Hawai'i Vacation Part 1: Maui and the Big Island

We just returned from an unforgettable family vacation to the Hawaiian islands! We have been planning this trip for almost a year, since Ady was just a few weeks old. One of Jaycob's ambitions was to compete in the Xterra World Championships, a strenuous and elite off-road triathlon on Maui, and when he registered for the race last December we decided to plan a family vacation around the event.

We visited three of the islands during this trip: Maui, the Big Island, and O'ahu. I learned that each island has its own personality. Individual islands also have their own unique geographical features, and even within each island there is a large variety in geography, climate and vegetation. What amazed me most about Hawai'i was its fascinating ecosystem and its isolation from the rest of the world. Hawai'i is incredibly unique because it is so far from any other land mass and so young (relatively speaking) compared to other regions. In fact, the Big Island is actually still increasing in size because of active volcanoes. On some level I knew that Hawai'i was never a part of another continent, but this concept didn't really sink in for me until I was there. Any animal species on the islands had to get there by water or by air, which is truly remarkable and made me deeply appreciate the perseverance and will of its birds and other animals. I found myself frequently comparing and contrasting Hawai'i to the Galapagos islands, one of the destinations on our honeymoon four years ago, in terms of the uniqueness of the ecosystems and remote nature of the land. (I also compared Hawai'i to Ecuador's mainland, which was the first place where I witnessed an active volcano before coming to Hawai'i.)

Another geographical feature that was awe-inspiring to me was the proximity of the mountains to the ocean on the Hawaiian islands and the extreme changes in elevation from coast to peak. I was astonished to learn that Mauna Kea is actually the tallest mountain on Earth; even though its peak is at only 13,000 feet above sea level, when the volcano is measured from the ocean floor it is actually 33,000 feet tall (taller than Mt Everest!).

Maui

We started our vacation on the island of Maui, which has a booming tourism industry. Maui is often called the Valley Isle, or the Romantic Isle, because of its beauty and majesty. We stayed at the Napili Shores Maui by Outrigger resort on the west side of the island, close to the town of Lahaina. The beach was beautiful, especially at sunset, and there were a lot of good restaurants in the area. Ady had her first dip in the ocean at the Napili shores beach! I appreciated the diversity of the landscape and climate of Maui; some areas were very dry and desert-like, while others were rich and dense with vegetation and moisture.

The Xterra triathlon took place at the Kapalua Resort, which was absolutely stunning. In the days leading up to the race, Jaycob had the opportunity to do some open water swim training, and we hiked the 6.5 mile hilly trail run course. (He also squeezed in a round of golf at the Plantation Course at Kapalua!) Watching Jaycob cross the finish line at the end of his grueling race was the pinnacle of our time on Maui!

Other highlights of Maui included the Road to Hana and Haleakala. The Road to Hana is a windy, adventurous highway toward the historic town of Hana, with sightseeing stops along the way. We didn't make it all the way to Hana because of time constraints, but the parts we saw were worthwhile. There were some waterfalls, short hiking trails, and lookout points, and the lush vegetation was beautiful. We had a yummy and nutritious lunch at Café Mambo in Paia after the drive. The next afternoon we were tempted to skip our trip to Haleakala because of rain and clouds, but I'm glad we took the time to make the drive because it was so rewarding to pass through the cloud layer and see the mountain peaks in the sky. Haleakala is a volcano and also a National Park, and visitors can drive up the windy road and switchbacks to the summit, where there are lookout points and observatories. I later read that Haleakala has one of the world's largest dormant volcano craters. If I ever make it back to Maui I would love to see Haleakala at sunrise, which is the most popular time to go.

Maui sunsets

Ady's first playtime in the sand

Road to Hana

Twin Falls

More waterfalls along the Road to Hana

Farmers Market treasures

Above the cloud layer at Haleakala

Kapalua Resort

The start of the swim course for the Xterra Triathlon

Almost to the finish line and still smiling!

Crossing the finish line with Baby Ady

Family photo at the Xterra World Championships

Xterra finisher and his biggest fan

Hawai'i

After an eventful few days on Maui, we took a short hop to the Big Island of Hawai'i. We stayed in a penthouse condo that I found on Airbnb that had an inviting lanai (patio) with unrivaled sunset views. The condo was within walking distance of the "downtown" Ali'i Drive area of Kona, with a plethora of shops and restaurants. We did a lot of driving on the Big Island and we were able to visit several locations on all parts of this diverse island.

One of our first stops was Volcanoes National Park, the site of Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes. It was fascinating to learn about the formation of the island of Hawai'i and its volcanoes that are still active. Kilauea is still erupting and lava is flowing into the ocean. In fact, it is predicted that the island will actually grow in size over the next 10,000 years because of the buildup of lava on its southeast corner. While the volcano wasn't violently spewing bright orange lava like the Tungurahua volcano we saw in Ecuador, steam was visibly rising from its massive crater. We also ventured through the Thurston Lava Tube. We had to limit the hiking and cut the trip a little short to get on to other destinations, but I still learned a lot in a short amount of time, snapped a few photos, and gained an appreciation of Hawaii's formation.

Jaycob lived on the Big Island several years ago, so it was meaningful for him to visit some of his old stomping grounds and show me the sites of some of his fondest memories. We drove over to Hilo for a day, where we bought fresh papaya and rambutan at the Farmers' Market, ate Thai food, hiked around near Rainbow Falls, relaxed at a black sands beach, and went snorkeling. There were so many gorgeous, brightly colored fish! We even saw a Honu (sea turtle) swimming right next to us in the bay. It was incredible! Earlier that morning we watched the sunrise from Mauna Kea, which was a beautiful way to start the day. Other highlights including swimming in Kua Bay (the spot our pooch is named after!), hiking to Akaka Falls, and standing across the bay from Captain Cook monument.

Another memorable moment of the Big Island was going to a Luau. Now I have to say that before we planned our trip, I had mixed feelings about luaus. The last thing I wanted to do was commercialize or exploit a cultural tradition that is sacred and meaningful to a group of people. I wondered, what did Hawaiian people think of a bunch of tourists donning leis, pretending to hula dance, and attending a big party with unlimited mai tais? After more research, though, I accepted that the luau is a meaningful way for tourists to learn more about Hawaiian culture and hopefully open their minds and hearts to Hawaii's history and different way of life. The food was excellent (poi, poke, kalua pork, rice, pineapple, teriyaki beef, coconut dessert, and so much more), and it was really fun to learn a few hula moves. More importantly, though, the cultural traditions were upheld, the arrival of the luau royalty was sacred and revered, and we learned a lot about Polynesian and Hawaiian culture. As an added bonus, it was Ady's first Halloween, and she was the cutest pineapple at the party!

I really appreciated the diversity of the Big Island in terms of geography and things to do. I also got the impression that the Big Island was full of locals and less touristy than Maui, and I enjoyed finding some "locals" spots. If I ever get a change to go back, I would love to spend more time at Volcanoes National Park and take a tour of a coffee plantation!