The wind and the cloud cover will always come in like clockwork later on in the day. If your planning on doing a helicopter or boating adventure it is a good idea to book one of the morning trips for either of these trips. These are by far the most popular times for both the snorkeling and helicopter trips. The morning trips are the hardest trips to get reservations on.

Kids are more than welcome on most of the activities except for a few. The bike companies require that they be at least 12 years old. The horseback companies, except for a couple will not allow riders under the age of 18. Some activities are a little more kid friendly than others, let me know their ages and I'll find a fun trip for all of you. If you have infants under 2, I don't think it a good move to take them. Your hands are going to be full and the other people's ears on the trip are probably going to be full.

It is a lot cooler over here than one would believe. If you are going up to the top of a 10,000 foot mountain in the morning you're looking at about 35 degrees. Even during an afternoon trip you're looking at 50 degrees. Add in the wind chill factor and it's down right cold. Bring a pair of long pants (some restaurants require them), a sweater, jacket, close-toed shoes, both tennis and dress and a good pair of socks. You will need them on both the horseback riding and bike tours.

From the minute you arrive on the island to the minute you depart you will hear every imaginable form of advertisement regarding Maui activities. I can only warn you that a lot of the coupons and discounts on activities are a front for a timeshare pitch or a sham at the best. Some of these folks are professionals at separating you from your money. The free luau might end up costing you thousands in the end. While you are here, look at the foreclosure section of the paper and you see how many are timeshares. Contact me if you want advice about the best luaus on Maui.

The sun will take its toll on the unprotected. I have seen too many feet, heads, backs and other body parts so red and sunburnt that it hurt just to look at them. The sun is a lot more intense in Hawaii than your going to be use to. Don't try to get your entire tan in a day or 2, use sunscreen!

Driving around the island is by far the best way to get to know the island. If you do get lost, Please pull off the road. Don't look at the map and try and drive at the same time. If you do get lost don't hesitate to ask someone, we still know what Aloha is on Maui. There is no reason to have to pass someone in the left lane. We will just end up pulling up behind you at the next light and shake our heads. Using the horn in something other than emergency is considered rude. Please, the vast majority of traffic fatalities on the island are unfortunately alcohol related. Designated drivers Please.

Do your best not to leave anything of value in your car. Unfortunately the majority of crime over here is cars been broken into. Do not think that the trunk is a safe. One rock through the window is faster than a key to gain access to the trunk latch. The jerks doing this know that you are more likely to have something of value in the car rather than the resident, so they target rental cars. If you take something of value to the beach - wallet, camera or anything - take it onto the beach with you. If you go into the water at the beach, cover everything up in your towel and ask someone to keep an eye on your stuff for you while you are in the water. Try to keep your eye on the stuff while you're in the water.

Try and do as much of your shopping as possible at the little mom and pop stores on the island. Their vegetables and other products are probably fresher than the big chain stores. Plus you can find some pretty incredible stories and history in these stores. It's so sad to see these stores have to shut down after 50 to 100 years in business because of the big chain stores coming into Maui. It really is these folks that keep Maui Maui.

Do not worry about being able to pronounce the words. I still have a hard time when it comes to saying many Hawaiian words. There are only 13 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet so many words look the same and sound the same. When using a road map try and use highway numbers instead of the names. When asking where something is if you just get close to the pronouncement some will know what you are talking about.

Whale watching season is Dec thru May. When the whales are here they are here in abundance. If you see one while your driving please pull over to the side of the road and admire them. The peak viewing months are Feb. and March. I have seen a whale as early as September and as late as June. Most whale watching trips are 2 hours and that goes by pretty fast. Try and do a trip off a big boat first. For the more adventuresome try a trip from one of the rafting expeditions. Finally for the intimate experience do a kayak trip.

You have seen it in movies, you have seen it on TV, now you can do it too! I'm talking about surfing. This is one of the most exciting things you can do for yourself or for the kids. There are some world class surf breaks over here on Maui. If you aren't quite ready for those, then take a lesson. Anybody can do this! There are even some surfing dogs over here.

That's it for now. Enjoy your stay, and if you have any questions about your upcoming trip, feel free to email me.

Aloha, Lili