Here’s a nice side trip that you can take any time during your vacation. However, since most flights leave the island late in the day, and you have to check out of most hotels and resorts in the morning, this is a great way to pass the few hours in between.

Leaving the Kaanapali Beach area, take a left onto Highway 30 West. Past the resort area of Kapalua is Lower Honoapiilani Rd. There is a very nice beach here, DT Fleming Beach Park. The public beach is shared with the adjoining Ritz Carlton Hotel. You will find anyone from a prince to a pauper on this beach. It is a great place for a picnic with many tables.

Back on the highway, the next several miles will offer many turnout locations for pictures, hiking, snorkeling activities. At mile marker 38 there is the world famous Nakalele Blowhole. Mile marker 40 is another stop where the Ohai Trail is located. Down the road you will see a sign Banana Bread 3 miles ahead. At this point the road becomes just a single lane. On this 10 mile stretch of single lane, you will have to juggle with the cars from the other way, sometimes having to back up or wait in order to pass. (Some people choose to turn around and go back at this point.) After 2 miles on this narrow stretch you will reach Old Kahakuloa Village. There are a few road side stands here — Julia’s advertises here the banana bread as best on the planet. Following the road up and out of the village you will now go past ranch land. Soon, State highway 340 will begin the road will widen and take you into Kahului. This trip can be done in a few hours with minimum stops,  or you can spend the whole day on this route.

Just a couple miles west past the County Court House in the the town of Kahului lies the Iao Valley State Park in West Maui.

A genuine rain forest, Iao Valley receives nearly 400 inches of rain per year, and is one of the state’s wettest locations. Iao Needle is an iconic landmark that towers over 2,000 feet above sea level. Walking trails are abundant within the park. The Kepaniwai Park’s Heritage Gardens are a popular destination within the park, highlighting the multicultural (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, American, Portuguese, Hawaiian) influences on the state’s history.

Around Christmas, the road to the valley is dotted with poinsettias, making for a very pretty little drive, not far from most Maui locations.

While on Maui, take a little time for a snorkel trip. While opportunities are abundant (Molokini seems to get most of the attention), one of our favorite locations is Honolua Bay, on the NW shore of Maui. Better protected from the winds and waves than most beaches, it’s the perfect setting for a calm snorkel among the abundant sealife and catch a glimpse of a humuhumunukunukuapua’a (the official state fish of Hawaii, and more fun to say than its common name, the reef triggerfish)! Turtle sightings are common in the late afternoon, too!

You can sign up with any of the many snorkeling cruises. But if you’re staying in West Maui, you can just take the scenic drive north of Kapalua on Highway 30. There is a parking area between mile marker 32 & 33 (see map below) where you can take a short walk through the jungle (don’t be surprised to see — and hear — roaming wild chickens) and enter the water from the shoreline.

A few things to keep in mind:

• This isn’t your typical sandy Maui beach. The shoreline is rocky, so bring appropriate footwear.
• No taking of marine life, coral, or rock.
• Pack out what you pack in! There are no garbage cans, so please keep Honolua Bay beautiful!

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We have rented all our weeks around the Memorial Day weekend, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t have a star-spangled vacation in Maui this year. As of this moment, we still have 3 Ocean View rooms available at the Ka’anapali Beach Club around the 4th of July.

Maui activities around Independence Day are plentiful, but the highlight for many guests is the opportunity to watch the dazzling fireworks rise over the Pacific.

• The Maui Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 12th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration in Lahaina. Music and activities will take place all day, and fireworks will commence at 8pm.
• Pride of Maui will host their annual “Fireworks Over the Pacific” dinner cruise, departing from Maalaea Harbor at 6:30PM and returning at 9:45PM.
• Closer to the Ka’anapali Beach Club, the highly respected Trilogy will offer a more casual (and therefore, easier on the wallet!) cruise with a great view of the Lahaina fireworks celebrations, departing at 6:30PM from Lahaina Harbor, serving burgers (build your own), snacks, and refreshments (2 alcoholic drinks for the adults are included in the price).

Check our Rental Calendar and reserve your stay now!

If you’re on Maui and taking a day trip to Kihei or Wailea, here is a little side trip to the Lava Fields, just south of the Ahihi Kina’u Natural Area Reserve and La Perouse Bay. Continue on the road where the Shops of Wailea are located. Go past all the resorts. The further down this road you go, the more it seems as if you are on another planet. There are not many places to park along this stretch, but you will find areas where people have stopped to snorkel in little coves. Once you reach the end of the road, the Makena Stables will be on the left. There is parking right beyond this point and you will be at Ahihi-Kina’u Natural Area Reserve.

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We’ve just secured 6 rooms at the Ka’anapali Beach Club in Maui for the week of  Dec 29, 2012 – Jan 5, 2013. What better way to ring in the new year?

If the past years are any indication, you can count on numerous countdown parties throughout most major resorts. Fireworks shows in Maui as well as neighboring Kauai will be abundant on New Years Eve. Of course, you’ll need to take the ferry to get to Lanai. Speaking of boats, a great way to spend the early part of the evening is on a dinner or cocktail cruise. Reputable operators like Pacific Whale Foundation, Pride of Maui, and Trilogy have all hosted outstanding cruises in the past, and chances are good they’ll be doing the same this year.