Maui 2014

Welcome to the digital scrapbook covering our one week trip to Maui, Hawaii.

On May 27, 2014, a roundtrip flight from Calgary to Kahalui airport was booked with stopovers in Denver.

Flight Itinerary

8:07 AM - Calgary International Airport

After waking up at five-something A.M., we made it to the Calgary International Airport where a few of us grabbed some Timmies and Starbucks.

Not many pictures were taken this day as the flight, car rental pickup, post-landing Costco trip, going back to the airport to try and find Doug (and Fiona’s hat), and getting locked out of our rental house took up most of our day.

11:41 AM - Menehune Shores Condo Kihei

At around noon, some of us woke up and decided to explore the Menehune Shores condo we were staying at in Kihei.

Beach-side Condo Snail Selfie!

1:02 PM - Banyan Tree Park

The first historical spot we visited was one of the largest banyan trees in the United States.

Sam: "Yup, Google says it's a tree"

3:23 PM - Lahaina Center

In Lahaina, we did some window shopping while grabbing some delicious eats at Koa’s Seaside Grill. Afterwards, everyone became a fan of Tuna Poke.

6:12 PM - Nakalele Blowhole

After we finished up at Lahaina, we got into the car and drove for roughly an hour, stopping prematurely but then eventually making our way to the Nakalele Blowhole.

// TODO: Beach photos! // Starting at SAM_5118.JPG

1:38 PM - Maui Tropical Plantation

Our first stop of the day was the Maui Tropical Plantation which was underwhelming, if you didn’t pony up cash for a guided tour…like we did.

The best part about self-guided tours is that they allow you to stray off the beaten path — like walking to the left and eating--OMG WHAT AM I DOING?!

3:33 PM - ʻĪao Valley State Park

At ʻĪao Valley State Park, we made our own parking spot and hiked a bit to see the ʻĪao Needle.

4:17 PM - Sam Sato’s

Anticipating that we will be hungry later without having a chance to head back to the condo, we check out a place called Sam Sato’s where we grab some fried noodles to go, as well as a tanktop.

5:08 PM - Kanaha Beach Park

We head over to Kanaha Beach Park to feast on the “okay” noodles, then play around on the beach.

9:14 PM - S&Q’s Coffee & Shave Ice Shack

Near the end of the day, a few of us went to go check out what this “shaved ice” was that we kept seeing everywhere. Thanks to Urbanspoon, we found S&Q’s Coffee & Shave Ice Shack which became a favourite.

12:30 PM - Driving to Hana

We hit highway 360 to drive the infamous narrow road to Hana. Hairpin turn after hairpin turn, it was a nauseous ride for some, while a traumatic drive for others.

4:10 PM - Haleakala National Park

We’ve reached the end of the road to Hana! Now it’s time to go on a 2.5 hour hike! Wait a minute…none of us have eaten anything.

4:49 PM - Trucks on the Side of the Highway

It would have been insane to go hiking on an empty stomach, so we backtracked to a tourist spot of the road to Hana where we cleared out this one guy’s stock of banana bread and avocadoes for the day.

5:16 PM - Haleakala National Park II: Electric Boogaloo

Upon obtaining some foodstuffs, we go back to our original plan of hiking through the park and its luscious bamboo forest.

8:32 PM - The Drive Home

The end of the hike rewarded you with a waterfall, which would have probably been more pleasant had a few of us not fell into the ponds of water and got our shoes soaking wet.

Driving back home led to an unexpected surprise when a tire on the right side of our car totally blew out. Thankfully a kind stranger helped us put the donut tire on, and we passed by Enterprise to swap the Ford Taurus for a Nissan Maxima.

13:19 PM - The Coffee Store

It was a while since some of the caffeine addicts had any java to kickstart their day, so some of us went to go check out The Coffee Store by our condo.

2:48 PM - Makena State Park

At Makena beach, the ocean provided some pretty gnarly shore breaks.

While the guy closest to shore actually couldn't deal with the waves...this picture makes it look like all of us have no idea what we're doing. It's beautiful.

5:41 PM - Waiala Cove

Near Makena State Park, we stumbled upon Waiala Cove which turned out to be an excellent snorkeling spot.

9:49 PM - Te Au Moana Luau

For the evening’s festivities, we attended the Te Au Moana Luau, complete with buffet and a show. Oh, it was also Diognier’s birthday too…so we sneaked her a piña colada.

9:12 AM - Pu’u ‘ula’ula (Haleakala Summit)

At quarter to 5 AM we drove off to catch the sunrise at Haleakala Summit. Witnessing the sun rise above the clouds was worth waking up super early for.

11:09 AM - Kula Sandalwoods Cafe

Some of us went to grab breakfast at this small cafe on the way back. Others napped in the car.

12:34 PM - Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm

We arrive at the lavender farm before they open. To pass the time, we watch landings of some nearby hang gliders.

3:05 PM - Ho’okipa Beach Park

Sniffing lavender can only be fun for so long, so we head to Ho’okipa to do some snorkeling.

1:40 PM - The Shops at Wailea

While others went hiking, we went shopping instead. Not many pictures here…we were busy enjoying the air conditioning, and looking for sunburn lotion.

6:53 PM - Ulua Beach

Snorkeling.

9:11 PM - S&Q’s Coffee & Shave Ice Shack

Had to maximize the shaved ice we consumed during this vacation.

1:12 PM - Fresh Fruit Stand

Curious about the fresh fruit stands by our condo, a few of us go and check it out. Obtained one young coconut.

3:20 PM - Kanaha Beach Park

We got rid of our snorkeling gear by this point, so we just did some relaxing on the beach. The winds were strong, so a lot of kiteboarders were out doing their thing.