Jordan’s parents had just flown in the night before, so we kicked off the day with them by heading to a Maui Chocolate Tour. We hopped on a bus that took us out to a cacao plantation, where we got to see the cacao trees up close and learn all about the process of turning cacao into chocolate. It was super interesting, and then came the best part—tasting 9 or 10 different dark chocolates! I’m not a huge fan of dark chocolate, so I didn’t love all of them, but I could appreciate the craftsmanship. My favorite? The guava and mango flavored chocolate. So unique!

After the tour, we headed to Star Noodle, an Asian fusion spot that serves family-style dishes. We ordered way too much food, but everything was incredible. My personal favorites were the steamed pork buns, hot and sour ramen, and the ahi avo (raw tuna tossed in a lemon chili soy mixture). Such a flavor-packed meal!

Once we were stuffed, we walked around Lahaina Banyan Court to check out the famous banyan tree that spans over an entire acre! It’s massive and such a cool landmark to see in person.

In the afternoon, Jordan and I made our way to the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, hoping to spot a Black-necked Stilt (Hawaiian stilt). Not only did we see one, but we also spotted a Black-crowned Night Heron and a Hawaiian Coot. It was such a peaceful spot, and we were excited to add a few birds to our list!

Later, we met back up with Caroline and Amy and drove out to hike the Nakalele Blowhole Trail. We were not prepared for how intense this trail would be! It was more of a scramble down lava rocks than an actual marked trail, but reaching the blowhole was totally worth it. The power of the water shooting up was mesmerizing, but we made sure to keep our distance—there’s a tragic story of someone getting too close and falling in back in the early 2000s, so we played it safe.

To wrap up the day, we returned to Whalers Village for dinner at Hula Grill. Jordan and I split the firecracker fish (spicy aioli, black bean avocado salsa, wrapped in local tortillas) and the ahi poke bowl (fresh ahi tuna, maui onions, chili flakes, ginger rice, avocado, pohole fern, cucumber, and hearts of palm). Everything was fresh and delicious. For dessert, we couldn’t resist the pono pie, made with local “ulu” breadfruit—so unique and the perfect way to end the meal.

Another day full of adventure and amazing food in Maui!