Sunday, March 15, 2009

Maui, Day 1 and 2

Click here to link to all of the pictures...OR just scroll down and watch the slide show.

Here's the long awaited blogging/pictures from our recent trip to Maui...ok, maybe not so long awaited.  Make sure you read the captions on the photos (when you click the link) as they tell more of the story.

First, our flight down was super quick - we landed about 12:15 and by 2:00 we were on the beach...and that includes getting luggage, stopping at JAWS for Tacos (which we ate there), stopping at Snorkel Bob's to rent boogie boards, and touching base at our hotel lobby.  Little did we know, this would be one of the few sunny times we would enjoy on the beach.

We hung out on the beach that afternoon interrupted only by checking into our hotel.  The room was small, but did come with a tempurpedic mattress (very nice).  We were tired after a long day of travel so we ended up eating dinner at a place called "Wokstar" (or something like that).



Day 2: We were up early and did a couple of snorkels that morning in front of our hotel (did see a sea turtle).  For lunch we drove south to the JAWS stand and then proceded to the end of the road, to La Perouse Bay.  The Bay is BEAUTIFUL with perfect blue water...however, we were there for a short hike.  Our "short" hike turned into a slightly longer hike that saw us hugging the southwestern shore and eventually turning the corner around the southern tip of the island.  It was extremely windy and our destination, a supposed "charm" of a black-sand beach turned out to be only a "so-so" beach.  However we enjoyed the hike immensely as it winds through some lava fields, and also put us onto the "King's Highway" (our trail was the Hoapili trail).  It was cool to think we were walking on such an ancient pathway.  We were also extremely thankful we had brought our shoes as most of the trail is through a somewhat "treacherous" lava field, with very sharp rocks.  A couple of trail highlights were 1) seeing a beautiful red cardinal, 2) spotting a herd of wild goats, 3) hiking through a really beautiful forest and listening to the "night walkers" (the natives, in earlier times, believed this part of the forest was plagued by spirits that would come out at night - we heard them...the wind blowing trees together which created an erie sound.


On the way back we noticed a group of people standing and staring into a little inlet in the water - a place where the waves crashed into a narrow gulley.  We had to stop to see what they were doing and amazingly, they were watching a group of sea turtles eating on some stuff that grew just at the waters edge.  The turtles would ride the waves in, pretty strong waves at that, and take a few quick bites before the waves carried them back out.  It was pretty amazing to watch, and one of our big highlights of the trip.

We made our way back and had some 1/2 price "happy hour" appetizers back at a hotel close to ours...Julie, who was facing the beach for dinner, also witnessed a cute but small wedding that night.  We felt bad for the couple as it was an "overcast, windy no-sunset, somewhat cold" evening - probably not the idyllic wedding they had pictured.

Ran into town after that for a quick ice cream...that's it for Day 2! 
Click here to link to all of the pictures...OR just scroll down and watch the slide show.


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