3/21/09

Tropical Topics, Maui Edition: The road to Lahaina

We drove straight from the rain forest in the east to the tropical desert on Maui's west side. You can drive over the northwest top of the island to get there but driving that road apparently takes some nerve, and I did not feel nervy in our rental car boat, so we drove down through the center of the island and up the other side.

Lahaina, Maui

It reminds me of California.

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui

Except that the hills in my part of California have more of a rolling quality.

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina is a former whaling town on Maui's west end. The guide book describes it as eternally crowded and busy. Well, we drove right in and found free parking on the street, right in the middle of town.

Lahaina, Maui

Maui's hotel occupancy rates are low, apparently. That would explain our glamorous upgrade at the Four Seasons.

Lahaina, Maui

Guy said Lahaina reminded him of Key West. I said it reminded me of Provincetown, minus the gay.

Lahaina, Maui

There is a single large banyan tree that has been converted to a park.

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui

5 comments:

Christopher C. NC said...

Lahaina reminded me of Key West too and that is where I first landed. I thought if this is what Maui is like, get me outa here. Lucky every little town is different and the less touristy Kihei was for me.

chuck b. said...

We had breakfast at the Kihei Cafe right there on Kihei Road (North or South, I don't remember). Guy had amazing pancakes! Kihei looked very groovy and the garden plants in people's yards there were so much more varied and interesting that what I've seen anywhere else in Hawaii, the gardens of which generally exert a mind-numbing feeling of redundancy. Did you shop at the plant nursery down the road from the Kihei Cafe?

chuck b. said...

Also, in landscaped areas around Maui's southern and western coasts I noticed a grassy, restio-looking plant with bright red flower petals at the end. I only saw it passing by in the car, never in person. Ring any bells?

Christopher C. NC said...

Yes Kihana Nursery was my main supplier and main customer when I had my own nursery. They were not very home owner friendly, 20 questions for a $20 purchase and really were more for the landscape pros who came from around the entire island to shop there and loaded there trucks with thousands of dollars worth of stuff.

The plant you describe sounds like Russelia equisetiformis, Firecracker.

bs said...

thanks for sharing those pics! did you get any scuba divers while you were at the four seasons? when i was last there, we took a night dive at black rock, and we surfaced in the hotel's lagoon. the divemaster had us all jump in the pool and then troop through the lobby, much to the amusement of the guests. very convenient if it happens to be your hotel!