It seemed more appropriate this time to organize this collection by theme, rather than chronology, though inside each theme, the chronological order is maintained.



The impetus for this particular destination was the ascent of Haleakalā, a bucket list item for me, and the volcano became the center of the trip. We balanced this with beach days in Pā'ia and snorkeling at Makena on the West shore.



We stayed on the rainy north shore, outside of Ha'iku, at an ecologically oriented resort where for the first week we were pretty much the only guests. Maui Ocean Breezes is a wonderful place to meet the local plants and critters, removed from the traffic of the vacation crowd. There had been a booking error, and we had to make room for a larger group, moving around the corner to Ros and Barrie's BnB, into an equally reclusive detached unit. While these lodgings meant a longer drive to our daily activities, we were grateful for the tranquility, and would happily do it this way again.


Summary

  • On Day Zero, we oriented ourselves, met Gabi and settled into the Hibiscus Hideaway, went shopping in Ha'ikū and got falafel at the Lebanese food truck.
  • On Day One we looked around Pā'ia and went to the beach there. The waves broke violently just meters from shore. Swimming was impossible, but getting roughed up by the ocean was tremendous fun!
  • On Day Two we drove to the western shore and went snorkeling at Makena beach. Delightful, except I had trouble keeping the mask sealed, which was rather frustrating.
  • On Day Three we pick up bikes at Maui Cyclery. We set off on a ride, but Stella's bike doesn't fit well. We ride back to the shop, but it is closed. We ride a longer loop, starting with a good climb up Baldwin.
  • On Day Four we swap out Stella's bike and do a loop around Ha'iku, but the rear wheel is out of true and hits the chainstays.
  • On Day Five Stella gets a new rear wheel, and we drive up to Haleakalā National Park. Stella climbs from the gate to the summit, then descends to the bottom of Crater Rd. There is a very thick fog on the descent and we get disconnected.
  • On Day Six it is my turn to climb Haleakalā, but from Pā'ia: 3000 m in 55 km. That was tough.
  • On Day Seven, we do another snorkeling day in Po‘olenalena, near Makena, and this time I bring the video camera.
  • On Day Eight, we move to Ros and Barrie's, then do a final bike ride on Pi'ilani Hwy on the south shore.
  • On Day Nine, we hike into Haleakalā Crater. Just spectacular! We go back to the Thai place in Ha'ikū for dinner, and to photograph the chicken tree.
  • On Day Ten, we return the bikes, and do another full beach day in Pā'ia.
  • On Day Eleven, we drive half of Hāna Highway, stopping at several waterfalls.