West Maui

Whale season in Maui is starting to slow down as the whales head back up to their feeding grounds in northern waters and sightings from my balcony have become farther apart and fewer as well so I am finally able to pull myself away from the balcony to explore more of the island.  We have had quite a bit of rain too so going to west Maui was a risk due to road flooding and rock slides but finally the weather cleared up a bit (or so I thought) and I headed in that direction.

I had to drive through the town of Lahaina to get in route to the nature. I have spent the day in Lahaina before and located along the waterfront is Front street and it is loaded with little shops and restaurants and is a fun way to spend the day.  I helped out the local economy a bit with the purchase of a few token treasures and souveniers to bring home and remind me of my stay.  If you are in Lahaina you must try the Hula Pie at Kimo's and bring a couple of friends to help you eat it, it is amazing!

This trip was focused on following the curving, winding roads along the oceanfront to explore what mother nature in Maui has to offer.  There are many pull offs along the road to provide a place for safe viewing of the scenery and sometimes even whales off the coast.  I saw a couple of whales but the weather was very windy making the water choppy and a bit harder to see the whales.  My first real stop along the way was at the Nakalele Blowhole.  As the waves crash in, water comes up creating a huge force of water through the hole and creating a geyser-like flow of water into the air.

There are plenty of scenic vistas along the way that you can pull off and take a look around you and I made quite a few of those stops.  Eventually the road narrows to one winding lane split between you and the oncoming traffic and I decided that was my cue to turn around and go back but only after stopping at a road side stand for some delicious banana bread.  I can't seem to ever get enough homemade banana bread.  It ended up being a bit rainy and cloudy throughout the day but it was still nice to get off the beaten path and see some of the amazing scenery here on Maui.

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