Hearts in Hawai'i
Our Trip to Maui (2014)--Epilogue
5/28/2014
Some final thoughts:
1. The weather was somewhat of a disappointment. We didn't mind having rain on three days while we were staying in Lahaina, because these rains rarely last all day. Each time, it rained for less than three or four hours, and it actually provided some relief from point #2...
2. We did mind the humidity. The trade winds were turned off for two of the three weeks we were here, and it is these east to northeast winds which keep the leeward sides of islands dry and comfortable. When it's in the upper 80's (as it was for nearly the entire time we were here) and you combine the muggy conditions, it just isn't much fun being outside.
And it looks to be a trend. This page and this page talk about it.
3. If you book an activity on Maui, it almost certainly will be an outdoors activity. As such, the weather will play a part. The haze only slightly affected our helicopter ride. The rain had somewhat of an impact on our Hana tour. The fog and rain blew up our Haleakala hike and our Ali`i Kula Lavender Farm tour. It happens sometimes. While the weather here will be outstanding most of the time, nothing is certain.
With that said, we very much liked the activities which we were able to do. I think parasailing would be a fun activity to try on our next trip, assuming we're on Maui after May 16 when parasailers are allowed (the restriction is due to the annual migration of humpback whales). We're not sure if we'll ever do another zipline. A cocktail cruise has become a sort of tradition for us, so we'll continue to do those. I wouldn't mind booking another hiking tour through Hike Maui--whether it's the Haleakala tour or the Twin Falls tour remains to be seen.
4. Dining--we were mostly happy with the new restaurants we experienced; Kula Bistro, Pulehu, Three's, Joe's, Bistro Casanova, Captain Jack's, Fabiani's, Porto. We were neutral on Betty's, and decidedly negative on Lulu's. Looking ahead, there are still literally hundreds of restaurants on Maui we haven't yet sampled.
5. We really liked the room we stayed in at Lahaina Shores and would stay there again without hesitation. However, we would like to see the Lahaina Shores address the issue of not having room safes in the rooms.
6. Aloha is everywhere, but sometimes you need to get out of Tourist Mode to find it. When you do, embrace it. Explore the culture. Learn the history. It adds a dimension to visiting here you don't find in most other places. It's not just the sun, water and sand here.
7. We want to hike a lot more when we return, and I need to lose about 20-30 pounds. So go the knees, goes the desire to hike.
8. We ask this question of ourselves every now and then--is this worth the money spent? And every time, we answer with an emphatic yes!
Previous: 5/26/2014--Our Trip to Maui (2014)--Day 22
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