LONG Maui Trip Report / Returned 7-17-08
Jul 18th, 2008 | 02:07 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
LONG Maui Trip Report / Returned 7-17-08
Hi Folks!
Before I go any further, here are links to pics: http://tinyurl.com/699yqv
Also, a disclaimer: if you are looking for a trip report from somebody who did all the "big ticket" Maui stuff, please surf on. We did all that stuff on our first trip (snorkel Molokini, expensive restaurants, Old Lahaina Luau, etc). We took this trip to slow down and weren't looking to "do Maui."
We spent the night in Houston at the Homewood Suites on Sam Houston near JFK the night before our morning flight. I would highly recommend it for anyone who uses the Houston airport. They had free airport shuttle, free parking and a wonderful nightly manager's reception with drinks and a full meal. We will definitely stay there again.
On July 9 we caught the 8:20 USAir flight bound for Maui, with a short layover in Phoenix. Both flights were uneventful, but VERY full. On the second flight we were able to upgrade to exit row seats for a little extra leg room. USAir charges for that upgrade online, but if you wait until you get to the airport it's no charge if those seats are still open.
We landed at 2:14 and Better Half proceeded to claim our rented convertible from Thrifty while I collected luggage. The convertible was our only planned splurge on this trip.
We headed out for Napili Bay with a stop in Lahaina at Long's for Maui Beef and liquor, and another stop at Safeway for the rest of our provisions. Total we spent $245 for groceries and drinks for the week. For those of you who haven't shopped on island before . . . yes, the groceries are high but not unbearable. We bought lots of fresh fruits and veggies. The only thing I refused to spend that much on was butter / margarine. Just couldn't pay $5 for it to use a few teaspoons!
We arrived at the Napili Bay condo complex about 15 minutes after leaving Lahaina. Condo unit #215. We found the unit to be nicely appointed and well stocked (including coffee filters and spices). The owner had even left us a beautiful welcome basket full of goodies. There was a nice view of the ocean from the lanai, and our unit was maybe 200 steps from the beach. The complex has gas BBQ grills and coin-op laundry right there for all to use. We felt we got a really good deal for $160/night.
After a sunset walk on the beach we ran down to Mama's Chicken & Ribs in the Napili Plaza for a quick dinner. I had Portugese Bean Soup and Better Half had the Roast Beef Plate which came with BBQ beans and Macaroni Salad. All of it was wonderful. Better Half said the Mac salad was the best he's ever eaten. I think dinner was maybe $15 - $18. Back to the condo for a drink / early bed night.
The next day (July 10) we got up early to get our walk in. We walked all the way down to Kapalua to the Ritz Carlton to watch sunrise, and then back to the condo for beach time. We chilled on the beach for about 4 hours. By early afternoon it was hot and crowded so we decided to shower and drive on further up the west side to see what was up there. There's PLENTY to see up there. Honolua Bay, Slaughterhouse beach, Nakalele Point (we didn't walk down to see the blowhole, but did stack some rocks). We did drive past where the state highway ends and believe me when I tell you that if you think the Road to Hana is narrow and curvy, you are gonna need a valium on this road. There literally is not room for two cars to pass. In fact, when we turned around (and boy that was fun, too) we had to sit and wait for two other cars to come around this looooooong bend before we could go. And then we had to pray that nobody came flying around the other side of the bend while we were trying to get out of there. Oh yeah, no shoulder and no guard rail either. I've never been so happy to see a "state highway maintenance begins" sign in my whole life! I'm glad I was driving because if I had been on the passenger side (cliff side) of the car on the way back I would've needed a drink or some counseling or something!
After that adventure it was back to the condo for a nap.
That evening we decided to venture into Lahaina to piddle around. We ended up in town a bit later than we had intended so we grabbed dinner at Aloha Mixed Plate. We split a BBQ mixed plate that had teriyaki beef, chicken, and korean ribs, 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad. It was $9.99 and plenty for two people. Again, back to the condo for drinks on the lanai and early bed night (our body clocks still hadn't adjusted). We dedided that Friday (July 11) would be Road towards Hana day.
The next morning we awoke very early and prepared for our car trip by packing lunch and snacks. We were in Pa'ia by 6:15, determined to see things on this trip towards Hana that we had missed the first time. We weren't dedicated to getting to Hana, however, and figured on turning around whenever one of us got tired of riding.
Our first stop was the Waikamoi Ridge Trail. It was a very nice hike. The first half of the trail is improved with gravel pathways, the second half of the trail is still natural with many roots to climb over. We didn't do the extension that starts at the middle of the trail. This trail is very worthwhile, and one of the many things that we sped by on our first time to Hana.
Our next stop was the Kaumahina State Wayside Park. There are restroom facilities there and a nice overlook from which to take pictures. And for all you Kauai fans . . . there are wild chickens there too!
Our next stop was the Ke'anae Arboretum. Of course being so early we had the place all to ourselves. It was very cool to walk through but I should warn you to take mosquito spray if you plan on doing this. When we stopped at the stand of painted bark eucalyptus trees I could hear the mosquitos swarming in the tops of the trees! And any time you stop for even a second they cover you. After a couple pics of the trees we high-tailed it out of there and got back on the road. It is a nice little hike back in there, though. If only we'd had some DEET!
We immediately left down to Ke'anae Peninsula. This was one of the stops we remembered from the first Road to Hana trip. This time we had learned that a Tsunami had wiped out this village in the 40's and that the only building to survive was the church. On the way down we stopped on the side of the road and bought mac nut brownies from the end of somebody's driveway, and on the way back we bought Aunt Sandy's famous banana bread and some dried fruit at her produce stand. Get used to that on Maui . . . people sell things on the side of the road everywhere.
Our next stop was the Pu'u Ka'a state wayside park. In 2005 we stopped there and had lunch by the beautiful waterfall and pond where people were swimming. This time the waterfall is a trickle and the pond is dried up with grass growing between the rocks. We were beginning to notice some definite differences from the 2005 trip to this trip to Hana. No longer was the lush vegetation growing right down the rock walls to the road. Water no longer seeped from the cliffs.
We stopped at Uncle Harry's (yet another produce stand . . . I joke that this is what Better Half will end up doing in his retirement as he cannot pass one without stopping) and we noticed at the (now dry) stream beside Uncle Harry's the locals have erected signs that say "stop stealing our water" and "down with EMI." Apparently, East Maui Irrigation is diverting the water to the cane fields so the road to Hana is dry as a bone.
Our next stop was Nahiku Road out to the landing (about 2.5 miles of twists and turns). We stopped and visited with a couple local guys who were there for the day fishing. They had caught two octopus and were eager to show them to us. We sat with them and hung out for a while. They even offered to split their lunch with us. I've never met two nicer people. Just really great guys (Aloha Gerald and Sam).
Back on the road and to our next stop which was Wai'anapanapa State Park. We hiked down to the black sand beach (quite a strenuous little hike I might add, although it's improved trail) and walked through the lava tube and kicked around on the beach a bit. Swimming here is said to be dangerous but of course there were people in the water anyway. There is actually a very small area of sand and the rest of it is black rock. It's fun to stand there and listen to the waves roll the rocks back and forth. They make kind of a humming, clicking noise. Anyway back up the trail to look for a picnic table for lunch but they were all taken. We decided to drive on a little further to Hana and find ourselves a beach with some shade to spread out our picnic lunch.
We went through Hana and found ourselves at beautiful Hamoa beach. It's hard to get a good picture of this beach, but it is the prettiest beach on Maui. Just gorgeous. We found a tree and had our lunch, enjoying the sounds of the waves and the color of the water. There are restroom facilities at this beach as the Hotel Hana Maui brings it's patrons there.
At this point we turned around and headed back to civilization. I felt sorry for the folks we were passing on their way up who had no idea that wasn't the way the Road to Hana is supposed to look. It's brown up the sides of the mountains, the water is dried up, and the sound of rushing water is no longer to be heard. Before we left the island we heard the radio stations running PSAs to let people know that large trucks will be traveling the Road from Hana to Pu'unene bringing the scrap metal to the junk yards beginning July 21 and continuing for 6 mos. That and the lack of water would make me think long and hard about traveling the road to Hana in the near future. If you haven't been before, maybe. If you have and are expecting it to remain as lush as it does in your memory, pass on it.
It took us one hour and 40 minutes back to Pa'ia, where we stopped at Ono Gelato for some cooling off. Better Half had a mix of pineapple and lemon, and I had a mix of pistachio and mint. Delicious! We walked around Pa'ia for a while and then ducked into Mambo Cafe because we saw a sign advertising Maui Brewing beers and we were curious to taste them. Better Half had the Bikini Blonde lager and I had the Coconut Porter (a dark ale). They were ok. I didn't finish mine, and I'm not sure Better Half finished his either.
I have to say I'm not a Pa'ia town fan. It's horribly overcrowded, the traffic is awful, it's claustrophobic and it's the only place on the island where I get irritated.
Back to the condo for drinks and sunset (a ritual event for us), grilled Maui beef and the biggest decision we had to make was whether to have grilled corn with supper.
More to come, I need a break.
Before I go any further, here are links to pics: http://tinyurl.com/699yqv
Also, a disclaimer: if you are looking for a trip report from somebody who did all the "big ticket" Maui stuff, please surf on. We did all that stuff on our first trip (snorkel Molokini, expensive restaurants, Old Lahaina Luau, etc). We took this trip to slow down and weren't looking to "do Maui."
We spent the night in Houston at the Homewood Suites on Sam Houston near JFK the night before our morning flight. I would highly recommend it for anyone who uses the Houston airport. They had free airport shuttle, free parking and a wonderful nightly manager's reception with drinks and a full meal. We will definitely stay there again.
On July 9 we caught the 8:20 USAir flight bound for Maui, with a short layover in Phoenix. Both flights were uneventful, but VERY full. On the second flight we were able to upgrade to exit row seats for a little extra leg room. USAir charges for that upgrade online, but if you wait until you get to the airport it's no charge if those seats are still open.
We landed at 2:14 and Better Half proceeded to claim our rented convertible from Thrifty while I collected luggage. The convertible was our only planned splurge on this trip.
We headed out for Napili Bay with a stop in Lahaina at Long's for Maui Beef and liquor, and another stop at Safeway for the rest of our provisions. Total we spent $245 for groceries and drinks for the week. For those of you who haven't shopped on island before . . . yes, the groceries are high but not unbearable. We bought lots of fresh fruits and veggies. The only thing I refused to spend that much on was butter / margarine. Just couldn't pay $5 for it to use a few teaspoons!
We arrived at the Napili Bay condo complex about 15 minutes after leaving Lahaina. Condo unit #215. We found the unit to be nicely appointed and well stocked (including coffee filters and spices). The owner had even left us a beautiful welcome basket full of goodies. There was a nice view of the ocean from the lanai, and our unit was maybe 200 steps from the beach. The complex has gas BBQ grills and coin-op laundry right there for all to use. We felt we got a really good deal for $160/night.
After a sunset walk on the beach we ran down to Mama's Chicken & Ribs in the Napili Plaza for a quick dinner. I had Portugese Bean Soup and Better Half had the Roast Beef Plate which came with BBQ beans and Macaroni Salad. All of it was wonderful. Better Half said the Mac salad was the best he's ever eaten. I think dinner was maybe $15 - $18. Back to the condo for a drink / early bed night.
The next day (July 10) we got up early to get our walk in. We walked all the way down to Kapalua to the Ritz Carlton to watch sunrise, and then back to the condo for beach time. We chilled on the beach for about 4 hours. By early afternoon it was hot and crowded so we decided to shower and drive on further up the west side to see what was up there. There's PLENTY to see up there. Honolua Bay, Slaughterhouse beach, Nakalele Point (we didn't walk down to see the blowhole, but did stack some rocks). We did drive past where the state highway ends and believe me when I tell you that if you think the Road to Hana is narrow and curvy, you are gonna need a valium on this road. There literally is not room for two cars to pass. In fact, when we turned around (and boy that was fun, too) we had to sit and wait for two other cars to come around this looooooong bend before we could go. And then we had to pray that nobody came flying around the other side of the bend while we were trying to get out of there. Oh yeah, no shoulder and no guard rail either. I've never been so happy to see a "state highway maintenance begins" sign in my whole life! I'm glad I was driving because if I had been on the passenger side (cliff side) of the car on the way back I would've needed a drink or some counseling or something!
After that adventure it was back to the condo for a nap.
That evening we decided to venture into Lahaina to piddle around. We ended up in town a bit later than we had intended so we grabbed dinner at Aloha Mixed Plate. We split a BBQ mixed plate that had teriyaki beef, chicken, and korean ribs, 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad. It was $9.99 and plenty for two people. Again, back to the condo for drinks on the lanai and early bed night (our body clocks still hadn't adjusted). We dedided that Friday (July 11) would be Road towards Hana day.
The next morning we awoke very early and prepared for our car trip by packing lunch and snacks. We were in Pa'ia by 6:15, determined to see things on this trip towards Hana that we had missed the first time. We weren't dedicated to getting to Hana, however, and figured on turning around whenever one of us got tired of riding.
Our first stop was the Waikamoi Ridge Trail. It was a very nice hike. The first half of the trail is improved with gravel pathways, the second half of the trail is still natural with many roots to climb over. We didn't do the extension that starts at the middle of the trail. This trail is very worthwhile, and one of the many things that we sped by on our first time to Hana.
Our next stop was the Kaumahina State Wayside Park. There are restroom facilities there and a nice overlook from which to take pictures. And for all you Kauai fans . . . there are wild chickens there too!
Our next stop was the Ke'anae Arboretum. Of course being so early we had the place all to ourselves. It was very cool to walk through but I should warn you to take mosquito spray if you plan on doing this. When we stopped at the stand of painted bark eucalyptus trees I could hear the mosquitos swarming in the tops of the trees! And any time you stop for even a second they cover you. After a couple pics of the trees we high-tailed it out of there and got back on the road. It is a nice little hike back in there, though. If only we'd had some DEET!
We immediately left down to Ke'anae Peninsula. This was one of the stops we remembered from the first Road to Hana trip. This time we had learned that a Tsunami had wiped out this village in the 40's and that the only building to survive was the church. On the way down we stopped on the side of the road and bought mac nut brownies from the end of somebody's driveway, and on the way back we bought Aunt Sandy's famous banana bread and some dried fruit at her produce stand. Get used to that on Maui . . . people sell things on the side of the road everywhere.
Our next stop was the Pu'u Ka'a state wayside park. In 2005 we stopped there and had lunch by the beautiful waterfall and pond where people were swimming. This time the waterfall is a trickle and the pond is dried up with grass growing between the rocks. We were beginning to notice some definite differences from the 2005 trip to this trip to Hana. No longer was the lush vegetation growing right down the rock walls to the road. Water no longer seeped from the cliffs.
We stopped at Uncle Harry's (yet another produce stand . . . I joke that this is what Better Half will end up doing in his retirement as he cannot pass one without stopping) and we noticed at the (now dry) stream beside Uncle Harry's the locals have erected signs that say "stop stealing our water" and "down with EMI." Apparently, East Maui Irrigation is diverting the water to the cane fields so the road to Hana is dry as a bone.
Our next stop was Nahiku Road out to the landing (about 2.5 miles of twists and turns). We stopped and visited with a couple local guys who were there for the day fishing. They had caught two octopus and were eager to show them to us. We sat with them and hung out for a while. They even offered to split their lunch with us. I've never met two nicer people. Just really great guys (Aloha Gerald and Sam).
Back on the road and to our next stop which was Wai'anapanapa State Park. We hiked down to the black sand beach (quite a strenuous little hike I might add, although it's improved trail) and walked through the lava tube and kicked around on the beach a bit. Swimming here is said to be dangerous but of course there were people in the water anyway. There is actually a very small area of sand and the rest of it is black rock. It's fun to stand there and listen to the waves roll the rocks back and forth. They make kind of a humming, clicking noise. Anyway back up the trail to look for a picnic table for lunch but they were all taken. We decided to drive on a little further to Hana and find ourselves a beach with some shade to spread out our picnic lunch.
We went through Hana and found ourselves at beautiful Hamoa beach. It's hard to get a good picture of this beach, but it is the prettiest beach on Maui. Just gorgeous. We found a tree and had our lunch, enjoying the sounds of the waves and the color of the water. There are restroom facilities at this beach as the Hotel Hana Maui brings it's patrons there.
At this point we turned around and headed back to civilization. I felt sorry for the folks we were passing on their way up who had no idea that wasn't the way the Road to Hana is supposed to look. It's brown up the sides of the mountains, the water is dried up, and the sound of rushing water is no longer to be heard. Before we left the island we heard the radio stations running PSAs to let people know that large trucks will be traveling the Road from Hana to Pu'unene bringing the scrap metal to the junk yards beginning July 21 and continuing for 6 mos. That and the lack of water would make me think long and hard about traveling the road to Hana in the near future. If you haven't been before, maybe. If you have and are expecting it to remain as lush as it does in your memory, pass on it.
It took us one hour and 40 minutes back to Pa'ia, where we stopped at Ono Gelato for some cooling off. Better Half had a mix of pineapple and lemon, and I had a mix of pistachio and mint. Delicious! We walked around Pa'ia for a while and then ducked into Mambo Cafe because we saw a sign advertising Maui Brewing beers and we were curious to taste them. Better Half had the Bikini Blonde lager and I had the Coconut Porter (a dark ale). They were ok. I didn't finish mine, and I'm not sure Better Half finished his either.
I have to say I'm not a Pa'ia town fan. It's horribly overcrowded, the traffic is awful, it's claustrophobic and it's the only place on the island where I get irritated.
Back to the condo for drinks and sunset (a ritual event for us), grilled Maui beef and the biggest decision we had to make was whether to have grilled corn with supper.
More to come, I need a break.
Jul 18th, 2008 | 06:34 PM
#4
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 75,015
Likes: 50
Be sure to check out MPF's other thread http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=35144649
He stopped posting to this thread thinking it was "mis-filed"
He stopped posting to this thread thinking it was "mis-filed"
