February 9th-20th 2006 / Islands of Maui, Kauai and Oahu.

Maui

I flew in Kahului, Maui on a balmy thursday evening. I walked off the plane and was overjoyed to feel a warm tropical breeze welcome me inside the concourse. The climate is so good here they don't even need walls for their airport - just a roof to shelter from the rain. I could tell i was going to like it here. I picked up my rental car (which i upgraded to full size Chevy HHR mini-suv to make sure i could sleep in it) and headed out. The sun was going down behind the dormant volcano of west Maui and i realized i would soon have to answer the question that had been in the back of my mind the entire flight: where was i going to sleep tonight? I drove past countless 4 star resorts in south Maui before i finally found a quiet road on the ocean with several pullouts where i could park my car into for the night. Without a pad or a sleeping bag, it was a restless night, but i woke up at sunrise and went for a beautiful run along the footpath that traversed the beaches of the Wailea resorts.

After that first night, i realized Maui is not an easy place to car camp. It is so full of fancy resorts that there isn't much room left for us more adventurous types, and any remaining room is generally taken up by the local transient population that may or may not welcome you next to their "spot". But i toughed it out for the four nights i was there and was rewarded with an amazing campsite on the east coast near O'heo Gulch right on the ocean.

Other highlights of Maui included: Watching the sun set on Haleakala and going for a run at dusk down the Sliding Sands trail from the summit. Driving the road to Hana. Going for an evening run to a waterfall, through an enchanting bamboo forest, and then jumping into the Seven Sacred Pools afterwards and feeling so incredibly alive (this will go down as one of my all-time favorite travel experiences). Changing a flat tire for the first time in my life. Kicking back on Big Beach. Driving along the coast with the windows rolled down and listening to Island Radio.

Kauai

After my challenging experiences car camping on Maui i decided to stay in hotels during my 4-night visit to Kauai. I reserved 2 nights at the Kalaheo Inn near Poipu Beach (south side of the island) and 2 nights at the Hanalei Inn in Hanalei Bay on the north shore. Kalaheo is cool because it's a local's town - it's not on the coast and there are no resorts - but there is a great coffee shop (Kalaheo Cafe) that had incredible Mac Nut Rolls and great coffee. My first day there i went to Waimea Canyon and did an awesome run on the Nu'alolo/Awa'awaphu Trail. At two points the trail comes out to a cliff overlooking the Na Pali coast and an infinite sea to the west. Later in the day i went boogy boarding at Poipu Beach and watched the sunset at the Sheraton's fancy beach-side bar with a few cocktails in hand.

The next day i drove up the east coast on my way to the north shore where i would spend my final two nights on Kauai. There were a few highlights on the way that really caught my attention. The first was a hindu temple on the Wailua river. This temple is situated on 500 acres of the lushest, most beautiful piece of tropical land i have ever seen. I think every species of native flora existed on this property and it blew me away. And because of a vision their former Guru Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami had while sitting on a special rock several years ago, they are building a completely hand-made stone temple on the grounds. They have practically an entire village of men in India hand-chiseling the granite stone blocks (also quarried in India near Bangalore) and then they ship them by boat to Kauai where a rotating set of laborers from India work full time to put it all together. Everything is done completely by hand - no power tools whatsoever - so as not to alter the natural vibrations of the rock. Wild huh? It's worth checking out if you go and don't worry, it will be under construction for at least the next 5 years (i'm guessing 10). The other highlight was food: Mermaid's Restaurant in Kapa'a for Ahi Nori Tuna wrap with wasabi cream sauce and fresh Hibiscus Lemonade. Go to Kauai and go to Mermaids and eat and be happy.

The north shore of Kauai was awesome. It rained a lot but that only added to the dramatic atmosphere and landscape. 200 foot waterfalls flowed off green volcanic cliffs in every direction while 10 to 20 foot waves pounded the ocean. Surfers lined the break by the hundreds, bobbing up and down on their surfboards, waiting for the next cycle of waves. I rented a long board from a guy who had dark leathery skin, a long grizzly beard and piercing blue eyes that somehow inspired confidence as i ventured out into the foreign ocean terrain. My first few efforts at standing up sent me face planting into the ocean floor after the nose of my board dug into water. But after a dozen tries, i finally got up and found myself coasting effortlessly towards the beach at the will of the wave, and i was instantly hooked. I spent 2 hours out there in the rain, getting pummeled more often than not, but enjoying the rhythmic experience of the surf.

I had a great time on Kauai; the vibe, the landscape, the food, it all seemed to lend itself perfectly to my sensibilities.

Oahu

In many ways Oahu was the highlight of my trip. Reuniting with my old friend Kristin proved to be more meaningful and fun than even the most exciting adventures i found alone on Maui and Kauai. While the experiences we shared are certainly worth mentioning here, somehow putting them into words wouldn't quite do them justice, and after all, there are some experiences that are better preserved in one's memory than on a web page or photograph.

See photos from this trip