Maui FUN!

It's been a very busy couple of weeks.  My sister Gina and her wonderful husband Mark (we call him SAINT Mark - trust me, my sisters and i are a handful!) invited me to join them on Maui where they have a timeshare.  What could I do?

oceanfront view from our room at sunset

They had a beautiful oceanfront room in Lahaina.  The weather was fabulous - 5 nights, 6 days (for me, that is.... they stayed 10 days) - snorkeling, hiking, fish tacos and strawberry margaritas - I had an amazing time!

Honolua Bay Beach Reserve where we snorkeled...

I'm a timid swimmer, so Gina and I rented foam swim belts - so much better than trying to hold onto a foam noodle to snorkel in and out of the reef tunnels...and we rented lightweight plastic fins - a great improvement over the heavy rubber ones I have at home!
After snorkeling we took a drive up the coast...but went too far and ended up on a narrow one lane road that wound around the coastline.....we stopped for fruit smoothies and toured several art galleries /studios.

cool wood and concrete sculptures

we hiked to the Nakalele Blowhole, but the tide was out and the blow hole was not blowing.

hiking down to the olivine pools...named after the olivine rocks that are abundant around the pools.
It was very rocky.....

another ocean blow hole that wasn't blowing

the pools

swimming in the pools with Gina- tropical fish nipping at our toes!

stone grave

Ke'ane Congregational Church

Ti maze outside Hana

inside the Lava Tube Cave

low ceiling ahead!

Next day we took the road to Hana, and because there is so much to see along the way there and back, we rented a house for overnight.

House we rented in Hana...looked pretty ugly on the outside- but was adorable inside!

lounge lizards in the heavenly windowseat

being silly with face masks and good wine!

In the garden at the house in Hana...

opened 

 The next day we went to the 7 sacred ponds and waterfall...

pools towards the ocean

pools towards the waterfalls

closer....
and then we went on 4 hr hike into the bamboo forest to a 400 foot waterfall.

the hike was up a mountain - up, up, up.

lots of rocky steps and unruly roots....

giant banyon tree

more steps.

bamboo- we're almost there

more waterfalls along the way.

Lordy.  more steps.

Egads- my ankles are not happy!  more UP!

when will it end?

pretty rocky here...still going up...

a rivlet to cross

at last- the waterfall - straight ahead!

a brief few steps down- into a creek to be crossed.

woohoo - we made it!

BREATHTAKING!  (Gigi and the waterfall!)

We ate lunch on the rocks next to the 400 foot waterfall. Mama's comfort food - bean burritos and brownies...LOL!
 Swimming was not advised because loose rocks might fall from the above cliffs and fall on your head.

heading back....3 1/2 hrs up / 1/2 hr back down!

Gigi and Me!

We had a blast!