What comes to mind when you think of Hawaii??? Warm beaches, clear water, breezes blowing through palm trees...it was all that and much more!
When Brian and Anujin invited us on their trip to Hawaii, I debated for about 1 second before I said "yes!" I had always wanted to go to Hawaii, so this seemed like a golden opportunity. Given it was mid-summer and due to be hot and humid, Rick declined to accompany us, but the three of us went and spent a long weekend and had a great time! I feel like we only got a "taste" of some of the things to do there, so we'll definitely need to go back to experience more. In the meantime, although I am far from an expert on Hawaii, I thought I'd share my learning so far with you.
We flew in on a Thursday, and the excitement started before we even landed. Anyone who is related to my Mom knows that for a trip of any length, you have to pack snacks. And because I am trying to be healthy, I had lots of fruit and veggies in my snack bag. I didn't think about the fact that Hawaii is an island, thus you have to fill out a form and "declare" any produce you bring with you. Since we didn't want to go through that hassle, we had to chow down mid-flight on grapes, cherries, apples, carrots, and blueberries. What made it really funny was just about the time they handed out the declaration form, I opened the snack bag and guess what crawled onto my hand!?! A ladybug! I was reading at the time, and after I noticed him on my hand/book, I put him back in the bag, and he crawled out again! I was afraid he'd escape, so I finally zipped him back into the snack bag. I never saw him again once we landed, but I checked and ladybugs are already found in Hawaii so I don't think we imported anything dangerous. Whew!
We landed mid-afternoon at the Kahului Airport. To help orient you I copied in a map below. This map is from a website that you might find helpful if you plan to visit the island, since they do a nice job summarizing the different areas to visit. You can see the airport on the middle northern part of the island.
The first thing I noticed when we were landing was how brown and dry it was. For some reason, I had pictured Hawaii as all jungles and beaches, but this initial impression was very different. As you can see above, much of Maui is dry, while the eastern/northeastern parts are green and as we found, very lush. The first day we drove to our airbnb in Kihei, so we didn't experience the lush parts of Maui until later in the trip.
We had planned to stop at Costco and buy water bottles, with good intentions to remain hydrated on this trip, so that's what we did. We also bought some fruit, and since our body clocks were 3.5 hours ahead of Hawaii, ended up eating dinner at the food court.
This was our first experience with Hawaiian chickens, which (according to my sister Liz) are actually a wild bird in Hawaii! Of course, like many things I had to look this up when I got home, so here are a couple of articles in case you're interested in learning more. This one is a very thorough look into the genetic history of wild chickens in Kauai. From this article I learned that the birds were likely freed during Hurricane Iwa in 1982. They are particularly plentiful in Kauai because it is the one island that's free of mongooses, which are natural predators.
From there we drove the short distance to our airbnb in Kihei. I would highly recommend this place to anyone that wants to stay in Maui! The hostess, Jill, was very responsive and even sent us her personal recommendations of things to do in Maui. The condo was on the ground floor and had a nice park-like area between it and the beach. It was well set up, with little touches like beach-going equipment (including a surf board, cooler, beach towels and chairs) and a nice desk set up with keyboard and mouse for those who needed to work while there, like Brian. There were basics like spices and condiments in the kitchen, as well as a good set of pots and pans in case you wanted to cook in vs. eat out. This worked out very nicely for us.
The first evening we checked out the view from the condo, then made our way to Safeway (more chickens in the parking lot, including chicks!) to stock up on sandwich and breakfast makings. We were wowed by the view and the sunset, and thus begins the odyssey of preggo pictures!
The first day Brian needed to work since he just started a new job and had limited vacation time, so he got up early to begin his work day. Anujin and I set out to explore the beach behind the condo. It was almost deserted, and right away I noticed differences between this beach and the ones I was used to in California. For instance, instead of rocks or shells, there were a bunch of coral pieces!
We were there at low tide, and one of things I noticed was the rocks stuck on the tree branches and roots. Initially I thought it was man-made, but now I think it may have been natural forces that put them there.
One of the other things I noticed were the clouds which were on the right side of the mountain facing our beach. I expected them to "blow over", but instead they were constantly forming in the same spot. This is another thing I researched upon return home, and I learned that trade winds blow from the East and Northeast and once they reach the mountains the air is lifted up. As that happens the moisture in the air condenses and produces clouds and rain. I probably learned that in a science class once, but this is the first time I've seen it so clearly in action.
As we learned on our trip to Hana, there is a huge variety in rainfall. Take a look at this map, and if you want to know more, visit the website where I found it.
This information was to become more relevant as our trip went on.
Early that afternoon we decided to walk to lunch. This was my first experience with the heat and humidity, we were definitely sticky and hot by the time we arrived at the restaurant less than a mile away. I ordered an acai bowl, the first for me, and it was amazing! Underneath this fruit was a frozen concoction made from coconut milk and something else. It just hit the spot! The environment was interesting too, it was open to the outdoors so we had lots of birds flying in and out. Many families, most of which had been at the beach or swimming, were quenching their thirst and hunger. It felt like our first authentic Hawaii experience.
Haleakala National Park Summit
Later that afternoon, we decided to make our way to the summit of the mountain in Haleakala National Park, which is called Pu'u'ula'ula. Whew! I never did get used to those Hawaiian names.
Since I was driving, I don't have photos of the route, but this map gives you an idea of the difficulty. Even though it was less than 50 miles from our condo, we read it could easily take 2-3 hours to drive there. Not wanting to be in a hurry, we left plenty of time to make it by sunset. It's actually a very popular place to go at sunset and even more so at sunrise. The need to have reservations for a sunrise slot, coupled with the need to get up at 3 a.m., made us opt for a sunset trip instead. We were not disappointed!
Anujin indulged me with a photo of the park entrance to add to our collection. Unlike the shots Rick and I were taking, we couldn't get out to take a selfie, but due to her creative use of the mirror we can prove we were there (at least her and Brian).
We parked at the Kalahaku Overlook parking lot, along with most other people. Since we had time, we decided to try to hike the 1/2 mile to the summit, figuring it would provide a better view. Luckily we had been warned it was cold and had packed warm clothes. Many beach-going vacationers were not so lucky, and had to make do with whatever they could find for warmth. Even with our sweatshirts and wind protection, we were freezing after hiking partway up this road. That, coupled with the blowing clouds that obscured our view, made us decide to head back to the car and take our chances with the lower view. Here's a gallery of the shots we took while waiting for sunset.
This is definitely one of the things I would spend more time doing when we come back, exploring this area and hiking to get the promised 360 degree views.
I think the funniest thing about this experience was observing the other tourists. For instance, take a look at this guy. He was sitting in his warm car with his camera on a selfie stick out his sunroof to catch the photos!
We were packed into the parking lot, with everyone focused on the view west. I took a few minutes to video the experience. While you don't see the variety of creative warm clothes, you get a feel for the wind and the general craziness!
After viewing the sunset and taking a million photos, Brian (who was driving home) pulled a "Rick" and managed to weasel our car out of the long line of parked cars in the parking lot and beat the crowds who would be leaving shortly. We left just before the sun set, which allowed us to wind our way down that crazy road before it got completely dark. It was much more peaceful than being in a long line of bumper to bumper cars in pitch darkness. A much nicer way to end the evening.
It really struck me how it's the "luck of the draw" in terms of having a good view vs. one that is obscured by clouds. As we were leaving the clouds continued to blow across the mountain, including this one that we thought looked like a bunny!
The Road to Hana
The next morning we got up early to set off on the Road to Hana (pronounced "hawna"). Like all good tourists we read reviews, and the more we read the scarier it sounded. While the road is only 52 miles long, we were warned about the number of switchbacks (617) and one-lane bridges (56). They don't warn you that many of the one-lane bridges ARE in the switchbank, making it even harder to spot oncoming traffic. But that makes sense if you think about it: the switchback is needed to go around the inner curve of the mountain and a creek runs down the ravine, necessitating the bridge!
Many of the reviews recommended going with a tour guide, to avoid driving the difficult road and to get the best ideas on where to stop. With Brian offering to drive, we got an early start to avoid the heaviest traffic and it wasn't as bad as they said. Of course, both of us have experience driving to the Ranch many times, so one lane curvy roads don't scare us as much as they might tourists who are more used to city driving.
We did end up downloading an app called "Shaka Guide", which was well worth the $19.99. (Shaka is the name for the "hang loose" symbol so famous in Hawaii). This narrated guide would follow your route with GPS and recommend good places to stop, some of which you would never have found on your own. Many of the photos we got were due to this guide, not to mention finding a great swimming pool and good places to eat!
We were on the road by 7 a.m. and buzzed right over to the town of Paia, the start of the Road to Hana. This is another place I'd like to spend more time next time around, as the town sounds interesting. Because it was so early there weren't many places open, so we drove right through. This map is from a Hawaii Guide website. It's funny, the maps make so much more sense once you've been there, but I include it for reference.
We continued along the road, but didn't stop at the earlier attractions, partly because we wanted to stay ahead of the traffic, and partly because a big rainstorm came up. Our first stop was somewhat of a disaster. We stopped near one of the one-lane bridges to explore a waterfall. We made our way partway up the trail, and took this gorgeous photo.
Brian offered to go further up the trail and see if it was worth it, since there appeared to be another waterfall and pool higher up. Turns out that part of the trail was much steeper and muddier, and he slipped coming back down. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt, but he was wearing white shorts so it necessitated cleaning up using one of the beach towels we'd brought along. Luckily Anujin had the foresight to suggest we bring a change of clothes, so he could get cleaned up and we got on the road shortly after. What a hero!
There were many gorgeous views and waterfalls on the trip. Below is a gallery of some of the best photos, and then I'll tell you a bit more about the stops we made.
We stopped at a couple of beaches. The first was near the town of Hana. It was pretty quiet, although there was a couple making breakfast on a Coleman stove, likely after camping there for the night. Interesting to see how people get by there! By then we were getting hungry, but there was only one restaurant open in the whole town of Hana, so we made do with our trusty snack bag and kept going.
One of the hidden gems we likely would have missed without our guided app was called Koki Beach. It is purportedly famous for the "Huli Huli" chicken, which was featured on a Gorden Ramsey show, but like many things the place was not open at this early hour. But the beach was great! A good place to stretch our legs, and Anujin could not resist taking off her shoes.
From there we headed to the National Park, and the "Seven Sacred Pools" (that was a name coined by brilliant marketers, and much easier to say and remember than the official name "'Ohe'o Gulch". On the way, the app narrator told us that swimming was no longer allowed at the pools, but he promised to show us a great swimming hole. Since we planned to hike at the park, and we didn't want to do so all wet, we elected to pass the swimming hole and catch it on the way back. One of the great things was that we had our receipt from the entry to the park the night before, and it was still good AND Anujin could find it again, so we were able to enter the park for free this time. As usual, we checked out the hiking trail on the map, and elected to go left first, up the Pipiwai trail. We had learned from our narrator that "wai" is the word for fresh water in Hawaii, and we had also learned about the massive amount of rainfall on this part of the island, AND that it was channeled to the fertile (but dry) valley between the two mountains on Maui. Fascinating detail! You can read more about it here.
This hike was all that it promised. We were excited to see the "Large Banyan Tree" and "Bamboo Forest" on the map, but we weren't sure we'd make it as far as the waterfall at the end of the trail. And that's what ended up happening. Anujin was a total trooper, given she was 29 weeks pregnant. Many people seemed surprised to see her on the trail. I was surprised to see the number of people hiking in swim suits and flip flops! I guess when you're in a tourist area you get a mix of "real hikers" and those that happen to hit the trail while there on vacation. Here is a gallery of photos from the trail:
On this trail and on the Road to Hana it was AMAZING to see how much bamboo there was. According to our narrator, it's not native to Hawaii but was brought in by early Chinese laborers. Interesting to see how it's taken over! Apparently this trail is one of the best places to see bamboo in Maui.
By the time we came down off the Pipiwei Trail, we were getting pretty tired, but we didn't want to miss the promised pools. It was a short loop hike, with the highlight being the area where the pools met the ocean. Gorgeous!
By now we were STARVING! We headed back the way we came, with a few ideas of places we wanted to stop. Having read about the many food trucks and stands along the way, we stopped at the next one we found, which was called "Tony's Place". Great burgers, even though they were served on a purple bun! I later found out that was taro, a crop commonly grown in this area. Purple bun or not, it definitely hit the spot.
Our next stop was at the swimming pool mentioned by the narrator. It was off the side of the road, where there were just houses and really no turnouts. You would NEVER know there was anything there except for the number of cars parked. One of the many reasons our $19.99 investment paid off, after making our way across a field and down a steep cliff, we found the "Venus Pool". I was too busy clinging to the hillside to take photos, but luckily Brian took this one. It was literally right next to the ocean, in an absolutely gorgeous setting. The water was cool but not cold, but absolutely refreshing after our sticky hike.
After that, we enjoyed the road trip back, taking it easy and listening to the narrator tell interesting stories about the history of the islands and the many battles that had been fought over them. It really gave me a sense of how different it would be to live on an island that can be "owned" by one or a few individuals.
We didn't stop for more than a few photos, but I took pictures as Brian was driving so I could more easily share the "everyday" views of this part of Hawaii. I can't imagine living on the Road to Hana and having so many amateur drivers to deal with everyday, but lots of people do. Here's some of the scenery:
After two fairly active days, we were ready to take it easy on our last day before flying home. Brian wanted to treat Anujin to a pregnancy massage, so we headed to the northern tip of the island which is home to many resorts and more "upscale" tourist activities. While Anujin got her massage, I had a pedicure and a very nice visit with the pedicurist. Brian entertained himself reading in the wide-open lounge area. Not a bad view!
This was definitely a different type of vacation destination than the one we had seen so far. Resorts back to back on the shore, so that you couldn't really even see the beach. Parking was crazy, and there were people walking and driving everywhere. After a failed attempt to secure lunch near one of the resorts, we decided to drive a short distance to a country club golf course which had a restaurant onsite with good reviews. We had an amazing lunch, and the nice waitress offered to take our photo. I think this is the only one of the three of us I have from the whole trip!
After that experience, I'm very glad we didn't decide to stay in this area of Maui. If you're a "lay by the pool" type of person I'm sure it would be fine, but I was very happy with our lowkey condo by the beach.
As we were driving back, I noticed Anujin taking photos out the window and offered to take a right and get closer to the beach. This was the most happy accident of the whole trip! As I was driving parallel to the beach Anujin noticed a "green space" on the google map view, and it turned out to be a small neighborhood park with everything we could possibly want! Lots of shade trees, picnic tables, playground, restrooms, and the most beautiful, clean beach I'd seen the whole trip. There was a rock formation a few feet out into the water, so many people were snorkeling (another thing I'd make time for next trip), but we just sat in the water and enjoyed cooling off while Brian read in the shade. Such a nice surprise!
After that we were very relaxed and cool. We made a short visit to the shops across the street (including Bad A** Coffee, which happily has a store in Santa Rosa!). There is a Boss Frog shop nearby too (mental note to rent snorkeling equipment from them next time).
On the way back, Brian suggested we stop at the "best shave ice place in Maui", so he and Anujin enjoyed their cold treat. Gotta love kids who spend their 45 minutes in line figuring out how to make the place more efficient - I appreciate that engineering mindset! I was enjoying a good book (my 4th of the trip) so I didn't mind the wait at all.
As usual at the end of the trip, we "cleaned up leftovers" for dinner, packed and left the place in shipshape condition. An early morning stop at Safeway to buy chocolate covered macadamia nuts rounded out the trip, and we had an uneventful flight home. Until next time, Aloha!
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