Aloha, Goodbye, Maui

Today is our last day in Maui, and our last day on the Hawaiian Islands, at least for this time around. The past two months have been an incredible adventure! We were able to immerse ourselves into our surroundings in a way that isn't possible when just staying for a week or two. The Islands are beautiful, exotic, tropical, swathed in every shade of green and blue, and the weather is always perfect! I'm finding it hard to say Aloha, Goodbye, to this wonderful place; I really appreciate the laid back vibe and would like to carry that philosophy back to the mainland with me. But the good news is, we will soon be back in our home-sweet-home, reconnecting with family, and gearing up for our next adventure. Here are some parting shots from our stay in Maui.

Haleakala National Park, Maui

As luck would have it, our visit to Maui coincided with the October 2013 16-day government shutdown, and almost prevented us from visiting the Haleakala National Park. We berated ourselves for not visiting the park when we first got here and had the chance, as each day went by and it looked like the mess in Washington D.C. would never get resolved. But finally on October 17th, the House approved a bill to raise the debt ceiling, the National Parks opened back up, and on October 19th we took the 38-mile drive to the summit within the Haleakala National Park. The tallest peak of Haleakala ("House of the Sun") is Pu'u 'Ula'ula ("Red Hill"), and towers above the clouds at 10,023 feet. The road to this summit holds the world record for climbing the highest elevation in the shortest distance, starting at sea-level and passing through five distinct climate zones along the way. Unfortunately we seemed to experience just one climate zone the day we went - cloudy! Even though we made it to the top, the clouds never cleared off enough for us to get a view of the Haleakala Crater, or the other Hawaiian Islands visible from the top on a clear day. Still, it wasn't a wasted trip. The drive up provided stunning views; we were able to see the space observatories; and we saw the rare and beautiful Silversword (ahinahina) plant, a threatened species that only grows above 6000 feet, and the only place in the world it lives is on the slopes of Haleakala. A very popular tourist activity on Maui is to be driven to the top of mountain, then provided a bicycle for an exciting downhill ride. But we were more impressed with the few cyclists we saw who were actually riding their bicycles up the hill - now that's an accomplishment! Even though our visit to the National Park wasn't all we had hoped for, we're still glad we took the time to go. Here are some pictures of our trip.

Visitors In Maui

Dan and I often encourage our friends and family to visit us wherever we end up as we travel the country. We are always happy if we end up in a place somebody wants to travel to, and they can organize their travel plans to coincide with ours. Such was the case during our stay in Maui. Dan's sister Becky and her husband Alan flew over for a week with us, which just so happened to include Alan's birthday. We had a busy fun-filled week, and couldn't believe how fast the time flew by. We snorkeled, shopped, drove the Road to Hana, went to a Luau on Alan's birthday, lounged by the pool, visited 'Iao State Park, and just enjoyed each other's company. Here are some pictures from our lovely visit.

The Road To Hana

Legends about The Road to Hana long preceded our actual arrival on Maui. Whenever we mentioned our plans to stay here to the already initiated, eyebrows would arch, heads would nod, and inevitably, in low and reverential tones, we would be asked: "Are you going to drive The Road to Hana?" So of course, we had to see what all the excitement was about! Also referred to as Dramamine Road, the Hana Highway is a 55-mile journey into the unspoiled heart of the Island, terminating in the peaceful town of Hana along Maui's rugged eastern coastline. It is hard to think of this area as unspoiled, though, with the hundreds of tourists, including yours truly, snaking along the 620 curves, some of them of the hairpin variety, and crossing the 59 bridges, most of which are one-laners. The drive can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours to complete, one way, due to the nature of the road itself, and the many opportunities to pull off the road to experience incredible island views, flourishing rainforests, and flowing waterfalls. The road traces a centuries-old path which is now a well-paved highway, and despite its twists and turns, it isn't as scary as it might seem. The speed limit is s-l-o-w, both by necessity and by the posted signs, ranging from 10 to 25 mph in most places, and there are guardrails the entire length of the road…not that you ever want to test them out, if you know what I mean. We made a few stops along the drive to hike on a nature trail, experience a waterfall up close, and just to get out and stretch our legs. We made it to Hana in 3 hours where we had lunch and explored the area before driving two more hours to get back home. Here are some pictures of our journey.