United States of America - Maui and Hawaii

Our bathroom had a shower with a one-foot square head that sent warm droplets down at a steady pace replicating the feeling of standing outside and soaping up in a gentle rain shower without the onlookers and indecent exposure arrest.  The shower enclosure was large and finished with one-inch, cream-colored tiles and had a bench in there beside the clear glass door which allows one to sit in the flow of water and contemplate how to come up with the money to pay for a Snickers bar in the general store in the corridor.  We had a two-night stay booked in the Westin Ocean Villas in the Lahaina area on the western shore of Maui, but it wasn’t enough time to settle into fancy resort life after squeezing every penny for ten months.  Don’t get me wrong, we loved staying in this swanky place with granite counter tops in our kitchen and down comforters on the king size beds, but we couldn’t quite shake the feeling that somehow we weren’t worthy to stay there.

We left Oahu on a Hawaiian Airlines flight at 9:00 AM and touched down in Maui about thirty minutes later. The crew barely had time to hand out the complimentary juice and coffee, but they got it done, bless them.  We picked up a shuttle to the rental car office and in short order jumped in our speedy Chevy Malibu and headed back toward the airport in order to find the Costco we spotted from the shuttle window.  It was a little early for lunch, but we had only a quick bite before leaving the hotel in Honolulu, and we were eager to munch on some $1.50 hot dogs (including a refillable drink!) and Very Berry Sundaes, and I’m sure my fellow Costco patrons will testify to the excellent taste and value of this fare of which we’ve been long deprived.  People can whine all they want about the perceived problems plaguing America, but take if from someone who hasn’t been here for a while, we’ve got it pretty dang good in this country.

The drive to the western shore of Maui took forty-five minutes along a highway that hugged the coastline. We took our time and enjoyed watching all the surfers catch towering waves.  Many of them had camped out on the beach in tents and vans with their families and friends, and I felt a pang of envy as I wished that I could be out there with them.  Alas, my age and physique, still chiseled but slightly more fragile with the passage of time, prevents me from hanging ten with the fellas.  We pulled into the covered portico of the Westin Resort where valets descended upon us and relieved us of our car and luggage and placed the groceries we had purchased on the way into cold storage lockers behind the bell stand.  Because of our early arrival, we anticipated our room wouldn't be ready for a while, but the friendly guy at the reception desk gave us pool passes and his blessing to enjoy all of the facilities to the fullest.

We sat in rocking chairs overlooking the pool and watched fancy ladies swish by wearing posh straw hats tilted at a jaunty angle and sporting flowing frocks known as “resort wear.”  We hoped the bright Maui sun would prevent the other guests from staring at our threadbare “pauper wear” as they floated by carrying beach bags and fancy drinks topped with pink umbrellas.  We were out of our element but pleased to share the privileged air in this beautiful setting with families, older couples, and dreamy-eyed newlyweds looking out to the islands of Molokai and Lanai across the deep blue strait curiously named the Lahaina Roads.  A state of relaxation and general laziness prevents me from further research on this matter.  The cool blue water of the enormous pool behind the resort lured Deena and Joseph into its depths while Deveny and I preferred to fall asleep in our rocking chairs until receiving the summons that our room was finally ready.

Other than a few small fees, our stay in this sumptuous resort was free thanks to my wife’s wizardry, and we felt truly blessed as we walked into our large bright fourth-floor suite overlooking the park in front of the ocean.  The place was completely tricked out with a well-equipped kitchen, full refrigerator, stacked washer and dryer, and the aforementioned tiled bath.  We settled in and took a short nap before getting into the perfect position on the balcony to watch the sunset while holding cups of freshly brewed kona coffee.  Almost made me forget about the cash I shelled out in tips so far that day, another practice familiar to Americans but unusual to the rest of the world.  Deena and I explored the kitchen cabinets and found all the tools necessary for a major session on the huge gas grills in the building courtyard where we grilled up a fantastic combination of chicken, corn, and pineapple for a real Hawaiian feast.  We didn’t have much of a plan for the next day, but we didn’t care—a life full of schedules is coming soon anyway.

We entertained the notion of arriving on the beach early the following day in hopes of spotting some loggerhead turtles, but the soft sheets on the king-sized beds must have had some sort of magnetic quality, and we were late rising.  Deena and I took our hot beverages out on the balcony and sat and talked long and deep while we looked out to the ocean past the plumeria trees.  We finally got our act together and made it down to the seashore and found a spot to place our towels under the shade of a huge leaning palm tree where we stayed long enough to enjoy the soft breeze and to run in and out of the strong surf.  A guy nearby had an amazing dog who couldn’t get enough of the frisbee-catching game entertained us. He would point his nose at his choice of disc from several options before every throw.  Eventually the call of the pool was too strong to resist, and we spent the rest of the afternoon in and out of the refreshing water.

There was a lava formation about five miles away from the resort that I wanted to check out, so after showers, we piled into the car and drove down to the rocky point to the north.  The short hike along a steep path down to the ocean ended at an ancient lava flow that looked like piles of melted ice cream.  The stream of lava was swift here long ago, and as the strong surf pushed back, it created unique sharp formations called dragon's teeth.  The breakers were still strong in this spot, and we enjoyed walking along the rock formations and taking pictures of foamy explosions as they made landfall.  Sunset was fast approaching, so we raced back to the resort and found a spot in the soft grass in the meadow above the beach to watch the show. As if things couldn’t get any better, a lady approached us with a heavily-laden tray and asked if we would like some cupcakes.  Her birthday-party surplus was our benefit, and as we lifted several thick frosted cakes off the platter, I asked if she were an angel, and she quickly replied "yes" with a wink.

Our time on Maui was short, but it was fun and relaxing, and we drove to the airport early the next morning refreshed and in good spirits.  We returned the rental car and crammed into the shuttle van with a family that included four small children and their mom and dad who did their best at keeping track of them and all the gear it took to facilitate their vacation.  On the way to the terminal, the mom did her best to keep the kids in check while the dad sat silently and stared out the front windshield probably wondering why they brought all those little kids to Hawaii—I’m sure they enjoyed themselves at some point.

Another thirty-minute flight brought us to the shores of Hawaii, or the “big island" to which it’s more commonly referred, and we made quick work of securing another rental car for passage to the Sheraton Kona Resort, another destination above our station in life.  We arrived before check-in time, but thankfully our room was ready, and we were able to settle in and rest a bit before striking out on our last big adventure of this trip.  Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was about two hours away from the resort, and Deena and I had purposed in our hearts to show the kids some red hot lava before heading home to North Carolina where there is only red clay under the top layer of earth.  The drive was scenic as we slowly ascended to the high country and passed vast fields full of jagged volcanic rock in shades of earth brown and terracotta in front of high plateaus with a tight covering of pale green foliage.  The forecast called for rain, but the thick clouds released only small sprays of mist, and the long views out to the ocean remained clear for most of the drive.  

Even though the national park is open 24 hours, the visitor center closed at 5:00, and we just barely made it and managed to talk to a ranger about the best things to do in the park before he clocked out for the day.  We had a couple of hours before sunset, so we had dinner at the restaurant overlooking the vast hardened lava lake below the caldera of Mount Kilauea. We had a great view of the smoke rising from the current lava bed and the steam vents beyond.  With a little daylight left, we drove south to the Thurston Lava Tube and hiked through this ancient cave formed by an aggressive lava flow in an area now covered by thick rainforest.  Due to standing water in the tube, the lights weren’t working; so we trekked a couple of hundred yards by the light of our phones through the winding prehistoric cave feeling like we were in the Land of the Lost.  

After our rainforest trek, we headed back north toward the Jagger Museum and made one more stop at the steam vents on the way to check out the viewpoint.  By that time, smoke and steam from the volcano were thickening in the twilight sky, and a lone photographer greeted us at the overlook as we lined up at the rail.  He told us that the lava activity was the best it had been in nine years and that we were in for a treat at the Museum observation deck.  His eyes got wide as we joked about the lack of lava in North Carolina, and our eyes got even wider when he told us he was from our neighboring suburb back home—wow.  

We shared a few parting sentiments and made our way to the museum where a crowd was already clamoring for this historic nine-year view. The sky finally went dark and the thick white plume coming from the depth of the volcano had a bright orange core that lit up the surrounding area with a light as old as the islands themselves.  The lava field was a good distance away, but we could see it exploding in fountains of fire sending globs of molten rock against the sides of the basin like a shower of sparks from a welder’s torch.  As we stood there amazed, I immediately gave this awesome display of nature the rare distinction of one of the coolest (and warmest) things I’ve ever seen. The drive back to the resort was long, dark, and rainy, but we had fun talking about the natural wonders we had seen that night once again praising the attributes of our country’s National Park System.

The resort had a tasty breakfast spread the next morning, and we made them pay for their generosity by making multiple trips to the tables as we feasted on the lounge balcony overlooking the grounds and the sea.  Deena and I spent the morning in the lobby in two wicker papasan chairs looking out to the charcoal-colored cliffs with waves crashing all around feeling like we were inside a large, colorful mural.  Several weasels played in the large green grassy area below our window and a warm breeze blew through the branches of the old tropical trees reaching us in a soft, honey-scented touch.  Joseph spent his morning on the basketball court while Deveny worked on her sleeping technique, which is just about as perfect as it can get.  We all got together and spent our last afternoon of leisure around the pool laughing and relaxing together before the final journey home.  

So that’s it.  Ten months on the road, and it ends on the big island of Hawaii before a two-day odyssey across the United States ending in the southern piedmont of the Old North State, which we’ve missed.  I’ll write a wrap-up post after the dust has settled, but in the meantime, we’re anticipating seeing our family and friends and taking up our lives again with incredible memories that we made as a little family traveling around a big world that somehow seems just a bit smaller now.