Andrew and Hannah in Hawaii: Day Trips

Maui is a relatively small island. Essentially, we can wake up in the morning and go just about anywhere ... and anywhere has typically been the beach or the forest. So, to squash any rumors out there (if they exist) that we've gotten lazy and don't go out exploring as much as we did when we first arrived, I thought I'd write an entry about some of our more memorable day trips.

Oreloa (aka the Big Beach) in Makena: The excellent reputation of the Big Beach prompted us to drive to the southern most shore of the island to see what all the fuss was about. We were not disappointed one bit. The day we visited the ocean must have been angry because a high surf advisory had been put in place, warning of waves up to 8 or even 10 feet tall! That certainly didn't keep us out of the water though! After observing from shore (and getting knocked down once ... okay, twice) Andrew and I headed out into the raging seas. We found that if you swam out to right beyond where the waves crest, they pick you high, high up before gently placing you down as they crash toward the shore. The trick is, of course, to watch the timing of the waves so that you don't get clobbered!

Kaanapali: Ever seen pictures of high-rise high end resorts along the shoreline? Yeah, well then you know what Kaanapali looks like. We parked at the public access point (of course, the worst spot of beach in the whole area) before walking along for what seemed like miles of resorts. Most impressive was the Westin which felt a tad bit like a cross between Disneyworld and Vegas. The beach and the ocean was nothing all that spectacular, although it probably once was. A coral reef running parallel to the shoreline must have at one time been spectacular, but was now pretty inundated by sediment, making the coral a yucky brown.

Kamaole in Kehei: This is a very popular string of three beaches and we've seen why. For some strange reason, both times we have been to these beaches we've felt the need to roll in the sand. Unexplainable. The water was very warm and during surf advisories, they're excellent beaches for boogie boarding!

Baldwin Beach: Baldwin is our closest beach, so we've been a number of times. It's typically choppy, a little cold, and rocky at places, but the sand is fabulously soft. On one end of the beach, a reef close to the shore acts as a barrier and creates calmer waters that are ideal for some lap swimming - something we've only taken advantage of once, unfortunately!

Swinging Bridges - This trail leads through the Waihe'e Valley and crosses a number of streams. As the name implies the bridges that cross the streams really do swing! They're fun, but we decided not worth the $6 per person admission fee to pass through private property to get to the trail.

Waihe'e Ridge Trail - We hiked up onto the ridge overlooking Waihe'e and the Pacific Ocean on a cloudy afternoon. Too bad too because the view from up there would be amazing!

Volunteering in Pu'ukukui and D.T. Fleming Beach - A majority of the west Maui mountains are privately held and owned by Maui Land and Pineapple. So, in order to get access to these beautiful spots we needed to volunteer. Although our mission was to pick weeds, it was clear by the un-strenuous work we were really up there to enjoy the scenery. The group we were in was very interesting - multi-millionaire 30 year olds, renowned green architects, and even a former St. Olaf admissions counselor!

Poli Poli State Park - This is a large preserve which, unfortunately, suffered a severe fire several years ago. Still, there are a number of walking, ATV and mountain biking trails that make it a fun area.