As far as moms go, hands-down, I have the best one out there. This year was a special year as it was her 50th birthday. I knew I wanted to do something magical for her. We had tossed around the idea of a euro backpacking trip but ended up deciding on a restful week in Maui.

We had been once before with a few other ladies in our family, but this trip, it was just me and my mama! Since she’s a real gem, she signed up to travel how I typically would. Read: really cheap and unplanned. We found the most adorable and affordable condo on AirBnB and arrived in Maui with nothing planned aside from Ma’s birthday wish of seeing the sunrise atop Haleakala.

Our condo was in Kihei. Having stayed in Ka’anapaali before, we enjoyed Kihei so much more! It was such a relaxed, adorable little town and we felt like we were living the simple Maui life, rather than being stuck in the resort life. I highly recommend finding an adorable spot in Kihei for your trip!

Best Maui Adventures from our Trip:

Maui Ocean Centre

The weather the first full day wasn’t the best so we decided to adventure to the Maui Ocean Centre! I had never been to an aquarium before and my mom was more than thrilled to check out the fishies native to the Hawaiian islands.

Local adventures in Paia

Last time I was in Maui, I went surfing for the first time! This time around, we wanted to watch some locals so we were on the hunt for some big waves to catch some surfing. After some research, we discovered a local beach in Paia was one of the best places to go. So we programmed our Google Maps and headed off to the adorable little town of Paia. We also managed to snag some delicious pizza from a local shop.

Maui Womens Pro

On our hunt for surfers, we stumbled upon the fact a pro surf competition was being held on the island. My mom’s adventurous heart jumped back in the car with me as we headed north to Honolua Bay to stand on the side of a cliff and take in our first-ever pro surf competition, the Maui Womens Pro.

Be sure to do a quick google of any current events that might be happening on the island. I’m not sure if we were just incredibly lucky, but I would wager there’s always something exciting happening.

Sunrise atop Haleakala and bike ride down

This particular adventure with Maui Mountain Riders was totally worth the ridiculously early morning it called for. My mom was so excited to trek up the side of this volcano and start her 50th birthday off with a beautiful sunrise and bike ride down the side of the volcano. It’s definitely a must-see while you’re on the island of Maui. Despite the clouds, we were able to see the sun sneak through for a minute before it went back behind the cloud cover. My only suggestion is to ensure you’ve got a blanket! The bike ride down was way quicker than I anticipated. Not going to lie – I was definitely nervous about the speed for the majority of the trip down. Mama J however, had a blast. Her enjoyment made everything worth it.

Kayak and snorkel excursion

This spontaneous excursion brought Mama J and I out onto the ocean with Maui Kayak Adventures. I’m a fan of kayaking, though Mama J isn’t too fond of boats. She, however, was excited about snorkeling while I was not too thrilled about trying to breathe underwater. The trip was definitely out of our comfort zone, but we were both super grateful we tried it. A momentary lapse of judgment on my part almost flipped Mama J out of the kayak, but it’s hilarious to look back on now.

Other highlights from our adventures in Maui:

• Like mother like daughter, we were that duo who broke out their knitting on the plane. No shame.
• The view from our condo was breathtaking.
• We bought last-minute tickets to the BMI Songwriters Festival in Maui and took in the music of Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Eric Church, and more! It rained incessantly, which meant we laughed hysterically for the most part. It will also go down in history as the most expensive concert I’ve ever paid for once we factored in conversion rates.
• To commemorate Mama’s 50th birthday, we decided to get some matching tattoos. Since we’re so great at agreeing, we both ended up getting two new tattoos each. (Check another thing off my 27 x 28 list!)
• We tasted the deliciousness that is Maui Pies. If you’re on the island, it’s a must-visit.
• We drove around the island so much that I got so comfortable with the roads and felt so at home.
• The sunsets were INCREDIBLE.

This trip was an absolute blast for my mom and me. We adventured as we pleased, relaxed without any remorse, and just enjoyed each other’s company.

We managed to go the entire week without arguing as well. Any mom of an adult daughter knows that’s impressive!

Maui will always hold a special place in my heart, as will this trip. I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend this time with my mom, and to give her the gift of this trip.

If you’ve never been to Maui, you need to add it to your list. This island really is a beautiful retreat from the hustle and bustle of mainland North America.

Have you gone on a trip with your mama? I’d love your suggestions on where I should take my amazing mom next!