Check out my 1st video clip! It's a short
video of some fish at the Maui Ocean Center
Am I the only one that can't believe that tomorrow is already the first of April? It seems like it was only three weeks ago that we got back from our visit to the Mainland. It's been a long time since my last post and I will try very hard to not let that much time go between my future postings.
My mom came to visit (her 2nd one!) for two weeks. I took her to a few places she hadn't been to on Oahu, like the North Shore. She even had her first experience with Matsumoto's famous shave ice and she liked it. The waves weren't as high as they were earlier in the winter, but they were still pretty impressive.
Noah had two weeks off for spring break and we took off for Maui during the first week. My mom had been to Maui about 18 years ago, but it was a first for the rest of us.
We arrived hours before we could check into our condo, so we drove around and checked out the area. We stayed in Wailea, which is the southwest part of the island. You could also call it ResortTown as it really isn't a town as much as a lineup of one resort after another.
We drove into Kihei. You could tell it was definitely spring break. There were "kids" (you know when you get in your 40s, anyone younger becomes a kid) everywhere in their swimming suits running across the street. The road was right next to the beach so the traffic moved s l o w. Unlike Wailea, it was a town, but you couldn't help but wonder what percentage of the people were local and what percentage were tourists.
We nicknamed this guy Scruffy.video of some fish at the Maui Ocean Center
Am I the only one that can't believe that tomorrow is already the first of April? It seems like it was only three weeks ago that we got back from our visit to the Mainland. It's been a long time since my last post and I will try very hard to not let that much time go between my future postings.
My mom came to visit (her 2nd one!) for two weeks. I took her to a few places she hadn't been to on Oahu, like the North Shore. She even had her first experience with Matsumoto's famous shave ice and she liked it. The waves weren't as high as they were earlier in the winter, but they were still pretty impressive.
Noah had two weeks off for spring break and we took off for Maui during the first week. My mom had been to Maui about 18 years ago, but it was a first for the rest of us.
We arrived hours before we could check into our condo, so we drove around and checked out the area. We stayed in Wailea, which is the southwest part of the island. You could also call it ResortTown as it really isn't a town as much as a lineup of one resort after another.
We drove into Kihei. You could tell it was definitely spring break. There were "kids" (you know when you get in your 40s, anyone younger becomes a kid) everywhere in their swimming suits running across the street. The road was right next to the beach so the traffic moved s l o w. Unlike Wailea, it was a town, but you couldn't help but wonder what percentage of the people were local and what percentage were tourists.
He serenaded us during lunch, but
we couldn't hear him from our lunch
table. He was very passionate
about what he said.
Tom and Noah under the main
trunks of the Banyan tree
We headed into Lahaina the next day. The most popular tourist attraction here is the banyan tree that is so large it occupies an entire block. The tree was imported from India and planted in 1873. At the time, it was only 8 feet tall and now stands over 60 feet high. Banyan trees are an interesting site to see. Roots descend off limbs and start new trunks so it sort of looks like there are several trees when it is actually only one. When we were there, the town was having an arts festival under the tree in the area known as courthouse square. It was a nice reprieve from the hot sun.
Maui is known for its humpback whales that make their homes there from December to April. We took a two-hour whale-watching boat ride off the port of Ma'alaea. We were excited to see some whales since the day before we had seen some off in the distance at a lookout point. There were quite a few whales that breached (came out of the water), but they were all quite a ways in the distance. The law does not allow you to get closer than 100 yards, unless of course the whales decide they want to get closer. I think we went on the ride anticipating some friendly whales that wanted to see us as much as we wanted to see them. In that regard we were a little disappointed, but it was still a thrill to see their tales breach and slap the water. Tom and I even saw the huge splash of a whale that completely breached. Even though we were a long ways away, the splash it made was enormous.
Noah enjoying the bright fish.
The same town that we sailed on our whale-watching adventure is home to the Maui Ocean Center. The day after our boat ride we went back to visit the aquarium. I've been to a few aquariums and this one was one of the best ones I have seen. Maybe it's because I have a special love for the green sea turtles that you see here in Hawaii. They are called Honu in Hawaiian (pronounced hoe-new). There was an entire tank of them and I exhibited my love for them by taking way too many pictures! I won't bore you with them all so I picked only one to share.
trunks of the Banyan tree
We headed into Lahaina the next day. The most popular tourist attraction here is the banyan tree that is so large it occupies an entire block. The tree was imported from India and planted in 1873. At the time, it was only 8 feet tall and now stands over 60 feet high. Banyan trees are an interesting site to see. Roots descend off limbs and start new trunks so it sort of looks like there are several trees when it is actually only one. When we were there, the town was having an arts festival under the tree in the area known as courthouse square. It was a nice reprieve from the hot sun.
Maui is known for its humpback whales that make their homes there from December to April. We took a two-hour whale-watching boat ride off the port of Ma'alaea. We were excited to see some whales since the day before we had seen some off in the distance at a lookout point. There were quite a few whales that breached (came out of the water), but they were all quite a ways in the distance. The law does not allow you to get closer than 100 yards, unless of course the whales decide they want to get closer. I think we went on the ride anticipating some friendly whales that wanted to see us as much as we wanted to see them. In that regard we were a little disappointed, but it was still a thrill to see their tales breach and slap the water. Tom and I even saw the huge splash of a whale that completely breached. Even though we were a long ways away, the splash it made was enormous.
Noah enjoying the bright fish.
The same town that we sailed on our whale-watching adventure is home to the Maui Ocean Center. The day after our boat ride we went back to visit the aquarium. I've been to a few aquariums and this one was one of the best ones I have seen. Maybe it's because I have a special love for the green sea turtles that you see here in Hawaii. They are called Honu in Hawaiian (pronounced hoe-new). There was an entire tank of them and I exhibited my love for them by taking way too many pictures! I won't bore you with them all so I picked only one to share.
Crush! Is that you? (if you've
seen Finding Nemo twenty
times than you know who he is).
The highlight of our visit was the last tank that had all sorts of bigger fish in it. You walk through a tunnel as Stingrays and various kinds of sharks swim around and over you. My favorite ones to watch were the spotted stingrays, which are actually called Eagle Rays. Later I heard a story about a freak accident that happened in Florida that involved one of these creatures. One jumped out of the waters off Florida and hit a woman that was sunbathing in a boat. The strike to her head killed her and the Eagle Ray instantly. All I can say is I'm glad there was a thick layer of glass between me and that thing (not to mention all the sharks, too!).
A bad case of the measles. At least
they are pretty. It looks like this
guy is trying to talk to me.
they are pretty. It looks like this
guy is trying to talk to me.
Oops...I told too many lies.
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