The View From Here

Last Days...

Well folks, I guess this is my last post from Maui. We are busy packing up, giving away and saying goodbye (oh, and getting in some beach time, too). We have had an amazing eight months and it's with heavy hearts that we leave our island paradise. At the same time, we are excited to see our friends and family back in the Northwest. If we could only be in two places at one time!
Mahalo (thanks) for sharing our journey...
We send you love and aloha (and lots and lots of sunshine!)...
Jeff, Sally and Joe

Aloha, Friends...

I know, I know...I haven't posted anything in SO long...and there're two reasons for that. 1) We have been busy acting like tourists with only a short vacation, playing hooky (a lot) and going to places we haven't seen and some we just want to visit again. Whew! It's tiring...but we figure SOMEONE'S got to do it. And 2) My heart is breaking at the thought of leaving our island paradise and I can't muster the enthusiasm to post our discoveries on the blog...we have to leave them all behind in such a short time.
We return to the mainland on May 10 and have lots to do (meaning pools to snorkel, hikes to hike, waves to catch) (and oh, yeah, get our act together to move!) so please don't be sad if you don't see a new post for awhile.
Anyway, we'll see you in Washington, soon...in the meantime, we send you all love and aloha. (BTW, this is the view from our deck...and we're already missing it! Boo hoo!)

Great Snorkel Spot...

OK, people, get out your "Maui Revealed" books and look this one up. The Aquarium at La Perouse is amazing--we saw LOTS of fish and even an eel slithering around. You just never know what lurks below the surface! (Just wish we knew about THIS place before we hauled all our visitors out to The Fishbowl...)

The Family That Snorkels Together...

Here are our briny selves after snorkeling in "The Aquarium." Wow, what a place! Even better than "The Fishbowl!" There are some WEIRD critters in that ocean! (Besides us, I mean!)

Sugar Museum...

We finally stopped at the Sugar Museum (which we've driven by a bazillion times). We all learned that making sugar is a huge production...and it had an enormous impact on the economy and culture here on Maui...and still does. (But I have it from a very reliable source that the Sugar Museum on St. John is infinitely more interesting!)

Iao Needle...

OK, say it with me: "eee-ah-oh." (We just can't get that right, no matter how many times we say it.) Anyway, it's a rather famous landform in the West Maui mountains and was the site of a terrible battle in Hawaii's history. But today, it's a tourist stop (and that's why we're here)!

Go Fly a Kite...

We finally got the kite into the sky: a gusty afternoon and some tail modifications by dad, and up it went! (BTW, there are no kite shops on Maui...could be an opportunity there for some enterprising soul?)

Happy Easter...

May you look beyond the chocolate bunnies (well, okay, eat the ears off them first), colored eggs and springtime galas...and know the true meaning of Easter is that Christ has risen, and BECAUSE OF THAT, each of us can have new life in Him.
Blessings to you all! Love and aloha, Jeff, Sally and Joe

BBQ Man...

Nothing like a windy BBQ at the beach (who's great idea was this again?)!

Haleakala Tour...

The boys did the quick hike by the visitor's center to get our day at Haleakala off to a good start. It was a beautiful, clear day, and a brisk 59 degrees, just perfect for hiking and looking around.

Snow in Hawaii!

Here we are, pointing at Mauna Loa, on the Big Island, in the distance. There's SNOW on the top of it! Wow!

Inside the Crater...

Jeff and Adam hiked a ways into the crater and got a closer view of the landscape. Adam said the sand is laid out like a sand painting, different colors right next to each other. Beautiful!

Walking on Clouds...

Betcha didn't know he could do that, yeah? (Only at Haleakala!)

Crater View...

This was a neat spot--if the conditions are JUST right, you can see a rainbow around your shadow on the cloud below...the conditions weren't right, but it's a cool thought, yeah?

Ranger Joe...

Yeah, I know it's a blurry picture, but LOOK at this happy boy! He just got his junior ranger badge at Haleakala National Park! Way to go, Joe!

The Road to Hana...

We headed over to Hana to check out the sights. Went about 120 miles, but it took us 12 hours...okay, okay, some of that was hiking, but the rest...driving a VERY windy road VERY slowly. (We're all grateful that we didn't hurl!)

Another Waterfall...

A nice little roadside stop revealed this little pool, and you know it was calling to the boys to throw a rock or two...

Yet Another Waterfall...

No matter how many you see, each waterfall inspires "oohs" and "ahhs!"

Pipiwai Trail...

Here we are, heading out on a hike at the Hana side of Haleakala National Park, which is called Kipahulu. Great things await us on this journey...

Falls at Makahiku...

The view from the trail...looks like something out of an Indiana Jones movie...

Thatsacooltree...

Jeff, Joe and Adam strike a pose in front of a gnarly old banyan tree...

The Bamboo Forest...

This alone is worth the drive to Hana - we owe Adam a big ol' mahalo for giving us a reason to come (because he wanted to, that is...). What an awesome spot--if you ever make it to Maui, make sure you hike through the bamboo forest! It's amazing!