Yellow flowers in Hawaii

Posted on October 5, 2013 by alohajournal

Yellow flowers represent friendship and happiness. In contrast to the deep blues and greens of Hawaii, the yellow flowers easily catch your attention and make you want to stop and admire them. The first four are yellow flowers in Maui. The fifth photo is one of my favorite yellow flowers we saw in Lanai: the popcorn orchid.

Go bananas

Posted on October 4, 2013 by alohajournal

Bananas don’t grow on trees. They actually grow on the world’s largest herbaceous flowering plant and what appears to be the trunk is actually called a corm. So, it is actually a large perennial herb. This was news to me. This was a banana plant we admired in Maui last month.

My favorite bananas are the apple bananas, which are often found in the farmers’ markets in Hawaii. They are tiny, sweet and the perfect snack. We learned that the Big Island is actually the largest domestic producer of bananas in the United States.

Here’s a sample of what we might find at a visit to one of the wonderful farmers’ markets on the Big Island, including the candy-like apple bananas.

Earlier this year, I wrote about what is perhaps the best use of bananas I have ever witnessed: A bananarama smoothie from What’s Shakin’ on the Hilo side of the Big Island.

The flight to Hawaii

Posted on October 3, 2013 by alohajournal

There is no way around it. Hawaii is an isolated destination to reach if you are not lucky enough to live on one of the islands. It is, after all, the most remote island chain in the world.

The Hawaiian Islands are nearly 2,400 miles from California, nearly 3,900 miles from Japan and if you live in New York City, you are in for a nearly 5,000-mile flight.

Then there is the time zone change. From the U.S. Central Time Zone, Hawaii is either a four or five-hour time difference. (Hawaii doesn’t observe daylight saving time.) After the long flight over, my inner body clock has me up around 2 to 3 a.m. in the Hawaiian Time Zone for the first few days. So, yes, the time zone changes and distance are challenging. But then you might find yourself looking at this view in Upcountry Maui, complete with a rainbow in the distance.

Or, there is this view from the main road to West Maui. If you are visiting from a location with long, cold, snowy winters, the colors are a feast for your eyes.

And before you know it, your stay is over and you find yourself heading back to the airport for the return flight home, which is often an overnight flight if you live in the United States.

Is the long flight worth it? Absolutely. Bonus: Even the signs in the airports in Hawaii are charming.

Twin Falls on Maui’s Road to Hana

Posted on October 1, 2013 by alohajournal

If you take Maui’s famous road to Hana in a clockwise direction, one of the first stops you could make is at Twin Falls. Here, you’ll find hiking in the rainforest, swimming if you choose and a fruit stand. Look for the parked cars a little past the 2-mile marker.

The road to Hana is known for its waterfalls and you will find six or so at the Twin Falls location. No, they are not the most magnificent waterfalls on Maui, but the hike to get there is worthwhile.

A well-maintained path is about a mile and a half round-trip and you’ll see plenty of tropical flowers and jungle-like plants.

Since it’s the first stop on the right after the historic town of Paia, most people visit Twin Falls in the morning. We visited in afternoon and found the trees, flowers and wild vegetation as interesting as the falls.

If you looked and listened closely, you could almost see and hear the plants growing by the minute.

Hawaiian-style brunch and Sundays

Posted on September 29, 2013 by alohajournal

Some things are just meant to be together–the perfect combination. Like Sundays and a tropical brunch. Why not start it out with a glass of passionfruit, orange and guava juice, or POG as it’s called in Maui where the combination was created in the 1970s?

Followed by another perfect combination of Kona coffee and malasadas.

Or, perhaps refreshing papaya and lime juice?

Topped off with one of the best tropical combinations ever: a pancake with macadamia nuts, bananas and coconut syrup.

Then, it might be time to hit the hiking trails. Or, since it’s Sunday another perfect combination might be calling you? A hammock between two palm trees with an ocean view.

Maui sunrise

Posted on September 27, 2013 by alohajournal

In Maui, the sunrise is often as spectacular as the sunset. Of course, there is the legendary sunrise from Haleakala, but you really can’t go wrong if you are up early to catch it on any part of the island. Here’s the sunrise in Kapalua in West Maui, rolling in from the east and making its presence known as if to kick off the weekend. It’s Aloha Friday.

Does anybody really know what time it is?

Posted on September 25, 2013 by alohajournal

Does anybody really care? In Maui, life always seems to be on Hawaiian time. On the agenda: a million activities or perhaps nothing. Both options seem perfect.

The first day of fall, on the lookout for whales in the Hawaiian waters

Posted on September 22, 2013 by alohajournal

Although the change of seasons may not seem dramatic on the Hawaiian islands, it’s still there. And while the temperatures may not fluctuate in drastic ways, seasonal changes abound.

One sure sign of fall is the return of the humpback whales. Each year, humpback whales migrate from Alaska to the warm waters of Hawaii for breeding. This is a photo I took of a humpback whale with a baby calf in early March near Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.

Typically, the whales are first seen in the Hawaiian waters in late September or early October. The peak whale watching season is usually in February and March.

This is my amateur photographer’s shot from the beach in Wailea, Maui in early March 2008.

They were everywhere–playing and frolicking right off shore. On a whale watching tour, you’ll learn about the different behaviors, such as breaching–when the whales lunge out of the water. The whales often do this repeatedly. It looks like they are having a great time and it’s magnificent to watch. During the winter months, you’ll often see them right off the shore. Even in a professional’s photo, it’s difficult to capture the wonder of the whales, but I plan to keep trying.

Winters in Hawaii? I think the whales are into something good.

Surf’s up

Posted on June 15, 2013 by alohajournal

There are certain people you meet in life who make a lasting impact, even if your paths cross physically for just a short period of time. Amy is one of those people. We were professional colleagues from 2005 to 2007. Yet, I think about her often. I had dinner with her two weeks ago and we laughed, we cried, and we talked and talked and talked. In September 2011, she and her husband flew to Maui. I knew that she had been planning and dreaming of this trip for some time since we talked about the beautiful Hawaiian islands many times when we worked together. One thing on the agenda: surfing lessons. I will never forget it when she posted a photo of herself on Facebook as a self-proclaimed surfer girl. I loved her sense of adventure, accomplishment and the joy as she surfed for the first time. She also made this comment on her Facebook page: “All – when’s the last time you did something for the first time? Whatever it is — put it on your calendar and do it.”

In spring of 2012, her beloved husband was diagnosed with cancer. On November 4, 2012, he passed away at the age of 41. Amy was an adoring wife. In a three-week period, she also lost her mother to cancer.

So, in honor of Amy and her beloved Ben, I am going to make a list of things I want to do for the first time. Life is short. Grab onto it.

This photo was taken in Kauai in 2011. We were driving the main road when we saw yet another gorgeous beach with suffers out seizing the day. We stopped and admired their athleticism, and their love and respect for the ocean.

Here’s to Amy and her dear husband and mother. To healing, to memories and to her husband’s eternal role as the “Sunshine Provider.”

Hawaiian weather

Posted on May 17, 2013 by alohajournal

Just another picture perfect day at Wailea Beach in Maui

In the past week in the Midwest, we went from snow, sleet and freezing temperatures on Saturday to 100 degrees on Tuesday. Welcome to spring! At least the piles of snow and ice have finally melted.

This brutal winter made me constantly think about the lovely weather of Hawaii. Along with southern California, my opinion is that you can’t beat the weather of the Hawaiian Islands. Sure, many islands are extremely rainy, but the reward is a lush, green paradise. The vast majority of our visits to Hawaii have been escapes from our long, cold, snowy winters, but we have also visited in the summer. We learned, anecdotally, that this is the time when Californians and others from the west coast tend to vacation in Hawaii. There was a bit more humidity, but the temperatures are so surprisingly consistent it is amazing to us when we have a nearly 70-degree fluctuation in a matter of three days.

Every day I check out the forecast for Hawaiian locations on my weather app, which almost always calls for sunny or partly sunny and a fluctuation of mid-70s to low-80s. When it’s below zero, this is an obsession. Sure, there are cloudy days depending on the island and some locations are some of the rainiest on earth. However, when it’s warm and there is a rainbow lurking somewhere in that rain, you don’t mind one bit. How does that Crowded House song go? Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you? It may not be the intended meaning of the song, but everywhere I go, I’d like to take Hawaii’s weather with me.

Aloha Journal

Celebrating the Islands of Hawaii

Tag Archives: Maui