves.

One last look, Buddy!

As we passed the uppermost pool on our way back to our room, the kids asked if they could hop back in, just real quick.  I said, go for it.  When on vay-cay…

Tuckered and tucked.

Thursday.  Go day.  Hard day.  But still, we were able to squeeze in a couple hours of beach time…

These sand toys that another family gifted us on their final day in Maui got some good use.

One last hand-hold while Shane and Juliette swam…

And a few final jumps into the “swimming cool”, because I couldn’t imagine a happier note for our kids to end the trip on…

And then it was time to hustle to our room, do a quick rinse, shove our pool toys in our suitcases, and head the airport.  WAIT, though.  Make a wish…

We wish..for a Maui 2026 trip.  Seriously, though, every couple of weeks, Isaac will sigh and say, “I really want to go to Maui…”, like he knows it can’t really happen at that moment, but he can’t help but speak his hopes out loud.  I tell him we’ll go again someday, and then we talk about the pool and the sunsets and the beach and how brilliant it all was.  The magic of the island is not lost on us.  We’re so thankful.

Sunrise, beach, rest, pool, beach, shower repeat.  Isaac and I were the only ones up with the sun on Sunday; we grabbed a coffee and a chocolate milk from the hotel cafe and then went down the rocky part of the beach to look for treasures.

The afternoons in Maui are technicolor, but the mornings are a study in pastels.

Juliette eventually came down to join us and we shared a thick slice of banana bread before heading back to Po’olenalena Beach.

(One last zoomie for the road…)

Isaac’s ocean-facing boldness slowly returned that morning as he crept further and further into the water, still insistent on both holding my hand and wearing his favorite, super-powered goggles.

Shane’s turn…

I wonder to myself, “Hey, Isaac…how’d you get so cute?”  And then he nonchalantly shrugs this unassuming shrug…

Meanwhile, Sister has graduated from cute.  Now she’s a genuine beauty.

We got lunch in Kihei and then headed back to the room to rest.  Shane and Isaac dozed, but Juliette and I were jonesing for iced coffee and Honolulu cookies.  We went for a stroll.

This little lady…

Guess who was up, already dressed for the pool when we got back?  And the speed with which Isaac bolted for the elevators when we opened the door to go back out!  Kid on a mission, for sure.

We lingered in the pool through the early evening, eating our dinner in our favorite lounge chairs, and then hopped down to the beach for sunset.

To quote Shane’s dad RE: the sunset, “It was a good one”.  We see you in this pink and orange skies, Denny.

Guava cookies…

And little footprints.

I say this every year, but the feel of my boy’s hand in mine while the waves lap at our feet.  It’s my favorite.

Late-night scoops of mango ice cream in the hotel courtyard.  It’s vay-cay.

Monday!  Up with the birds, Isaac wielding pool toys before I’ve even rubbed the sleep from eyes.

We went back to Makena Beach that morning to lay claim to “our” shady spot (how quickly these places become old favorites!) and wait for our Seattle friends to drive down from their resort in Kaanapali.

Isaac was beside himself with the promise of a new playmate for the day.

Buddies!

The kids played in the water and the parents caught up and we all got a little sunburned.  Hurts so good.

Seconds after I snapped this photo, Juliette epically wiped out and promptly declared that day’s boogie boarding adventures OVER.  She was rinsing the sand from her hair for days.

Lunch at Maui Brewing was both raucous and filling.  We said our goodbyes and headed back to our hotel for an afternoon chill.

We couldn’t let a day go by without at least a couple hours of pool time, so after we’d vegged, we suited up.  Funny, isn’t it?  That we felt like we needed a couple of hours of rest so that we could make the 5-minute walk to do this?

To be fair, for all of Shane’s and my poolside R&R, Isaac and Juliette expended some serious energy in the water.

The more independent Isaac got on the waterslides, the bigger deal he liked to make of it all being so so “skeery”.  That way he could pat himself on the back for being so brave!

Ok, maybe I know where he gets his flair for drama…

Callin’ it…

We kept dinner simple that night, with smoothies and Spam musubis on the lawn while we watched the sunset.

We went back to the room and Isaac’s eyelids fluttered shut within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.  Play hard, rest hard, Bud.

On Tuesday, Isaac and I enjoyed a little quiet time on the beach while Shane and Juliette more slowly rolled out of bed and readied for that day’s adventures.

Much as we loved the Wailea groove we’d found ourselves in, we decided we were ready to go a little further afield.  We grabbed a round of beautiful, brightly colored treats from Brekkie Bowls and then hit the road, pointed north.

We rolled up to the parking lot for Twin Falls an hour later and made our way down the wide, winding path in search of a waterfall or two.

Found one!

The kids and I happily perched on some rocks and let the water cool our feet while Shane unleashed his inner daredevil and did some rock-scaling, then took a leap.

Long walks are tricky with Isaac these days – his little legs don’t carry him too far before he starts asking for a carry, and he’s just too big to tote around anymore.  Or is he?  This is the face of a boy that most definitely just got his way.

We eventually made it to the larger falls and settled in for a rest.  The boys took a dip.

Shane went for a further-afield swim under the deluge of the waterfall, but Isaac held back for that.

We made quick work of getting back to the car, promising the kids popsicles from the parking lot’s snack shack.

He did it again!

From Twin Falls, we wound back toward Paia, stopping at Ho’okipa Beach to see if the turtles were out.  They were!  They almost look like rocks from this distance, but we definitely saw them slogging up the beach.

The colors on this beach at the peak of mid-day sun are incredible.

We tossed a few rocks, picked up a few shells, got a little windblown.

We grabbed lunch at the Flatbread Company in Paia – this place’s Mopsy pizza, topped with mango barbecue sauce and pulled pork, is one of our most favorite Maui eats.  Never disappoints.

A quick dip, because he asked nicely…

And then we packed a picnic and made the short drive to Makena Cove, to round out a day of favorite things.

This little stretch of beach is everything we love about Maui – soft sand and gentle water and palm tree back drops and whales in the distance.

Isaac was so happy here, skittering through the shallow pools of water until he was soaked from head to toe.

The plot thickens…

Juliette was happiest that evening just sitting on the beach towel, chatting with her dad.  I mean, I probably would have been doing the same if not for chasing a three year old.

Final laps…

The luckiest.

The Maui 2025 roundup!  Three months after the fact, but no matter – this trip was particularly good and I’m still able to summon all those good Maui feels.

I love that early morning flight to Maui – such promise on the horizon (now that we’ve recovered from the trauma of Juliette’s in-flight puke-fest during our 2023 trip).

Smiles all around.

We arrived at the hotel before our room was ready, but I’ve learned to keep swimsuits and goggles easily accessible, as pool time is priority numero uno, so we traded our travel clothes for our swim gear, stowed our bags, and set up shop down at the main pool.  Isaac and Juliette wasted no time staying dry.

Isaac quickly became enamored with the slides, wanting to do one circuit after another.  This year, with his floaties on, he was able to go alone, so I found a little ledge in the pool to lounge on and watch while he went again and again.

And again.

For the record, she loves the slides, too.

Finally, hunger trumped swimming and we settled into our lounge chairs to wolf down our poolside salads and chicken strips.  There’s happy Isaac and there’s tired Isaac and rarely do the two identities converge, but here, they did…

We eventually made it up to our room to settle in and change our clothes, but then golden hour beckoned and we were back out the door to head to the beach.

Soak it in, Bud.  This is as good a playground as you’ll ever find.

Isaac held up his little red sand shovel and told me it was a stop sign – that he was telling the water to quit chasing him.  Truly, that boy thinks he’s master of the universe.

Hotel room dinner, moon-gazing, and sweet dreams.  We had arrived.

Friday!  On our first morning in Maui, we sought out our favorite island treat.  A new açaí place had opened in the shops near our hotel, so we sauntered over there at daybreak.  Of course, I would love it if our toddler slept in on vacation, but being up and at ’em at 5:30am means you catch those 6am pastel skies.

It was as good as it looked…

On the way back, we stopped for a short romp at the Marriott lawn, which I don’t think we were technically supposed to play at as we weren’t hotel guests, but this chair swing beckoned.  We’ve had a handful of happy reunions here with the Chens, as this was their place, but we missed them this year.

We walk this path from the market to the hotel a couple of times a day and I never stop marveling at the colors and the sparkle.  The long morning shadows and the squish of grass under our feet.  It’s life in technicolor.

Our hotel changed things up this year and started charging for beach chairs, which initially bummed us out a bit, but we made lemonade out of lemons (margaritas out of limes?) and let this be our reason to explore some new beaches in the vicinity.  We found a shady little stretch of sand at Makena Beach, just down the road, and wandered back and forth from beach towels to surf.

Isaac dipped too far into the surf too fast and spent 15 minutes running up and down the beach crying for Shane to come out of the water and hold him, but he soon got over it.

Sister eased him back in.

Isaac’s early wakeup caught up with him mid-morning and he fell asleep on the beach towel, his floatie a makeshift pillow, and Juliette and I  went for a stroll further down the beach.

We climbed a small bluff and took in the view of Makena, then scampered down to the small cove on the other side.

“Little Beach”, as it’s called, was pristine and quiet, but also…it was a nude beach.  A few people waded in the surf or stretched out on their towels, buns to the sun, and it all looked very chill, but also…this was not our scene.  We quickly about-faced and had a good laugh as we trekked back toward our boys.

Isaac woke shortly after we returned and marveled at the in-ground beach chair Shane had dug while he was sleeping.

We grabbed lunch at a taco stand and then zipped up to Kihei for shave ice at Ulilani’s.  This place.  Always a wait.  And it’s fine for the first couple of minutes, the kids giddy with anticipation.

Patience grows thin…

But then they call your name and any inconvenience is forgotten.  Fluffy and freezy and fruity – it’s perfect.

We spent the hottest hours of the afternoon relaxing in our room, reading and vegging and dozing, then succumbed to Isaac’s incessant requests to go the “swimming cool” – it was slide o’clock.

Early evening at the pool is where it’s at – most families have had their fill of sun and have headed out for dinner, so it’s quiet.  Still warm.

And it’s so easy to walk down to the beach for a sunset splash.

Beautiful bow on a beautiful day.

Shane went for an early run on Saturday and then we all walked down the beach path to Fairmont to check out their cafe’s breakfast offerings.

We took our acai to go and found another idyllic little stretch of beach nearby, this time at Po’olenalena.

This little beach was my favorite.  Small and uncrowded, rocky on one side, lined with palm trees on the other.

We did our exploring as the sun fully rose, wanting to get good and hot before we dipped in the ocean.

We’re getting warmerrrr…

Isaac was still feeling a little timid after the prior day’s surprise wave, so he didn’t want to venture too far into the water without being held.  In Shane’s arms, though, he was in full bring-it-on mode.

 

Beach:  CHECK.

Both kids were itching to really get their swim on, so we lunched poolside while they did their thing.  Shane will take ocean swimming over pool swimming any day, but Isaac?  This is his happy place.

The afternoon crash…

And then dinner at Monkey Pod, where the food is so-so, but the Mai Tai’s are perfection.  That lilikoi foam…  Next time we’ll go just for drinks.

Back in time for an evening swim…

Isaac Henry…photobombing since 2021.

Shenanigans.

The pool area was so wonderfully deserted that we decided to take in sunset from the hot tub.

It’s nice to take in the sunset with the tide lapping at your toes, but also…this water was warm.  We’re such lucky ducks.

Ahhh…we were finding our groove.

 

Our Friday drive to Savannah took longer than expected due to traffic, but Juliette and I leaned into the road trip vibes, cranked up the Chappell Roan, and dug into our snack stash.  Pink Pony Club became our southern anthem as we cruised under tunnels of oaks.

We got settled at our top-floor AirBnB late afternoon and took in the view from our corner window.  Score!

We set out in the evening in search of food and drink, but I was sidetracked around each bend by the abundance of Spanish moss.  It was all I hoped it would be.

Juliette is exceedingly patient with my constant snapping of photos – this was the point in our trip when she made a game out of really amping up her strut each time I pulled out my phone.

Oh-my-gosh-I-love-her-so-much.

We walked down sidewalks lined with brick and through squares shaded by towering, twirly oaks.

We landed a comfy couple of seats at Grove’s rooftop terrace and ordered up a Spritz for mama and a Rise and Shine for kiddo.  Juliette felt so fancy with her pineapple garnish – cheers, girlfriend.

We stayed here for awhile.  No need to rush!

Once we’d eaten and drank and finished our game of Rummy, we slowly moseyed on back to our room, passing through City Market and down Broughton.  The Friday night vibes were strong in this town.

Such a happy glimmer.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny and full of charm.

We grabbed coffee and bagels and then walked over to the Jepson Center for an art fix.

The museum was small but lovely.  We lingered for a bit at the interactive Impressionist exhibit and then headed back out into the sunshine.

Our entry to the Jepson was bundled with a tour of the nearby Owens-Thomas house and slave quarters, so we walked that way.  These tree-filled squares, though!  They were everywhere and they were my favorite.

Our hour-long tour through the Owens-Thomas house was packed with information, but I reminded Juliette that there would be no test on this history lesson.  Instead, I told her just to take in what she could.  The juxtaposition of master versus servant quarters was powerful.  And gosh, Juliette’s ears really perked up when she learned that the Marquis de Lafayette, her favorite character from Hamilton, had stayed at that very house.

After our house tour, we decided to book a couple of tickets on the town trolley so that we could do some seated sight-seeing.  It was a short walk to the trolley stop, but again, the moss.  Couldn’t help ourselves.

We hopped off the trolley near the river and grabbed lunch at The Pirate’s House, which was a quirky little place.  Quirky good?  Or quirky weird?  Who can say?

It was short walk to the next trolley stop, where we perched on a bench to wait for our pickup.  We watched the sweetest, happiest couple take their wedding pics.  Lotta love in the air that day.

The trolley took us down to Forsyth Park, which is basically one of those darling town squares times ten.  Stunning.

We strolled back toward our AirBnB, making a stop at Mirabel for iced tea and iced coffee.  Patio table dreams.

Back on our feet, with more delight around each bend.

THE SQUARES!

This one was the setting for the opening scene of Forrest Gump.  Southern as southern gets.

We chilled at our room for awhile and then went back out to do a little shopping.  We had seen lots of people toting bags of Byrd’s “tiny, crispy, cookies” and decided we needed to fill a small sampler box for ourselves.  Two thumbs up for their key lime coolers.

Juliette was craving sushi (which for her, means edamame and cucumber rolls), so we grabbed a table Coco and Moss.  Felt good to eat something green.

Goodnight, Savannah.  Time to get back to our room to do face masks and watch The Notebook!

We had a Sunday evening flight back home, which left us with the full morning to wander and charm-seek.  We found a sweet little patio table at Franklin’s and took our time eating our pastries and sipping our drinks.

I felt like my conversations with Juliette just got better and better as the week went on.  No shortage of things to talk about with this girl.

I wanted to walk along nearby Jones Street, which was rumored to be the loveliest street in Savannah, but I mean really, aren’t they all lovely?

Jones was awfully nice.

And when near Forsyth Park…you go back!

We found a bench and I painted Juliette’s nails and we read for awhile.

There was a musician playing kids’ tunes on his trumpet for an intrigued toddler and Juliette and I watched with a smile and a bit of longing as the little boy clapped and danced.  It was time to get home to our guys.

Final sidewalk snaps…

A signing of the guest book…

And one last square…

We loved Savannah so much.  We loved our time together SO MUCH.  Next time someone says, “picture your happy place”, I think that bench at Forsyth Park may come to mind.  Spanish moss glowing overhead.  Fountain tinkling in the distance.  Juliette at my side.  Sun on our shoulders.  I’m so thankful.

Juliette and I had such a ball galavanting around Paris last October that I wanted to make our mother-daughter getaway an annual thing.  We don’t need to jet off to Europe every year, per se, but I figured we could swing some sort of trip together to do some exploring and focus on each other without little brother interjecting himself into any and every conversation.  I’ve had the South on my to-visit list for some time now and Shane…has not, so I asked Juliette if she wanted to spend a few days romping around Charleston and Savannah and she said OF COURSE and I bought tickets and we kissed our guys goodbye and we were off!

We arrived at our little AirBnB carriage house on a Wednesday afternoon, ditched our sweaters, and set out to grab a snack before our late-evening dinner reso.

This place was going to do juuuuust fine.

We found acai bowls and tons of shopping on nearby King Street.  Plus plenty of charm and twinkle to boot.

We had a bit of time to rest and settle into our cozy quarters before dinner.  What this place lacked in square footage, it made up for with character!

I wanted to do something a little fancy, it being my birthday and all, and Husk did not disappoint.

Get a load of the porch on this place!

The roast chicken was tender, the cocktails were crisp, and the company was perfection.

Such a birthday treat.

Thursday was dedicated to roaming around Charleston.  We had a few sights on our to-see list, but found that we loved the in-between strolls as much as anything.

First stop:  Harken Cafe for coffee and scones.  Loved the cozy vibes here.

We took a spin through the Charleston City Market and Juliette picked out a pair of earrings for herself and for a friend.  We bought a toy car for Isaac, not because he needed it, but because we missed him so dang much and it felt nice to have a Hotwheels in our bag, like we were carrying around a little piece of him.

More walking, more charming street scenes…

And then we landed at the International African American Museum, where we spent a couple of hours processing the South’s black history.  There was obviously much more there than we could unpack in a single morning, but we scratched the surface of Gullah Geechee culture, sat with the region’s painful stories of oppression, and spent several minutes marveling over this hand-beaded Mardi Gras garb.

We lunched and got off our feet for awhile at Fleet Landing.  Best crab cakes I’ve had in a long, long time.

After lunch…more walking!  Through Waterfront Park, along the Battery, then through the French Quarter.  We racked up our steps, but we also took our time and chatted and laughed along the way.  UN-hurrying felt so good.

The trees in these parks!  The dappled-light tunnels they make are magical.

Back at our AirBnB, we took advantage of the well-stocked fridge and the breezy porch.

We drove over to Sullivan’s Island for dinner and sunset beach time.  The pizza and gnocchi at Obstinate Daughter hit the spot after a long day of walking.

Man, I’m funny sometimes.  I wish I could remember what had this kid laughing so hard.

We landed at the beach with about an hour till sunset and did a little walking before finding our perfect patch of sand.

We really did miss Isaac, but we also really leaned into the opportunity to kick back with our books.

Although who are we kidding?  This girl loves to run almost as much as her kid brother.

Getting closer…

We stayed till the sun fully dipped below the horizon and then I said something silly that had us both doubled over with laughter and it’s hard for me to put into words how thankful I am for how much freaking fun I have with my daughter.  Also, how thankful I am that Shane happily holds down the fort at home while we giggle on a beach clear across the country.  What a gift.

On Friday we hit the road to Savannah for Part II of our southern tour.  First, though, tea in the salon…  I could tell Juliette felt very fancy, perched on a velvet couch in a room covered in floral wallpaper.  When in Charleston…

We stopped at Church and Union before hitting the road and did our daily NY Times word puzzles over bacon and cinnamon rolls.

In the name of taking our time, we detoured to Folly Beach to read on the pier and put our feet in the surf.

Pineapple whip?  Don’t mind if we do…  Perfect road trip snack as we head to SAVANNAH.  Comin’ right up.

We’re down to our last full day in Maui…I set out on my own on Wednesday morning for a solo beach walk.  I sat for awhile in the sand and said my prayers of gratitude.  The past few days had been such a treat for family.

Hi, kids!  Isaac’s face in this pic makes me smile, like…”What the heck, Mom?  You went to the beach without me?!”

All was forgiven.

We decided that morning beach time was really our jam, before it got too hot.  It was nice to feel the sun come up while we played in the sand, then take an ocean dip before heading over to the pool.

Little boxes of yogurt-covered raisins are Isaac’s favorite special treat when we travel – he calls them ‘eggs’ and gets giddy when I pull them out.  Shane missed the memo and picked up regular raisins from the market.  Isaac was very sweet in hiding his disappointment.

Isaac truly believed he could stop the waves with an outstretched hand a grumpy face.

Didn’t work.

Naptime seemed to lengthen a bit with each passing day – fun fatigue is a real thing.  We loved those quiet hours back at the room, though, reading and resting and hanging on the patio.  We’d all pile into bed when Isaac woke up and ponder how we should spend the afternoon.

I mean, was there ever really any question?

I know Shane’s arms were tired 14 rounds into this game, but Isaac kept shouting, “More, Daddy!  MORE!”

Who can resist?

Sister wanted in.

We knew our pool time was waning and did the slide circuit several times, then spent awhile cruising the lazy river, Isaac on Shane’s shoulders and Juliette on mine.

Side note: palm trees just don’t make sense proportionally, do they?

We had dinner that night at Monkeypod – Juliette and I wanted to try their famous Mai Tai’s with Lilikoi foam (sans alcohol for the kiddo).

YUM.

We bolted back to the beach after dinner for one last sunset.  Oh, to lounge in the warm sand.  The luxury of this leisure was not lost on me.

1, 2, 3…pants OFF.

Never give up, Isaac.

We walked back to our room pink-cheeked and a little buzzy from Mai Tais and golden skies.  Another top day.

Rise and shine, kiddos!  It’s go-home day…

We staked out our beach chairs and did the mental math on how long we could possibly wait before checking out and heading to the airport.

These footprints were all ours.

Shane and Juliette took a dip while Isaac and I watched from our usual knee-deep spot.  They heard whales underwater and sheesh, could this place be more magic?

Chlorine rinse and one last rousing game of keep-away.

And then we blitz-packed and headed down to the lobby to toss our coins to the wish-granting mermaid.

Oof.  Saying good-bye is hard.  But how lucky are we?!  Mahalo, Maui.

Maui, Days 4 and 5…

I was up before the sun on Monday morning so that I could grab some coffee before my 7am beach yoga class.  I thought I would just quietly slip out of our room unnoticed, but who was I kidding?  Isaac was up, which meant everyone was up, so I had company for my walk to the market.

I laid out my towel on the beach with several other resorters and we warrior-ed while whales played in the distance.

Yoga was fun, but I could see the kids playing down the beach with Shane and couldn’t wait to join them.

ISAAC!

We lounged in our chairs for a bit before going full-bore on sand play.

I thought I had plenty of pictures of Isaac in Shane’s hat, but then he flipped it around and I needed one more.

The kids loved having sand piled on top of their legs, but Isaac’s wiggly toes never stayed buried for long.

Time to rinse off!

Isaac picked out that orange car from the gift shop next to the shave ice place on Saturday and he clutched it close at naptime and bedtime all week.  It’s almost as cuddly as his favorite deer.  Almost.

We drove up to Paia after naptime for a late lunch at the Flatbread Company.  We visited this place a couple of years ago and remembered loving the Mopsy, their signature pie topped with Kalua pork and pineapple.  It’s as good as ever.

Pizza, then pool.  Isaac leveled up on the waterslides and started doing the little ones on his own.

We spent a lot of time at the upper pool this year – it seemed mildly warmer than the big pool down down below and it was away from a lot of the hub-bub.  Our family often had this area all to ourselves and Shane, Juliette and I played several rounds of Monkey in the Middle with our water-ball while Isaac happily bobbed around nearby.  There was a moment when Shane lunged at me to block my catch and I was struck by the volume of my own laughter – I guess we made our own hub-bub.

She’s going to have this boy swimming on his own next year.

The kids reluctantly changed out of their swimsuits in the evening and then we spent awhile playing more Monkey in the Middle, this time on our favorite lawn.  The kids ran and ran, then stopped for a snuggle.

We walked back after sundown and took a peek at the resort’s luau before calling it a night.

Goodnight, moon.

Tuesday!  Up bright and early again.  Shane headed out to play some pickle ball and I took the kids to the market for acai and coffee.

We stopped to look at some bugs and I reveled in how good it felt to be on island time.

CARS.  Always with the cars.

We took our acai bowls down to the beach and munched and read and played.

When the ocean roars, Isaac roars back.

ELEVATOR BUTTONS.  Another simple pleasure in the midst of paradise.  We made a lot of extra stops that week.

Suit up, kids!

Shane joined us for some volleyball and a poolside lunch.

And then we did the tired march to naptime…

Naptime over.  Right back to the pool.

Hot tub?  Don’t mind if we do.

We gussied up for dinner and it’s like this kid was auditioning for Miami Vice, the way he strutted through the lobby.  He clearly knew how good he looked.

Maui Brewing was all we hoped it would be – beer and nachos and cornhole, to boot!

I love a restaurant where Isaac can run free.

Shane’s got the best aim in our family when it comes to lawn games, but Juliette has the best style.

We jetted down to Makena Cove after dinner to catch the sunset.  This little stretch of beach is pure magic at golden hour.

Isaac soaked and shed his shorts within five minutes of our arrival.  Juliette gave me kudos for packing her swimsuit.

I know I’ve said this before, but gosh, watching my kids play tag with the tide is one of my most favorite things in the whole wide world.

Isaac really expanded his repertoire of facial expressions on this trip.  This was a new one – he’d look at Juliette and me, wide-eyed and a little confused, then bust into a cheesy grin.

The sand here is some of the softest I’ve felt.  Isaac spent a long time burying and then searching for a little stick he’d found, just for the feel of the sand running between his fingers.

Magic, I tell you!  Magic!

Juliette and I were buzzing from our perfect sunset and felt too amped to call it a night, so we grabbed some ice cream from Loulou and went down the pool for a night swim.

We sat in the hot tub and chatted till we couldn’t take the heat anymore, then walked back to our room by the light of the moon.  Top day.

Goodness, I’ve got some catching up to do around here.  We’ve had not one but TWO beautiful sun-cations with a grief-filled March in between.  Life has been full, to say the least.

I’ll start with Maui, because that happened first and because it feels good right now to reminisce about those few days at our favorite place.  Maui.  Maui, Maui, Maui.  We have built a precious handful of annual trips and traditions into our family calendar, but our February trip to Wailea takes the cake.  We book our room nearly a year in advance, before the points-per-night rates skyrocket, and we look forward to it all winter long, religiously swallowing our zinc and vitamin D in an effort to ward off any bugs that could waylay our trip.  I was feeling especially anxious this last time around, as Juliette and I were both so traumatized by the five hours of puking she did on our 2023 trip to Maui, but as we inched down the jetway and Isaac tried to board with a family that was not his own, we laughed and my shoulders relaxed.  The kids felt great.  Our bags were packed.  We were making it happen!

Isaac is becoming such a good little traveler.  IPads help, as does a flight that spans naptime, but also, he’s just generally a more reasonable little human these days.  Way to hang in there, Bud.  Good things to those who make it through flights without throwing fits!

We landed on Maui, snagged our suitcases and rental car, and bee-lined for the hotel.  Our room wasn’t ready, but we rummaged in our bags for our swimsuits and passed the afternoon in the pool.  ALOHA.

We walked over to the beach as the sun started to set and the kids played in the sand and splashed in the waves.

When we took Isaac to the beach here a year ago, initially he hesitated to even put his feet down in the sand – it took him awhile to come around to the feeling of it squishing between his toes.  But this time around, he ran and rolled until he had sand in his hair and his shorts and his ears.  No time to waste!

We walked back to the room at sundown, feeling like Maui had rolled out its very finest welcome mat.

Saturday!  Rise and shine!  We walked to the market for our morning acai bowls and then it was right to the pool.

Isaac’s blue arm floaties proved to be the best thing we packed.  We’d click that buckle, toss him in the pool, and he’d happily bob and bob, the sweetest little buoy you’ve ever seen.

We took a break from pooltime to complete our annual scavenger hunt.

I appreciate that Juliette pretends like it’s all still a big mystery, even though she knows the location of each landmark backwards and forwards by this point.

Scavenger hunt over and prize claimed!  Back in the pool!

Pooltime -> NAPTIME.

We drove to Kihei in the afternoon for shave ice at Ulilani’s.  I really didn’t want to share my green tea / guava / passionfruit bowl of goodness, so I let Isaac get his own.  It was as big as his head.

And he ate it all!

We spent the evening at our dreamy little stretch of beach, digging and sunset-gazing.

Inevitably, Juliette couldn’t resist the pull of the waves and wished she’d left her swimsuit on.

Inevitably, Isaac followed sister into the tide and ended up with soaking wet clothes that were stripped off by sundown.

All in a day’s work.

We ate dinner in our room that night, too pooped to put on real clothes and read a restaurant menu.  Isaac threw the fit to end all fits before passing out way past his proper bedtime, then we woke at midnight to the sound of Juliette sleepwalking into the balcony sliding glass door.  She was fine, we were fine, all was fine, but sheesh!  Did we overdose on sunshine?

Sunday was another wide-open day, kicked off with yogurt and fruit from our beachfront cafe, then some lawn antics with the kiddos while Shane went for a run.

We settled into our beach chairs mid-morning and played in the surf.

Some of us played further out than others!

God, I love Beach Jules.  Freckly and smiling and wrapped in a cozy towel.

Pool Jules!

These photos are Isaac in a nutshell.  Silly as all get out, sometimes aggressively so (that second pic!).  I can always count on this boy for a good laugh.  It’s such a gift.

Juliette looks like she’s taking a mid-day Zoom meeting while her brother naps…

How many photos of my kids playing in the pool are too many?

Is there such a thing?

We walked over to Waikiki Brewing for cocktails and dinner.

Followed by ice cream at Lapperts.

Juliette left for a minute to use the restroom and Isaac spent the full time she was gone on a fierce lookout for her return.

She’s back.

We played for awhile on the lawn while the sun went down, twirling in the wind and tossing the ball around.

CLASSIC.

Does Isaac bug the crap out of sister sometimes?  100%.  But at the end of the day, do they have the sweetest, loving-est sibling-ship?  100%.

We walked back to our room as the sun dipped below the horizon, Isaac pointing up the sliver of moon brightening in the sky and exclaiming “MOON!” every few steps.  Even in one of the loveliest places on earth, it’s sometimes still about the simple pleasures.

Goodnight, Maui.

We were en route home from our Maui vacation when I started scheming another beach getaway for Spring Break – the kids were so happy in Hawaii (who wouldn’t be?!) and Juliette had a week off in April that we hadn’t booked anything for.  Flights to LA were cheap and it seemed an easy way to get a couple of days worth of sun and sand.  To Cali!

The minute I said “easy”, I think I jinxed our plans – no such thing with a toddler in tow.  The low-grade fever that Isaac had been muddling through all week spiked the evening before our flight and so in the wee hours of the morning I pushed Isaac’s and my departure back a day in hopes he would make a turnaround within the next 24 hours.  Shane and Juliette left town without us and lived their best baby-free lives on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.  Though the circumstances weren’t ideal, I’m glad they got this time together.  Hollywood or bust.

Isaac’s fever broke on Friday morning, about four hours after I pushed our flight, so we had a chill day at home together and were travel-ready by Saturday morning.  We missed our other halves!

We eased into LA life on Saturday afternoon with a trip to In-N-Out and a couple of hours at our AirBnB’s pool.

SUN!  My kids look so good in the sun.

Isaac was not so much a fan of the relatively cool-watered pool (spoiled Maui boy…), but he was content to spend a couple of minutes in the oversized hot tub.

I was completely tuckered on Saturday evening, exhausted and maybe a bit under the weather myself, so I gulped down a green smoothie from the corner cafe and turned in early.  VACATION.  Hardly the fancy-free fun it used to be, but still, I was glad to be under one roof with my people, away from what was feeling like a never-ending winter in Seattle.

Sunday was a new day, with a morning made bright by coffee and pastries at Gjusta.  We chowed down on croissants and scones in their sweet little courtyard and put together the day’s itinerary.

Isaac really liked his blackberry scone.

Next stop was Tongva Park, which was a favorite of Juliette’s on her first trip to Santa Monica several years ago.  It’s funny – this playground looked so much bigger when she was so much smaller!  And now she looks so grown-up, wearing her dad’s puffy vest and helping her brother down the slide.  Time marches on.

We strolled over to the pier from the playground and took a peek at the beach before booking it back to our AirBnB so that we could get Isaac down for a solid nap rather than just letting him doze on the go.

We…didn’t make it.  Rascal fell asleep on the way back and then woke up the moment we stepped inside, fresh as a daisy and rearing to go again.  I, however, was ready for a rest, so I popped on Bluey and we all lazed around for a bit before our condo started feeling much too small to contain Isaac’s energy.

To the beach!  Shane hit the pickleball courts while I walked with the kids to nearby Venice Beach.  Though Isaac seemed eager to play, his feet became rooted to the sand the minute I set him down.  Run free, Buddy!  RUN!

Or…let your sister do the running for you.

Shane picked us up and we headed to True Food Kitchen for lunch and colorful drinks.

Though it was gray and a bit chilly that day, Juliette begged to head back to the pool, so we spent some time there after lunch watching our little fish swim free.

We drove over to Abbot Kinney, my favorite Venice drag, for dinner and found ourselves at the courtyard of De Buena Planta sipping margaritas and eating chips with guac.  This girl’s got next-level style, huh?  Such a cool kid.

Her brother, meanwhile, lacks a little class.  Can’t take this boy anywhere.

Chips for dinner, ice cream for dessert.  When in LA…

We were back at Abbot Kinney on Monday morning in search of brunch.  The Butcher’s Daughter was light-filled and lovely and our server was very friendly when Isaac dumped water all over our table.

We took a stroll through the Venice canals after brunch – I’d never explored this area before and though the waters were a bit mucky, the neighborhood held its own sort of charm.

Isaac befriended some ducks and we had a heck of a time getting him to say goodbye to them.

But then we stumbled upon a sweet little playground that served as a perfect distraction from his feathered friends.

Vacation with a toddler is exhausting, but the naps are next-level.

We spent Monday afternoon at El Matador State Beach in Malibu, picnicking and playing.  This is one of my most favorite SoCal spots.

Someone got over their aversion to sand…

Again, a bit gray, a bit chillier than hoped, but still so beautiful.  Juliette and I took a little stroll while eating the matcha shortbread I had picked up from Whole Foods and I felt so happy to be oceanside with my girl.

We got back from our walk and Juliette started on a sand castle that Isaac kept threatening to demolish, so I walked him down the beach and we sat together at the water’s edge.  We spent awhile tossing stones and I was thrilled to learn that Buddy inherited his dad’s and sister’s love of rock-skipping.

We rolled up to our condo around 5:00, planning to rest a bit before getting dinner.  Shane parked the car and I got the kids out and suddenly Shane was very nervously patting his pockets and then rooting around under the front seat and then sharing the unfortunate news that our door key was missing – it must have fallen out of his pocket at the beach.  He got a hold of our host, who was 2 hours away, so we quickly adapted our plans and Shane dropped me off in Santa Monica with the kids while he drove to meet our host at a halfway point.  To the pier!

Juliette, it seems, is getting a bit old for the merry-go-round, but she hopped on a horse for her brother’s sake.

Next stop was the ferris wheel, which Juliette and I loved, but Isaac was undecided about.

He couldn’t believe we were asking him to sit still for a 10 whole minutes.

We walked up to the 3rd Street Promenade to kill a little more time and grab some food.  I took Juliette into her first Urban Outfitters and we bought a bottle of electric blue nail polish (as if she wasn’t already hip enough!).  Shane picked us up, key in hand, just as Juliette and I were finishing our evening tea and hot chocolate and we made it back to the condo in time for Isaac to get to bed at a reasonable hour.  Look at us, going with the flow!

Tuesday we packed up our things and said goodbye to our little home at Marina del Rey.

Pastries and coffee at Tartine…

And then Juliette and I spent an hour romping around Manhattan Beach while Isaac dozed in the car.  It was chilly that morning as well, so we steered clear of the water, but we hunted for shells and played tic-tac-toe and drew pictures in the sand.

Juliette won our long-jump contest.

Isaac’s awake!  Kind of.

We dusted the sand off our feet, grabbed a quick bite, and were soon airport-bound.  This trip didn’t go entirely as planned, what with the fever and the gray skies and the lost key, but then again, not much does go as planned these days!  We proved ourselves adaptable, if nothing else.  Sweatshirts can be beach-wear, too.