Salty & Sweet - Maui

I just got home from a blissful 6 days in Maui. It was pretty much just as I expected and a lovely break after Spring madness at work and before spending 2 weeks in Europe with Brian in TEN DAYS!!! I'm so excited!

I booked an Airbnb on the North Shore up in the hills and I was so beautiful. The guy had 10 acres with perfectly manicured grass; coconut, orange, mango, banana, and avocado trees; and orchids; and the trade winds would blow through at night so it was cool enough to sleep and I'd wake up in the mornings to pouring rain outside of my open window. I can't believe I managed to find the place...the directions were really something else, let me tell you (turn right between milepost 14 and 14.5, go 40 yards, over 3 speed bumps, turn left, past the cows 3 minutes, over the hill, right on a dirt road 3 miles, left.... Always a hoot in the rain and pitch darkness). 

My first morning, I woke up super early and found the most amazing little cafe with delicious coffee for breakfast. I ate my omelette and drank about a gallon of coffee waiting for the rain to clear a bit and then continued on to the road to Hana.

It started out as a winding, narrow road through the jungle crossing bridges and waterfalls and eventually opened up to the ocean on the left. Hana itself was tiny and, in my opinion, overrated, so I continued on to the West side of the Island and there, the terrain and scenery totally changed.

Gradually, the trees gave way to brush and the ocean got closer, the road got more rough and narrow, and the views, more broad. The views reminded me so much of the road in Iceland that we took between the Vik and the Blue Lagoon...it was just huge fields of rock and the sea. I pulled over in a canyon on my right and hiked in, but it soon got really hot and I hadn't prepared for a long hike, so I didn't explore it as deeply as I would have liked. There were goats running around and even some bones tucked under the rocks and the trees were really cool...it almost had a Mediterranean, Greek, ancient vibe. I've never been, but I'll let you know when I go :) I turned towards the ocean and  made my way down a rough cliff to the water and black sand and cooled off for a bit, soaking in the total serenity. There was a little cove in the cliff with trees perfect for drying off in the shade. 

There were a bunch of trails leading to various overlooks over the ocean complete with billy goats trotting around, but it got so windy that it was kind of just miserable and borderline dangerous to be precariously standing on rock cliffs with 200 foot drops on 3 sides, but I enjoyed the views nonetheless. Just a side note - I asked a few people about the road and if I needed 4x4 and everyone said, absolutely, yes. No. You don't need one. I ended up with a Pathfinder which was massive and totally unnecessary...with the crazy narrow roads all over Maui and the gas prices ($4/gallon), you'll be better off with a compact. 

I drove on for miles and eventually back towards my little surf-side town for a bite to eat and an afternoon on Ho'okipa beach to watch the windsurfers and turtles come up on the sand to bask.

Saturday was a lazy day spent on the first nude beach in my experience. It was a quiet beach with 3 people, and the 3 guys that were there were, well, nude. No others girls but I felt totally comfortable being at least topless there. I don't think that will be my last nude beach experience, but for now, can check that one off my list ✓

Sunday, I opted to venture to the touristy side of the Island for some snorkeling. The previous day, I'd slipped while walking on the exposed reef and sliced my toe open, so I couldn't get that foot in flippers and opted just to go without. I drove over to a spot called 5 Caves that is supposedly world-class snorkeling and scuba diving, but quickly realized that I was in just a tad over my dead. Within about 5 seconds of stepping underwater, I stepped on a sea urchin. I couldn't really see out of my mask and I didn't have flippers so I was just kind of feeling my way through. Then my phone started freaking out (it's an S8 so it's supposed to be waterproof) because I got water between the screen protector and the phone, so it wouldn't take pictures or do much of anything unless I took the case off. I was fooling around with it and trying to not step on anything when the waves started picking up and thrashed me around into the rocks and after about an hour and a half, I decided to just make it another lazy beach day.

Monday I drove up to Waihe'e Ridge Trail with the intent of a nice scenic hike promising a variety of landscapes and views. The farther up I drove, the thicker the clouds became until I got to the parking lot for the trail head and found pouring rain. The beginning of the trail was concrete but gradually became super muddy switchbacks and I realized what I was in for as I passed person after person wiping mud off of their back and legs after they'd slipped on the way down. Needless to say, there wasn't much to see up there, but the hike was beautiful in the trees and the rain. 

I also spent some time at the Maui Tropical Plantation and "Insta-famous" Sunflower fields...then made my way back to my favorite beach for the afternoon :) 

Overall, it was a beautiful, relaxing trip. I really never thought I'd ever go to Maui because it just seemed so expensive and luxurious, but I was happy to get a great deal on flights and a mellow, locals kind of area to stay in.