Going Places with Lucy & Leo

” the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean“ – Mark Twain

We arrived at the Kahului’s harbor in Maui which is the center of commerce founded in 1810 by King Kamehameha, who was the one that unified the islands of Hawaii. Our tour began with a scenic drive along the famous Road to Hana. This stretch of Highway runs from the port of Kahului to the town of Hana on the Eastern most point. It is a beautiful drive along the coast with lots of winding turns and breathtaking views of cliffs and emerald seas beyond. You see beaches, cliffs, lush forests and majestic mountains in the distance. The peaks of these mountains of Poli Poli are vey hard to see because they get an average of 365 inches of rain a year and the peaks with their 6000 foot elevation are capped with snow. But we were very lucky with a clear day and were able to see them in the distance from our Motorcoach.

Our driver was very good at pointing out the local folklore and the old Kings road that parallels the highway and goes even closer to the cliffs. We could see people walking these and wished we were there. I’m going to be very repetitive I know, but we would love to go back and hike that old road for a few miles.

We went as far as Haiku-Pauwela on the road to Hana then headed west towards the famous beach town of Kaanapali on the west coast. This is a very beautiful area with wonderful hotels, restaurants and very laid back, not the maddening crowds we found in Oahu. On the way there we passed by Lahaina which is the site of the recent wild fires that have devastated the area. I will just say my heart ached for these people as they have a very long hard road ahead to recovery. Nevertheless, this area is breathtaking and they are “Hawaii strong” people, they will rebuild. We had a nice walk along the beach in Kaanapali and did a bit of shopping mostly for the grandchildren.

Our last stop was by far the most scenic, we entered a lush rainforest that culminated in the most beautiful valleys I have ever seen, The Iao Valley. This state park is a 4,000 acre and 10 mile long valley with the most recognizable landmark in Maui, the 1,200 foot high Iao Needle. This is a rock outcrop covered with lush vegetation overlooking the Iao stream and waterfall as well as a serene garden and beautiful hiking trails. There’s a bit of a climb to get to the overlook but nothing compared to Diamond Head stairs, so we easily took on the uneven stairs to the top for a closer look. This valley is historically significant as it was the site of a famous battle between King Kamehameha who clashed with Maui’s army in 1790 in what is known as the Battle of Kepaniwai where King Kamehameha’s quest to conquer and unify all the islands became a reality. The Iao Needle served as a lookout point for Kamehameha in what would be a total defeat of the Maui forces and the road to unification of the islands. We had plenty of time to do some hiking and take pictures.

This tour day was long and tiring so we decided to relax by the pool when we got back to the ship. I ordered a Mai Tai which I though was invented in Hawaii but in fact this iconic island drink was first mixed in 1944 by Bergeron in his Oakland California restaurant Trader Vic’s and first served in Hawaii at the pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1953. The recipe consists of rum, lime juice, curaçao and orgeat syrup. The bartender at the Viking pool made an excellent Mai Tai, as far as I could tell, even though I am not an expert. The combination of hike, sun, pool and rum was just perfect and I may have napped a bit too long by the side of the pool. I must say there were others likewise engaged and what happens in Viking stays in Viking.

That evening we sailed to Hilo in the big Island of Hawaii. I have loaded my pictures and I am ready to add the narrative but that will have to wait since an excellent dinner awaits in one of the Viking Star’s specialty restaurants. See you in Hilo!