Do you have any idea how many times we have had the banana mac french toast at the Kihei Cafe??
So many times.
To Aloha Crossfit we must go! Definitely a cool gym. They had a great local membership and weren't really used to tourists dropping in. We like the vibe there and we got in a good workout. Mark had fun practicing his handstand walks with one of the more experienced athletes there.
We thought we'd like to drive out a see the Nakalele Blowhole before we head home tomorrow.
We got there and I realized that I may have underestimated the hike.
Well, watcha gonna do? Just go slowly and hold up your skirt!
We read about how dangerous it can be if you get to close to the opening of the blowhole.
It's hard to imagine the force that it takes to make the water shoot up that high. And then you hear it and it definitely instills a sense of respect for what nature can do.
Still, the beauty of this place is so inspiring.
We grabbed some fresh pineapple juice and banana bread from a roadside stand. Yum!
We had lunch at Aloha Mixed Plate, another of Alisa's recommendations. The meal was healthy and light...
So, we couldn't resist following it up with one of the best desserts we've had to date.
I mean...come on!
We took another stroll around Lahaina and listened in on this group singing beautiful island songs.
We watched the black crabs climb on the rocks and a group of kids go out for sunset surf.
It was perfect and relaxed. We have loved this time we've had to spend together.
Having a fabulous, magical time is a lot of pressure. And, hey, this is our 20th anniversary trip. It has to be epic, right?
So, we were sitting at the Cool Cat Cafe, sharing fries and a chocolate shake...and we were having the time-honored conversation:
What do you want to do?
I'm up for anything...what do you want to do?
We were getting nowhere, fast. So we decided to type what we wanted to do...and then send it to each other over text and the exact same time.
Results?
Nothing....please, for the love....can we do NOTHING?
We both laughed and we went to pick up our dirty clothes and hung out at the laundromat.
Then we went and saw a movie. Yes, we can watch a movie whenever we want in Kansas...but we just needed to chill a bit. The Road to Hana took a lot out of us.
And besides...tonight was the Old Lahaina Luau!
With cute ladies playing string bass and ukulele
Free tropical drinks (kid's version, please)
Beautiful fresh flower leis
Gorgeous beachside location
An authentic roasted pig!
And SOOOO much dancing. Maybe toomuch dancing. After 15 or so numbers, we snuck out early. That's one of the nice things about being married for 20 years. We don't feel the need to stick it out when we're both ready to go.
The food was fun and the experience was one I am glad we didn't miss, but I don' think we'd go again. We'd rather pick a yummy meal at Nalu's, grab some shave ice at Ululani's and go dig in to our cinnamon roll we wisely purchased and Kihei Cafe.
We're getting pretty savvy in the breakfast department.
We branch out....
AND secure our morning happiness with the Banana Mac. Eh???
Then we drove out to Turtle Town with our poppin bellines to snorkel. I knew I had maybe 15 minutes to be in that swelling water before I felt like yacking it all up.....
We swam out into a cove and started to explore....I looked up and saw a turtle shell dip below the water right in front of me... I waved Mark over and we watched this gorgeous fellow glide around in front of us.
I'm so glad we figured out how to use our underwater camera and get just a few pictures.
And just like that, our turtle friend was gone and I started feeling queasy. I made it in to the rocks and happily watched Mark snorkel and look for shells. He found the best one!
We popped back to the condo to get cleaned up and then over to Lahaina to explore the shops and find some lunch. We were slowly collecting souvenirs for each of the kids as well as Heidi and Mom. It's such a lovely town...a little touristy, but not in an obnoxious way.
We hit the Cook Cat Cafe. Mark was in the mood for a burger and I'm always up for for fries and a banana split.
We explored Banyan Square and marveled at the way it sends it's limbs out. The whole square is one big connected tree community.
And I'm not ashamed to say...we headed back to the condo to hang out and watch whatever was on tv. Having adventures takes a lot out of you!
This is the one thing we knew for sure we didn't want to miss. It is a 52 mile stretch of road that takes 3-4 hours to drive, if you don't make any stops. But the stops are the whole point! So, really, it is an all day commitment. We packed a few snacks, filled up on gas and set out.
We downloaded an app to help us find the different spots to stop. I'm not sure how else you would know when you are passing up the teeny tiny entrance to a gorgeous hike or hidden waterfall. We even learned to laugh when the guide seamlessly switched between his normal voice and his "island slang" and his penchant for saying "it's mo bettah!"
Our first stop....was kind of an accident. Ho'okipa Beach....we pulled off just to look down and see the beach and we were surprised to find sea turtles!! Look at the marks in the sand where they climbed up onto the sand...
There are signs asking people to stay back and not disturb the turtles. Nothing official, just locals asking for respect. And it seemed like they got it. Aren't they the very best thing??
Next stop: Twin Falls. This was a little bit of a hike, but nothing major. There were so many trees with exposed and twisting roots. Its like a different world.
Mark can't resist a good climbing tree!
The plants and flowers are so lush and colorful!
We had our first introduction to a banyan tree. The limbs grow horizontally, but it sends roots down to the ground to establish another base. What looks like several tree is usually just one big one with lots of satellite root systems.
We couldn't help but pull over as we continued down the road. The views literally take your breath away.
We pulled up to Ke'anae Arboretum....we were hoping to see the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees.
Epic vines!
And check out the eucalyptus...
As the bark peels, it is bright green underneath. Then as it ages it turns red, orange, purple and maroon...since the bark doesn't peel all at once, it looks all stripey and varigated.
So many beautiful alien flowers...
Next up...we explored the rocks at Ke'anae Lookout.
It felt like we were perhaps being stupid. Not sure what we would have done if the tide rose even a smidge.
We were both feeling hungry, so we stopped at the Halfway to Hana stand for some banana bread, pineapple and some coconut. We made short work of it all.
Next up...the Black Sand Beach. This was Mark's favorite. The sand was incredible. Black as night and created from the volcanic stone in on that section of the island. The waves were so fun...we did some body surfing and Mark lost his sunglasses. Wearing our swimsuits on this drive has proven to be a smart choice!
The green foliage on the black rock was so striking!
My favorite photo of our trip ❤️❤️
We spotted this cool bird on our way out of this area...we officially name him the Hawaiian Cardinal.
And we finally made it to Hana!
I mean, it was definitely cool. The buildings were like something from South Pacific. How awesome would it be to go to school here?
The one thing it really didn't have was FOOD.
There were a few little food trucks parked in a spot and we made do with those...but it felt a little bit lame to have a philly cheesesteak in Hawaii.
No matter! Onward we go!
Wailua Falls...
Once again, Mark leads out....
And I follow!
I'll never forget it.
Check this one out...it's like someone got bored when they were designing the flowers. "Enough of these petunias....let's do something really cool!"
We were starting to get tired around this time....we had packed in more hiking, swimming and driving in one day that we would normally do in a summer! But there was one more place we just didn't want to miss.
Haleakalā National Park and the Pipiwai Trail.
It's 4 miles round trip and takes 3-4 hours. This was the big commitment. We were already feeling weary, but there is so much cool stuff to see along the way. What the heck!! When are we going to be in Maui again??
We set off...and we were richly rewarded. Every leg of the trail brought interesting and unusual terrain.
A gnarly path...
Intricate patterns.
Magical stone staircases
The most wonderful and climbable banyan tree.
The Seven Pools
And my absolute favorite part of the day...the Bamboo Forest. (Prepare now for many many photos of bamboo)
This place is a marvel. It is quiet but not silent. There is the sound of chimes in the air as the bamboo stalks sound against each other when the wind blows.
And finally to the Waimoku Falls.
We stayed for a while just to watch the water cascade down.
We made the hike out and we were absolutely exhausted. We chose to go on along the road and take the backside from Hana. Most of the guidebooks and websites cautioned against taking this route...and we found out that they were telling the truth.
For at least an hour, we were on a road that truly did not have room for two cars to pass one another. One side is rock, the other plummets to the sea. I only took one or two pictures because I was very busy praying for our lives.
And suddenly we were out of the woods and driving on the dry side of the island. It was so different. It reminded me of a safari. Still beautiful in its own way.
We had planned on getting up early tomorrow morning to watch the sunrise in Haleakala Park, but we were way more interested in sleeping in. The Road to Hana is serious business. And I'll never forget it.
