It's easy to see why Hawaii has become synonymous with paradise. With its sugary beaches, Technicolour coral reefs, flora and fauna and volcanoes, our adventurous spirits were beckoned.
We plunge into Maui with a dip in the sea followed by a ukelele lesson offered by our resort in Ka'anapali.
Tim's much happier here, relieving the stress of his ukelele lesson beachside at the Hula Grill & Barefoot Bar in Whalers Village.
We watch the sun set over Black Rock, the lava promontory that not only protects the beach but also offers the best snorkeling.
The legendary outdoor Tiki Bar at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel is the place to cap off the night with an exotic cocktail and hula show.
The hustle and bustle of Lahaina is tempered by the proximity of the sea. This one-time whaling village is now full of art galleries, trendy shops and whaling-era sights. Banyan Tree Square marks the center of town with its leafy landmark, which ranks as the largest banyan tree in the USA. Planted as a seedling on April 24, 1873 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of missionaries in Lahaina, the tree has become a forest unto itself, with 16 major trunks reaching across the better part of an acre.
The first stone church in Hawaii, Waine'e Church was built in 1832. It has been rebuilt three times over the centuries. The fourth version, remaned Waiola Church, has stood its ground since 1953 and still holds Sunday services. The adjacent cemetery is the resting place of Lahaina's first missionary and Queen Ke'opuolani, wife of Kamehameha the Great and mother of kings Kamehameha II and III.
If Captain Ahab himself strolled through the swinging doors of the Pioneer Inn, no one would look up from their grog. With its whaling-era atmosphere, squawking parrot and harbour-front veranda, the captain would blend right in at this century-old landmark. For landlubbers, the afternoon happy hour is the place to be, local Hinano beer in hand.
Reverend Dwight Baldwin, a missionary doctor, built this house in 1834, making it the oldest surviving Western-style building in Lahaina. It served as his home and the community's first medical clinic. The coral-and-lava walls are 24 inches thick, which keeps the house cool year-round.
The exterior walls are now plastered over, but you can get a sense of their original appearance by looking at the Master's Reading Room next door (above). It took the Baldwins 161 days to get here from their native Connecticut, sailing around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. A doctor's 'scale of fees' states that $50 was the price for treating a 'very great sickness' while a 'very small sickness' cost $10. "It's only a cold, Doc, I swear."
On a hot day, nothing beats shave ice. It's not just a snow cone; the ice is shaved as fine as powdery snow, packed into a cup and drenched with sweet flavoured syrups in an eye-popping rainbow of hues.
Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice shop here in Lahaina, makes some of Hawaii's best.
Hawaii may be the only place left in the world where you can eat Hormel's iconic canned meat with pride. Here in the nation's Spam capital, locals consume almost seven million cans per year. Of course, Spam looks and tastes different in Hawaii. It is always eaten cooked and often served as a tasty breakfast dish with eggs and rice. In case you're wondering, we passed.
Today we're heading up, way up, above the clouds into Haleakala National Park to watch the sun set on the volcano crater.
Haleakala's astonishing volcanic landscape so resembles a lunar surface that astronauts practiced mock lunar walks here before landing on the moon. Often referred to as the world's largest dormant volcano, the floor of Haleakala measures a colossal 7.5 miles wide, 2.5 miles long and 3000ft deep - large enough to swallow the island of Manhattan.
It's very cold and very windy. Sandi thought Tim was taking her on a hot, tropical vacation and didn't plan or pack for this.
How amazing are these things? Silversword, once near extinction "due to human vandalism and browsing by goats and cattle" as the sign nearby reads, "began to recover when Haleakala National Park provided strict protection."
We make it to the Pu'u'ula'ula (Red Hill) Overlook just in time for sunset. The 37-mile drive from sea level to the 10,023ft summit of Haleakala we've just completed is the highest elevation gain in the shortest distance anywhere in the world. We've passed through as many ecological zones as we would have on a drive from central Mexico to Alaska.
We're not alone braving the wind and cold. Watching the sunrise or sunset at the summit of Haleakala is one of the highlights of any trip to Maui.
This velvety green pinnacle that rises straight up 2250ft takes its name from the legend of 'Iao, the daughter of Maui. 'Iao Needle is said to be 'Iao's clandestine lover, captured by an angry Maui and turned to stone. A monument to love, this is the big kahuna, the ultimate phallic symbol.
We don't believe in legends but this place looks like it was torn from the pages of a fairy tale. Clouds rising up the valley form an ethereal shroud around the top of 'Iao Needle.
With a stream meandering beneath and the steep cliffs of the West Maui Mountains as the backdrop, it's a prime photo-op we can't resist.
When Tim was younger he was an avid wind surfer (that's how we met!) and this spot, Kanaha Beach Park, east of Kahului, was one of his favourites. When the wind picks up in the afternoon, this mile-long beach becomes surf city, with hundreds of brilliant sails whipping back and forth across the bay.
This isn't Tim but it could be! We linger for a few minutes to go down memory wave.
Back in Ka'anapali we smell the salt air, take in the opulent resort sights and check out the lively beach scene along the mile-long walk between the Sheraton and Hyatt hotels.
It's time for a luau and the Old Lahaina Luau is as good as it gets. From the warm aloha and Mai Tai greeting to the extravagant feast and the mesmerizing hula dances, everything is first-rate.
There's lots of pre-dinner entertainment to check out, like this wood-carver selling his wares.
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