Back in the "before times," back in the "before so many things happened" times, I went to Hawaii. Also, I'm certain I wrote this blog post once before and lost it.
In October 2019, I went to Hawaii for the second time. I had been there before, in 2002. My dad and I went to Maui on a high school graduation trip. He went for work, so I joined, missed a week of school in January, and slept through most of the trip in a very teenage fashion. I don't remember the flights; I'm sure I slept. I remember sleeping in until 11:30; I don't recall the afternoons. I remember nice dinners, sunsets, and fresh fish. But that is about it. So, I was happy to return and remember what happened.
On this trip, the purpose was to visit a few islands, since the idea of relaxing on one island wasn't appealing, and make the most of the time spent so far away. We managed to visit three islands: Oahu, Moloka'i, and Maui. We planned four days on Oahu, four days on Moloka'i, and five days on Maui.
We landed very late and stayed in Honolulu the first night. Jet-lagged, we ventured to Waikiki Brewing. The next day we drove to the island's western side to stay in a yurt with an outdoor shower/bathroom. I wanted to get out of the more touristy areas, so we stayed in Waialua. We took a hike along Ka'ena Point Trail and passed no one. We drove the North Shore and stopped at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. We had a fantastic sushi dinner at Banzai Sushi Bar. And there was a rainy, sleepless night of jumping cockroaches in the yurt. But I wouldn't change the yurt part. The next day, we drove along the North Shore to stay one night in Hailua. On the way, we stopped at the Valley of the Temples Park.
The next day, we took a small, tiny plane to Moloka'i. The whole thing was unlike any other plane experience I've ever had; there was barely any security, the terminal was outdoors, and you could see everything. I did extensive research on the safety record of the airline. They advertise having two pilots and that they are always within the distance of being able to glide to a landing. I decided to trust that information.
After a short flight, we landed in Moloka'i: Population 7500. The car rental "agency" told us which car (a 2001 Chevy Tracker), where to find it, and that the keys would be underneath the mat. The car started, and kind of made it up hills. Since there are limited food options on the island, our first stop was a grocery store before venturing to the Airbnb. We chose the island since most people don't visit it; the majority of the island is abandoned or uninhabited. The Airbnb was one of the few places to stay: a timeshare community amongst other abandoned and falling apart portions of the resort. The feel, complete with turkey vultures, was eerie, but we went there to take a break from the touristy bookends of the trip.
During the days, we explored the island and abandoned sites. The most beautiful part was a drive to Halawa Park, on the island's east side. Most of the population lives on the west side, so this venture was a bit off-road and deserted. It is a much better and less crowded "Road to Hana." One day we hiked to an abandoned glamping resort. Otherwise, there was little to do. On the last day, we stopped at the Moloka'i Museum and Cultural Center.
After the flight to Maui, we stopped in Paia at the Paia Fish Market for the best meal of the trip. It was so good we stopped again before our flight home. The first night we stayed in a home in the Upcountry area. The purpose was to see the sunrise at Haleakalā National Park; I had chosen the Airbnb because it was about as close as possible to the National Park entrance. I booked the sunrise entrance tickets two months to the day, since tickets sell out. After the trip, I made friends with the Airbnb owner. I had done some "research" on her and found that she was a musician from the 1960s. When we returned, I bought her album on vinyl, and we emailed for a few months. To get to sunrise over the volcano, we woke up at least two hours before dawn and drove less than an hour to the entrance. Our host loaned us jackets, gloves, blankets, and thermoses for coffee in the morning. We arrived early, staked out a front-row spot, and waited.
After sunrise, we did the thing that is entirely not recommended by any travel websites about Maui: see the sunrise on Haleakalā and drive to Hana. But I couldn't figure out a way to avoid it. On my first visit to Maui, my dad and I drove the Road to Hana. All I knew from that experience was that I didn't want to venture out and back on the same day. So, we planned a night in Hana. On the way, we stopped at the Garden of Eden, a food truck spot for shrimp and tacos, Keane Lookout, Waianapanapa State Park, and only encountered tons of traffic towards the very end. We tried to drive past Hana, but the road became more precarious and stressful and not worth it at that time of day. Back in Hana, we went to the only nice restaurant in town. The "hostel"/Airbnb was something (read: lots of ants), but options are limited in Hana.
The following day, we drove to an Airbnb in Lahaina. Our plans were limited there. We went ziplining, found Kalua Pork, Loco Moco, went to Kohola Brewery, a Vodka distillery, and Maui Winery. We rode bikes to Lahaina and watched the sunset from different beaches.
The goals were to take photos and explore. Ultimately, we did those things while trying to be less of a tourist. Next time, hopefully, I'll visit the big island and Kauai.
