Time To Say Goodbye!

Our trip has come to an end!  In one way I am glad to be going home to a place I know and love, to
be surrounded with family and friends once again.  But, I hear winter is lingering longer than it should, and I'm not thrilled to experience the last thralls of its wrath!

We were pleasantly surprised by one last unexpected night in Hawaii due to a delayed flight that had us missing our next two connections.  The airline put us up in a hotel, and we had an extra evening,
and all the next day because we weren't flying out until that night!

We are now at home, and the washing machine is getting a workout, a grocery trip has filled the fridge, the vacuum is making its roar!  Oh joy, it's almost like we never left!!

Soon we will be planning for another adventure, until then adios!!

Road Trip

When in Maui be like a local...that is... you need a car.  There are many things to see and do, and to be able to get to all these places you need to have wheels.

We drove up the north coast to get a look at something that is called a Blowhole.  It is a tube formation in the rock that lies up against the ocean.  When the waves crash  against the lava rocks, the water runs through the tube and then up and out of the rock creating a geyser type effect!  Quite fantastic.  I guess some guy last year got too close and was swept into the blowhole and died!!  Yikes!!

                                          The blowhole.  It is much more spectacle than this.
                                          My camera and me are just too slow to get the
                                          awesome shot!!

   
                                         Randy and Marie!

                                          Northern coastline of Maui

                                          Olivine pools (one of Maui's little gems that is gradually
                                           being discovered by tourists).

                                          The pools are great to sit in.  The waters are warm
                                           filled with small fish.

                                          The interior of Maui is breathtaking.  My camera
                                          does not do it justice!!

Good Friends!!

The last few days in Maui were spent with dear friends that we seldom get to see.  We had an absolutely wonderful visit!!

                                          Having a nice meal with our good friends
                                          Marie and Randy.

                                          Marie and Me at the beach.  One of our most favourite
                                          things to do!!

Maui Dogs

                                               I howled with laughter when I saw these two!!!

Craters and Lava Flows

We took a drive up to Maui's crater, which can be found in Haleakala National Park.  The drive was beautiful, windy, and an experience in itself.  You travel from beach to cowboy country, through proteas and jacarandas, onward to silverswords and space stations. Unfortunately, the day was rainy and the clouds were socked in, so we weren't able to see as much as we would have liked to.  The crater sits at 9,745 feet above sea level so it was fairly cool, and we were dressed in beach attire, and we felt quite frozen.  We took and quick peek around, went inside the Visitor center, read some of the blurps about the the crater and took off back down the road for warmer climates!

                                          The road up to the crater.

                                        
                                         Not easy to see but this is the view of the crater from
                                          the inside of the info building.

                                       
                                          The nene... a Hawaiian goose.

Ahihi-Kina'u National Park Reserve is an area that experienced Maui's last lava flow around 120 years ago.  We parked the car and took a short hike along a path that takes you through the flow.  The black rock makes the landscapes look as if you have entered another world!