There was a plan to go to Hawaii with Oma, Andrea, Katrina and I as a "sisters" trip sort of thing. We invited Emmett's wife Rachel to join us but she couldn't make it work. At the last minute Andrea found out that her daughter, Stephanie, needed to have surgery and it was scheduled for when we would be in Hawaii, so of course she wasn't going to make it. Then Oma didn't want to fly all the way from Utah to Hawaii by herself so she also backed out. It was too late to get any refund on our hotel so they encouraged Katrina and I to still go. We were going to be in a 3 bedroom condo in Maui so we decided to invite someone to join us. I called a few of my sisters and friends but no one could make it work. Then I decided to ask my friend Sara Kearsley to come. She had told me that she wanted to go to Hawaii for her 50th birthday but then couldn't make it work so I decided to just see if she could (very last minute) take a week off work and join Katrina and I in Hawaii. Incredibly she made arrangements at work AND got a ticket on the exact flight Katrina and I were going to be on. It was definitely meant to be and we had such a fun time together. Not exactly the "sisters" trip we were looking for but such a great trip none the less!
First stop after leaving the airport and picking up the rental car...fish tacos at the food trucks near Costco in Kahului.
We did the craziest thing ever. We drove right from the airport to Hana. The road to Hana is crazy long and windy and not the best thing to do right after waking up at 4:30 AM to catch a 6 hour flight to Maui but because we already had a hotel booked for Hana that's how it ended up. We stopped on the Ke'anae Peninsula to stretch our legs and enjoy the beautiful lava and ocean scenery...but mostly for the banana bread at Aunty Sandy's!
Exploring the cool lava tube on the road to Hana. Sara didn't want to go in but Katrina and I explored around a bit.
Such a cool little spot to explore
Our next stop was the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park
The black sand is so cool
We walked around the park a bit. It was nice to get some fresh air and walk after being in an airplane/car all day!
The next day we drove from our little apartment in Hana to the Pipiwai Trail. This banyan tree is so impressive!
Heading into the bamboo forest on the trail
This is probably my favorite hike in all of Maui
Especially because of the awesome waterfall at the end of the hike!
We stopped for a swim at the Venus Pools. It's so refreshing to jump in fresh water when you are all hot and sweaty from a big hike!
On the way back from Hana we stopped at a few more sites along the way. This was at Ko'olau Forest Reserve
Sara loves plants and couldn't believe the massive size of some of the plants in Hawaii. We walked around the Ke'anae arboretum because it is the best place to get up close to the rainbow eucalyptus tress.
I love the colors on these trees...plus the eucalyptus smells pretty:)
You know I'm stopping to get gelato in Paia after driving that long road from Hana!
After a crazy first 2 days driving to and from Hana we decided we needed a day on the beach! We relaxed all morning, reading books, snacking, jumping in the water when we got hot. It was lovely.
We saw 4 or 5 sting rays off the coast. It looked like one large sting ray followed by 3 or 4 smaller ones. We think it might have been a female trying to outrun some over zealous suitors!
Had to take a picture of this poor sailboat for Hyrum. Pretty sure it's not supposed to be on the beach like that!
We went into Wailea to walk around some shops and grab a bite to eat. There was a free hula show and we stayed and watched these cuties for a while.
Enjoyed a beautiful sun set over the ocean in Wailea
The next day we started off with breakfast at the Kihei Cafe...one of my family's favorite places!
Then we drove up into the Iao Valley. This cute little park is right near the entrance to Iao Needle and it's a fun little spot to walk around and explore. There are paths and pavilions and information from the cultures that first came to Hawaii to help on sugar plantations. There is a park for Japan, Korea, China and even Portugal!
After a little walk around the park we drove to the Iao Needle. It was a pretty cloudy day but luckily we could still see the rock formations.
It's always to peaceful to walk along the river at the Iao Needle park
We stopped at the Bailey House museum in Wailuku to learn about the early history of white settlers in Maui and what they might have seen and experienced.
Sara caught this photo of a cute little gecko, they are everywhere in Hawaii!
Ended our day with delicious pizza from Outrigger Pizza. We found a quite place in Kalama Park to enjoy our dinner...
...And another fabulous sun set in Maui
Another beautiful day in Maui for the beach.
Katrina and I went snorkeling and saw lots of fish and even a few sea turtles. I almost walked right into a sea turtle that was about 2 feet from me!
The fish tacos from South Maui fish company were amazing!
After lunch we made our way over to Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. This is a great walk for anyone that is interested in the native birds that are here in Maui.
Then it was a long drive up to the top of Haleakala Volcano!
Beautiful silver sword plants, they only grow on Haleakala
I was so excited we got to see Nene birds up close! Sometimes I don't even see one but this time I saw about 5!
Above the clouds on Haleakala. The view is spectacular up here on a clear day but there is also something amazing about being up here surrounded by the clouds...you feel like a bird!
Haleakala crater from 10,000 feet up!
Sara waiting for the sunset...it gets COLD up high when the sun goes down.
Another beautiful sunset in Maui (our last of the trip) There is no better way to end a trip to Hawaii than watching the sun set from one of its volcanoes...absolute magic!
