All content & photos: Copyright© 2008,
Jan Hight. All rights reserved.
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Hawaii '99 Aloha!! This, the 7th "Jan's Journeys" Hawaii-related article, contains reminiscences of our 12th jaunt to Hawaii in the same number of years...is there a detectable pattern here?! Our previous 6 pages, linked at the end of this article, offer our lovingly-researched suggestions, tips, recommendations and advice for enjoying Oahu, Maui and Kauai. So this entry will be a bit different -- consisting mainly of John's photo-remembrances of 1999's vacation on Maui and Kauai, with fewer words than usual. Of course since I find it almost impossible to be silent when it comes to our beloved Paradise, there will probably be observations from me scattered here and there!! Please enjoy the tropical splendor that follows...then check out our earlier pages for an abundance of information and lots of links! continue on to Maui section
We begin this year's journey on Maui...with the sunset view from our condo at the Maui Schooner in Kihei; see why we love it so?!
We returned to many of our favorite spots, including
Tedeschi Winery and the Maui Tropical Plantation. Ah, wine and gardens....can't go wrong
with either of those!
Five Palms restaurant in Wailea has always been one of our
top choices for dinner, and it was extra special this year. When the sun was
setting, as conch shells were being blown on the beach to herald the end of day, while a
Hawaiian duo was singing "Beautiful Kauai (we love that song!)....whales
appeared just off the shoreline! In the middle of the gang was a
frolicking calf, having a merry time trying to act like the big guys. We've been
favored with this same incredible display on previous visits to Five Palms; the Humpbacks
must enjoy its scenic location and vibrant sunsets as much as we do!
Continuing with the delightful subject of whales at sunset: it was rather late in the season for Humpback sightings, and we'd been told that most of them had ventured onward...but we were again treated by passing pods as we dined at Pacific'O on the beach in Lahaina. That fabulous restaurant is already our number one Maui favorite; having a 2nd chance to gaze upon whales during another sundown spectacle, while savoring the delectable and innovative Pacific Rim cuisine, made this dinner particularly memorable!
Ascending to the summit of Haleakala, the 10,000+ foot dormant volcano that looms over the island, we were once again lucky enough to find it crystal-clear, its subtle colors shimmering, with just a few clouds surging around the edges. The silence and the immensity make it an awe-inspiring, even reverent site...as befits a former habitat of Pelé.
Mama's Fish House was one of the very first restaurants we
tried on our very first trip to Maui. We still find its setting to be so perfect
that it almost seems like a backdrop for the ultimate Hawaiian movie.
Since we're cyber-touring Maui, everyone would probably like to see beaches and seascapes.....here they are!!
On our final Maui evening we had a first-time dinner at
Sea Watch in Wailea; it definitely won't be the last. We dined on the lanai,
overlooking the Pacific, watching the lowering sun increasingly reflecting off Molokini
and Kahoolawe until they glowed...then the sun concluded the day for us. continue on to Kauai
section
Let's begin with our home on Kauai....the blissful North Shore. Just a few minutes away from Princeville, and across the first of the legendary one-way bridges, is divine Hanalei. This irresistible little hamlet and its spectacular Bay never fail to rejuvenate us.  
...then further northward to Limahuli Gardens, where we were alone on the
trail and felt as if we'd journeyed back to the ancient days; and finally to the end of
the road at Ke'e Beach....
We returned, as always, to one of our favorite
sunset-infused restaurants -- Bali Hai. This evening certainly didn't disappoint us;
the clouds were forming phantasms as we celebrated John's birthday with yet another
marvelous meal; and then the colorful show began. Since we're on the subject of memorable sunsets (although
we still haven't seen that illusive "green flash"!), here's a lovely duo...the
one on the left was enjoyed from our condo; the one on the right was captured at an
overlook in Princeville:
Ah another day, another sunset to savor in Paradise.
This one enhanced our dinner at the Princeville Hotel's Friday evening seafood
extravaganza...the term "buffet" just doesn't do justice to this feast!
When we arrived, there were low clouds and a tropical mist; several diners deserted the
lanai to move inside...not us!! Just before dusk the
rainclouds suddenly blew away, and our patience was rewarded with one of the most enduring
sunsets we've seen....the skyglow was incredibly long-lasting, accompanied by that
peppery-spicy scent that always saturates Kauai after rainfall. Then the mountains
bordering Hanalei Bay turned twilight blue.
Aloha...until Hawaii 2000!! return to beginning of Maui
section
Please visit our related articles for lots of specifics
about happy islanding in Hawaii! You can do even more paradise dreaming with a photo reverie of Maui and Kauai...Hawaii 2000!!
Copyright © 1999 -
2008: Jan Hight
Published -- July 7, 1999 |
First stop...Lahaina.
Those who have already viewed our "Hawaii '98" article might wonder why our
favorite citizen (pictured on the left) of that old whaling port has seemingly
shrunk. We pondered that mystery, too; then we discovered that Hula the Pig was
tucked away on a ranch, having piglets, while this mini-Hula took over her duties as a
Front Street greeter! Our waiter at Bubba Gumps related the story of his move to
Lahaina: he'd never even been to Hawaii; but while he was suffering through a landlocked
mid-western blizzard, he received a phone call from an island-relocated friend who
described Maui's balmy breezes and magnificent oceanscape. He moved immediately, has never
looked back, and has never regretted it...there are numerous similar tales in Hawaii!!
unexpectedly bought wine for us, an
example of the joyful friendliness that we so often find on Kauai. As we drove back
to Princeville that evening, there was a full moon glistening as it was mirrored in the
ocean. A cloud which resembled an angel fish drifted by, and the moon briefly
occupied an opening in its "head"....becoming the glowing fisheye!
May
1st, in addition to being May Day, is also celebrated as Lei Day
throughout Hawaii. While
we were enjoying Kauai's festivities {food, crafts, entertainment...and all the gorgeous
creations entered in the lei-making contest}, we ran into California friends who spend
part of each year at their house in Hanalei. We didn't realize they were on the island
just then, so it was an unanticipated and happy reunion! And since our goal is to
imitate their living arrangements, we gathered lots of ideas from them for splitting our
own lives between California and Hawaii at some point in the future...Aloha, Jan and
Steve!!
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