Haleakala

• The Maui Volcano of your Maui Vacation

Haleakela is translated as the house of the sun. Whatever the weather, be sure to dress in warm clothes for your trip to the Volcano as it is almost always colder than the beach. Including the volcano in your travel plans can add a lot of variety to your Maui vacation activities as it offers a respite from typical fun in the sun travel plans.

WATCHING THE SUNRISE is always better from the top of the island. There is no better place for sunrise than the house of the sun. Sunrises from the crater rim are spectacular and very crowded. To enjoy the sunrise without the crowd try the lookout just below the crater rim, you will not be disappointed. The top of Haleakela is very cold before the sun rises, so be sure to dress in warm clothes and bring extra blankets.

HIKING INTO THE CRATER is a wonderful way to see a very different perspective of the volcano. The landscape is very dramatic inside of the crater and feels like Mars, not Maui. There are cabins in the crater which are a four mile hike over a 3000 foot elevation change to reach the first one. These can be rented from the park service and I reccommend staying two nights, so there is enough time to explore around the inside of the crater instead of hiking in then immediately hiking out. The park service doesn't tell you this but there is a climbable lava tube about 50 yards away from the entrance to the first cabin.

HALEAKELA DOWNHILL BIKERIDE sounds fun but is a great way to get injured. This activity puts a lot of people in the hospital here, but thousands do it every year anyway, so if you are very brave and have good medical insurance, go for it.

Generations of people have worked hard to keep the park the unique ecosystem that it is. Please follow the rules: DON"T FEED THE NENE, PACK IT IN PACK IT OUT, etc. These rules are in place so that Haleakela will be nice to enjoy for years to come.

The Whale

If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco
Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had
become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was
weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to
struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope
wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her
mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude. I pass this on to you, my friends, in the same spirit

Beaches on Maui

Thanks to my daughter Bleu for this great description of the beaches on Maui.

Maui is unique amongst the Hawaiian islands because such a large portion of the island is covered by swimmable beaches. There are many sheltered coves where swimming is safe, easy, and fun. However, swimming at certain beaches endangers your fun-filled Maui vacation because of the big waves and strong currents. The shoreline of Hawaii is public property, so don't let anyone tell you that the beach is private because there is no such thing as a private beach on Maui.

BIG BEACH or MAKENA BEACH is one of the most picturesque beaches on Maui. No Maui vacation is complete without a visit to Big Beach. The beauty of this beach and the lifeguard on duty are alluring to tourists and give them a false sense of security. DO NOT SWIM HERE! Even though you see a ten year old playing happily in the ocean, this is not safe water. More injuries happen here than at any other beach in the entire Hawaiian island chain. Swimming is much safer if you are willing to hike over the rocks at the right side to little beach.

LITTLE BEACH is safer for swimming than big beach, but people lean towards nudity here because of the seclusion that is offered by the short hike over the rocks. If nudity is your thing then this is a great beach, although the crowd is mostly middle aged men.

SECRET COVE is a perfect picturesque place for couples to get married. Everyone knows this and it is a well-known wedding spot.

ULUA BEACH is generally calm water and great for snorkeling off to the right. Be sure to take advantage of the Reef-Safe sunblock that is provided here for free at the information desk.

KAMOLE III is perfect for boogie boarding and people watching. This is a great family beach where the water has good waves for body surfing and it is relatively gentle.

OLUWALU has some snorkeling but most of the reef is dead. The beaches are not very big and are used heavily by campers. The water is calm though and this can be a good beach for young kids.

AIRPORT BEACH (by the Westin) has great snorkeling. The coral here is flat and very diverse. There is also a very diverse fish population here. The beach park is really nice with a big pavillion for parties and your choice of grass or sand.

BLACK ROCK (at the Sheraton) is also good for snorkeling. Locals frequently jump off of Black Rock to entertain the tourists, although jumping is not very safe.

HONOLUA BAY is great for snorkeling in the summertime. The bay is sheltered and full of coral and fish. There is a surf break next to the bay in the wintertime.

BLACK SAND BEACH AT WIANAPANAPA STATE PARK is beautiful. The sand is truly black, not gray, althoImage by pbull via Flickrugh there is not very much of it. It is swimmable but generally empty, so be sure to take someone with you.

thanks to my daughter Bleu for this great Research

Rainy Day on Maui

Image via WikipediaWe have very few rainy days on Maui especially during the summer. As we head into the winter we will see alot more on the east side and a bit more on the south and west side. As an activity concierge many people ask me what they can do on a rainy day.... I have made a list -

1. Visit the Maui Ocean Center. This aquarium does a great job of introducing you to the fishes of Hawaii. They have some great exhibits on the humpback whales that visit Hawaii’s waters each winter. (Admission fee is required.)
2. Tour the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum. (Modest admission fee required.)
3. Learn about Maui’s whaling history at Whalers Village Museum in Kaanapali. (Free)
4. Shop at the Lahaina Cannery Mall. (Free) or the Maui Mall in Kahului.
   
5. Tour the historic Baldwin House in Lahaina. (Currently open daily from 10 – 4. Located at 120 Dickenson Street in Lahaina. Modest admission fee of $3 for adults, $5 for families, and $2 for children is required.)
6. Admire 100% locally made crafts at the Maui Crafts Guild in lovely Paia. (Free)
7. Schedule some pampering time at a spa. Maui has an abundance of top rated spas. (Be sure to check out our popular suggestions for maximizing your Hawaii spa treatments.)
8. Drive through Iao valley and take some hikes the rain is always warm and refreshing.
9. Watch the windsurfers or surfers at Hookipa beach park and then have an expensive, incredible lunch at Mama’s Fish House.
10. Take a tour of the Maui Tropical Plantation. The tram on the tour tour has a roof.
11. Drive up to Haleakala, it might not have clouds or rain at the top
12. 12. Visit Dan's Greenhouse in old-town Lahaina to gawk at tropical flowers, buy one of Dan's world-famous Fuku-Bonsai lava rock plants or play with miniature piglets and baby birds, 193 Lahainaluna Road

13. Take the family to see Kupanaha, the great Magic, dinner show, or Ulalena in downtown Lahaina….
14. Nab one of the umbrellas on the patio at Aloha Mixed Plate and stay dry while sampling local food.
15. Sample a red or white at the King's Cottage tasting room at Maui's Winery at Ulupalakua Ranch near the mountainside community of Keokea. (Tedeschi Vineyards)
16. where else in the world can you go to a Glow in the Dark, miniature Golf Course. Glow Putt in the Lahaina Center.
    

Sunrise at Haleakala

Haleakala at sunrise is truly one of the most beautiful places on the planet. You have to get up very early in the morning and dress warmly as you are traveling up to 10,000 feet and even on Maui it gets cold at the elevation.

One of Maui’s most memorable experiences, seeing the Haleakala sunrise from almost 10,000 feet above sea level does take some planning. Here are a few tips to make the most of your Haleakala expedition.

Come Early
Depending where you get started from on Maui, it can take you up to two hours to drive the Haleakala Highway (HI 37) and then up the winding Haleakala Crater Road leading to the summit of Haleakala. It’s an early wake-up call, but the reward is well worth it.

Drive past the Park Visitors Center at 7,000 feet to get to the Haleakala Visitors Center at 9,740 feet. Try to arrive at the Haleakala Visitor Center no later than a half hour before the sun rises — earlier for a good spot. In the summer the sun rises as early as 5:38 AM, in the winter as late as 6:55 AM. The color of the sky and clouds before daybreak are stunning.

Bring Warm Clothes
This is Hawaii but it gets very cold at the summit. The temperature drops 3º for every 1000 feet of elevation, so at the Haleakala Visitor Center’s 9,740-foot elevation (where most people watch the sunrise) it’s about 30º colder than at sea level. Be sure to bring pants, shoes, layers of clothing, and blankets. Temperatures are often in the 40-degree range.

Pick Up Breakfast
Although there are restroom facilities there is no food or gas sold within the park. So fill up your tank and bring some food and drink for an early morning breakfast. And most importantly don’t forget your camera.

Molokini Snorkel

Image via WikipediaWe went on the Pride of Maui morning snorkel last week and had so much fun. They serve a nice breakfast with fruit and muffins and of course Kona coffee. Next up we get our snorkel gear and instructions for the beginners, then we are off to Molokini. Really beautiful snorkeling at this little caldera and the water is perfectly clear.
We left Molokini and on the way over to Turtle Reef we had a nice lunch hot off the grill. We had a choice of Chicken, hamburgers, or hotdogs and a great pasta salad. The next stop was Turtle Reef where I got this great image of the turtle coming up right next to our boat. Contact me at Maui_Vacations@yahoo.com for more information and to learn about more exciting activities on Maui.

Fire on the West Maui Mountains

There is a huge fire on Maui today. It started at least yesterday and maybe even the day before. You can see plane after plane landing and I just know it is loaded with tourists, half of whom, stay on Lahaina side in Kaanapali beach or Kapalua. I wonder what they are thinking as they are flying in to land and see the huge fire on the left side of the plane. I wonder if the pilot tells them to hurry up and find a hotel in Kihei and/or Wailea before they are sold out.

It is likely that I won't be able to go to work tomorrow unless the fire lays down overnight. I will check the road closure phone line in the morning. I am supposed to go to the Feast at Lele Luau tomorrow night, something I am really looking forward to. Already several Luau's and Ulalena have closed for tonight as the dancers cannot get to work from the West Side. I am surely going to pack and overnight bag for tomorrow night because the Kiave wood burns and burns. It is used here as charcoal. I am walking over for sunset and can see the fire from the beach across the street, hopefully it is laying down a bit so I can go to work tomorrow.

Snorkeling at Ulua beach

A great time to sit at the beach a look out and watch the whales. They are so active at this time of year. I was at Ulua beach in Wailea today. Ulua beach is a beautiful crescent shaped white sand beach. This beach is great for snorkeling off the shore and the dive shops do introductory dives here as well. I really enjoy snorkeling on my days off. During times of high surf or strong currents, it can be a little “murky” or “stirred up” but it is still fun. I like Ulua beach because there is also a big tree that hangs over the beach and provides shade if you want it. The best time to go to the beach on Maui is in the morning. Usually the wind is calm in the morning and tends to pick up more in the afternoon. The north end of Ulua beach is the good end for snorkeling, but if conditions are right the middle and south end are great for boogie boarding. Always be careful at the beach on Maui as the waves can be unpredictable and can knock you down. “Never turn you back on the Ocean” is a good rule of thumb.