I booked a flight to escape the mid-western cold with award miles!!! I have been to Oahu before, but never Maui, and I was so excited to explore, relax and recoup after the roller coaster that 2019 was.
Sunday, December 8 : Travel Day
Monday, December 9: Beach Day
I have trouble actually just relaxing and lounging on a beach for hours on end. I made myself do that for the morning and it was really nice. A nice guy named Justin offered to help me try to surf. I never stood up, but I caught a wave into shore a few times. Then I drove around to all these gorgeous look outs north from Lahaina.
Tuesday, December 10:
Early morning whale watch. We did see some whales, but the photos I got weren’t that great. Met a girl from my hostel and offered to take her with me while I drove up to the blow hole and actually go to some of the beaches I saw yesterday.
Wednesday, December 11:
EARLY early morning sunrise over the Haleakala crater. The tour bus picked me up at 2:10 in the morning. It was beautiful, but honestly I don’t know if I would pay to do it again. The temperature wasn’t too bad, but the wind made it really bad. Thank goodness the tour company gave us volcano blankets to use to keep the wind off of us. Even with my wool socks, jeans and a down puffy jacked and the volcano blanket I was SO cold. After the sunrise, which seemed to take FOREVER because I was freezing, the tour guide gave us hot tea to warm up. I got home and surprisingly didn’t nap. I decided more beach time was in order. Walked to a beach with my friend Vanesa and we snorkeled and saw a big sea turtle.
Thursday, December 12:
Today we drove the Road to Hana. Vanesa convinced me that I shouldn’t do the drive alone, and invited me to come along with her and some of her from the hostel. Two people drove and we stopped at many beautiful look outs along the way. I downloaded the Shaka app that narrates your drive based on your location. A coworker suggested it to me, and it was well worth the money. There are 620 curves on the road to Hana (one way). You know how little kids “drive” when they are pretending to drive a car? That is literally how I was driving on the road to Hana.
Here are the stops we made:
Ho’okipa Beach Park
Twin Falls - There hadn’t been much rain, so we only saw one.
Keanae Peninsula
Wai’anapanapa State Park
Kaihalulu Beach
Then we drove the same way back partially in the dark. That was kind of scary, but everyone made it ok. I dropped Vanesa off at the airport, and then drove to Kihei where my condo is.
Friday, December 13:
Today I was so tired. I decided to do another beach day. But you know me! Can’t sit still long! So I went to 5 beaches.
Wailia Beach
Big Beach
Little Beach - This is a nude beach. I hiked up from big beach saw a naked person and immediately turned around.
Maluaka Beach
Kamaole Beach I
Saturday, December 14:
Got up early to drive the opposite way on the Road to Hana to visit the 7 Sacred Pools or Ohe’o Gulch. It had rained the night before so swimming wasn’t allowed, which was a bummer. I was going to swim there. The waterfalls were muddy brown and gushing, not the calm flow of water that they’re supposed to be. I stopped and watched them a little bit. Then I hiked all the way up he Pipiwai Trail through the bamboo forest to Waimoku Falls until I couldn’t go anymore on the trail due to the stream.
I drove all the way back through Hana town on the twisty turny road until I got to Paia and then back down to Kihei. I visited Baldwin Beach to snap a few photos. The beaches on the north side of Maui had really rough waves and were really windy. I headed back down south of kihei and had a beach afternoon that most definitely involved a nap.
Sunday, December 15th:
Got up, packed up, walked down to buy some last minute souvenirs and a dragon fruit bowl - so good. And then drove to the airport to fly home :(
