Where In The World Is Sum1?

Maui ----- Wowie!

Warning Will Robinson, Warning!  This may will be a long entry, one you may find boring.  But it's all about Hawaii, so it can't be that bad, can it?

         Last week I was sent to Maui to deliver a class.  This was Thanksgiving week, so I decided I should take a little personal time off, and spend Thanksgiving on the islands.  It was quite the experience, one I wish everyone could enjoy.  I was very pleasantly surprised at how 'rural' the entire island of Maui is.  There are no major highways/freeways like you find on Oahu.  True, there are highways, but they are more like small state highways here on the mainland.  To recap my time there a little....

Friday - Flew to Maui from O'Hare on Friday morning, with a 2 hour layover in Los Angeles.  The plane landed at LAX on time, but the connecting flight was delayed in Las Vegas.  It was not comforting to hear that the plane had experienced a hydraulic leak, which had been corrected.  But a 4-5 hour flight over the ocean with a plane that had gone through mechanical problems didn't sit too well in my mind.  Finally arrived in Maui at 8pm, about 2-3 hours later than planned.  That was midnight Illinois time, and I was beat.  Drove to the hotel and checked in, but it wasn't until later that I really appreciated where I was staying.

Saturday - I managed to sleep until about 5 in the morning (9am Illinois time), but tossed and turned from 3-5.  I relaxed a bit in the room, then went to breakfast in Kihei town.  I made sure to order some hot, fresh malasadas (If you get to visit Hawaii, be sure you have some of these.  They are originally a Portuguese pastry, but the islands have adopted them as their own.  The best place to get them is on Oahu, at Leonards Bakery), and fried eggs with Portuguese sausage and rice.  Since I had 2 days to adjust to Hawaii time (I never did completely adjust to that time), I thought I'd play tourist some.  I'd lived in Hawaii while in the Navy, and seen many beaches on Oahu.  So visiting a beach wasn't high on my priority list.  Seeing the sights on Maui was.  Off I went to Haleakala!    Haleakala is the extinct volcano on Maui's eastern side, and dominates the landscape.  During the drive, you go from sea level to over 10,000 feet in altitude.  It is quite the drive; even though it's only about 60 miles from the hotel to the summit, it's a 3-4 hour drive.  At least it was for me, because I stopped frequently to appreciate the view.  Funny how the drive back was shorter, lasting about 2 hours. I was still exhausted from the flight, so I napped for a couple of hours, then went to Lahaina for dinner.  I would recommend the Lahaina Fish Company to anyone who visits Maui.

Sunday - This was much like Saturday, except this time I drove the road to Hana.  Hana is a small town on Maui's east coast, but it's the drive to get there that is enchanting.  It's 52 miles (84km) from Kahului, and takes about 2.5 hours to drive when no stops are made.  The highway is very winding and narrow, had over 59 bridges, 46 of which are only one lane wide. There are approximately 620 curves along Route 360 from just east of Kahului to Hāna, virtually all of it through lush, tropical rainforest.  Many of the concrete and steel bridges date back to 1910 and all but one are still in use.  It took me about 3.5 hours to get there, but I find it almost impossible to describe it's beautiful scenery.  I intended to continue to driving around the island, but noticed on the map that one section was labeled as "Unpaved, not recommended unless in a 4 wheel drive vehicle".  So, I drove back.

Monday & Tuesday - What can I say, I was sent there to teach a class, so I worked those days.  Sightseeing was not practical, but I still loved every minute of it.

Wednesday - Time for another drive, this time around Maui's west side.  Once again, I didn't see the small print on the map until I was well into the route.  There's a section on the map that is labeled "Narrow Winding road, proceed at your own risk".  What it didn't say, is that for a 10 mile stretch, it is a one lane road that winds along cliffs, with some sections missing guard rails!  What a beautiful drive, I loved every minute of it, even if most was driven at 10 mph.  Some of the curves were so tight that you literally turned the wheel as far left (or right) to creep around the bend.  To really appreciate this highway, it must be driven.  Since I know many of you may never get that chance, this might help you learn about it.  http://www.dangerousroads.org/usa/643-kahekili-highway-usa.html    This road is one of the top 10 most dangerous roads in the world!

Thursday (Thanksgiving!) - Finally!  I spent the morning on the beach relaxing and getting a little sun.  I had plans for dinner, but getting some sun was important too.  It was a nice day relaxing on the beach at the hotel.  Now, about my hotel.  I stayed at the Grand Wailea Resort.  This place had no front doors, with most of it's common areas open to the air.  It's grounds are beautiful, but I found the whole place to be opulent, almost decadent.  It's where the wealthy go to relax, many of the hotels visitors never leave the grounds, and I find that very sad.  I won't go into the snotty attitudes I saw every day there.  Not everyone was like that, but it was all around me nonetheless.  Thursday night I went to the Old Lahaina Luau.  Again, something that needs to be experienced.  I will be posting more photo's on Photobucket (  http://s1355.photobucket.com/user/Sum1swriting/library/?sort=3&page=1 ), and may eventually upload video's from it to Youtube.  Below is a photo from the front area of the resort.

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Friday - I spent the day relaxing and shopping in Lahaina, buying gifts for my grand-daughters.  I flew out Friday night at 10pm, arriving in LAX at 5am.  I had enough time to walk from one gate to another and board the flight to Chicago.  By noon Central time (8am Hawaii time), I was home in the cold midwest.  I managed to get a couple hours sleep before working at the restaurant from 5-10 pm, slept a little before meeting my family for a couple of hours in Bloomington.  I was home by noon or so again, and worked on raking leaves in my yard until 2:30.  Sadly, I had to work that night also, so I never did get completely rested.


Next week, I'll be in Holland Michigan Monday through Wednesday, then fly to Jacksonville Florida to deliver a class in Gainesville.  Til then, y'all stay warm as the winter approaches.  See you then.