Category Archives: Maui

Ka’anapali Shores 2017

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It took forever at the Budget Car rental. At the last minute I decided to rent a GPS because I wouldn’t have a co pilot to read a map. I told the rental agent I had been very unhappy with it the last time I rented and he promised to make sure it was up to date.

By the time I left the counter to locate my car it was full dark and starting to rain. Lovely. My favorite kind of weather for driving in an unfamiliar area! (NOT)

My first problem came when there was no car in B 70, my parking spot. I checked the whole row, and no SUV that matched my agreement. So luggage and I traipsed back to the rental counter. The agent was very sorry. It had been a busy day so he assigned me another vehicle.

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This one is E something. It was right where we could see it. A nice white SUV. (I’d asked for an economy car as it was just me but they were all out so I got the SUV upgrade for free).

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I loaded up and plugged in the GPS only to discover that on all the paperwork I had with me for the stay, not one had the address for Ka’anapali Shores. I tried searching in the GPS for the resort. Nothing. I tried Ka’anapali Beach club, nope. I knew if I could just get from the rental lot to the highway I’d be fine so I entered Maui Ocean Center. Bingo.

The car they gave me is brand new with a keyless start. I adjusted the seat and mirrors and hit start. The AC came on, the dash lit up but I didn’t go anyplace. I shut it off and tried again. Same thing so back to the counter I went. The agent told me to stand by and he’d send someone to help. Sure enough a couple of minutes later an older woman came jogging over. As soon as I told her the problem she said “Step on the Brake”. I told her I had so she said “Step Harder”. So I did and guess what, engine noise. It purrs LOL.

Now I was ready to head out. Except for one thing. Although the GPS said it had the directions, it just took me in  circle and I ended right back at Budget instead of passing the Maui Ocean center. I began to wonder if I’d ever get to the resort. By now I’m tired and getting frustrated. My sense of fun and adventure is rapidly deserting me. All I want is to get to the timeshare and hit the bed. I haven’t had a meal all day (eat a Snickers-you aren’t yourself when you’re hungry) so I took matters into my own hands.

I followed the signs out of the lot and as soon as I spotted a sign for Lahaina I started following those. 30 minutes later I was at the front desk being told my suite was in the pent house.

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I didn’t care, just give me a bed!

The Great Whale Photo Search

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I’m starting to get excited for my trip back to Maui. My timeshare called me. They tried to hook me up for a Luau and a special evening of wine and food put on by the executive chef. I said no to both. I’ve done enough Luau’s now that the thrill is gone. They are enjoyable but my mouth doesn’t hang open in wonder any more, not even for the fire dancers. As for a special culinary evening, I don’t drink and I’m not an adventurous  eater. Probably the most exotic thing I like is escargot. Calamari? Not a fan, salmon? Nope. Even with dessert I prefer plain and simple. Flans and crème brulee? Not interested. I’ll take a dish of chocolate ice cream, a slice of apple pie or a strawberry shortcake. A foodie vacation would not interest me.

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 What does interest me are animals. I’ve chased Elk all over from South Dakota

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(where I struck out) to Tennessee (where I finally caught up with them)

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So this trip to Maui is all about the whales and the posts on Facebook are really getting me in the right frame of mind. Just look at this photo taken by Anna Smith on a sunrise Whale Watch out of Lahaina. What an awesome shot!

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 Then there is this one from the same place  captured by naturalist Jackson Kowalski. Hats off to this photographer too.

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I want to capture my own version of this behavior. I’m ready. I can’t wait!

Only In a Grocery Store!

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I remember as a young single girl I was told that a great place to meet men was in the supermarket. I’m not sure I ever understood that but I think it had something to do with checking our the food in their carriage and you could tell from that if they were single.

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Whatever it was, it never worked for me. You can get frostbite hanging out in the frozen food section!

I mention this only because I’ve never found standing in a check out line a place to strike up a conversation of any depth but I have to eat my words now. (Along with a tasty muffin)

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Sunday morning I stopped in the local grocery store to pick up cat food and a lb of hamburger. I spent more on cat food than I did on my food but that;s not what I was getting to. What I wanted to share is that I got talking to this lovely lady that was in line behind me. I’m not even sure how it came about but before I knew it we were talking travel. She has a friend who just bought a home on the Big Island and she asked if I had ever been there. That led to a comparison of the various islands. She had been to Oahu and Maui.

We agreed that everyone should go to Oahu if for no other reason than to see Pearl Harbor but while you’re there visit the Polynesian Cultural Center too and I threw in a snorkel in Hanauma Bay.

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We both like Maui for just general pleasantness.

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Its more laid back than Oahu. But I think I still like the Big Island best. I love Volcano National Park and the excitement of an active volcano in the form of Kilauea.

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From Hawaii we made a brief stop in Houston because of the upcoming Superbowl (Go Pats) and then veered off to Kentucky.

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Neither of us had been there but one of her friends holds a Kentucky Derby Party every year with fancy hats and mint juleps.

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Then our conversation took a big jump to Alaska and the pros and cons of doing a cruise. Don’t miss Denali!

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By the time I finally reached the check out, we were well on the way to discussing international travel. I have to say it made standing in line go by really fast. I never even got the lady’s name but here’s to Happy Travels!

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MAUI FAQ

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I don’t mean to be going on and on about Maui but it was the last trip I took and I will be going back again in February so it’s on my mind.

In fact it is so much on my mind that it is distracting me from some other things that I should be focusing on.

Like the sleigh ride photos, wolves, a winter harbor cruise. I’ll update you on all that stuff once my mind is back here on the mainland.
Besides, I have all these neat pictures to share.

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 So today I thought I’s make a FAQ list and see if I can share some of the basic of Maui with you.

 What is the time difference from the continental US?

Hawaii has its own time zone, Hawaii Standard time. This is 5 hours behind EST and 2 hours behind Pacific Standard time. Hawaii does not observe Daylight Savings Time so add one extra hour to the time difference between March and November. (Quick tip…if you use your phone  in place of a watch it should automatically update. If it doesn’t turn it off and back on and that should get it to Island Time.)

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Where is the main airport on Maui?

The main airport is Kahului Airport (OGG). There are smaller commuter airports in Kapalua (West Maui and Hana (East Maui). It’s about a 45 minute drive from Kahului Airport to Lahaina.

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Do I need a car to get around on Maui?

Maui dose have public transportation, shuttles, tour buses and taxis but I found that to have the most freedom to explore a car really came  in handy.  There are car rentals at both the Kahului and Kapalua airports.

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Do I need my passport to get to Maui?

Hawaii is the 50th state so no, you don’t need a passport as long as you are traveling from the US. If you are coming from another country then you will need one. With all the security restrictions these days, I use my passport anyway for my ID. Something to think about.

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When can I see whales?

Whale watching season begins in December and runs to May. The whales begin arriving in late October and November but things don’t really get “hopping” until December when the ocean starts to get a large number of humpbacks.

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Well I think that sums up the most frequently asked questions for now. If I think of more, I’ll let you know. Feel free to jump in with your own questions. If I can’t answer  them now I’ll be sure to get answers when I visit Maui in February.

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Across the Gorge

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As you have probably figured out from my recent posts, things are a bit slow around here. I think even the new stations are having a tough time. Today the lead story was a fire in Seattle, 3000 miles away!

Around here the weather is unseasonably warm and any precipitation has been rain. In fact our f00t & 1/2 snow storm has all melted away. The landscape now is brown and drab. Not very inspiring for photos.

With no new photos to edit I took the time to start working through more of the pictures from Hawaii. Although I took a lot (according to the picture count on the camera over 600), not all are anything I want to share. When we took the trip on the Road to Hana many of the pictures had to be taken while our tour bus was moving and often someone from the other side of the bus would pop up and get in the frame so they could get a picture with their cell phones. There wasn’t much consideration.

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Sometimes the only shots were directly into the sun so exposure was a problem, not to mention that they were taken through the bus windows. I know it sounds like excuses and I still value those shots for the memories but they are not what I would share if I want to “Show off”.

But I did run across one that I really like even if it has some issues. So here it is.

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I like this one because you can see a tour bus pulled over near the bridge. That’s a one lane bridge. We had just crossed the bridge and the road made a hairpin turn setting us up to be able to look back at where we had just come from. Without that bus to give a sense of  scale, this would just be another roadside waterfall.