Maui 2008 :: 13 Highlights ~ Thursday Thirteen

I have a confession... we've actually been in Maui the past couple of weeks. Our trip had been planned since July but we wanted it to be a surprise for our friends. They originally asked us to join them in January when they booked their flights. At the time, airfare was too high for a family of 4 ... so we didn't expect to be able to go. We continued to watch prices all the while saying we wouldn't be able to go. In the early summer, prices were reasonable and we decided to bar-ticipate. Since we had been telling everyone all along that we wouldn't be able to go - we figured it would be a fun surprise. After all, "The best part of the vacation is planning the vacation!"

We even had their mom in on the planning and she continually bugged her boys for their flight itinerary - something they don't normally give her. As we were arriving in Maui several days before them, I took additional measures to throw them off. Blog posts were scheduled to publish in my absence.

Here are 13 highlights (in chronological order and identified in orange) from our tropical paradise vacation!

Thursday 20th ~ Whaler's Village & Lahaina
After a few hours at U'lua Beach, we spent a little time browsing the shops at Whaler's Village in Ka'anapali. DH and Sweetie purchased rash guards - Buddy and I couldn't find one we liked. DH and I then body surfed near Black Rock (Pu'u Keka'a) as the kids played in the sand. The waves were big and it was a blast!

As we walked back to our car, we observed a few geckos sunning themselves on the wall. Surprisingly, Buddy was fast enough to catch one! With Sweetie's sharp eyes and Buddy's quick reflexes - they make a dynamic critter hunting team.

We stopped in Lahaina for burgers at the Cool Cat Cafe (best burgers in Maui) and enjoyed watching the sunset from our table. I picked up a couple of Tshirts at Crazy Shirts, DH bought his first pair of Crocs and we returned to our condo in Kihei.

Friday 21st ~ Hana Road Trip
Surprisingly very little traffic - we felt as though we had the entire drive to ourselves. Beautiful drive, as always, but as I was trying to read aloud from Maui Revealed to share all the secrets, I started to get a little woozy. No more reading for me. "Sweetie, can you pull over so I can get out and breathe a little."

• Black Sands Beach - We have the beach entirely to ourselves. We discover the remnants of a lobster shell, a jellyfish, and a spider guarding the entrance to a sea cave.
  
• Hamoa Beach - We contemplate boogie boarding but too rough, enjoy our packed lunch and proceed onward.
• Haleakala National Park - Sweetie becomes a Junior Park Ranger.
  

Saturday 22nd ~ Surprise!
Our only day of drizzle so I went for a run along the beach. My Garmin must have somehow got turned on en route, however, because my battery was dead! I thereby don't know how far I ran but I'd guess about 4 miles based on time/perceived effort.

Upon my return, I was standing outside our lanai as I cooled down when I heard someone call my name. At first, I thought it was DH but when I looked in our suite, he wasn't present. I hear someone call out again and this time I look up to see, B! "Hey! You're not supposed to know we are here, yet!"

Later that evening, we met Bef, Bar & Kong at the airport - Buddy even held up a sign with Bef's name. They were so confused and surprised. The perfect surprise! :D

Sunday 23rd
We spend the morning on Palauea Beach. Everyone joins us for a short time - - snorkeling, body surfing, sand castles, tide pooling, & fut. Shortly after they leave, a sea turtle (honu) swims to shore and enjoys a meal in just 2-3 feet of water. Sweetie gets to snorkel along side him and get a close up view. Buddy prefers to observe from above.

Tuesday 25th ~ Santa Comes Early
I've always loved the designs of Mikel, a Hawaiian jewelry designer. When I saw this pendant advertised in a magazine, I fell for it immediately. It doesn't conjure up the typical beach or tropical image though Hawaii is famous for the brilliant shooting stars that illuminate the tropical nights. This particular design really spoke to me for several reasons - namely, when we started homeschooling a year ago, Sweetie named our school Twinkling Stars. To me, the 3 stars represent past, present and future as well as the 3 loves of my life.

Wednesday 26th ~

We spent the entire day at Po'olenalena Beach with everyone... returned to Condos in afternoon for naps. Enjoyed a delightful dinner at Sansei Sushi. Here's a peak at what I ordered:

Panko Crusted Ahi Sashimi Sushi Roll

Sansei's Mango Crab Salad Hand Roll

I enjoyed the meal so much that I ordered D.K. Kodama's (Chef/Owner) cookbook, Chronicles from Hawaii: Recipes from Sansei Seafood Restaurant.

Friday 28th
Most everyone went on a morning snorkel cruise - the kids and I opted to drive to the I'ao Valley where we explored the Heritage Park and Hawaii Nature Center. Both are enjoyable - but haven't been well maintained.

That evening, everyone enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Mama's Fish House near Pa'ia. What we didn't expect... another surprise. Bef & Bar treated everyone! "Merry Christmas, Loved Ones!" Curious about what I ordered and sampled...

Appetizers:

Kona Kampachi & Ahi in a Coconut
Lobster Guacamole
Kula Pumpkin & Lobster Soup

Main Courses:

Ahi, Onaga & MahiMahi sauteed in Panang Curry and Coconut Milk

Bouillabaisse

Sunday 30th ~ Whale Watch
After Nov 29th, the Pacific Whale Foundation guarantees whale sightings. We thereby took advantage of our long stay, to postpone this until after the 29th. We we confidant that we would see whales, though, as they had been sighted as early as Nov 3rd and were seen en route to Molokini during the snorkel cruise. We were not disappointed! In addition to multiple humback whales (kohola), a pod of bottlenose dophins (nai'a) escorted us back to the harbor. The trip was spectacular!

Monday 1st ~ Volunteer on Vacation
Since my Earthwatch expedition in 2001, I've always looked for other opportunities to get involved. The Pacific Whale Foundation's Volunteer on Vacation program was just what I was looking for - a chance to give back and learn something new about the ecology of the islands. There are many events to choose from - we chose to partner with the South Maui Volunteers on a weed pull, Hoaloha 'aina. We helped maintain a new oceanside trail, pick up litter and remove invasive species.

This beautiful coastal area is great for birdwatching and we were blessed with a chance to see a Wedge-tail Shearwater (ua’u kani) fledging that hadn't yet departed (he still had his downy juvenile feathers on much of his body) as an adult volunteer came across his burrow in a shrub we were removing. We immediately shut down that area and roped it off. This was a surprise as it was assumed all the birds had fledged.

Tuesday 2nd ~ Our Departure
On the day of our departure, we went to U'lua Beach for a remembrance snorkel/swim, but the surf was too strong so we opted for a little pool time instead. We then checked out, spent some time shopping in Wailea and Pa'ia. We enjoyed a fabulous pizza (half Kahlua Pork & half Veggie Pesto) at Flatbread Company in Pa'ia before we boarded.

An Unexpected Float ~ My Most Adventurous Moment

The Fourth of July brings many annual traditions. Some families go to the town parade and watch the fireworks. Others go to baseball games and enjoy hotdogs and homeruns. For the past several years, my family has enjoyed camping at Indian Mary Park in Josephine County with our extended 'family' of close friends. It is located about 15 miles West (or downriver) from Grants Pass along the Rogue River.

Last years trek to the river was like any other year. As the afternoon heat became a little too unbearable, we all walked down to the river for a swim and to toss the little football around in the shallows. The river is different every year we come and we were surprised to discover that this year the area just around the bend from the boat launch was rather wide and shallow for some distance. This provided an area for children to play comfortably as the adults waded out a bit further for a swim.

Before I proceed, you need to know a little history. Our dear friend, Bef, was given this little 6" NFL football for Christmas several years ago by another friend of ours. Due to its small size, Bef has always packed it in his suitcase when he travels. His work requires him to travel overseas regularly so this little football has been to Korea, the Philippines, Hawaii several times (I have photographs of my daughter doing her end-zone dance in the surf on Moloa'a Beach in Kauai), Las Vegas, Disneyland, Colorado, North Carolina, Alaska, numerous road trips throughout Oregon, and of course Indian Mary.

The children were each engaged in their own endeavors, my daughter, nearly 4 years old at the time, was near the water's edge in the shallow area, assumably looking for small aquatic critters. My 17 month old son, was seated on shore with our friend Bar, stacking rocks and delighting in the rumble they would make as they fell. BuD (my husband), Bef, Kong, and I were standing in the river about knee deep tossing the football to one another.

On a whim, Kong thought it might be amusing to toss the ball over BuD's head just out of reach so that he would have to dive in order to successfully catch the ball. He passed on her attempt to goat him and we all watched as the ball floated over his head landing in the more swift moving water.

At that moment, I was several feet downstream and it appeared to me as though the ball was moving towards the bank as it gently floated along. I yelled out, "I can get it!" as I immediately ran out to retrieve the football. As I proceeded, I could hear my husband yell, "NO! DON'T! STOP!" But all I could think about was how special that little football was to all of us. I had to get it back.

Just before I could reach the ball, I miscalculated the depth and I discovered that I wasn't able to touch bottom. I lost my footing and started to drift down river. I continued to try to retrieve the ball for a brief moment and then realized that I was approaching a small rapid.

I immediately got my wits together, turned around with my legs extended and facing downriver. I spread my arms out to help guide me and to push away from any rocks I might approach. I've floated parts of the Rogue many times in my life-vest alone, but this was the first time I was without a floatation device.

When the water slowed down, I was able to swim to the bank and climb up the 12' steep embankment to the park. A man who had been up on the bank had seen me float by and had ran along the field to assist in some way. He arrived just as I reached the top and he helped me to my feet. He asked if I was okay and I assured him that I was shaken but otherwise fine. I then rejoined my friends and family and we returned to our campsite.

The silence was uncomfortable. Everyone had been so scared and were now so relieved. Nobody really knew what to say. This is when it hit me. When I realized how stupid my actions had been. I had risked everything for a silly football. Fortunately, I am a relatively strong swimmer and was able to stay calm.

When we returned to the river this year, it became apparent how many of us learned the importance of river safety. My daughter,now approaching 5 years, was very adamant about having her vest on, holding hands with an adult, and not venturing farther than her knees. She told her dad, "We don't want to float down like Mommy did last year." Smart girl.



Submitted to July Write-Away Contest on 10 July 2007.