quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
Maybe we will do a sunset. I think it must be a computer glitch that showed tickets available for 9/29 as it appears they release tickets two days ahead. How cold is it for a sunset?

It's been warm and comfortable, but usually windy

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Originally posted by P210:

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Originally posted by MRBTX:
Kula Lodge in upcountry is a nice restaurant. Not on the level of Mama’s but a great view, the food is good, and there’s a store across the parking lot with lots of cool stuff.

Nice fireplace and great view but the food isn’t the greatest and they mostly rely on tourists who heard about it from folks who went back when it was better vs locals. Kula Bistro has much better food. I suggest comparing their menus on YELP and reading reviews there and on Trip Advisor. It’s also BYOB so you can bring good wine, and there’s a general store across the street with beer and wine if you forgot to bring any. I go to the Bistro a lot and not because I enjoy the long drive from Kihei, but because it’s worth the drive.

I like the Kula Bistro menu so we will check it out. We will be staying in Wailuku.

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Originally posted by kkina:
There's the standard sights/attractions (Lahaina old whaling village, Haleakala Crater, Ka’anapali Beach, the road to Hana/Seven Sacred Pools), but to them I'll add the Old Lahaina Luau, consistently rated the best luau anywhere in Hawaii.

Ugh, that luau is booked into November!

^Bummahs, man!

I go a few times a year to surf and I have friends on the island so it’s mostly a free trip for me as I don’t pay for flights, lodging, and can usually bum a car. My food cost doesn’t increase as I stock up at Costco when I get there same as I do at home. So I try to go as often as I can.

When I go, one of the best things to do, is absolute nothing. Chill out. Grab some water, a meal of some sorts (recommend Foodland Poke bowl), a Tommy Chair and plant your ass at the beach for sunset. Kihei is a great spot for this and my favorite on the island. One of my friends lives in Kihei and sunset has the sun setting right on the water. Interplanetary feel. Grab some Maui Brewing Bikini Lager and just chill out on the beach.
Close to Kihei is a spot for the Turtles. They’ll swim up and sunbathe on the beach. It’s a nice area to swim or use a boogie board to just paddle around, especially at sunset. If you have or rent a snorkel setup you’ll get turtles going right by you under water and get great visuals. Just don’t touch them, let them be.

Another do nothing event is check at 10 or 11pm. Look up and see if the cloud cover is there or if it’s cleared out. If it’s clear….. Man, about 1am on the beach you will see stars like you have never before. No need for the Haleakalā Observatory. You can DIY with no glass. Many nights I have reclined the Tommy and just tripped out, dead sober. Felt like I was on Mars looking at the galaxy. Outside of the surf it’s the best thing on the island to do. I have never seen the galaxy like I have in Maui. Just get away from the spots with a lot of light pollution. It’s literally incredible, and fucking free.

If she is not very mobile then there are a couple things I’d suggest. Sunset from Lahaina on a boat. You can spring for a dinner package but I do the cheaper option which is drinks for sunset. It’s worth it. It’s a different experience being on the boat lounging on the water for sunset.

The other is a run to Molokini. I don’t know if she’d be willing to get in the water but it’s a low impact event. Vest, snorkel mask and just float. The crater is really cool, amazing.

Covid did one thing, it kept most travelers away for a year. My friends that live there tell me they could instantly tell the water is better, because it doesn’t have all the sunscreen floating in it. BTW, get some sunscreen that doesn’t affect the reefs. They sell it at Costco. Use that stuff instead of traditional stuff.

Many suggestions already given are solid. Just remember to respect the island and the natives. Maui is not the mainland. You’re a visitor. Respect the place like it’s your grandma’s house. Don’t litter, don’t act entitled, be extremely courteous. If you do the Aloha spirt will reward you. Things move real slow there. Traffic, slow, lines at the grocery store, well it’s an exercise in patience. Driving, you’ll be able to tell if it’s locals, just move over and let them by. Most everyone else drives the speed limit or under. And remember what I said, make time to do nothing. I cannot overemphasize this enough. A friend gives me timeshare once in a while on Kaanapali. Real nice resort/hotel type setup. I see people run themselves completely ragged. Hana, and all the tourist traps. One of the best things you can do is just relax, soak in the Aloha, and just minimize the driving, the running around, etc. Food stands/trucks have the best food to me, and the local grocery stores have killer fish so no need for restaurants, at least for me. I spend my fun money renting a surf board, SUP, taking a Molokini trip or Lahaina sunset boat. And if it rains, just reroute to another part of the island. When I’m there each time if it rains it doesn’t rain over the whole island, just a section.

One last thing. My first trip I packed all sorts of shit. A complete waste. You need a couple pair of board shorts, underwear, couple of T’s and a pair of flip flops. I’ll take my vest and gloves if I plan on renting a ski, and my wetsuit if I go in the winter. That’s it. I’ve gone a few times where I have a backpack in carry on and that’s it. It’s the place to go in this world where you don’t need a bunch of shit. Minimal packing. When you land at OGG, Costco and Walmart are right there. So fill up the car with gas, get your supplies when you land and start relaxing. Mahalo.

That is some great info Prefontaine! I appreciate it and will follow some of your advice!

Upcountry in Kula there is the Hawaii Sea Spirits Distillery. They make excellent Rum and Vodka from their own grown Organic sugar cane. I am not the spirits connoisseur but their Rum is fantastic. To me it's as smooth as silk. They have tastings and tours. Reservations recommended. And you can buy spirits there to bring home to me..I mean you

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
Maybe we will do a sunset. I think it must be a computer glitch that showed tickets available for 9/29 as it appears they release tickets two days ahead. How cold is it for a sunset?

Well I got lucky! I called the park and it turns out it was indeed a computer glitch as they only release ticket two ads in advance but they confirmed I did secure tickets and am too to go. It is meant to be for my mom to see the sunrise!

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Originally posted by StorminNormin:

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Originally posted by StorminNormin:
Maybe we will do a sunset. I think it must be a computer glitch that showed tickets available for 9/29 as it appears they release tickets two days ahead. How cold is it for a sunset?

Well I got lucky! I called the park and it turns out it was indeed a computer glitch as they only release ticket two ads in advance but they confirmed I did secure tickets and am too to go. It is meant to be for my mom to see the sunrise!

Glad it worked out for you. Let me know if you need anything while you’re here.

I took the Road to Hana coach tour when I was there in 2008. (Photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157608502187153/) If you are an aviation buff, there is a small church along that road where Charles Lindbergh is buried. It is called the PALAPALA HOOMAU Congregational Church at Kipahulu. His grave is in the garden.

flashguy

If you do the Road to Hana - stop off at the Aunt Sandy's banana bread bakery !

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Originally posted by Graniteguy:
If you do the Road to Hana - stop off at the Aunt Sandy's banana bread bakery !

Yup, got that as a marked stop for sure!

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Originally posted by flashguy:
I took the Road to Hana coach tour when I was there in 2008. (Photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157608502187153/) If you are an aviation buff, there is a small church along that road where Charles Lindbergh is buried. It is called the PALAPALA HOOMAU Congregational Church at Kipahulu. His grave is in the garden.

flashguy

Unfortunately I could not view your pictures. I had an old Flickr account and it made me change my password to a crazy 12 character password to log in to see your pictures and then kept me in a loop of send me a confirmation email of continuing to change my password but never letting me in. I gave up.

Edit: I kept at it and FINALLY got in. Great pictures!

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Originally posted by StorminNormin:

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I took the Road to Hana coach tour when I was there in 2008. (Photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157608502187153/) If you are an aviation buff, there is a small church along that road where Charles Lindbergh is buried. It is called the PALAPALA HOOMAU Congregational Church at Kipahulu. His grave is in the garden.

flashguy

Unfortunately I could not view your pictures. I had an old Flickr account and it made me change my password to a crazy 12 character password to log in to see your pictures and then kept me in a loop of send me a confirmation email of continuing to change my password but never letting me in. I gave up.

Edit: I kept at it and FINALLY got in. Great pictures!

Thank you for the compliment. You should not need any permission to view my photos--they are open to public view. Perhaps your computer was noticing the link to Flickr and trying to connect to your older sessions.

flashguy

I bought a book called 9th Edition Maui Revealed The Ultimate Guidebook. It is awesome and I have read all of it. It has really helped me plan out the trip and prioritize what I will stop to see and do on each day of my journeys. I am planning out a pretty ambitious itinerary but I want to see all parts of the island.

9/25 - arrive
9/26 - grocery shop at Costco and visit South Maui.
9/27 - Road to Hana trip and go all the way around. Not just to Hana and back.
9/28 - Drive the loop of West Maui.
9/29 - Haleakala sunrise and visit park.
9/30 - Maui Ocean Aquarium and dinner at Hula Grill.
10/1 - Depart.

I have bought extra batteries and memory cards for my camera as I plan to takes lots of pictures and video.

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Originally posted by Graniteguy:
If you do the Road to Hana - stop off at the Aunt Sandy's banana bread bakery !

Supposedly Julia’s Banana Bread in Kahakula is the best but I plan to get both and do a taste test!!!

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:

quote:

Originally posted by Graniteguy:
If you do the Road to Hana - stop off at the Aunt Sandy's banana bread bakery !

Supposedly Julia’s Banana Bread in Kahakula is the best but I plan to get both and do a taste test!!!

I know it’s heresy but I think the banana bread at farmers markets here is usually quite good and sometimes better. Still, it’s hard to drive by Julia’s without stopping for something to snack on.

This take out place is on Dairy Road, near Costo. The Chef Owner decided he’d rather do this than run fancy restaurants. Worth a try if you’re nearby and its open.

https://tinroofmaui.square.site/

If you’re in Lahaina looking for a burger or salad this is way better than Cheeseburger in Paradise.

https://www.coolcatcafe.com/pdf/ccc-maui-nov-2020.pdf

Well I am two days out from flight to Maui. My mom and I got tested today and have our negative COVID results for non-quarantine. Sadly I had to cancel our tickets to the Maui Ocean Center as they now only let in people who show proof of vaccination and my mom is not/will not get vaccinated. I am vaccinated but I am not going without her.

No worries on the Ocean Center. Maui's reefs are the Ocean Center. Grab a mask/snorkel (cheap to rent) and you can see quite a bit in 4 feet of water. Just stay away from the turtles - they tend to be the favorite snack of the resident Tigers.

One other thing I thought of is to stargaze. You're in the middle of the Pacific with no major cities to light the sky. Night skies in cartoons in movies were real in Maui.