some blogging catch-up

well, i first off must apologize to all of my avid blog-reading fans (based on the comments...it all three of you ;-) because i was unable to post yesterday, so todays blog will be playing a little catch-up. oh and a belated happy 4th of july to all!

yesterday, the 4th, we woke up and went for our usual swim and snorkel out here on the beach in front of our condo. it was a fun, relaxing morning, and a great way to kick off the 4th. around 1 we left kiehe and traveled to lahaina - the old whaling port on maui. lahaina is on the western side of the island, and is only about 20 miles from our condo, but with the easy-going, laid back traffic patterns of maui, its a good 40 minute drive. lahaina has all sorts of shops and stores as well as a ton of places to eat, so we shopped, shopped, and then eat a late lunch/early dinner at cheeseburger in paradise. after lunch/dinner, we came back to the condo, and rested up for the big fireworks display of the evening. oh and bonus, there was a party going on at the condos next to ours so we had some free entertainment to watch until it got dark.

once it was dark, the beach was covered with hundreds of peps all lighting fireworks...it was a little insane, but made it all the more fun! (sorry the firework photo is not too great...its really hard to photograph the small sparkling fountains that only project 3 feet in the air when there is no wind to blow the smoke away)

photos from the 4th...

an old flag in a window that i saw in lahaina...

1/2 the peps eating at cheeseburger in paradise...

a little firework action on the beach...

ok so today, thursday the 5th we traveled to hana, maui. hana is on the east end of the island and is the tropical rain forest that you would picture when you think of hawaii. its only about a 60 mile drive, but it takes well over 2 hours to get there...almost 3 hours if not more. the drive is supper pretty on the way there, but gets rather mundane and sickening on the way back (at least it was for me).

once in hana, its only a few more miles to the state park where the seven sacred pools are (though they are not at all sacred...it was just a name to get people to come there...and believe me it works!). once we arrived at the park, we went on the 1.8 mile hike to the waimoku falls which are over 400 feet tall. the trail twists and turn through an amazing bamboo forest, cross the stream a couple of times, and then dead-ends into the falls. its an easy hike (when your sandals dont rub and give you blisters...i knew i should have worn the rainbows), and one of the most interesting trails that i have ever done. though it was a bummer that it didnt rain at all while we were there...yep, in a place that gets over 300 inches of rain a year, not one drop today- what a drag.

here are some photos...

the drive to hana...

south wailua falls along the drive there...

group photo of us all under the large banyan tree...yes im actually in a photo...

the bamboo trail...

and the 400 foot, end-of-the-trail, ultimate-granddaddy-of-the-maui-falls, waimoku falls...

dont know what tomorrow has in store yet, but ill be sure to post...aloha!