Monday, April 29, 2013

Maui Day 6

On our 6th day (Tuesday) in Hawaii we decided to tackle the road to Hana.  This was the one activity we were pretty on the fence about- it's several hours in the car driving, it's a twisty windy road (bleh!), and we just didn't really see the draw.  But, everyone (seriously EVERYONE) I talked to about Maui said "You HAVE to do it!" and so we did.

Here's my honest opinion- it was REALLY amazing.  You will see scenery on this road that you will never see again.  You will also get to experience some really incredible things- hiking through a rainforest, a bamboo forest, a tree garden, and swimming in a waterfall.  But, it will take ALL DAY!  We were prepared for it to take a while, but at the pace we went it took 8 hours for us to get to Hana and back.  It wouldn't have been bad, except at the end of the day we were racing the clock to be off the windy road before dark.  Locals commute on this road daily and they drive FAST and they don't get CARSICK! :)  So, we were trying to stay out of their way and be done with that road!

So, here's the pictures I got.  Really, spectacular views.  Unforgettable views, so enjoy!




 Hiking in the Kaumahina State Park- it was super windy up here, but had gorgeous views!



 The Ke'anae Arboretum.  This trail was full of trees and flowers from all over the world.  It was peaceful, and drizzly, and cool (like chilly cool, not just cool cool).





The Ke'anae overlook.  Full of lava rocks with waves crashing against them.

The Coral Miracle Church.  This was slightly off the beaten path, but I'm glad we found it. 



Waikani Falls

(I didn't get any pictures, but we swam at the Pua'a Ka'a State Wayside Park.  It was FREEZING!  But, I swam- in a waterfall- in Maui.  Check!)
 
Also- this probably would have been a good place to turn around.  We had really seen all the amazing cliffs and hills and experienced a wide variety of climates.  We just thought we had to go to Hana since, ya know, we were doing the road to Hana.   From this point on we left the twisty scenic roads and just headed to Hana.  Not that the scenery was lacking, but we felt like we had seen enough by this point.  Just so ya know...




The Wai'anapanapa State Park.  Beautiful and the only black sand beach in Maui.


Hana, finally Hana!  We waited half an hour for some hot dogs and chips...

The next day- Wednesday- was our last day on the island.  Our flight wasn't until 8:00 at night, so we stayed around our hotel all day (see, finally getting in that relaxing pool/ beach time!  Actually, this was the first time I got IN the ocean.)  Our hotel had a hospitality suite we could use to clean up before we got on our plane and it was so nice to freshen up before we headed home.  We flew all night and got back to Houston around noon the next day and got to Emery's school in time to pick her up.  She was so surprised and excited to see us and we were happy to be home too.  

I have to send out a HUGE shout out to Gigi for staying with our kiddos all week.  They had so much fun (like, I could never live up to all the Gigi fun!).  We really needed a few days to get away and we couldn't have done it with out her, Thank you, thank you, thank you Mom!!!!!!!

Aloha!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Maui Day 4 & 5

Ok, so where we we.  Oh yes, Maui.  Hang on just a minute while I go back there mentally...

Ok, done!  Man, that was easy. :)

Day 4 actually wasn't super exciting so it's getting thrown in with day 5 which really was.  Sunday (day 4) we hung around our hotel and had their brunch, then went to Sports Authority to get ready for day 5- volcano day!

Day 5 we spent a big chunk of our day traveling to the Haleakala National Park to see the summit of Maui's inactive volcano, Haleakala.  We drove for a little over 2 hours and only about 30 miles before we finally made it to the summit. We drove through sun, rain, hot, cold, forest, towns, desert... pretty much every climate you can think of was on this road.

This is looking down over the island on our way to the first stop- the visitor's center.  This was also the last picture I got of the land below.  From this point on we were above the clouds.

Finally made it to the Park Headquarters and we still had about 10 miles of windy road to get to the summit.  I was pretty much done for at this point.  We climbed from sea level to about 7,000 ft above sea level in a little over an hour.  It took its toll on this girl who gets sea sick, but I knew I had to see the top- there was no turning around for me.  (This is also the trip where I discovered Dramamine, I don't know why it took me so long to hop on that bandwagon.)

 Still climbing...  I'm pretty sure this is where I hung my head out the window like a dog just to feel the cold air.  This drive is not for the weary.

We FINALLY made it to the base camp for the summit.  I have never been so happy to be out of the car, my goodness I'm feeling dizzy just thinking about it.  Anyways, we hiked to the summit and around the crater for a while (ended up being a few hours I think, and we got the sunburns to prove it!).









Ok, there's the pictures I took of that and I need to move on.  The motion sickness went away when we got out of the car and started hiking around.  So, all in all, worth it.  Go see the volcano.  Take your Dramamine first.  Really, struggling with these pics right now.  Moving on...

After we left the volcano (which also, by the way, people bike up to the summit.  How crazy is that???) we were STARVING so we headed back to Lahaina to go to Cheeseburger in Paradise in Whaler's Village.  It was delicious and very filling and it was 3:00 in the afternoon (anytime is cheeseburger time in my book!).  We also looked around the shops in the village and had a really fun time.  There is alot of neat shops in this little city.  We also met Rafael, a local artist who uses a spade to make some really incredible pieces with amazing texture. 

I couldn't resist walking away without this little sea turtle.  I'm not even a turtle person, but for some reason this really jumped out at me and I had to have it.  I don't know what I'm going to do with it.  Maybe I'll set up a mini Maui in my room and just take mental vacations every now and then. :) 

Since we hadn't been busy enough already we decided to head down towards our hotel and make it to Big Beach in time for sunset.  Big Beach is another beach just past our hotel with some incredible views and amazing waves.  We stayed for about an hour watching the body surfers (who can do all sorts of stuff- back flips even on a body board!), whales (yes- humpback whales are migrating through Maui this time of year and yes, we saw them usually in the mornings and evenings), and the sunset.  It was such a relaxing end to our long day.

See?  Unbelievable!

Another day in Maui in the books.  Tomorrow we tackle Hana...

Aloha!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

I am a runner

I just feel like I need to take a day to write about the tragedy at the Boston Marathon.

I am a runner.

I feel tremendous heartbreak for all the people hurt, killed, and affected by the explosions.  Who in their right mind does something like that?  To deliberately cause harm to someone else is completely beyond me. But  I also feel a special ache for all the runners on the course.  I feel like these are my people.

I am a runner.

I can only dream of one day running the Boston Marathon.  The hours, dedication, and hard work that goes into simply being able to be eligible for the marathon completely amazes me.  I would love to have the speed and endurance that comes with qualifying for the marathon, but I don't and I have total respect for anyone who does.

I am a runner.

Several years ago I read an article in a running magazine that asked various runners- "what makes you a runner?" and this question has always plagued me.  Sure, I run.  I run races, I run in my free time, I run in the rain, and I run pregnant but what makes me a runn-er?  I always felt there was a big difference in runn-ing and being a runn-er and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.  I'm not fast, I'm not super educated on running, I'm not athletic but I do it and I enjoy it.  And after Monday I get it.

I am a runner.

Those are my people and I've been on both sides of the barricades.  I run, it's what I do.  And I do it for me because I love it!  I never thought I would say that, but it's true.  My heart truly, deeply goes out to everyone who was in Boston- the spectators, the support crew, the medical personnel (I've seen how many people it takes to pull off an event).  And especially all the people at mile 13, 20, 23... who didn't get to finish their race because of someone else's evil desires.  Terrible, terrible, terrible.  I keep reading and seeing stories of all the hurt or killed and it breaks my heart. 

I am a runner.

So this morning Peppa and I joined the Run for Boston movement.  Find them on Facebook here.  I wish I had hours and hours to run for all the people affected in Boston, but I don't.  And I can't solve everyone's problems on my own.  I did have half an hour to join with my fellow runners & non runners to put in 3 extra miles for everyone I can't physically help.  It was a run filled with prayers & peace.

I am a runner.

I support Boston.  This will not stop ME!


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Maui Day 3

So, surprisingly, our 2nd day to wake up in Maui started fantastically!  We went to the gym (together!), ran around Makena Beach (together!), and then hit up our fabulous hotel breakfast once again.  At first I felt like exercising on our vacation would be such a waste of time.  I mean, we were SO close to the beach and pools why would we spend our vacation cooped up in the gym?  But Matt reminded me that vacation is all about getting to do what you normally don't get to do.  And he's right- we never get to run or go to the gym together anymore and it's something that we love to do- it's our hobby and it's what we've done together since day 1, and it's something that NEVER happens anymore!  So we spent a couple hours this morning in the gym and on the roads exploring a little more of the island.  It's pretty hilly and, well, we aren't used to hills (we do live in Houston after all).  It took a pretty big toll on us and I'm pretty sure we didn't even go 3 miles.  But we had fun and we got to hang out together so there's that.



After breakfast I read about a swap meet that was happening at the University of Hawaii Maui College Campus, and I can't resist me a flea market!  I texted my family this picture and told them I found the Canton of Hawaii:

It was so fun, but it was so hot outside too!  The temperature on Maui is usually very comfortable- low 80's, and fairly cloudy.  But this day it was extremely sunny and just plain hot!  Everyone seemed uncomfortable and I sure was (and I'm a sunny weather kind of person!).  We trudged along and found a dress for Emery (who specifically wanted a white dress with pink flowers) and an outfit for Beckett.  I also got a couple of great jewelry pieces from CraeVita.  (she was so sweet and ships back to the mainland for a great price.   I loved talking to her and looking at all her amazing pieces- I wish I could've gotten every one!).

We left the swap meet around 1 and headed to the nearby mall for a nutritious lunch of frozen yogurt- yum!  After we recovered from the heat I decided there was another little town I wanted to go see while we were on that side of the island- Paia town.

 Paia Town (#Maui).

I repinned this picture before we left for Maui and just from looking at this I knew Paia was on my list to see in Hawaii!  (I have no idea how to give credit for whoever originally took this- it wasn't me, but whoever you are, thank you!!!).  We headed out that direction and I kept saying to Matt- "If this place is stupid we will just turn around & go back, I just have to SEE it!".  On the little windy road out there we were all the sudden greeted with stand still traffic- tons and tons of people trying to get to and through this little one light town.  We found a parking spot and started to just wander around- through shops, back to shops, into restaurants- again, whatever we wanted to do!  It ended up being alot of fun and I'm so glad we went there.  It has all the same Maui souvenirs as you can find on every corner, but it also has alot of things you won't find everywhere- like our Hawaiian dog collar we found for Peppa.

We left Paia and headed back home, but first stopped in for a pizza at Manoli's Pizza Company.  Yum, yum, yum is all I have to say.  After a long (but fun!) day in the sun it was so nice to sit down, have some wine and a little pizza and relax with my hubby.

AAAHHHHHH.... :)  We talked about how we already had done so much on the island and it was only our 2nd day there- what were we going to do with the rest of our time?  You'll see...

Aloha!

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Did somebody say "Vacation!!!"

So, for starters, this girl is tired!  Also, this girl needed a BREAK!  So, last Wednesday Gigi showed up at our house and Thursday morning Matt and I took off for Maui!  It started off so promising- we missed our first flight out of Houston (who knew your baggage had to be checked in 45 minutes before boarding???), then our flight to Maui was delayed by an hour so they could reset the computers, yay! :)  Even with all our delays we still landed in Maui around 7 pm Wednesday night (which was actually midnight for us, so we were sleepy!).

We picked up our rental car and headed straight for some food.  Our hotel was on Makena Beach at the Makena Beach and Golf Resort so we drove past some excellent shopping in Wailea and had dinner at a little sushi/ tappas restaurant called Kai sushi.  It was incredible!  Fresh sushi, warm veggie tempura it was exactly what two tired travelers needed to drive the last 3 miles to our hotel.

Here's our first picture in Maui!  After a long day of traveling we were so happy to be on land and eating food again.

After dinner we headed on to our hotel and it was AMAZING!  We both decided we highly recommend it and it was a good location to be on Maui.  Pretty secluded from all the towns, but close enough to easily get to everything.  I love Hawaii- the atmosphere, the beach, the mountains and the best part for me- everywhere is open air!  Our entire hotel lobby had no windows or doors and it was completely open in the middle and it was filled with a huge koi pond, waterfall, and plants everywhere!


This second picture was my view for breakfast pretty much every morning.  I was almost in tears!  It is so rare that I get to sit down and enjoy my food, so this was such a treat (and the company and scenery weren't bad either).  The beach is just on the other side of the grassy hill to the right and the pool is where the colored umbrellas are.  We listened to the waves at almost every meal!

Thursday morning (after breakfast for ourselves and the fish) we decided to explore the beach and the grounds of our hotel.  It's connected to a golf course (that's currently under construction) so we could roam around the fluffy green grass all we wanted (at least, I think we could and so we did!).







 We walked and walked and walked and had so much fun exploring.  There are lava rock fields everywhere that make incredible blowholes when the waves crash against them.  People had also made rock towers that I was obsessed with- they were so still and balanced with the waves crashing behind them.  Matt didn't share my excitement over them, but I took their pictures anyways.

(The beach at our hotel- can't you just smell the ocean?!?).  The lava rocks are to the right...)





After our strenuous walk we headed to the pool to recover and ended up staying for about 4 hours.  It was heavenly- we got an umbrella by the pool so we sat in the shade and read and slept and ate... aaaahhhhhh....

After my second nap back in my room I decided I wanted to go see the city of Lahaina and the Whaler's Village.  We drove up there (maybe 20 miles away, but also an hour- the speed limit is 30 everywhere and the roads are windy!) and looked in the Cannery Mall for a little while and then heard the Old Lahaina Luau was happening right across the street.  We read in several places that this was THE luau to go to so we thought we might as well inquire about tickets while we are here since they sell out every night.  They ended up having 2 open "traditional style" seats available and we jumped on it!  I'm so glad we did too because this was incredible.  The food was delicious, we had excellent tablemates, and the show was spectacular.  We bought a couple wooden sea turtles that they carved our name in (aaawwww), and had an amazing time!








It was so FUN and we couldn't believe this was only our first day on the island.  We promised ourselves we would relax the next day.  Stay tuned to see if we really did...

Aloha!