Maui (Day 2)
Friday, March 16: Helicopter + Hana Tour
I did a short Zumba workout on the side lanai but moved inside for a longer yoga session -- too warm and humid outside!!! I finished with a 15-minute swim in the pool while Mr. E went for a short jog south along the Beach Walk. We left the hotel around 9:15am to pick up coffee and breakfast at Starbucks in Lahaina Gateway on our way to the heliport back by the airport in Kahului. After we checked in for our tour at Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, we did a bit of souvenir shopping as we waited for our departure.
We took off with our friendly pilot, Michael, and four other folks in our small tour group who were traveling together. They all live in San Diego now but come from Rochester, NY. Michael provided a great tour over West Maui, the isthmus, some of Central Maui, the northeast coast, and finally the east side as we landed at the tiny Hana airport. We saw lots of waterfalls throughout the valleys, and the minimal cloud cover allowed for some great views. Mr. E and I were lucky enough to again be in the front seats! (similar to our helicopter tour in Kauai, although with doors on this time)
Our guide for the driving part of the tour was Gayle, and she met us at the airport with a very comfy 6-passenger van for the return trip via the famous Road to Hana. We stopped for lunch near Hana town and enjoyed fresh chicken and fish wraps, a light pasta salad, Maui gold pineapple, and mini brownie bites.
Other stops along the tour included the Black Sand Beach with lava tube, a swimmable waterfall, and the roadside Halfway to Hana (yummy banana bread) as well as several other scenic and panoramic outlooks to take advantage of the beautiful day and amazing views. We also saw lots of the colorful rainbow trees (not the appropriate name, I'm sure) with multi-colored bark that changes from blues and purples to reds and oranges as the tree sheds each spring. Gayle was a very informative guide who clearly loves the Road to Hana and being able to share it with her guests.
We got back to the heliport just after 5:30pm and had a surprisingly traffic-free return drive to the hotel. From our room, we could hear the luau show, which luckily finished up by 7:30pm. We repeated our food court dinner, although Mr. E indulged in the loco moco this time while I again enjoyed my tofu and vegges. He had wanted the huli chicken, but it was already sold out. Darn! I think he was still pretty satisfied with his meal...
I did a short Zumba workout on the side lanai but moved inside for a longer yoga session -- too warm and humid outside!!! I finished with a 15-minute swim in the pool while Mr. E went for a short jog south along the Beach Walk. We left the hotel around 9:15am to pick up coffee and breakfast at Starbucks in Lahaina Gateway on our way to the heliport back by the airport in Kahului. After we checked in for our tour at Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, we did a bit of souvenir shopping as we waited for our departure.
Our guide for the driving part of the tour was Gayle, and she met us at the airport with a very comfy 6-passenger van for the return trip via the famous Road to Hana. We stopped for lunch near Hana town and enjoyed fresh chicken and fish wraps, a light pasta salad, Maui gold pineapple, and mini brownie bites.
Other stops along the tour included the Black Sand Beach with lava tube, a swimmable waterfall, and the roadside Halfway to Hana (yummy banana bread) as well as several other scenic and panoramic outlooks to take advantage of the beautiful day and amazing views. We also saw lots of the colorful rainbow trees (not the appropriate name, I'm sure) with multi-colored bark that changes from blues and purples to reds and oranges as the tree sheds each spring. Gayle was a very informative guide who clearly loves the Road to Hana and being able to share it with her guests.
posted by jms | 7:28 PM
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