Photo Essay: Maui (the rest of the story)

Day 1: We bid a fond farewell to the Blue Tile Beach House in Paia. After a stop at Antony’s Coffee we headed out toward Haleakala. On the drive up Jerry continued to work on Bren’s Hawaiian pronunciation with some success. Rainbows seemed to appear everywhere we looked. The drive up had one particularly interesting moment when one of the many bikers decided for some reason to turn right in front of us and head back down the mountain.

We had started our ascent in forest, drove through pastureland, then shrubland, finally arriving at beautiful desolation above the clouds.

One of the park rangers told us that the summit, Pu’u Ula’ula crater, was 10,023 feet above sea level, but had been 3,000 feet higher before erosion took its toll. It seems Maui is traveling NW along the Pacific plate eroding as it goes. By the time it reaches Midway it’ll look like…well like Midway.

Half way down Haleakala we stopped at the Kula Lodge and Restaurant for lunch with a view. But first we strolled their garden while Jerry rattled off more Latin than I had heard during my entire trip through the Vatican. Our next stop was Kihei on the South Shore.

We passed plenty of sugarcane and the plant that processed it and headed out to Wailea to see how the top 2 % live. They live very well indeed. The Shops at Wailea had all their favorite stores…er…shops. Even the ABC Store had a $229-bottle of wine. It also had Kona Pipeline Porter beer, which seemed far more impressive to Jerry and I.

Day 2: It was decided that we needed a swim at a beach after our breakfast at the Kihei Caffe. We walked across the street to Kalama Park but the slippery rocks forced us to look elsewhere. On the way out Jerry pointed out one of the many Wiliwili trees destroyed by an infestation of Erythrina Gall Wasps. They apparently arrived on island in 2005 and have been busy little suckers ever since.

A little further down the coast we came to Kama’ole Beach where Bren, Jerry and moi took a refreshing dip in the 70ish saltwater. On our return to Maui Lu we stopped to watch three humpback whales frolic offshore. A quick shower and Lahaina beckoned.

As we drove Jerry pointed out the old carriage road to Lahaina that more or less follows the present road. It looked narrower than the Hana road (If that is possible.). We squeezed into the public parking lot and walked the shops of Lahaina. Saving the best for last we stopped at the Lahaina Jodo Mission.

We ended our excursion into West Maui with a trip to Kahana and the Maui Brewing Company in our quest to find the perfect beer. I tried their Rock Cock Doppel-Bock (Tominator) beer. Jerry tried their Coconut Porter and Bren had the sampler: Coconut Porter, Red Cock Doppel-Bock, Bikini Blonde, Big Swell IPA, Maui Pale Ale, and Wild Hog Stout. Jerry and I decided that Kona Pipeline Porter was pretty close to Red Cock Doppel-Bock. But enough of this beer talk.

After driving back to The Shops at Wailea to purchase a six-pack of Kona Pipeline Porter we arrived back at the Maui Lu where they recommended we try the Blue Wave Café for dinner. We were not disappointed, the food was great and they were offering two for the price of one. We decided to return for breakfast.

Day 3: Our last day on Maui, what to do? Shop some more. After breakfast at the Blue Wave Café we were Kahului bound. We drove through the gorgeous ‘Iao Valley and then onto Queen Ka’ahumanu Center mall to do some last minute shopping. Then it was time to be dropped off at OGG for our Aloha flight to SAN. We bid a fond farewell to our gracious hosts and caught our breath before our 2 PM flight.