Life is a Beach

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Geo: 20.9288, -156.694

We started the day with a home cooked breakfast in our condo. We ejoyed the breakfast sitting out on our lanee in the balmy fresh air.

Our morning destination was Lahaina. Lahaina is located less than 5 miles south of Kaanapali Beach. Lahaina is considered one of Maui's top destinations for shopping, dining, and entertainment. It's a national historic area that blends tourism and agriculture, the two leading industries of Hawaii. We walked down Front Street, the Main Street adjacent to the ocean. We were amazed by the number of jewelry stores and art galleries. They also had many stores selling shaved ice and gelato which goes well in this climate. Many of the restaurants and bars had open decks with views of the ocean.

One of the noted attractions here is the banyon tree. It's the oldest tree in the state of Hawaii. originated from India and was planted in 1873. It only stands about 50 feet in height but it's root system spans about 200 feet in length. It has one main trunk and then 16 side trunks that have sprouted. It shades nearly 2/3 rds of an acre.

There are other sights in Lahaina which we are saving for another day.

Our other destinations for the day were to do some beach hopping. They are all beautiful but we wanted to compare some. Many of the tour books rate some beaches higher than others. The two beaches which were rated excellent were Keawakapu Beach and Wailea Beach near the town of Wailea. Keawakapu Beach was quiet in an upscale neighborhood at the end of deadend road. It was a beach that had some black rocks along the shoreline. Wailea Beach is crescent shaped and protected on both sides by black lava points. The view out to sea is spectacular. We decided to leave in mid afternoon when the winds increased in velocity to the point that the sand was whipping around. A local resident mentioned to us that this is often typical for the wind to increase like it did in the afternoon and then it quiets down.

On the drive back to the condo we stopped at a fruit stand. We were offered to taste mangos, papaya and pineapple. All were good but we selected to purchase a pineapple. They were also selling starfruits and coconuts.

When we arrived back at the condo we went for another dip in the ocean at Kaanapali Beach. The water was clear and choppy. Compared to yesterday the waves were so big it was hard to even stand up without being knocked over. Eventually we selected to move to the calmer waters of the hot tub and pool at the condo.

After a day in the sun, sand and balmy breezes we settled for a dinner in the condo of lasagna and salad.

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Photos

The Wharf
The Wharf consisted of a series of retail shops and restaurants on three floors.

Mountainous Terrain
This scenery was along highway 30 south of Lahaina

Scenic lookout
This area is a humpback whale sanctuary.