Our first trip and vacation to Maui was a wonderful surprise for my husband and me. My son loves the island and with his encouragement we traveled to the island of Maui. All the pictures of Maui had been of lush rainforests. We were expecting the green of home with a warmth that we had been lacking this summer. Surprise! The resorts are all in the rainshadow and dry scrub land like southern California or Texas with sugar cane fields a bit inland. We were both mulling over how desert like everything around the resorts were and neither of us took pictures of the scrub land. We were enjoying and acclimating to the warmth. Nice. We settled down for relaxing week by the beach. Morning and evenings were great times to go down to the beach, a short five minute walk across the street. Park III looking down to the beach ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Park III ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) After the first morning's orientation we decided to do a tour along the Hana Highway. Rainforest awaits. Parts of the Hana Highway/Road are off-limits to rental cars so we would not be able to go all around the bottom part of the island without a tour. Although I grew up on the backroads of rural Idaho I was glad to be in a tour van. The road was a lot of single lane parts with a lot of big eyed tourists driving this mountainous road that dropped into the Pacific Ocean on one side and the vertical mountain on the other. One lane roads with limited pull-outs made having a driver familiar with the roads fun so that we could sight-see. David hates it when I drive and sight-see at the same time. ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) We got lots of natural history and enjoyed the tour guides filling us in on local history and color. We went from the dryland of the resorts to the rainforests and rivers, into farmlands, then to lava lands and back to the up-lands and farming before hitting home at the resort. ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) tourists on the road/bridge. did I mention this is a one lane road? with cars going both ways? ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) rainbow eucalyptus ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Hana Valley ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) horse under a banyan tree ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) the photo doesn't show how much on the edge we were here...but we were! ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) lava field scrub lands. lots of goats hiding out there ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) lava rock fencing in cattle country ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) the blue flowers on an arbor...at the winery ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) The poor driver was a good ten hours hauling us around. My husband and I were tired and all we had done was sight-see and take of few walks. I can't imagine how tired we would have been if we'd been driving too.
It is a great place, I have visited it a couple of times and are booked to go again on the 20th Sept. Went on the cruise around the islands last year. I like photographing the flowers and the birds. Here are the flowers, Hawaiian Flowers.
What gorgeous scenery!! I love the rainbow eucalyptus and those amazing waterfalls. What a beautiful place Maui is. I've always wanted to visit an Hawaiian Island and after seeing your photographs I'd like to go even more now.
We will be in the area the end of October. Nice to see pictures and descriptions ahead of time. Jerry
Kildale, awesome flowers. I think you will need to get a few more photos though. Some were missing :-D . Guess you will have to get a few more photos unless you are only going for the local varieties. I'd never seen such a variety from around the tropical world. I know you will enjoy your visit in September. Eileen I am sure you would enjoy a visit. I know you wouldn't be as naive as my husband and myself and be shocked at the desert scenery on the resort side. It was all beautiful in its own way though.
Jerry I am sure you will enjoy yourself. It really has a wonderful variety of ecosystems both on land and sea.
I should have visited my sister when when she lived there. Maybe one day. It sure is breathtaking... especially the waterfalls and the beaches.
Great photos Jewell. We are going to Maui for the first time in Oct. Your photos are making me very excited to go. We are also going to spend a week on Kauai. Thanks for sharing. What area of Maui did you stay?
Okay.... so Jewell just returned from Hawaii. Kildale is going in Sept. Jerry will be there in October. And Gayle too. Shall we see if Frank can organize a Hawaiian 'Stew vacation package?
Aloha! Well Jewell--it is plain to see that you had a superb vacation to Maui. The great fotos reflect that. I have to say that I REALLY liked that second foto. I find it especially artistic. You were here today, and gone to Maui!
Wow! Cherylad, I think you have something there! gfreiherr, I am sure you will have a lovely time, pace yourself because there is a lot to see and do. Thanks Netty, Sjoerd, and Calinromania it was beautiful to see and makes me so happy to be home My fingernails were actually clean for a whole ten day
