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Rugged Coastline
Volcanic rocks and crystal blue waterIn April, we exchanged our timeshare for Maui, Hawaii. Airline miles came in handy, since we couldn’t exactly take our bus! We absolutely loved Maui.
Our friends Fred and Betty recommended the Old Lahaina Luau. We feasted on pit-cooked roast pig, side dishes, and an open bar. Diane enjoyed the mai tai’s a little too much and was quite toasted by the end of the show, which was quite entertaining (the show, that is).
The highlight of our trip was a helicopter tour of the island. As we flew over the sugar cane fields, we gradually ascended into what is called Upcountry and the extinct Haleakala volcano. The large crater area was barren and looked like a moonscape. The pilot then flew over the lush rainforest on the eastern side of the island, hovering near several waterfalls which looked like thin ribbons falling down the mountainside.
Wanting to see more, we took several trips in our rental car (a very nice Chrysler Sebring convertible). We drove to Haleakala National Park, at the top of the volcano. At nearly 11,000 feet, it was quite chilly and windy up there vs. the 85 degrees at sea level. The volcano last
Maui Views
View from our condo balcony erupted in 1796, when a cinder cone on a lower hillside spewed lava down and into the ocean, forming a new land area south of Wailea. We drove through these lava fields, which from a distance look like newly plowed fields of rich dark earth, while in reality are made up of razor-sharp lava rocks. The narrow asphalt road was laid right on top of the lava, paralleling the coast for several miles.
We enjoyed the Upcountry, which is up on the western slopes of Haleakala, providing slightly cooler weather and dramatic views of the entire island, Moloki and Lanai as well. It’s not overly developed, with mostly homes and ranches and a smattering of tiny boutique hotels. A lavender farm provided a beautiful and fragrant place to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Another day we drove the “Heavenly Road to Hana,” which is only about 50 miles, but takes all day on a twisty, narrow road that winds through lush rain forests and tiny towns along the coastline. We stopped at a black sand beach and watched a young man jump into the water from a cliff, swim to a volcanic island, climb to the top, and jump
Gorgeous Tropical Flowers
Found in an out-of-the-way botanical garden into the water again—not for the faint of heart, as the waves were high and the current rough. At one beach, a native Hawaiian woman sold us coconut candy, which was terrific. Also on this eastern coastline are the beautiful Seven Pools, caused by a series of waterfalls cascading down the hillside.
We had dinner at Mama’s Fish House—a wonderful restaurant with the best freshly-caught seafood. Located right on the beach, we enjoyed the sunset swilling martinis. Mama’s is quite pricey, however, and we almost had to sell the car to pay for dinner.
Maui was just delightful, and we’d love to visit the Hawaiian islands again.
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