Maui Photo Album - October 2008
(Click on any photo for a larger version.)
Sunday - waking up in Maui
Sunday started like any good day on vacation should - waking up and being happy to be away from home. Our hotel, the Sheraton Maui, is on the north end of Ka'anapali Beach. We were supposed to get an ocean front room, but it was more like see-a-bit-of-the-ocean-past-the-lawn-and-pool. The view wasn't the only disappointing thing about the hotel (if we go back, I really doubt we'd stay there again), but at least it was in a pretty area - with a view to the island of Moloka'i.
View from the balcony of room 3512
In the distance you can see the island of Moloka'i.
Ka'anapali is a master-planned resort area with golfing, condos, hotels, and a few restaurants and shops. It is on the northern part of west Maui. The island of Maui is roughly shaped like a man's head and shoulders/upper body, leaning a bit to the left (yeah, I know, this is an odd analogy but go with it). The "head" is west Maui - centered with the West Maui Mountain. The "neck" is the valley area (where most residents live). The "shoulders" or "upper body" are Haleakala and the surrounding coastline.
View a google map of Maui, marked with a few destinations we visited.
Lahaina
We headed into Lahaina, the main town with shops & restaurants in west Maui - not far south of the Ka'anapali Resort area. After a nice hot cup of coffee at the Livewire Cafe, we walked around the town. Lahaina is quite peaceful in the mornings, but the afternoons & evenings tend to be crowded. Cruise ships sometimes stop off-shore, the town has tons of restaurants and shops, and the beach is used for surfing lessons, parasailing, etc. The shore view in Lahaina is dominated by a view to the island of Lana'i. Lahaina was once a royal capital.
Lahaina's city center has a large banyan tree.
Northwest Shore
It was a good thing we stopped for breakfast, since the area we headed to next didn't offer much in terms of restaurants or shops! We headed around the northern end of the island (on top of the"head" basically) - a trip on the most narrow roads either of us had ever seen. The pictures below show a bit of the beauty and sheer terror (and sheer drop-offs) we experienced.
Views of Molokai in the distance
Northwest Maui, looking towards Moloka'i
Rainbow on the water separating northwest Maui from Moloka'i
Waves crashing on the shore
We came up with a new angle for self-portraits!
Honolua Bay
At least, I think this was Honolua Bay. After a while, they all look the same. :)
It was really peaceful on this part of the island.
Nakalele Blowhole
Matt along the northwest shore. To the upper right, you can see Kahakuola Head (large rock, basically) - look for it to get bigger in the pictures that follow.
The blowhole is that little puff of white ahead of where Matt's sitting.
I (Becky) found these rocks stacked up, like they just needed someone to take their picture!
Matt, at the blowhole area
Mushroom-Shaped Rock Area
View back along the coast (where we'd just driven)
Matt, with such pretty blue waters!
Matt is more adventurous than I am - and gets some more interesting pictures because of it. :)
Seriously, the water was that blue!
The far edge of this point is called the Olivine Pools. We didn't walk all the way down (it looked pretty rough). There were people jumping into the pools - something I may not recommend, but they seemed to know what they were doing.
Yes, we went beyond that point. :) Sorry, I feel like such a rebel taking the well-worn path beyond the sign.
Narrow Road
Ok, not a great picture. We know that. But look past the blue car - yes, that's a truck, coming towards us on a one-lane two-way road. The truck was up-hill, so they had to back up until they could pull over to let us by.
Another picture to show you just how narrow this road was... It has a bit of a shoulder here, so that's misleading!
Despite the narrow road, it was awfully pretty. Too bad there wasn't any place to pull over to observe it!
Matt did great navigating these narrow roads with sharp drop-offs.
Open the big version of this photo and look at the little town in the valley.
Gorgeous coastline.
The rock walls were close enough that I could almost lean out the window and touch them in places.
I've seen "Falling Rock" signs before (I think there are some going down 360 here in Austin, even). This road actually needs them, however. Most of those signs were accompanied by a pile of rocks.
I don't think I've ever seen that sign before. Not even on the needles highway in the Black Hills of South Dakota (which is an amazing drive, by the way -- though the coast in Maui was nice, I think I'd take the needles highway anytime... and yes, I mostly make that remark so my family can realize just how narrow & scary this road was!)
Finally! We made it to the end of the one-lane sections!
Another great view down to the water, from high on the cliffs.
Pretty flowers along the road.
Back to Civilization: Overlook to Molokini & Kaho'olawe
After that harrowing adventure, we stopped by the Flatbread Company in Paia for a really yummy lunch of pizza on nice thin crust. Just now, when looking up their website, I was excited to see that they have other locations - but just in New England (New England and Maui - what an odd combination). But, thinking of New England, while the Flatbread Company doesn't compare to Pepe's in New Haven, Connecticut - they still rate in my top 5 pizza places ever.
After lunch, we stopped by the scenic overlook between south & north Maui. From here, you can see the crater area of Molokini (a popular scuba diving spot), Kaho'olawe (the "deadly island") south Maui, the west Maui mountain, and the island of Lana'i.
That little lump on the horizon is Molokini.
I think this is Kaho'olawe.
We got a convertible!
I shot this picture out the passenger side, with the convertible top down. We were moving on a highway, but it's a fairly good picture - of the West Maui Mountain.
Becky, self-portrait in the convertible.
Sunset
We took it easy in the afternoon, then watched sunset on Ka'anapali Beach, before heading back into Lahaina for dinner.
Matt at sunset
A boat, cruising by at sunset
Matt, enjoying sunset from the beach
Sunset over Moloka'i
Self-portrait on the beach
Matt, with a great smile
The Sheraton Maui continues an apparently old Hawaiian tradition on Black Rock (a large volcanic rock outcropping at the north end of Ka'anapali Beach). A native Hawaiian male climbs up on the rocks where he lights torches, then jumps off symbolically.
Becky, holding up the waters! (haha)