What began as an afternoon in the upcountry, the region of Maui in the shadow of 10,023 ft. volcano Haleakalā, ended up as a multi-day excursion. Time flows different in Maui -- the best way to take in a place is to marinate there for a while.
In upcountry and the north shore, the nights are cooler, the tourists are fewer, the place less tame. Here's a synopsis of the weekend's adventures:
Abandoned Sugar Plantation
Mudbogging red dirt roads took us to an abandoned sugar plantation. A massive banyan tree is steadily devouring the building and what remains of the walls are covered in intricate graffiti.
Sunset at Ho'okipa Beach
Ho'okipa sees enormous waves, especially now with the winter storms rolling through. This area of the north shore is home to the world famous wave Jaws, and some of the best surfers from across the globe come here to compete. A wipeout means getting buried under 25 ft. waves and dashed on the rocks.
Christmas Spirit at Pa'ia Bay
Some ingenuity created a sandman on the beach.
Baldwin Beach
Driving Range
$5 buckets of golf balls was a great way to spend a Sunday morning.
For now I'm back in Lahaina, but am aiming to return to the other side of the island soon on a more permanent basis.
