Jackie's
Trip Connect City Guides
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| Guide
to Maui by Jackie Lieberman
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| Overview
- Something for Everyone |
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Of
all the Islands of Hawaii, Maui is probably
the most diverse. World-class golf? Check.
Horseback riding? Got it. Gorgeous beaches?
Entertainment? Maui’s got that,
too. Plus you’ll find plenty of
shopping and restaurants in Lahaina, especially
at Whaler’s Village. And it’s
a lot less crowded than Oahu.
The
weather here is beautiful year-round.
Even when it does rain, it rarely rains
all day. Come here in the winter and you’re
almost guaranteed to see an enormous humpback
whale while gazing out at the ocean. |
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| Hotel
- Hana Kai Maui Resort Condominiums |
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| Staying
overnight in Hana? A friend of mine recommends
renting one of these condos on the water,
which come complete with a kitchen. It’s
the perfect spot for a quiet get-away, but
be warned—there’s no television
or internet. |
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| Attraction
- Mendes Ranch |
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| It’s
not every day you get to meet a Hawaiian
cowboy. That’s exactly what my husband
and I did at the Mendes Ranch in Wailuku.
Inexperienced as we were, we opted for the
guided trail ride on two of the slowest
horses I’d ever seen. Mine was nicknamed
“Vader.” I couldn’t figure
out why, as he was brown and not black,
until we headed out—the poor thing
wheezed! No wonder he was so slow and gentle.
We loped through the scenic
ranch toward the ocean, where the guides
were happy to take our pictures on horseback
in front of the gorgeous blue waves. It’s
still one of our favorite honeymoon photos.
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| Attraction
- Haleakala |
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| On
a sunny morning in Maui, we drove up one
of the world’s steepest roads, through
the clouds and past them, to the top of
Haleakala, a crater-like dormant volcano
where the sun shines so bright that the
plants are all silver to protect themselves
from the UV rays.
At the summit, the view
is unlike anything I’d seen before.
Looking down at the huge gauge in the
red earth, you can almost imagine you’re
on Mars.
There are plenty of ways
to get down Haleakala, including hang
gliding and renting bicycles with special
breaks that keep you from descending too
fast, but I was happy to roll back down
in the convertible we’d rented.
Despite the sunshine,
the air is chilly up there, so bring a
jacket.
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| Attraction
- The Road to Hana |
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| One-lane
Hana Highway is one of the most scenic routes
in Hawaii. It’s also heavily used
by the locals, so don’t be surprised
if, when you slow down to view one of the
many beautiful waterfalls or to take it
easy on a hairpin turn, one of the drivers
behind you leans on his horn. He’s
probably just headed home in a hurry.
There are so many perfect
photo opportunities along the road that
you may be tempted to stop at each one.
Just keep in mind that you can’t
dally all day if you want to get to the
Seven Sacred Pools at the end before dark.
And be sure to make time for unexpected
delays. On our trip, a gigantic tree had
fallen into the middle of the road and
had to be chopped up and hauled away before
we could continue. It seems that this
is a common occurrence and, amazingly
enough, we only waited about an hour for
local authorities to remove it.
There aren’t any
restaurants along the highway, so pick
up a picnic basket or plate lunch to go
before in the morning before you set out.
There are plenty of pretty picnic spots
along the way.
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| Restaurant
- Hula Grill |
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| This
casual beachside restaurant at Whaler’s
Village serves some terrific fish tacos,
as well as other local specialties like
goat cheese pizza baked in a wood-burning
oven. As far as drinks go, I recommend the
lava flow, a Hawaiian specialty that combines
a pina colada with a strawberry daiquiri. |
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| Restaurant
- Pacific’O |
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| If
you’re a foodie like me, don’t
miss this award-winning contemporary Hawaiian
restaurant. Dishes like fresh tempura-style
fish served rare with lime basil sauce and
warm tropical fruit pastries with macadamia-nut
ice cream are worth the high price. If you
can, get a table outside overlooking the
ocean. |
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