“Head”ed out for another great day in Maui

Every time I look at a map of Maui, it looks like a turtle to me. So, if you want to get into a honu’s head, there is a trip around the north shore that won’t disappoint!

Our first stop was a lookout over the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Here there are placards with information about the whales, a fairly short trail that leads towards the shore and a panoramic view of the ocean, which was “whale soup!” March was an excellent time to visit Maui and see the whales.

Our next destination was Kaanapali, where shopping and a beach were a winning combination. The mall features several high end stores and a Hawaiian favorite, ABC. There is a fee to park here, but if you spend at least $20, you can avoid the charge.

We continued on the road around the head of Maui winding around the beautiful scenery until we arrived at Honalua, the home of deliciousness in Hawaiian shave ice. I’m talking about the Coconut Caboose, where their shave ice is made from coconut water and served over gelato. There are several flavors to choose from, but I prefer lavender syrup and cinnamon gelato. As we savored the deliciousness, we looked out onto the beautiful bay. There were several vendors at the overlook with native art and jewelry for sale. As with many locations in Maui, I could have stayed longer enjoying the breeze and view, but it was time to move on the journey.

We stopped at Julia’s Banana Bread Stand, which was quite tasty, according to my friends. While they waited in line, I took off on a red dirt trail to see what I could see, since I am not a fan of banana bread. I was rewarded by more beautiful ocean views, with waves crashing into the black lava rocks at the end of the red sandy dirt.

Then it was a feast for the eyes at the blowhole, where the waves hit the rock formations and burst upwards like water spewing from a whale. Often my eyes were treated to a “rainblow” as the sun played in the ocean spray. It is a short hike from the parking area to the view from the top and then the trail continues down towards the blowhole. I hiked about halfway down the rocky trail and stopped to watch the spectacle from that point. It is possible to hike all the way to the blowhole, but signs in the area advise of the dangerous nature of this journey and fact that people have died doing it.

We made a couple of stops in Wailuku. We took a break at a little house with more banana bread (the best on the island, according to the purveyor) for sale, which we bought in exchange for using the restroom. We walked into the backyard of this property where there was a picnic table with an incredible view. Then we stopped at an art gallery and sculpture garden with amazing pieces for amazing prices (by amazing, I mean it was a look, but don’t touch place.)

After Wailuku we finished up our journey. It was another incredible Maui day.

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