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Maui

By Chandler Donoho

Ohana means family. I learned that in the Lilo & Stitch movie. Stitch is from outer space. Lilo is a little girl, like me. But Lilo lives in Hawaii. I tried a long time to get my dad to take me to Hawaii. He said if he took me, I had to keep a journal and write about it. I said, okay, it’s a deal. Daddy helped me with some of the Hawaiian words, which sound funny. Like keiki. That means kid. Here is my story of going to the island of Maui as a keiki.

I like flying in the airplane. We fly on Hawaiian Airlines. My dad says this is a new thing—a no-stopping flight from San Diego to the island of Maui. I eat rice on the plane. I can’t see the movie. I put a blanket over my seat and pretend I am in a tent. There are a lot of other kids on the flight. I see a girl with a purple Barbie backpack, like mine. But mine has wheels, so it can roll through the airport. It seems like the flight is short. I think it lasts 20 minutes.

Our hotel is called the Kaanapali Beach Hotel. I have my own room. My dad says our room is sweet. You can see the beach from the glass door that slides. There is another island out across the ocean. My dad asks me what that island is. I say, “California?” But no, it’s the island of Kahoolawe. That’s a funny name.

First, I go to the pool. It’s shaped like a whale, did you know? There are a lot of kids. I meet Carly. She points to her father, who has spiky hair. I say, “He looks like Clay Aiken from American Idol.” She says her dad can’t sing so good.

My dad and I go to get my Kaanapali Beach Hotel passport. It has 12 squares on it. The woman at the desk by the front door gives me the passport and a new Hawaiian name: Lanakila. It means “victory of the people.” When I go to a class to learn to make a lei necklace, they ask me my name. I say, “Lanakila. Victory of the people.” And they give me a stamp in my passport. And give me a present. It’s a blue T-shirt with a funny-looking fish on it. During the weekend, I get 10 stamps, and 10 presents.

The people who work at the hotel are very nice. They are all singers and dancers. At dinner, our waiter at the Tiki Terrace goes up to the stage and does the hula. I do the hula, too. At breakfast, the women who bring towels to your room all sing a song about “aloha.” My dad laughs when the announcer says, “That was the housekeeping staff! Want to know who’s cleaning your room right now? Nobody!”

I go to two shows that are in the close-by city of Lahaina. Isn’t that a funny name of a city? I have a really fun time there at the Ulalena show. People dance on a stage in a theater. There is a man dressed in a pig costume who wiggles his nose at a pretty lady in a grass skirt. And I go to the Old Lahaina Luau, where they dig up a pig that has been cooking under the dirt for a whole day. I guess they like pigs here.

Before we leave the island of Maui, we find out that Lilo and Stitch live on the island of Kaui. That’s a whole other island of Hawaii. I guess my dad will have to bring me back again.

 

If You Go

In June, Hawaiian Airlines began offering direct flights from San Diego (and other West Coast cities) to the Kahului airport on Maui. Introductory fares start at $389 round trip. For reservations, call 800-367-5320 or go to www.hawaiianair.com. The Kaanapali Beach Hotel, annually voted Hawaii’s “Most Hawaiian Hotel,” has oceanfront family suites (two bedrooms) that go for $380 a night. A garden-view room starts at $195; a Kaanapali suite (one bedroom, two-and-a-half bathrooms, full bar, dining area) is $600 a night. The hotel’s fantastic Aloha Passport program for kids is free. For hotel reservations, call 800-262-8450 ... For more information on the historical Ulalena show, call 877-688-4800 or go to www.mauitheatre.com ... The Old Lahaina Luau fills up fast, so call ahead at 800-248-5828.