Local Maui

When staying in one place for more than a few days, you get the opportunity to go a little local. While Dan and I definitely have a lot of fun checking out the activities geared for tourists, sometimes we find scouting out the more local events even more satisfying. Here in Maui, we were lucky enough to be here for the October Kihei Fourth Friday, just a mile up from where we are staying. The streets around the Azeka Shopping Center close off for a giant block party, where we are free to roam, enjoying the live music, food, arts and crafts, shopping, games, face painting, and community ambience. Another local tradition we're enjoying is the Saturday Maui Swap Meet just up the road in Kahului. The Swap Meet is popular with locals and tourists, and has been in operation since 1981. This is the place to find T-shirts, jewelry, flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked food, hand-painted shirts and dresses, souvenirs, and just a plain good time. Hopefully these pictures capture a bit of the flavor of Local Maui.

'Iao Valley State Park, Maui

Our home base while staying on Maui is the town of Kihei, on the southwest side of the Island. Located on the leeward side of Haleakala, a massive volcano, the climate in Kihei is quite arid, receiving no more than 10 inches of rain per year. But anyone who spends much time on the Hawaiian Islands soon realizes that divergent climate zones are never more than a few minutes drive away. Such is the case with the beautiful 'Iao Valley, just 12 miles north and west of Kihei, and where Dan and I spent the morning recently at the 'Iao Valley State Park. Covered in dense rainforest, the summit area at the valley's head receives an average 386 inches of rainfall per year. As we approached the park the mountains and ridges that form the lush valley were shrouded in clouds and mist (later I found out 'Iao means "Supreme Cloud"), and we wondered if our visit would indeed be rained out. But Mother Nature cooperated with our plans, and we were able to spend about an hour along the trails that wind through the beautiful and peaceful 4,000-acre park taking in the impressive views. The 'Iao Needle (Kūkaemoku), a vegetation-covered lava remnant rising 1,200 feet from the valley floor, is probably the most famous geographical feature in the park, and is also said to represent Kanaloa, the Hawaiian god of the underworld. A thousand years ago, Hawaiians gathered at `Iao Valley to celebrate and honor the bounty of Lono, god of agriculture, during the annual makahiki festival, and more than a hundred years ago visitors began coming to witness the natural beauty of this valley. Here are some pictures from our 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.

Leaving The Big Island, Heading to Maui

Today is our last day on the Big Island, and concludes the first month of our visit to the Hawaiian Islands. Tomorrow morning we fly to Maui, where we will spend the second, and final, month of our stay. Dan and I enjoyed our time here very much! We visited waterfalls and beach parks, walked through underground lava tubes, and watched the sun set into the clouds on Mauna Kea Mountain. We snorkeled with the beautiful tropical fish, made friends with the neighborhood geckos, and walked through lush botanical gardens. We enjoyed the sounds of local birdsongs, our many trips to the nearby Farmer's Market for fresh tropical fruit, and the aroma of the many blooming plants found all over the Island. Speaking of the Island, we drove (a lot!), and made our way around the perimeter, across the middle over Saddle Road, and to the southern most point of the United States (fittingly named South Point). We saw tons of lava, learned a bunch about volcanoes, saw the molten glow at night from Kilauea, and visited a planetarium. But our home base during our last four weeks has been Hilo, and I thought it only fitting to close out this chapter of our travels with a few "local" photos.