Mahalo Maui

One of the obvious perks to this job is the flight benefits. So when a friend from high school moved out to Maui in Fall of last year, I knew I had to add a visit to my calendar.

The last week of February seems like an unconventional time to visit a tropical paradise. But the beauty of the island happens year-round and there’s certain things you can only see in certain times of the years.

For this 13 hour travel day, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and caught a flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Dallas. From there, I flew direct to Kahului Airport (OGG) on Maui. And of course if you’re going to be driving in Hawaii, you might as well do it in style in a Jeep Wrangler.

That first day I drove down the center of the island, down Highway 380, to Highway 30, which loops you around the south end of the island. There was not a single moment on the 45 minute drive to Lahaina I wasn’t smiling. The views on this island are incredible and you really never tire of seeing another rainbow, or another wave, or another lush green mountain ahead of you.

My second day on the island, I drove from Lahaina to Kihei for breakfast, visiting Kihei Caffe for breakfast. The meal came out fast, was filling and delicious, and while a little expense (the pancake toppings are not included), it filled me up for the day which was the end goal. After breakfast, I walked through the park area directly across the street where you can watch the waves roll in and people learning to surf. Keep an eye on the rocks too, you can find little crabs crawling around.

From Kihei, I drove to Makena State Park, better known as Big Beach. This was one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. Plenty of space to spread your blanket, prop up an umbrella and enjoy your day. Parking is a flat rate of $5 for the day and you can use an app to pay over the phone. There’s two food trucks on your way in if you need last minute snacks or water. Even in February, the water was perfect and not cold at all. Be sure to bring snorkel gear with you so you can take a peek at who you’re swimming around with.

I left Makena around mid-afternoon and unfortunately hit island rush hour. With literally only one highway around the island, it’s easy for things to get backed up quickly. I made it back to Lahaina around 4 and went for a run down Historic Front Street. It’s  a fun little two-mile run down and back, passing by shops and through the Lahaina Banyan Court. Afterwards, I picked a spot in the sand and watched another perfect sunset on the beach, spotting whales out in the distance.

On Thursday, now my third day on the island, I drove up to Iao Valley State Monument. Again, constant views of green mountains, rainbows; It’s impossible to get tired of these views. Iao Valley is (officially) a quick little walk up some steps to a look out where you can see the Iao Needle. Reaching 1,200 feet, it’s the third highest peak on the island. Walking back down the steps, you can continue down toward the stream and into a small botanical garden. **Unofficially, there may be some less developed trails through the jungle-like vegetation.

Another thing to keep in mind while at Iao, and also anywhere on the island, are the roosters. The island is covered with them as they have no natural predators. For the most part they mind their own business and do their own thing. But sometimes, you’ll open your Wrangler door and find two hanging out on your passenger seat. So if you do decide to keep your windows down because you’re in Hawaii and the weather is beautiful, just keep in mind you might have potential stowaways. And they’re probably just as afraid of you as you are them.

One of the things only possible to see in the Winter/Spring in Hawaii is the humpback whale migration. It is very possible to spot them from one of the many beaches on the island, but to really get up close and personable, I recommend going on a tour boat. I spent my afternoon with Pacific Whale Foundation, a non-profit group, and it was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had. The two-hour tour leaves from Lahaina and heads southeast over Maui Nui, a shallow area of about 300 feet that the whales use as a safe haven during their stay. On this particular tour, we spotted a mom with her calf and the mom appeared to have a rope caught on her dorsal fin. The team alerted NOAA who came out also began tracking the mother. It’s unclear what plan NOAA came up with the relieve the mother of that rope, but it was very neat to get to see how the company works to ensure the safety of these animals.

On Friday, my friend and I drove up to Haleakala National Park, the highest peak on Maui. A lot of people sign up to go to the peak at sunrise and many will then bike down the mountain. I did this the first time I visited 12 years ago with my dad and it was stunning so if you haven’t done sunrise at Haleakala (which actually means House of the Sun), add it to your list. This visit however was as opposite as you could get. Attempting to go for an afternoon hike and then stay for sunset, we get to the summit and were met with freezing rain and fog. In a tropical paradise, I was seeing the beginning of essentially a snow storm. We left pretty quickly as two Florida kids who were less than prepared for the freezing temperatures. About half way down the mountain, you can pull to the side of the road and look out down the mountain to the west and take in an incredible view of the island, including seeing both coasts at the same time.

 

Coming down the mountain, my friend and I stopped in a couple little towns including Makawao and found a delicious sushi food truck. Satori had hands down the best presentation of any food truck I’ve been to. And the food was tasted just as good as it looked.

On Saturday, my final day on the island, I went for my last run in paradise, had breakfast, and made Maui a permanent part of me. David at Blue Hawaii Tattoo took care of me and helped make my vision a reality, tracing a photo I took, adding in his special touch to make it perfect. Saturday night I squeezed my way on to a completely full flight to Dallas, already planning the next time I’d return to the island.

I think I always expect to love the places I visit. But there was something about Maui – about the island and the people and the scenery and the weather – it just gets in your soul. My four short days on the Valley Isle were the best four days I’d had in a long time. You’re just far enough off the grid to be able to reset your mind without being completely disconnected, which can be a scary feeling. So mahalo, Maui, for reminding me I can do things on my own just as well as with friends. I can figure things out alone but it also doesn’t hurt to have someone there when you need them. And really, mahalo for just being the most beautiful, perfect old volcano rock in the middle of the ocean.