Been There, Done That: Whales, macadamia pancakes, and a monk seal

Where did you go?

My husband Gary and I spent 30 days in Hawaii at the beginning of the year.

Where did you stay?

We stayed at Kahana Sunset, a resort near Napili, on the western side of Maui (www.kahanasunset.com), in a two-story, two-bedroom condo right on the beach.

What did you do?

The first two weeks our children and two 10-year-old grandchildren were with us. The grandkids spent a lot of time in the pool and enjoyed snorkeling in the ocean. The last two weeks it was just Gary and I. It was wonderful having no demands on our time. Every day we would see humpback whales swimming between Molokai and Maui. They would breach, splash, and wave their large tails at us. One morning when Gary and I were in the pool, we heard excited voices coming from the beach. We got there in time to see a monk seal come lumbering from the ocean onto the beach.

Where did you eat?

Our favorite place for breakfast was the Gazebo, at Napili Surf Beach Resort, where the macadamia-nut pancakes melt in your mouth. Maui Taco's at Napili Plaza was a favorite place to grab a meal on the run.

Where have you been? Write us at Weekend.