We all experience it. The feeling of doing something that so few
people have ever done that you will be able to brag and talk about it
even to your grand kids. We are lucky if we experience this once every
few years or even just a few times during our lives.
Maui, Hawaii is a unique place. It is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean,
part of the United States and is accessible to anyone in just a few
short hours of travel. You don't need a passport to get here and you
can stay as long as you like. The greatest part though is that it is
absolutely nothing like the continental US.
When you boil it down it is one of the only ways to escape everyday
life without leaving the country. More importantly you can experience
these "once in a life time" moments on a daily basis, so if you stay
for a week expect seven unforgettable experiences.
Let's start by getting into a few of things you can do, that I guarantee
you will never forget.
Sunrise on a Dormant Volcano Maui is in the tropics; it is always present
but with elevation comes the cold. You wake up one morning, well before
the break of dawn, after arriving to Maui, throw on some shorts and
a t shirt, jump in the car and start heading up to the top of Haleakala
(Maui's dormant volcano.) Once you get to the top (at 4:00 in the morning)
you realize it is 50 degrees and you're cold! Soon after you're ready
to get back in the car you see the sun start to peek into the sky. The
sky explodes into colors you have never seen before and now the cold
seems to only amplify the different shades of red, yellow orange and
blue! The drive back down is exhausting, but I guarantee you won't forget
this day.
Diving with Sea Turtles the next morning you get up and head over to
Polo Beach on the south shore of Maui in Kihei. You have already rented
some snorkel gear and are ready to jump into the water. The water is
calm because it is still early and you start swimming out, not far,
only for about four minutes. The water gets deep but it is clean and
clear as ever, you see reef and fish everywhere! Seconds later you see
an enormous turtle out of nowhere cursing along the bottom of the reef.
Seems too easy doesn't it? We have tons of turtles here, there is even
a popular dive spot known as "Turtle Town." These creatures are some
of the most amazing animals to swim with and to see in the wild.
There are two events that you will never forget. We haven't even started
talking about hiking in to a rainforest's to jump off an ancient waterfall
or driving through a barren lava field to snorkel where you can hear
whales singing underwater. No matter how long you stay on Maui you can
experience an unforgettable event everyday of your stay with little
or no effort.
