Time has come to Return

Nov 5 through 9: Sorry no recent posts and have been unable to upload pictures here in Maui...time just slipped away from us. Out and about every morning til late afternoon snorkeling, sightseeing, watching surf boarders and wind surfers, shopping, eating great island foods, visiting, etc. Now our month is coming to a close, and we return to Seattle tomorrow, Nov 10. Leave Maui at 1:35 pm and arrive Seattle at 9:18 pm. It has been a fantastic month. So many adventures, and opportunities to explore and experience Hawaii (Hawaii and Maui). Many things yet to do.....like see the whales. First pod arrived yesterday and today we missed seeing a breach near Molokini. Reported this morning just 15 minutes after we left the crater. Ok...next trip, which will be soon. Next time comin' in January or February. So, Aloha. See you when we get home.

Maui Dive Shop for Snorkel Gear

November 2: Monday morning it was off to Maui Dive Shop to rent snorkel gear for the week, and then tour several beach/snorkeling areas in South Maui. Drove to the end of the road near La Perouse Bay and back, checking out the beaches. That afternoon we got together with Tina and Bill Dixson, from Mukilteo, for Happy Hour at Moose Magillycuddy's for $4 margaritas. Tina, Bill and I graduated from Everett High together in June of 1962. Tina and I, along with 4 other classmates headed off to University of Washington to study pharmacy, and graduated from the U in June of 1967. Learned they would be in Hawaii at the same time we were, when they showed up at Bartell Drug Lynnwood one day for flu shots. Great to see them and share updates on what had been happening with us over the past 40+ years.

Sunday, a day of rest

November 1: A day to relax with a quiet Sunday Brunch on the lanai at our condo and a little trip to pick up some beverages and pupus for company Sunday evening for a Maui sunset. Dave and Mindy Ruud, along with Dave's sister and her husband, Dave's sister-in-law and her daughter, arrived at WorldMark-Kihei Saturday afternoon. We planned a little get-together with pupus and cocktails on our lanai. Great visit and relaxing evening of conversation. Good to have friends stop by for the evening.

Kahului Farmers Market

October 31: Well, Happy Halloween. Big Celebration in Hawaii....at least in Lahaina...it is the Mardi Gras of the Pacific. People dress up in costumes and parade through the streets. Traffic is an intolerable situation. Could take hours to get from Kihei to Lahaina, just 26 miles away. They even offer special boat trips from Kihei to Lahaina, so you do not have to brave the traffic. Well, we decided not to go.

The big event in Kahului every Saturday morning is the Swap Meet and Farmers Market. That is where we headed. Begins at 7 am and runs til 1 pm. It is held on the campus of the Community College, and there must have been 100+ tent stalls or more. Everything under the sun offered for sale, crafts, clothes, carvings, jewelry, fruits and vegetables, italian sodas, and shave ice. We filled up on fresh vegetables and fruit, checked out several other stands, and the headed out.

Took a look at Haleakala and saw is was clear, so off we went to the summit observatory at
10, 026 feet above seal level. It is also the highest paved road in the world....that is the road to the summit of Haleakala. Of course it is a National Park, so we got in free with Russ' Senior Park Pass. Beautiful day, about 60 degrees (26 degree cooler than Kihei), and we could see Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii, 80 and 100 miles away respectively. Visited with a Park Ranger who had lots of information about the geology of the volcanos and the formation of the islands. His information was fascinating and very educational. After browsing around a bit, and trying to send a text message to Nate and Andrew (no response from network), we headed down the mountain in low gear (sign said, prevent brake failure, use low gear). The hairpin turns were so tight, you would not want to go over 15mph, or you might end up off the guardrailless road on the next switch back or two below.

After the mountain, we headed back through the Kula area, Makawao (cowboy town), and on to Paia (hippie town, some gray hippies). Stop to eat at the Flatbread Cafe. They have the best thin crust pizza in the world. We chose one with some cheese, goat cheese, tomatoes and olives called Coevolution. It was great. Following our late lunch, it was a chance to wander around town, check out some shops, bakery, and the Paia Pharmacy. Visit with the cashier, let him know we were pharmacists, and he informed that every pharmacist that comes in usually picks up a Paia Pharmacy T-shirt.......got drugs?

Then home to Kihei for dinner and a pool swim.

PS: Sorry, no pictures. Unable to upload them here at WorldMark-Kihei. Perhaps bandwidth too narrow....always fails to upload.

Trilogy Catamaran to Lanai

Octobr 30: Today we were off to Lahaina for our day cruise aboard the Trilogy Catamaran to the island of Lanai. The boat is one of the few real sailing cats. However not enough wind to fill the sails, so it was motoring across the Auau Channel (where the humpbacks play-none sighted yet) to Manale Harbor. Enroute we encountered a large pod of Spinner Dolphin escorting our cat to our destination. The dolphin spin atop the waves and then flip back into the ocean. It was quite a show. On arrival were welcomed with a shell lei greeting, and the a short van ride to Hulapoe Bay and Beach for offshore snorkeling and relaxing on this white sand beach. Much coral and many fish. It is a preserve so the tropical fish get quite large....especially the multi colored Parrot fish. Late afternoon BBQ dinner, back at the harbor, prior to our sunset cruise back to Lahaina. About 3/4 of the way back we were able to hoist the spinnaker sail, and sail in the sunset back toward Lahaina. Nice trip, great day, and all day we were pampered with mamas cinnamon roles, fruit, NA beverages, and pupus, in addition to sandwich wraps for lunch and the BBQ dinner.

Explore the Up Country around Kula

October 29: After breakfast, we took a drive up to the Kula area in up-country Maui above Kihei. Visited a Lavender Farm, the Kula Botanical Garden, the Tedeschi Winery to sample grape and pineapple wines, late lunch at the Ranch Deli/Grill for ranch beef and elk burgers, then stopped at a Kula vegetable and fruit stand. Great vegetables all grown in the Kula area. Kula is about 2000 feet above Kihei and about 10-15 degrees cooler than oceanside.

Aloha breakfast and Orientation

October 28: Attended the morning breakfast and island orientation with our concierge. Always good info, and a chance to book some activities. We chose a Trilogy snorkel cruise to Lanai, and a dinner and show in Kaanapali...Ulalena and dinner at Ruth's Chris. For next week with signed up to attend Ulalena, a theatrical production of Hawaii's people and history through legend, myth, dance, and acobatics. The rest of the day was an exploration day, up to Sugar Beach where Connie's cousin, Karen, owns a condo. Then back down to explore the Kihei area.