As previously mentioned, my husband and I left Maui and spent a couple of days on Oahu. We flew back to Maui early in the morning and grabbed Peggy to head out for our sisbehaving adventure time.  My husband has grown accustomed to this and is fairly well versed in staying out of harm’s way. 

We knew that we wanted to check a few boxes that were off the beaten path, and the Nakalele Blowhole was first on that list.  Now, if you aren’t familiar with blowholes (yes, I’m going to giggle every single time I use the term blowhole), it’s a gamble whether it will be worth the trip. Sometimes it’s just a big hole in the ground and a snooze fest. But sometimes, it’s a super cool geological feature; we always take the risk and just go. 

Road to Nakalele

The road to Nakalele is super windy (windy, not windy, wait wait wait, no like it twists and turns a lot windy, not that there’s a huge tropical breeze), so Dramamine isn’t a bad idea.  The drive is gorgeous, right along Maui’s Northwestern coastline,  There are several lookout points, and they are all spectacular, don’t rush this drive, stop at the stops.  It’s about a 14 mile drive, but it will take you at least a half an hour if its not a busy tourist time on the road.  We recommend that you plan to take a lot longer and stop often. 

Kanounou point is beautiful.  There is also the Acid War Zone Trail (sounds lovely, doesn’t it!).

We find the Blowhole

We arrived at Nakalele, and it’s a bit of a hike down to the hole.  You can see everything if you just walk about 50 yards from the parking lot, or you can hike all the way down to the hole itself, the Blowhole.  Knowing my proclivity for falling, we opted to only hike about halfway down.  The Blowhole did not disappoint, it was super cool!  The tide comes in, Blowhole spouts up, repeat!  We LOVED IT!

And then we need food

Our intention was to hit up Miso Phat for lunch, but soon found out they don’t open until 3 (in Maui, don’t miss Miso Phat for amazing sushi). So we defaulted to Google and completely crushed our lunch when we found the Fish Market Maui. They have a lunch counter with fish tacos, burritos, and sandwiches, but they also have a fresh fish counter where they make fresh poke for take out.

I love poke.

And I love tacos.

So we may have over done it on the ordering, but it was so worth it. 

ssn – I was soooo disappointed to miss Miso Phat – it was my pick and I was unaware until I was editing our last post (Oh Hey, Kihei) that Patti & Pat went after I left. What a couple of blowholes!

Hotel time in Kaanapali

After an amazing fresh fish lunch we headed back to the hotel for some family pool time with the little munchkin and his parents. 

The hotel is showing a little bit of wear and tear, but the service was amazing.  The rooms were upgraded and the views were incredible.  We grabbed some cocktails and hit the pool.  There is not a lot of beach access in this area of Kaanapali, but swimming with an ocean view is a pretty awesome replacement, and a lot less sand in your crevices.

Sunset, Celestials, and a Whole lot of Whales

I was dying to do a sunset cruise, and found an amazing experience out of Ma’alaea with PacWhale Eco-Adventure:  Sunsets and Celestial Cruise. After catching an Uber with one of the most talkative drivers we’ve ever had, and being spectacularly entertained with his stories of his previous life as a drug mule, we found PacWhale by the Maui Aquarium.

After a safety briefing, and a quick stop in to Da Playground for their mystery shot of the day ($5 deal, but they won’t tell you what it is! But it was great!). Ok, so maybe we maybe had time for two shots.  Then we boarded a two level catamaran.

Cocktail Hour on the Pacific Ocean

The sunset cruise came complete with Mai Tais, beer, or non-alcoholic choices. We were greeted with pupus, a little evening BBQ on the boat, with sliders and finger foods.

And amazing views over the water as the sun started to set

We were there the first week of March, which is near the end of the peak whale watching season.  We were fortunate enough to see a whole lot of whales.

And they have experts available to answer whale questions and give fun whale facts.

After Dark the fun starts, in a (mostly) PG way

As soon as the sun went down, and the stars start coming out is when the second show begins.  The Sunsets and Celestial Cruise includes an after dark presentation by Astronomer Harriet Witt.  She combines astronomy, history and story telling in a captivating way. While looking up at the night sky, she explains the stellar navigation skills of the ancient Polynesians.  She also told some fantastic stories about sailors and their, how shall I put this, their own “personal guidance system”.

ssn – See, I already have to correct Patti. The sun doesn’t “go down”, the earth rolls back. Haha. This point was made repeatedly during our celestial talk. And the “personal guidance system” is quite literally, their testicles. Officially called “testicular navigation”. It’s a real thing, look it up! Again, cue the giggles…

The story telling was informative, but also fun and interesting.  This is definitely a sunset cruise that is not to be missed when in Maui.

ssn – Nerd time! There really was so much to learn, for instance, what we know as Orion’s Belt actually aligns with the equator so early navigators could measure their north & south position by it. And the North Star (Polaris) is not only the brightest but aligns closest to North Pole so as the Earth revolves, the star’s position does not appear to change relative to us. I don’t know about you but I was FASCINATED!!

The next day was our planned Day Drinking, so we headed home for some sleep after the cruise.

Read about our other Hawaiian adventures here:

• Maui Doors-off Helicopter Tour
• Iao Valley State Park
• Haleakala Sunrise and Kihei

When you plan a trip to Maui, you do your research, you plan your excursions. If it is your first trip you’ll likely do Haleakala or the Road to Hana. Definitely some whale watching, snorkeling and sunset cruises. Maybe just hanging at the beach or exploring the beach towns is your thing. I thought I’d done all of the must-be-seen sights on previous trips. Then I read an article from our friend and fellow PNW’er, the amazing Chantelle from Flannel or Flip Flops, The Best Experiences in Maui (that aren’t the beach). Chantelle details fantastic excursions that are worth a visit, but the one that stuck out to me was Iao Valley State Park.

Getting to Iao Valley State Park

This state park is very easy to get to. It is 20 minutes from the airport or maybe 45 minutes from Lahaina/Kaanapali; at the base of the West Maui Mountains. I decided to stop on my way back to Kaanapali after my Epic Doors-off Helicopter Tour (find that post here).

It was still relatively early so I was able to find parking without any trouble. If you are later in the day, finding a spot may be an issue. Parking will cost you $10 (free for residents). Take the short walk to the entrance – it’s a $5 admission (again, free for residents) and they take credit cards in case you don’t have cash (halleluiah!).

Exploring the park

The park is not only a site of incredible beauty, but historically significant. In this valley, Kamehameha defeated the Maui army in a ferocious battle to unite the islands – a battle that would contribute an important part of Hawaiian history. Read more here.

A paved path leads about 0.6 miles from the entrance to a viewpoint from which you can look out over this incredible, lush, green valley. There are off-shoots and paths that lead down to the river and other awe-inspiring views. If you take the footpath downwards from the entrance, there is a small exhibition center with a thatched hale.

The whole park does not take long so it can definitely be accomplished in an hour or two.

The surrounding scenery is breathtaking. Lush doesn’t begin to describe the landscape, and the impossible shades of green…just wow.

Iao Needle

The predominant feature of the valley is the Iao Needle – Kuka‘emoku – an feature that rises 1200 feet from the valley floor. The Needle is a moss/leaf covered rock formation and definitely a little phallic. You cannot hike up to it, in fact there are really no trails that go beyond the viewpoint. As the Iao Valley is the second rainiest place in Hawaii, often times the Iao Needle is covered in fog and clouds in the afternoon.

Conclusion

I was truly humbled and awestruck by Iao Valley State Park. Even now, as I edit pictures and reflect on this trip, I think of this magical place and am blown away by its beauty. However, as tourists we need to remember to be respectful of the Native Hawaiian culture and take care to acknowledge and honor the sacred lands.

Read our other Maui Adventures

• Maui Doors-Off Helicopter Tour
• Haleakala Sunrise and Kihei
• Unique Maui Activities

Maui was never ever on my bucket list. I know people live and die for their Hawaiian vacations, but for me it’s always been a meh, kind of destination. 

However, for our anniversary we scored a killer flight deal to Maui. Of course we jumped on it to find out what all the fuss was about. 

Bonus was that my niece and her husband were booked to be there during our stay. Thus turning it into a little mini-family getaway. And Peggy was coming along to help watch the grandbaby, so we were off.

Pat and I decided if we were doing a “most likely” one-time trip to Hawaii we couldn’t miss Pearl Harbor. Plus our future daughter-in-law is stationed on Oahu, so we would do a little island hopper while we were there.  This blog series will be broken up according to that.  Maui just us, part two Maui as a family, and a part 3 of Oahu.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I LOVE Maui and spent most of my daughter Sydni’s high school spring breaks there. Also include in the blog series my Doors-off Helicopter Tour and our Other Unique Things to do in Maui..

The Best Place to stay for us was Kihei

Maui is really expensive, so we went the VRBO route for the first part of our trip.  We had never been to the island, so really wanted to experience as much as we could. So we rented a car and chose a place in Kihei for the first half of our trip.  Here is the link to our VRBO.

And I will say, we really scored on this find. 

The condo was right on Sugar Beach. It was an adorable, downstairs corner unit with a big sliding glass door overlooking the water. It had lawn chairs, snorkeling equipment for our use, and a condo pool.

Cute, cozy, and amazing. I am still regretting not booking it for the entire stay, because I never wanted to leave.

By a streak of good fortune, Pat and I took a flight bump out of San Francisco for flight credits, so we ended up not getting into Maui until 8 pm on our first night. 

Maui Brewing Company

Hungry and needing a beer, we immediately knew we had to hit Maui Brewing Company. Bonus points for being almost on the way to our VRBO.

This was their Kihei location, it has an amazing outdoor patio and lawn with games and picnic tables, and pretty much everything you would expect in a Hawaiian non-beach restaurant.  Their fish and chips were crispy and perfectly fried. The beer selection was fantastic, with their standard always-on-tap list and their list of specialty beers that rotate depending on the brewers whims and the time of year.

Maui Brewing Company was standard bar food. Our one and only complaint was that it wasn’t a seafood restaurant, but it was late, and it fit our needs.

Morning Number One – Haleakala Sunrise

An Early Start

We started off our week-long adventure with reservations to do Haleakala National Park for sunrise.  You have to book your reservations ahead of time, and it is about a 90-minute drive up there, so you need to plan to leave about 3 am depending on the time of year.  It’s also a very windy road, full of switchbacks, so it’s a constant 30 mph to 15 mph curve to 30 mph, take a Dramamine if you get carsick.

I highly suggest that if this is your kind of thing, do this morning one before the time change catches up with you. 

This is a pretty popular tourist event, and it is mind blowing for a sunrise.  Haleakala is at 10,000 ft elevation, so you are essentially above the clouds when the sun comes up. 

But understand, as I mentioned this is a well-known tourist event, so it’s packed (think Instagram vs reality videos); second, it is stupid cold.  We are from Washington State, so when we read it was 40 degrees, we dressed for 40 degrees thinking we would be fine.

So Damn Cold

We were not, in fact, fine.  We were freaking freezing.  It’s 40 degrees and it’s windy, so you need gloves, a hat, a scarf would be helpful, and a heavy jacket, not 40 degrees in Washington State jacket.  And the tour companies bus people up there, so you must get there early, be prepared for the cold, and just wait it out.  We didn’t fare so well. 

After about an hour, with still 45 minutes to go until sunrise, I looked at Pat and said, “you ready?” he said “definitely”, and we decided to leave. 

As we were pulling out of the parking lot, content that we had seen an amazing view of the light above the clouds, we notice that there is a turn to the Summit.  It said the lot was full, but hey, it can’t hurt to just do a drive by.

We drove up to the summit which was a higher lookout than the visitor’s center where we had stopped.  The parking lot was full, and the lookout was full, but the road up was completely empty.

We pulled over and just watched the wonderous view from the road. 

As soon as the sun peaked, we were warm and on our way down the main road before anyone else even got to their car. 

And it was amazing!!! 

Gorgeous! 

We also pulled over on the way down at one of the side lots, and had an amazing view of the Haleakala crater in the morning light.  It was a nice slow leisurely drive back down, with so many different views of the island that we hadn’t seen on the way up in the dark. 

Breakfast Time

Dying for coffee by this time, we found Grandma’s Coffee House.  Small place with only about a dozen seats, be prepared to wait if you don’t get there early.  And I got amazing coconut crusted French toast for breakfast!  Little outdoor patio on the side is a perfect place to chill with your coffee. 

And side bonus, it’s quite literally right around the corner from Oprah’s house, so you can drive up and see that (she is the largest private land owner on the island of Maui), or you can impress your friends and check in at her house on Facebook from the café.

Kihei Chill Time

It had been an early morning, so we headed back to our condo for some rest.  Grabbed a book and hung out on lawn chairs just watching the ocean.  I know you see in other people’s photos, them hanging out on the beach and in the waves, but the truth is, the water is cold.

It’s not like Mexico or Southeast Asia with the warm water, it’s Pacific Ocean cold.  We didn’t spend much time in it.  But the sunshine and down time was good for the soul just watching the waves crash on the shore.

Lunch Time

Here is one of the two places I will tell you to not ever miss if you go to Maui (second one on part two): South Maui Fish Company. 

Food truck, parked inside an outdoor market. Fresh. Super Fresh.

They fish in the morning, go back to the truck and butcher their catch of the day.  So, you are subject to what they caught that day for your order.

And it was phenomenal. 

They only had Marlin the day we were there, and that was just fine with us.

I had the poke, Pat had the tacos, we shared the smoked Marlin mac salad, then took some coconut candy to go.

Fresh is best, and this food was insane.

Plus, we had gotten there about 15 min before they opened, so we were first in line, that also gave us time to chat with Jesse. He was a great guy, who told us a little about their back story, about their daily fish, and that they were opening a little late because they were still cutting up the morning’s catch. 

So, go, get there early or don’t complain about the line.

Kihei

We really liked Kihei. 

It’s on the southside, and a little less touristy than Kaanapali or Lahaina.

We stopped by the store and grabbed some cocktails and snacks for our beachside day.

Lazy day beach side, on the patio, by the pool.  It was a little recovery time from an early morning adventure.

Dinner brag time

It was our anniversary, so I had booked us reservations at Morimoto Maui for dinner.

This was easily one of the top two best dinners of our lives.

We ate our way through the appetizer menu and kept escalating in flavors.

I know people look at the cost of the Wagyu A-5, but if you have the means to splurge even one time to get this, it is an absolutely stunning piece of meat.  Our carnivorous lives will never be the same.

We also had the tableside Ishi Yaki Buri Bop with the whitefish.  It was fantastic, and I loved it, but everything paled in comparison to that Wagyu.

The service was impeccable. The food was amazing, the view was stunning.

Everything was perfect, from the view to the service, food and cocktails, and Morimoto gets our vote for most romantic evening of our 10 years together.

Side note:  Morimoto is located in the Andaz Maui.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel stay, this place was gorgeous.  Infinity pools, balconies overlooking the ocean, lush green gardens, and a bit of beach solitude. I really want to stay here if we ever return to the island.

Ready to head to Oahu

The next morning, I took a quick drive up the coastline to Lahaina to have coffee with Peggy before heading to the airport for our island hopper over to Oahu.

While it’s about a 45-minute drive between the two coastal towns, it’s a beautiful drive along beautiful stretches of beach. I highly recommend getting a rental car in Maui as there is a lot to see and do on all four corners of the island.

Researching Maui Helicopter Tours

As usual, you know I did my research! There are a few helicopter tour operators and they each offer multiple destinations and durations. With a perfect safety record, fantastic reviews, and Maui’s only doors-off helicopter, I opted for Air Maui Helicopter Tours. The doors-off helicopter really sold this for me. If you’re going to go up in a helicopter, why would you want doors restricting those views?? Haha, you don’t need to answer that – Patti would want doors, if I could even get her up there! I booked fairly early but as a solo passenger, you cannot guarantee a “window” seat so I hoped for the best.

The morning of the flight, I have to admit I was getting a little nervous. Not as much nervous about the flight but maybe more anxious. We were staying in Kaanapali so they said to allow 60-70 minutes for the drive. I left with plenty of time and being that it was pretty early, the traffic was mild and I arrived with plenty of time to spare.

Safety First

As you check in, you are provided a jacket and a cell phone lanyard – you are not allowed to bring any items aside from a cell phone (no cameras, GoPros, etc). If you have long hair, it must be tied back securely and of course, no flip flops. Purses, backpacks, etc can be left in the car then your car keys are kept securely by the staff.

After a safety briefing and introductions by the staff, my 5 other flight partners and I were given our goggles and headed outside to be fitted with a fanny-pack style life vest, have a picture taken, and have our headsets and goggles securely fitted to our faces. One by one we were shown to our seats and belted in. I was soooooo excited to be given the outside seat in the front row (with the pilot, Dylan, and one other passenger).

Doors Off Take Off

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t nervous. I do not have the smallest bum and now it was hanging a few inches out of a completely open helicopter door. Video proof below!

But I trusted that the Air Maui folks would not be putting me in a dangerous situation so I tried to relax and hoped Dylan wouldn’t need to make a sharp bank to the left.

Absolute Bliss

The take-off was so smooth as we headed north beyond the airport and across the bay to the West Maui Mountains. As with our Seaplane Adventure in Key West, I was grinning from ear to ear (under my mask) as the pilot played perfectly vibing themed music through our headsets. Think Tom Petty “Learning to Fly”, Foo Fighters “Learn to Fly” and Frank Sinatra “Fly me to the Moon”. I don’t know why, but having a soundtrack to this experience just elevated it even more! Even now, as I type, I am transported back.

We flew through the lush green valleys, changing elevation to rise and fall with the topography. The vivid green landscape is unbelievable.

Across the Pailolo Channel

Then, we ventured across the Pailolo Channel to Molokai. Since it was the height of whale watching season, we were able to see quite a few of them from our viewpoint in the sky. I excitedly kept tapping the sweet lady next to me and pointing like a kid at the whales breaching. In the safety briefing, we were warned not to stick an arm (or anything else) outside the confines of the door frame, but I got a little overenthusiastic and pointed once, had my hand blown backwards and scared myself. Haha.

Molokai

Dylan gave us some great background about Molokai. Molokai is Hawaii’s 5th largest island at approximately 10 miles wide by 38 miles long. The island’s largely Native Hawaiian population preserves their rural lifestyle in this wild, untouched area. We flew over farms, streams and waterfalls, where Dylan hovered the copter and turned us so everyone got a spectacular view.

But nothing prepared us for the view we would be coming to. The Molokai sea cliffs. These sea cliffs are the tallest in the world (ranging from 3,600 to 3.900 feet) and inaccessible by car. The view is quite literally breathtaking.

But wait…that wasn’t even the best part! We were about to see one of Hawaii’s most striking yet least viewed waterfalls, Papalaua Falls. These falls are so remote that they can only be seen by helicopter or boat – and even then, the weather conditions must be clear.

Words truly escape me (a rarity, I know) so here is the video.

Return trip

After hovering insanely close to the falls, in the narrow fissure between sea cliffs, we departed back to Maui.

We passed over turtle rock (aka, Kanahā Rock Islet Seabird Sanctuary) although it looks more like an elephant. This is reportedly a great spot to see hammerhead sharks!

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We hit a little rain as we crossed the channel – it was very cool to see the light beaming through the clouds and the different water textures. Then we came swooping along the northern coastline of Maui, saw the Nakalele Blowhole, more whales and lots of surfers as we got closer to Kahului.

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I had no idea what the landing was going to be like – I assume a hover and lowering down but it really was more like a very gradual descent with the most gentle touchdown you could imagine.

Undeniably, a Doors Off Maui Helicopter Tour Was the Best Thing I’ve Ever Done

I did not want this experience to end. Yes, admittedly, I was one of those embarrassing people that clapped, cheered, high-fived and hugged the pilot. I could not wipe the huge, cheesy smile off my face. Pure joy!

A couple that was on my helicopter had just arrived from Kauai where they had done a helicopter trip and raved about it. The legendary Na Pali Coast is the gold standard…so while I will treasure this trip, I eagerly await Kauai in the future.

Interested in more of our Hawaiian adventures?

• Patti and Pat’s Day One in Kihei
• Iao Valley State Park
• Other Unique Maui Activities