Day 9: West Maui

Friday, September 4, 2015

Huh? That sure looks like a blue sky when I open my eyes … woohoo! I was so bummed that we were going to have 3 days of crappy weather, but this looks postcard perfect.

Panic!! My Maui guidebook has gone missing! Did I pack it? Did I lose it? Not sure, but I definitely need one so we stop by the hotel library to see if anyone has left a guidebook (no). Luckily, the ABC Store comes through as always and they have a newer version of my trusty old guidebook! Also got my first Hawaiian French vanilla cappuccino and it is tres bien!

Since we don't know what tomorrow will bring, we drive down to the Gazebo for breakfast. The line, as always, is long and slow moving, but I see they now have umbrellas for people to shelter from the sun. I send Sandy & T off to check out the bay, while I hang out with the young Asian couple behind me – well, their umbrella really; we did not talk, but there seemed to be an unspoken agreement that I got to hang out in their shade haha.

The Gazebo is tiny! They have a beautiful 180+ degree view of Napili Bay with lots of windows and the trade winds blowing through the shutters. 

I have successfully turned T into a POG lover and we both start with some POG juice, while Sandy is thrilled to learn their ice tea isn't flavored.

T orders a vegetable omelet and Sandy has boring plain buttermilk pancakes, while I have my usual white chocolate chip pancakes. They didn't hold back and I keep biting into incredible pockets of ooey gooey melted chocolate. Yet somehow they were almost upstaged by this fancy, juicy pineapple spear!

Even though they already did quite a bit of exploring before breakfast, I talk them into going back down so I can play in the tide pools too. This might be good time to point out that none of us had put on sunscreen yet ...

But first we walk past the little on site jewelry store again and Sandy finally buys the whale pendant she has been looking at for years. It is really pretty.

As is Napili Bay!

Cute little pupper enjoying the view.

The tide pools are a source of endless entertainment for toddlers, and my cousin and I haha.

There are so many interesting critters hiding between the rock and if you watch quietly for a while you start to notice more and more, because many are well camouflaged. 

We walk a ways around the bay, then start heading back towards the Gazebo. If you look closely, you can just make out its pointy roof.

This gorgeous spot is just before you round the corner towards the gazebo. 

The steep shores of the bay make it an excellent place to observe what's known as clapotis, which basically means two waves traveling from opposite directions meeting each other head on. Here, the steep shore causes the incoming waves to roll back into the bay at high speed and reform into outgoing waves that clash with waves coming in.

And then we are back at the Gazebo!

Since we already headed north, we might as well continue on Hwy 30 and do a little tour of northwest Maui.

We drive straight to Nakalele blowhole parking lot at mile marker 38. We had taken the other trail before, but this one sounded interesting also … except it soon starts looking pretty steep, so we spare Tjitske more downhill torture and head to the other parking lot instead.

This other trail turns out to not be any better for her, but at least she and Sandy get to hang out and watch the blowhole from a distance. Works great for everyone!

Scrambling up and down hills is my favorite, so of course I made it to the bottom, or at least as close to the water as I felt comfortable getting. 

Blowholes and rock ledges near the ocean are beautiful to look at it, but also incredibly dangerous. If the rocks are wet, there's a good chance that every once in a while a big wave will come through that submerges that area and has the potential to drag you out to sea. Even dry areas could be hit by a rogue wave.

This little video I made shows the power of the blowhole and also how quickly things can change.

On the other side, angry skies combined with aquamarine waves are creating a different kind of spectacle.

Looking back up, I must admit that perhaps this trail too was a bit steep. You can just make out Tjitske and Sandy sitting near the top just to the left of center.

After we get back to the car, we continue on Hwy 30 to the end of the state highway. At this point the road becomes narrower and windier so we decide to turn around. 

On our way back we stop at the Ohai trail, an easy trail that we've never done before. 

It's a very pleasant surprise; you know all those impossibly green flowing landscapes you see while driving, but can't ever get a good picture of through the windshield? This is the place to go! You can even see Kahakuloa Head in the distance.

Green is the new black? 

Lots of flowers in bloom.

While we're taking a break at the bench overlooking the ocean (there's only the one haha), we realize the sun has done quite a number on us today. Tjitske is pretty much burned all over, while I have a tank top tan, which could have been a lot worse since I'd been hiking in my bikini top. That Hawaiian sun is no joke!

Beautiful ocean views 

Tjitske might not be a fan of heights, but even she can't resist climbing on some boulders.

And here she is getting some shots of the rocky coastline to the south of Punalau. Braver than she gives herself credit for! 

Punalau Beach seen from the cliffs. I believe this beauty might be privately owned, which would explain the empty beach.

Honolua Bay is one of the premier surfing destinations on Maui, but it is also known as one of the better snorkeling sites --- when there aren't monster waves chasing you down! 

Last time we were here, there was a lot of wave action, but today the water is still. 

It looks murky on the left side, probably from the stream that's flows into the bay there, but the right looks decent and a few people are out snorkeling so we park at the trail head and head down to the water.

Near-shore visibility is poor and Tjitske doesn't feel like swimming out through murky water, or hiking across boulders to get to the right side so we head off in search of clearer waters, but not before taking a moment to appreciate this postcard worthy scene.

I like the walk itself too. The path leads through some pretty dense tropical jungle, a shallow stream and past this magical old tree with an abundance of hanging vines.

While Sandy drives, I leaf through my brand new guidebook looking for a more suitable beach. Nearby Kapalua happens to be on our way and it is described as a great swimming beach. The visibility usually isn't great, but at least we should all be able to get into the water.

I believe this pretty little flower is a bottle brush.

The beach is a golden crescent backed by palm trees. Surprisingly, several people are out snorkeling, so I rush back to the car to grab our snorkel sets from the trunk. 

 

Someone's getting married! 

With two burned backs and only one T shirt to go around (Sandy's) I send Tjitske out to explore first, but the fins are giving her trouble so she decides to stick to swimming.

I love snorkeling and would pretty much snorkel in a a bowl of milk, so while visibility isn't great, I'm all about giving it a go. To my surprise, it's actually clearer than when we went to Black Rock and Ke'e. 

After canvassing the bay a bit, I discover an area with better visibility on the right side of the bay. Unfortunately, I don't spot any unusual fish, and it's still too murky to take decent pictures.

Swimming back to the other side, it becomes a lot murkier, and suddenly a dark shape shifts through the water next to me …

It's a honu (that's Hawaiian for turtle)! Yay! Then another one shows up. So happy my friends are hanging in there in all this crazy weather and surf.

After changing into some dry clothes we drive to Dollies Bar & Pub in Kanaha. It's truly a bar; noisy, tacky and not all that appealing when we walk in, but Tjitske is willing to give it a shot. Sadly, we ended up having to wait for our food for quite some time and T's vegetarian pasta is more pasta and garlic bread than vegetable. The pizza Sandy & I split wasn't great either. Ah well ... they can't all be winners.

♥

Breakfast: The Gazebo at Napili Bay
Dinner: Dollies Bar & Pub

Hotel: Ashton Paki Maui