A taste of Hawaii

I wish so badly I could share more of the beauty that Jon and I experienced in Hawaii, but on Tuesday of our honeymoon my camera died!! We were half way around Maui on our drive around the island, I was standing at a HUGE banyan tree waiting to get my picture taken and all we got was a black screen and the lens wouldn’t go back in… RIP little camera. So I guess this means Jon and I will just have to go back to get more pictures J We did get a few shots with Jon’s iphone, and I will try and upload some at a later point.

Jon and I most definitely experienced one of the best weeks imaginable while on Maui. Day one we flew in Saturday evening, rented our car and had a scenic 45 minute drive to our resort. We were driving just as the sun was going down and the sky was amazing as we drove along the ocean. Sunday we went to church, picked up some groceries for the week, and caught a few rays by the pool. Monday we went to big beach about an hour away, and enjoyed the big waves, salty breeze, and white sand.

Tuesday was our big day around the island. The first half of the day we spent driving around the north side of the island. It was full of lush greenery, countless streams and even a little rain. We stopped at little roadside stands and scenic look outs along the way. The road is so narrow and curvy that you don’t ever drive above 15 mph (and often times slower). After being in the car for about 5 hours Jon and I stopped at Haleakala National Park. We did a four-mile hike that was a pretty excellent tour of the wild life vegetation there. My favorite part was walking through the bamboo forest, and the waterfall at the end. At the park we also stopped by the seven sacred pools that drain out in to the crashing ocean. On our way back home the south side of the island is completely different. There are tons of rocks, barren of all the lush greenery on the north side. This side of the island is very dry, but views of the ocean are just as picturesque. This part of the drive was only three hours, so by the time we made it home we had been gone for 11 hours!! But this is a must do adventure if you’re visiting Maui!!

Wednesday was a beach day! We went west of our resort and found a nice sandy beach park to spend the afternoon. Jon said this new place we found is now his second favorite beach on the island, next to big beach.

Thursday was probably my favorite day of our trip. There was a local guy on our flight from Oahu to Maui that told us about this hike called Makmaka’ole. He said that most tourists don’t know about this spot, but it was an absolute must! So, we drove along highway 30 and at mile marker 8 there is a trail that starts just beyond the red fence. I was a bit leery about beginning the hike marked with a no trespassing sign, but there was clearly a trail there. As we preceded the hike took us along a river passing over the river several times before reaching the waterfalls at the end. Along the way we were presented with fresh, wild raspberries and guava right from the tree, this was a nice treat to our 45 minute hike. At the end there was a beautiful waterfall, and if you took a closer look you could see another waterfall above that one, with a climbing rope leading the way up. Jon and I quickly climbed up the rope to find another beautiful waterfall with a nice pool of water at the bottom, AND another rope. The second waterfall was about 30 feet high and I knew that I would be able to make it up, but coming back down would have been another story- I would have had a panic attack. Adventuresome Jon, gracefully made his way up the waterfall. Down below, I bask in the sun half sitting in a pool of water half perched on some rocks. Above, Jon was greeted with 4 more waterfalls! The first three were small with little pools, and the last one was the biggest! He reported that there was another rope to climb that one, but he didn’t risk it without any shoes or gear (THANKFULLY!!!!) After about 15 minutes of waiting Jon returned and just as swiftly and gracefully made his way down the thirty-foot wall. It was an absolutely splendid adventure, and when we return, I would love to bring gear, so that I can make it past the second waterfall! The rest of our afternoon was spent in the sun relaxing by the pool.

Friday was another beach day, and we needed it! The hike to Makamaka’ole tore my body apart, my arms and back were super sore from the climbing. Saturday we packed up, and spent the afternoon in walking around and shopping in Paia. That evening we headed to the airport for our flight to LA…. Back to reality. It was so sad to leave Muai, I cried a little tear or two, but Jon and I did have life together to look forward to.

We spent a couple days in LA, before heading back home, but I’ll share those adventures another time!

Hope you enjoy the pictures (they are not in order, sorry!!)!

Hana Beach Park, and the black sand beach

Random scenic look outs on the road to Hana

papaya and passion fruit seeds- SOO yummy!

Big Beach

Our resort at sun set

The night we got into Maui, our drive to the resort

Our place at Turtle Bay

The night before we got married- with my siblings

in front of the Laie Temple

Just before snorkeling with my mom and sisters

Waikiki Beach- The night we flew in!

Getting our marriage license.

In Dallas, on our way!!