Maui, Hawaii

We hopped over to Kapalua, Maui (a small airport on the north end of the island) after flying all day from Las Vegas, NV to Honolulu, Hawaii. Small planes fly all the time between the islands and locals often island hop so it is easy to get around. Here is the small plane we took for the 30 minute flight over.

There were only 13 of us on the plane so the captain asked that we sit in certain rows for weight distribution (not sure I found that too comforting). It was also on this flight that we discovered that you can stow your “carry on” bags in the front cargo hold for no additional charge (you can see the open cargo door at the front of the plane in this picture). This was a much faster option than waiting until everyone was off the plane and in the building before the “checked” bags could be delivered to the baggage claim area. Which, as you can see, was really just an outdoor area where they put your bag after they rolled up the gate.

We took a short 10-minute Uber ride to our hotel in Ka’anapali and began exploring the area. We had planned to just sleep in and hang out on the beach our first day. We are finding that having a down-day (a day with no plans) after a long travel day, or even after traveling for quite a few days, is really helpful. Here are some pictures from our first day around our hotel and along the beach (we walked over 5 miles while exploring…so much for taking it easy). The sunsets are amazing on this side of the island.

Our hotel (Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa) was in a great location.

There is one National Park on the island, Haleakala National Park. According to the National Park Service (NPS), “Visitor to the park can experience the summit area or the Kipahulu area on the coast…Weather and viewing conditions at the summit are unpredictable and change rapidly. Be prepared for cold (30-50F), wet, windy weather (10-40 mph) and intense sun. Sunrise viewing is popular, so expect crowds.” (Note: if you intend to visit for sunrise then you need to make a reservation on the NPS website www.recreation.gov up to 2 months in advance)

We chose to visit in the morning after the sunrise crowds left the summit. We were very happy we waited.