Maui: On the Road Less Taken

“The road around this north side of Maui is desolate, but ruggedly picturesque. 
It also has a very narrow section of road with a sheer cliff 
and no guard rail before you reach Kahakuloa when driving from Kapalua. 
Not for the faint-hearted. 

Drive at your own risk.”

Had we taken the driving map, we would likely have noticed that warning.

Instead, I’d grabbed the tourist magazine with a general map of the island as we set our for a Saturday drive, heading north from Ka’anapali Beach on the west shore of Maui.

We followed the two-lane paved road along lush hillsides, past surfer beaches and places with lyrical names that rolled off our tongues: Honokowai, Kahana, Napili and Kapalua. 

So beautiful was this Saturday morning that we decided to continue on to the place called Kahakuloa, through an area on the map showing Waihee Coastal Dunes and Wetland Preserve.

Not long after stopping to admire the view (above)–near Nakalele Point and Blow Hole, we approached a curve and found a convertible stopped on the roadway, the driver waved us around him. . .

As we went around the car, it didn’t take long to see why he’d stopped. The road had become a narrow little thing - far too narrow to change our minds at that point. There was no place to turn around so we just kept going..

While we hadn’t noticed a 'narrow road'  before entering this section of road, but we had to laugh along the way because they were posted at regular intervals – obviously for those who hadn’t noticed the size of the roadway on which they were traveling.

It was comforting to find other tourists, like us, creeping along at the posted speed limit of 5 miles per hour, sometimes as fast as 15 miles per hour. Believe it or not, we did pass vehicles coming from the other direction. . . it was a squeeze as each car  pulled as far to the side as one could. . .

Oh yes, and that one really narrow section without the guardrail (as if the other sections had had a guardrail).  It was just that. . .

It was not a road for the faint-hearted. (And those who’ve ‘Survived the Road to Hana’ – the looping road at the south end of the island while biting their nails, might want to avoid this all together).  TIP: If you drive this road, drive in a clockwise direction, starting  from the north end and then at least you will be on the inside when it comes to easing past approaching vehicles.

The reality is that this has been one of the best things we've experienced on this tourist-congested island. We saw a bit of real Hawaii on this road trip, for instance. . .

This delightful and enterprising refreshment stand parked on the one and only wide spot curve along the way.

And a close up look at Kahakuloa Head. . .

This delightful hamlet with this picture-perfect little church. . .

And some of the most marvelous countryside we’ve ever seen. . .

Have you been to Maui? Did you take this drive? How about other roads less taken? Are you one to take the road or would you have stopped and waved other motorists past?

That’s it for this installment of the Travels of  Hula Babe and Beach Boy. We appreciate the time you spend reading of our adventures and hope you are having some great ones of your own! Please come back often!

Linking up:
Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday
Sweet Shot Tuesday

A Taste of “Pineapple Island”

If you have been following our stay in Hawaii on Facebook, you’ve undoubtedly seen a number of versions of this photo:



If not, let me introduce you to the rum-based drink called the Mai Tai.

On FB I’ve done my best to show you how this tropical temptation calls out from tall and short glass- and plastic-ware; some versions served as a frozen concoction and others ‘on the rocks’.

And yes, in order to show you so many versions, we’ve ‘had’ to consume that many versions as well.

While each has been slightly different, their common trait is that pineapple wedge clinging to the side of the glass.



Really, those pineapples are everywhere. Wedges adorn drinks and the fruit and juice are integral to ever so many tasty dishes served here ~ it really does  symbolize the place.

The pineapple actually holds a significant place in Hawaiian history and economic development as well. James Drummond Dole, arrived in Hawaii in 1899 and believing he could turn pineapple into a viable agricultural product. The following year he planted the first 61 acres of the crop on O’ahu to prove his point.

Soon thereafter he built Dole cannery and. . .

. . . as they say, the rest is history. In 1922 he bought an island to have enough land for the additional 20,000 acres of pineapples he was to plant.  He purchased the island of Lana’i, near Molokai and Maui. It was commonly known as Pineapple Island, during the nearly 70 years it produced 75% of the world’s supply of pineapple.

By the late 20th Century pineapple production in Hawaii had slowed and the island of Lana’i  began a slow transition from pineapple production to low-keyed tourism.

Two Four Seasons Resort properties have opened there, joining the 11-room Lanai Inn in offering overnight accommodations. Oracle founder billionaire Larry Ellison bought the entire island two years ago and has announced some interesting plans for it.

While we’ve sampled plenty of pineapple during our travels in Hawaii, we’ve never yet had a taste of “Pineapple Island.” This year we’ve decided  it was time to change that!

We’ll be heading to that small island, (seen at sunset from Maui in the photo above) just 18 miles and a ferry ride from Lahaina, Maui on Sunday.

(Pssst. . ..It is also where The Scout will be celebrating his . . .ahem. . .well, rather big, significant birthday.)

Come along as Hula Babe and Beach Boy explore Lana’i next week!

And as always, mahalo for the time you spent with us today!

Linking up:
Foodie Tuesday at Inside Journeys
Travel Photo Discovery on Monday
Sweet Shot Tuesday

Maui: Sun’s (Finally!) Out ~ Surf’s Up!!

Those postcard images of Hawaii came to life Saturday morning as we began our final week of timeshare life in our new digs on the island of Maui.

(As I have noted periodically on Facebook, this has been a wetter, more windy winter in these tropical islands than we’ve experienced in previous stays. That’s not a complaint, just a weather fact around here.)

I’d been wanting to test out my new Fuji camera – the first one broke during our cruise to Australia last fall and was replaced by the company from where it had been purchased. 

On Saturday I finally got the chance to check it out and these are some of my test shots.

The break in the clouds prompted everyone, it seemed, to hop in the car and head out to the beaches. Even the smallest of pullouts were full of parked cars along the roadway at Maui’s north end, as people lined up to photograph and watch amateur surfers out ‘hanging ten’.

It was picture-perfect Hawaii.

And at the moment I took the photo above I knew I was in love with my new camera!

Our explorations continued as we rounded the north end of the island and found ourselves traveling a narrow one-lane (speed limit 5 m.p.h. in places) road that might make the infamous Road to Hana seem like child’s play. It was probably one of the top five most beautiful drives we’ve ever taken and a delightful change from tourist-clogged Ka'anapali Beach where we are staying – I’ll post photos and tell you about it later this week.

Thanks for your time spent traveling the roads of Maui with us today. Hope to see you back again soon!

Linking up:
Noel Morata’s Travel Photo Discovery
Kent Weakley's Sweet Shot Tuesday

Hula Babe and Beach Boy Head to Hawaii

Hula Babe and Beach Boy, clad in tee-shirts, shorts and flip-flops, are back in Hawaii!

If you’ve been with us at TravelnWrite for the last few years, you know that this is our tropical season – the time we head to Hawaii -- and that’s our nom de blog while living in the Land of Aloha.  (Hey, if  Ree Drummond can be Pioneer Woman, we certainly qualify as Hula Babe and Beach Boy!)

We’ve settled into our Ko Olina timeshare ‘playhouse’ on the island of O’ahu.

It is here we will  be living during the next few weeks.

Lucky for us several friends need temporary quarters while we are here so we have a built-in cadre of house-sitters back in the Northwest.



“But how can you be gone so long?” “Don’t you get homesick?”   So many of our Pacific Northwest friends have asked that I decided yesterday to answer those questions by use of photos:

This would be the fog-shrouded Seattle Tacoma airport Friday morning as we taxied for takeoff. . .nice view, huh? (It looked like that all over the Puget Sound.)

It cleared a bit as we flew over the Washington State coastline.

About five hours into the flight, as we were finishing the complimentary MaiTais  . . .


. . .the view out the window improved. . .


Honolulu was coming into view. . .

And then came Ko Olina and O’ahu’s Barber Point as the plane banked to land at the Honolulu Airport.

The three tall white buildings and the four lagoons to the center/left of the photo are Marriott’s Beach Club Vacation villas. I am writing this from our condo in that complex. 

This is the view looking out the window here:

Guess that answers those questions!

While we are here, we hope to make some new island discoveries. . .have any tips for us? Out of the way restaurants? Beaches? Must see or do? Tell us about your favorites in the comment section below or by sending a quick email!

We’ll be ‘booking it’ to the beach next week so do come back to explore some ‘novel destinations'!  And mahalo for your visit today!!!
We are linking up with Noel Morata's TravelPhotoDiscovery.

Travel Planning: Moving Daydreams to Dates

We’ve been living in Hawaii this last month – watching palm trees sway before an azure sea and sky; a most pleasant change from the dark, gray (and very wet) winter days that exist at our more-full-time Pacific Northwest home.

But no matter where we are, January is a time to get serious about the year’s future big-trip travel plans. 

We used our laid-back days to move our daydreaming to dates on the calendar.

As all travelers know, nabbing frequent flier seats and booking rooms on hotel points, isn’t something that can wait until the last minute.

And travel – despite continuing dire economic reports in the media -- is on an upswing. If you don’t believe that, just take a walk through Waikiki – or book a hotel room there (and prepare for sticker shock).
 


I’d set my sights on Greece for a spring trip and so focused on it were we, that quite frankly we hadn’t been thinking about fall until The Scout found us an incredible deal while Web surfing. 


A springtime trip to our favorite places in Greece was my day dream for celebrating my summer ‘Big One Birthday’.  The Scout has nailed down the frequent flier miles and purchased tickets that will get us to Athens and back. We are using the ‘where the wind blows us-or the ferry sails’ approach to travels after reaching Athens.

And then there’s the Fall trip. . .you won’t believe where we are headed or the deal that we got! I’ll tell you about it on Travel Tip Tuesday. 

In  the meantime, a number of you’ve asked how we go about finding deals.  To check The Scout’s favorite resources, visit our Deal Finder page.

Oh, the stories they could tell. . .

A college journalism professor once cautioned my class of ‘Pulitzer-prize-winning- wanna-be’s’ that we’d likely begin our newsroom careers writing obituaries. For that reason, we were  to both read and write them as classroom assignments.

When the resulting collective groan clearly indicated the task sounded worse than death itself, he added:

“That obituary is likely the last story that will ever be written about that person – it might be the only story. . .and everyone’s story is important, so write it well!”

Decades later, I still regularly read obituaries – everywhere we go.  And to illustrate my journalism professor’s point, today I want to introduce you to some of the folks I’ve ‘met’ in the obituaries during our stay in Hawaii.

If only I’d have met them in person . . . oh,the stories they could tell: 



A couple weeks ago, we tried for the first time, Honolulu’s Liliha Bakery’s famous coco puffs. Back in 1987 the baker there was assigned the task of creating a new cream puff; he filled the shell with chocolate filling and topped the creation with Chantilly frosting. The bakery that had sold a couple dozen puffs daily back then now sells hundreds of these gems daily.  Kame Ikemura, 80, was the baker who created the morsels, I learned from his obituary which appeared not long after we’d tried the pastry.

Returning from a day-trip to Maui on Sunday our flight followed the coastline of Molokai,.You can’t see Molokai and not remember the stories of  it’s Leper Colony and famous Father Damien. Sister Richard Marie Toal served those leprosy patients as well on Kalaupapa for more than 40 years – even for five years after she retired; until a stroke hindered her ability to do so. She died on Sunday, age 96.

Others I’ve ‘met’ didn’t have large write ups but their stories were likely just as interesting. . .



“age 101, retired Dole Plantation worker. Born Philippines”  

“age 80, retired Del Monte Company papaya packer. Born Hilo.”

“age 87, retired candy maker for former Hawaiian Holiday Macademia Nut Company and field worker for fomer Manakua Sugar Company. Born Kukuihaele, Hawaii”

“age 92, retired lei maker. Born Honolulu.”

“age 93, retired master lau hala* weaver and teacher. Born and died in Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu.” *(tree leaves woven into baskets and/or mats)

“age 103, homemaker. Born Honolulu.”

“age 89, retired Royal Hawaiian Hotel bellman. Born, Maui.”

“age 87, retired assistant bell captain Kona Hilton Hotel and coffee farmer. Born, Hawaii.”

‘age 84, retired jewelry saleswoman at several Kaanapali Beach hotels. Born Tokyo, Japan.”



“age 85, retired Hawaiian Airlines crew scheduler, Born, Hawaii.”

“age 83, retired Pearl Harbor Navel Shipyard boilermaker and Korean War Veteran. Born, Honolulu.”

“age 83, retired surfer and surf board maker. Eva, O’ahu.”

“age 88, former noodle factory worker. Born Honolulu.”

“age 96, Territory of Hawaii Board of Health employee. Born Honolulu.

Nearly all of these folks were born and died in Hawaii. Some lived a full century here, others almost that  long. They were part of a generation born:
 
*  Shortly after Hawaii became a U.S. Territory in 1900. 

* After the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (now Dole) was established in 1901 and the first pineapple was planted  by James Drummond Dole in the Wahiawa countryside.

They would have been children or teens when:

* Earl Derr Biggers wrote his Charlie Chan book, “House Without A Key” in 1925, giving life to Honolulu’s famous fictitious detective.

*When the Royal Hawaiian Hotel opened in 1927. 

*When the first inter-island flight took off in 1929.”

They would have been young adults when the Japanese bombed Pearl harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.  And heading towards middle age when Hawaii became a state on August 21, 1959.

Everyone does have a story – and that’s what makes travel so interesting ~  the people and their stories.

(And you know what? My professor was right about those obituaries!)

And that’s it for Travel Photo Thursday. Stop by Budget Travelers Sandbox for more armchair-by-photo-travel.

Hawaii Tourism: Some Good and Bad News

I served a plate of Hawaiian pupu-news (tidbits) to you a couple weeks ago and have more items ‘hot off the press’ for you Hawaii-travel-aficionados:

The Good News:

* Hawaii anticipates the addition of 680,313 air seats this coming year. That means a lot more flights arriving from a lot of destinations bringing an estimated 10.75 million passengers to this tropical paradise.

(In 2012 nearly 8 million visitors spent $14.3 billion – the first time since 2006 that spending and arrivals set simultaneous year-end records).

*Hawaii’s Tourism Authority is crediting proposed new routes from the U.S. mainland and Asia-Pacific for the anticipated increase in visitors. Those  routes are: Boise, Idaho; Spokane, Washington; San Diego, CA; Taiwan; Auckland, New Zealand and Tokyo-Narita.

The Bad News:



Hawaii’s Governor Neil Abercrombie seems to want to bite the tourist hands that feed his islands:  he’s proposed increasing the hotel and timeshare room tax to 11.25 percent in July (it is currently 9.25 percent). 

The room rates, as I’ve told you in earlier reports are skyrocketing, so think of adding 11.25 percent to them.

Lawmakers here gradually raised the rate from 7.25 percent starting in 2009 to help ease state budget deficits caused by the recession.  The higher rate though was to be temporary and was to expire by July 2015.

The Governor says his proposal is to start a discussion. Might be time we regular visitors to Hawaii join in that discussion, don’t you think?

To contact Rep. Tom Brower, chairman of the Hawaii House Tourism Committee click this link; or write Gov. Abercrombie at gov@gov.state.hi.us and tell them what you think about House Bill 971/Senate Bill 1202 (hotel room tax increase).

Mahalo! (thanks!)  for stopping by today.  Hope you’ll sign up to receive our posts in your inbox. Just use the form on the right hand corner or add your photo to our growing list of friends, just a bit below it.

When the Diamonds and Daydreams Dance

Tropical daydreams were waltzing around my head the other day - gliding as smoothly as the clouds between the swaying palms -- and so caught up was I in their slow-step rhythm that I almost missed those enchanting dancing diamonds right in front of me . . .

. . . twirling and spinning; tossing and swooshing. . .

As if on tiptoes they twinkled across the lagoon . . .

Then teasing and tempting they raced up the sand. . .

. . . and then those diamonds, mixed with daydreams, continued to dance.