Maui

We decided to go to Maui about a month before we actually went.  Ben got the idea and we were quickly engrossed in trip planning and then we were on the plane!  We stayed two nights on the west coast in the touristy but historic town of Lahaina, once the capitol of the kingdom of Hawaii and  later home to early missionaries and an active whaling port.  From there we spent three nights in the town of Paia, a popular jumping off point for the famous Road to Hana.  Our last three nights were in the condo area of Kihei on the quiet north end of the south shore.

We snorkeled and walked and whale watched and ate and slept and generally relaxed for eight days and it was all heavenly.   Here's a few of the highlights.

Beaches 

Maui has something that Boulder doesn't, which is, of course, the wide Pacific Ocean, so we made sure we saw lots of it.

Overlook on the wild northern west coast 

Family beach near Wailea

Ferry leaving Lahaina with surfer

Sunset off of beach in Paia

Honolua Bay

I think we'll have to make at least one more trip back to Maui just to snorkel in Honolua Bay.  We visited it on our last day, after we had returned our snorkel gear.   The past few days had been very windy and snorkeling had not been recommended, but on our visit the weather was perfect.  You can't tell from the photos but there is a reef with what's reported as fabulous snorkeling.  We'll have to come back!

  

Even though we didn't snorkel the whole experience of walking to the bay from the road was super cool.  As you can see from the signs it was not your ordinary beach park.  Here's how the guidebook describes it: 

Honolua Bay to locals, after all, is more than a reef and some waves, but a special, magical, culturally rich spot that demands respect and protection. It was here where the voyaging canoe, Hokulea, launched in 1976, on its historic sail to French Polynesia that helped boost interest in ancient culture and start the Hawaiian Renaissance. It was also here where locals protested the threat of nearby development, and lobbied the State to allocate funds to purchase—and preserve—Honolua. It’s a place where the misty rains at dawn give way to morning sunshine, and rainbows arc up over a cove that defines the beauty of Maui. It’s a place for adventure, a place to explore—but also a place to reset—and a must-visit spot when touring Maui’s wild northwestern coast.

Whales

Humpback whales migrate from Alaska to the warm waters of the Pacific during the winter months and from January and February it is said that "Whales are everywhere!"  We took two snorkel/whale watch tours and did see a number of whales, including one who repeatedly slapped his/her pectoral fin, which looked like the following photo (though we weren't so close)  repeated many times.

Photo from Pixabay.com

  

This is what you think you'll see on a whale watch.  And, apparently sometimes you do.  This photo was posted on board the Pacific Whale Foundation boat that we went out on one day. 

The reality was lots of watching the ocean surface. 

And some heart throbbing moments when a nearby whale actually breached or slapped its tail or fin.  On our two tours we learned how to spot the blow spouts and then track the whale as it moved underwater, waiting patiently for it to surface and breathe.   If you look closely below, you can see the mist from the blow spout and parts of the whale's back.

I'd love to go again during the migration season.  Next time I'd like to book a room with a balcony looking out at the ocean so I can watch them in comfort from our room.  

Food 

I had Ahi poke for the first time! I've been offered it many times in Boulder but it took my second trip to Hawaii for me to get up the courage to try it.  My first taste had me hooked and I proceeded to order variations of the dish for the next few days.  On the fourth order my stomach let me know that  I'd better quit.  

We ate all kinds of good food on our vacation, but we started and ended with visits to Down the Hatch and the Lahaina Grill, two of the reasons we like to stay in Lahaina.  Here's coconut shrimp and a fish sandwich from Down the Hatch. 

Funny moments and Signs 

Overheard funny remarks:

--Young woman on the phone:  "Listen, I get it; we’re all here to make money!"

--Stylish woman to her man friend:  "I think I'll have just a little salad for lunch"

  He, looking a bit shocked: "A salad?"

-- Young boy in a group of little kids rushing with their parent to the bathroom before catching a whale watching boat:  "Hold your penises, hold your vaginas!”

-- Man to his companion on the porch of the Whale Institute:  “Why would a whale stand on his head and wave his tail, and then do it again and again?” 

--Young girl after looking through scope on the porch of the Whale Institute:  “This is the best day ever! Turtles and whales!”   

Young man with dreadlocks as he came out of the Honolua Bay after snorkeling, calling with glee to his companions on the beach:  “I swam with the turtles!”  

And a funny comment from Ben.  We watched a group of older men carting their scuba gear down to the beach and awkwardly outfit themselves and make their way through the rough waves so they could get out to the reef.   One of them was having trouble and Ben remarked: "I bet he's thinking, Can't we just skip to the part where we get drinks at Down the Hatch?"

And here are some fun signs I spotted in Paia.  

I thought this one was funny until a coconut fell and just missed me! 

After a fun and relaxing eight days we came home arriving early in the morning after a 10" snowfall.  I think it snowed 3-4" two more times that week and then ended the week with another deep snow of about 10."   It was a rude homecoming!   I think we're through for a while and it's encouraging to see to deep snow melting in the bright sunshine.