Maui, Hawaii — They sit next to each other on the bleached-white bench facing the back of the boat, not saying much in that way people who have been together for a long time sometimes don’t need to. But Keith and Nancy Olsen nod and smile widely at the three children who take turns breathlessly appearing at their sides to point toward just-spotted whales or share a bit of information before racing back to the railing to scan the sea.
The Olsen kids – Carly, 15, Chase, 13, and Cassidy, 8 – are Keith and Nancy’s grandchildren, and they are on the boat with Grandma and Grandpa as part of a vacation to celebrate the Salt Lake City couple’s 50th wedding anniversary.
The Olsens’ daughter, Christy, and her husband, Mark, are from Colorado Springs, and they booked the week in Maui so the extended family could share the event and some time together.
“We all agree that this was the best trip of our lives, individually and as a family,” Christy says. She’s talking in hushed tones because Cassidy finally has exhausted herself on this combination snorkeling/whale-watching/turtle-swimming/sailing excursion and fallen asleep in Christy’s lap on the floor of the 55-foot catamaran.
Cassidy isn’t the only sleepy one – at least a third of the 40 or so passengers on the Trilogy II are drowsy and trying to find a way to bundle up a towel or sweat shirt to lean on to doze a bit in the warm sunshine that’s barely being cooled by a salt-scented breeze.
We’re easing our way back toward Ma’alaea Harbor, where about six hours earlier we had set sail for Molokini Crater, an extinct volcano that sits 2 1/2 miles off Maui’s south coast, for snorkeling with at least two dozen large schools of fish, including the famous humuhumunukunukuapua’a, Hawaii’s state fish that also is known as the reef or Picasso triggerfish, as well as several barracuda and some really cool eels. Afterward, we had moved over to Makena Landing, where we hung out in the water with a 4-foot-wide manta ray and five or six giant green sea turtles.
Snorkeling haven
The appeal of Molokini for snorkeling is that its crescent shape and position make it less susceptible to waves and currents. But that doesn’t mean snorkeling there isn’t a workout, which is why some of us are worn out. Trilogy, a sailing company since 1973, allows participants to go at their own pace, but also gave us plenty of time at the crater. At one point, we were confronted by hundreds of fish; moving meant hitting them with our fins, so instead we gently treaded water to let them pass in a slow swarm.
“I was concerned about Cassidy being OK with the whole thing, but she was the one who pointed everything out to me,” Christy says. “She was truly a little fish.”
Cassidy pointed out a reef shark, a sea cucumber and a snowflake moray eel, most of which the Olsens identified after they got back on the boat, as we all pored over the picture cards that Trilogy hands out so folks can attempt to match up what they spy through their goggles with the 250 or so known species roaming Molokini’s translucent waters.
More important, though, than identifying fish is the spotting of humpback whales, about 1,500 to 2,000 of which make the annual trek to the Maui coast from Alaska between December and May to mate, calve and nurse their offspring.
This activity causes adult humans to do things like step on little kids’ fingers in their rush to take photos (actual thing I saw someone do), but it is true that watching these magnificent creatures from only a hundred yards away (legally as close as you can get to an adult humpback, or 300 yards for a calf and mother) is awe-inspiring. As is hearing their singing underwater while you’re snorkeling.
When Cassidy awakens, she joins those pressed against the sides of the boat waiting for Trilogy’s crew to announce that another whale has been seen breaching (propelling itself about two-thirds straight out of the water) or diving fluke up or fluke down (with its tail out) or slapping (whacking the pecs or tail against the water).
“We can see the whales from our condo too,” Christy says. “Mark and I take a glass of wine down with us to the grills closest to the beach, turn them on low, pull up a couple of lounge chairs and watch the whales in the horizon along with the sunset.”
Plenty of Coloradans
The Olsens aren’t the only Coloradans we encounter on our visit to Maui; in fact, we never go more than 24 hours without running into someone else from the state. The next day, we join another 40 people on a different boat, this one geared entirely toward whale-watching and run by Pacific Whale Foundation, a nonprofit group that runs for-profit charters to educate people about the ocean.
Denverite Jimmy Bridge and his two sons, Derek, 16, and Robert, 14, brought three digital cameras, a waterproof 35mm camera and a camcorder on board. “OK, this might be overkill, but this is our first trip to Hawaii,” Jimmy says. “And yesterday we stood on the shore and got about an hour’s worth of footage of this mom and her baby, and it was amazing. They were flipping almost upside down and spraying water, and it was just so cool. I don’t want to miss anything.”
After the first 15 minutes away from the shore, it’s actually even harder to catch everything that’s happening – at this time of year (late March), the whales are very active, and at one point we are surrounded by whales: four pairs of mothers and calves and six solo males, several of which are breaching as though on a version of “American Whale Idol” for the three boats filled with awe-struck passengers.
“Folks, this is truly a show,” says our captain, who keeps turning the boat around and around, and finally has to move away from a mother and calf to keep us legally compliant. “I’m not just saying this, this doesn’t happen very often. We’re really getting a treat.”
The way everyone is running back and forth across the silver catamaran Ocean Explorer, it’s obvious everyone gets it. My heart is pounding. People are making the kind of “ooooh” and “aaahhh” sounds they make when they watch fireworks as the whales leap up and water sprays everywhere.
Even with all of the whale activity, getting photos of black creatures who flit in and out of dark-blue or steel-gray (depending on the cloud cover) water can be tricky. It’s easier with a video camera. Jimmy Bridge and I come up with a system: First we videotape, then we try to snap off a few still photos. Later, when I look at the results, I find that I have a lot of pictures of empty ocean. But on my video camera, I hear Jimmy mutter something unprintable, and then, “Oh, my god, that was incredible.”
Incredible array of options
Indeed, the superlatives are the snag when it comes to Maui. There are so many incredible things about it, and each day it’s a tossup as to what incredible thing to do or see.
Should we take the Road to Hana? Drive to the top of Haleakala? Eat some just-caught sushi? Or just sit and watch the crystal-clear, turquoise-bottomed waves crash against yet another pristine stretch of craggy-rock-lined, white sand beach?
About the Road to Hana: We didn’t take the famous 50-mile stretch of wiggly Hana Highway that curves around Maui’s eastern side between the shore and the Koolau Forest Preserve, but the Olsens did. “We had a bit of a challenge maneuvering the 12-passenger van around the tight, narrow turns,” Christy Olsen says. “But my husband did a remarkable job considering the many backseat drivers.”
Christy says they felt the full day the drive took was very much worth their time, especially because they stopped off at the black-sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park. “Our favorite thing was going in through the cave and listening to the waves crash up against the rocks and then pull the smooth black stones back into the sea,” Christy says. “It sounded like a rain stick, almost. We also stopped by the Waialua Lookout for a picnic lunch. The most breathtaking experience of the whole trip. It was absolutely stunning.”
The Olsens also made the drive up to the top of Haleakala, the world’s largest dormant volcano – as did we. They took a bike tour, which Christy says was rather cold, which is why we decided not to. “Even with all the layers and warm ski gloves, we were chilled to the bone,” she says. “My husband actually had icicles on his eyebrows and leg hairs.”
The crater, 7 1/2 miles wide, sits at the top of 33 switchbacks 37 miles up, which is what you bike down after a shuttle takes you to the top in the morning, the best time to visit Haleakala besides sunrise. Those are the two times when the cloud cover burns off, and you can see about 100 miles in every direction. On the up and down, you pass though several climates – eucalyptus and cypress groves, lavender fields, swamps, rock fields – because you go from sea level to 10,000 feet. In some places, it can be slow going because the fog is so thick, you can barely see more than 2 feet in front of the car.
Keep an eye out for nene, the adorable, gray-and-brown striped Hawaiian geese that call out “nay-nay,” which is how you pronounce the name. Fewer than 250 of the endangered creatures waddle around the park, with their babies in tow, and they bring everything to a halt when they cross the street.
“You can’t believe it’s real”
“Maui is so beautiful, it’s like every cliché, every dream place you ever heard about, but then you get here, and you can’t believe it’s real,” says Jim Freeheart.
Freeheart fulfilled his dream of moving from Boulder to Maui just a few weeks before our trip.
My daughters and I are sitting on Wailea beach one day, and this affable guy comes along and sets up an easel and oils next to us. Children from all over the beach immediately flock to him, and he answers their questions and offers them the materials to start their own artwork. He shares his boogie board with them.
After an initial “It’s a small world” conversation, Freeheart confesses that he used to teach classes through the University of Colorado’s Science Discovery Program, and he still raises funds for Denver-area schools on his website with his giclée prints. He then proceeds to whip up a landscape of the surroundings before our eyes.
“It isn’t hard to capture Maui,” Freeheart says. “The colors just sort of leap onto the canvas.”
What can be hard is making a living in one of the most expensive places in the United States. “It’s an adjustment,” Freeheart says. “It’s worth it, but people who want to move here, and visit, have to be aware of the fact that nothing here comes without a price. It makes me appreciate it all the more.”
Christy Olsen says she had not been prepared for how much more expensive everything was; the family stayed in a condo for the week hoping to save money by cooking some meals instead of eating out. “I was shocked at the cost of groceries,” she says. “I think we spent about $500 on food alone at the grocery store. We ate lunch out one day and dinner two times.”
Their favorite dinner out was the Old Lahaina Luau, a traditional Hawaiian hula and feast complete with poi, the somewhat acquired taste of boiled and mashed taro root, and about two dozen seafood, salad and other dishes served to the accompaniment of drums, chanting, dancing and song.
“My favorite part was when they asked for the lovebirds who were celebrating their anniversary to come down while the musicians serenaded them, and my parents danced,” Christy says. “My dad has Alzheimer’s, and I know this was probably my last big trip with him. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Insider’s Guide
Get there: United flies nonstop into Kahului Airport on Maui; American Airlines and US Airways make one stop. Sometimes the airlines stop in Honolulu and then take puddle jumpers over, an inconvenience that cuts your fares, right now starting at $760 round-trip.
Get around: Maui is an easy place to drive, so rent a car (a bit more expensive than on the mainland, closer to $50 a day) – there are only a few major highways that circumnavigate the island, and with the exception of parts of the rough-and-tumble Hana Highway (Hawaii 36/360), they are well marked and well maintained. Cabs are very expensive; there is no other public transportation.
Dine: Our favorite authentically local cheap meal was at Da’ Kitchen Express (2439 S. Kihei Road, 808-875-7782), which does noodle dishes (check out the Chow Fun, shredded beef tossed with super-thick noodles for $7.75) and Hawaiian- style kalua pork (huge portion for $8.25). It’s greasy and carb-heavy, but filling and addictive.
Our favorite meal overall, though, had a Colorado connection: we couldn’t pass up a Takah Roll ($10.25) at Sansei Seafood & Sushi Bar (Kihei Town Center, 808-879-0004. ), inspired by Takah’s in Aspen. After we ate the fantastic combination (shrimp, ahi, crab and cucumber rolled inside-out and crusted with masago), we had to know why one of Aspen’s favorite sushi spots would be referenced in Maui. Turns out Sansei’s owner D.K. Kodama trained with Takah Sama. If you can get in there during happy hour (reservations are crucial; there’s a line from opening at 5:30 p.m.), everything is 25 percent off.
Lulu’s (1945 S. Kihei Road, 808-879-9944, ) is a great open-air sports-watching bar and restaurant on the top floor at the back of Kihei Kalama Village. It serves top-notch burgers (try the Dick Butkus one with peanut butter for $9.95, weird but tasty) and other pub grub, but we were happiest with the fried foods, including hot wings ($6.95 for a half-bucket) and pork-filled wontons with mango sauce ($8.95).
Some of the best fish and chips ever came from Alexander’s Fish & Chips (1913 S. Kihei Road, 808-874-0788). They offer ahi, ono and mahi deep-fried or grilled; after careful research, we highly recommend the mahi ($8.95), moist and coated in a crispy, seasoned batter. The chips are skin-on, and a slightly sweet coleslaw comes with.
Super-friendly service and a super-sweet breakfast can be had at Cinnamon Roll Fair (2463 S. Kihei Road, 808-879-5177), where $3.50 nets a fat spiral of goodness; another 50 cents can bring cream cheese icing, nuts and other toppings. You can get a good latte here too and juices.
The best breakfasts, though, came from the Kihei Caffe (1945 S. Kihei Road, 808-879-7811). It looks as though you won’t be able to get in, but they work things a little differently. The tables are always full, but it’s not table service. Go inside and stand in line; order at the counter. Get your fresh-squeezed orange juice and foamy latte right there and go find a table, which by the time you’ve gotten through the line has opened up. Then the server finds you with a tray laden with an overflowing platter of sausage and biscuits and gravy with poached eggs threatening to run down the side, or a mountain of skillet-fried potatoes with a four-egg omelette or thick slabs of French toasts with bananas and macadamia nuts. It’s always too much food, less than $7 and delicious.
Also for breakfast, spot-on eggs Benedict ($11.95) with real hollandaise can be had at Longhi’s in the Shops at Wailea (3750 Wailea Alanui Drive, 808-891-8883, ), which sported black-and- white checkered floors, an open-air dining room and a classy throwback-type atmosphere, complete with Frank Sinatra playing in the background and efficient service.
If the buns hadn’t been stale, we would have loved the burgers at Cheeseburger Island Style Wailea (3750 Wailea Alanui Drive, 808-874-8990, ), a second outpost of Cheeseburger in Paradise in Laihana. The patties were delicious and toppings, such as bleu cheese and bacon ($9.95) worked; it’s also worth it to spring for the thick-cut onion rings ($5.50).
If you still have room to eat after all of this, get a shave ice. We kept going back to Local Boyz Shave Ice (1941 S. Kihei Road), a friendly, funky stand in Kihei. Shave ice costs about $3 and comes in about two dozen flavors; it’s basically shaved ice without the “d” (the ice is actually shaved off a big block, so it’s more powdery than a snow cone, which is crushed ice) and doused with sugary flavorings such as coconut or blueberry or piña colada, and sometimes two or three, and you can get ice cream or whipped cream on top of it for a buck or two more.
Stay: When traveling with kids, I like to go the condo route whenever possible, mostly because it’s just more comfortable – everyone can spread out, there usually are laundry facilities, more beds and televisions, and the kitchen means the extra cost can often be offset by cooking several meals. Destination Resorts, which runs some great Colorado properties (the Inverness in Denver, The Gant in Aspen, Vail Cascade), has gorgeous condo units on golf and tennis properties at Wailea and Makena. Most of them are right on the beach or about a two- minute walk away. Wailea Ekahi (3750 Wailea Alanui Drive, 866-384-1365, ) features gloriously manicured lawns and pools for cooling off and getting the kids to wind down a bit. Rates start at $470 a night.
Wailea Beach Villas (3800 Wailea Alanui Drive, 866-901-5207, ) is an ownership property (and they do have openings, but if you have to ask how much…), but they also rent to the public, starting at about $880 per night. This place takes luxury to the ultimate level, situated on a stunning beach shared with the Grand Wailea, with an adults-only infinity pool as well as family pools, plasma TVs in all the rooms, every detail thought of and unbelievably accommodating attendants at your beck and call – setting up beach chairs, umbrellas, getting you lunch, you name it. Each unit’s lanai has a view that goes on forever, and everything from the leather furniture to the granite bathrooms screams quality.
Cheaper lodging can be found in Kihei, such as the cutie Nona Lani Cottages (455 S. Kihei Road, 800-733-2688, ), which are just a hop-skip to the beach, sleep four (two are on sleeper sofas), feature kitchens, on-premises laundry, TV and grill. Rates run $90-$120.
The Pineapple Inn Maui (3170 Akala Drive, 877-212-6284, ) has a cottage available as well as regular rooms. The rooms have kitchenettes and TVs with VCRs, and the grounds have a pool and hot tub with ocean views. The sweet little cottage sleeps four, but you have to stay for six nights. Cottage is $185; rooms start at $110.
Shop: It definitely was cheaper to cook a few meals at the condo, but be prepared for some sticker shock when you enter a grocery store on Maui. Four sticks of butter cost $6.75 and a half-gallon of milk was $5 – ouch. One Sunday I threw a New York Times down on the counter, and picked it right back up again when I found out it cost $7.75. It also was disconcerting to discover that much of the fish and seafood come from Vietnam and elsewhere, not right off the island as we’d imagined (shrimp, though, was local). Still, the pineapple was cheap, fresh and plentiful (although after day four, my kids were threatening mutiny if I didn’t lay off it a bit), as were the other tropical fruits such as mangos and papaya. Safeway (in the Pi’ilani Shopping Center on the Pi’ilani Highway, 808-891-9120) is open 24 hours, as is Foodland (in the Kihei Town Center, South Kihei Road, 808-879-9350). Coffee from Kona also has a blessedly lower price tag than on the mainland.
Kihei seems to be the best place to find those great, cheesy souvenirs such as sarongs, ashtrays with hula dancers and other beach-oriented stuff. Vendors set up booths in the parking lots along South Kihei Road and promise “Big Sale Today Only” pretty much every day.
In Lahaina, the shops along Front Street are a little more upscale but offer terrific variety. It can get very hot on a sunny day, however, and parking is at a premium. Things are more chain-oriented at Whalers Village (2435 Ka’anapali Parkway) between Lahaina and Ka’anapali. Parking costs $3 an hour, but merchants will validate for three hours; you do have to buy a minimum of $10 worth of merchandise to get it.
The upscale place to buy stuff is at the Shops at Wailea (3750 Wailea Alanui Drive, 808-891-6770, ) in Wailea, where Fendi, Folli Follie, Na Hoku and Louis Vuitton reside.
Longing for a souvenir of the beach scene to hang on your wall after you leave? Check out Colorado and Maui artist Jim Freeheart’s work at .
Play: Trilogy Excursions (888-225-6284, .) was perfect for snorkeling with kids. Half days to Molokini Crater begin by meeting at Ma’alaea Harbor at 6:30 (no crowds) or 8 a.m. to start with just-baked cinnamon rolls and coffee on the boat before heading to the crater, whale-watching all the while;once there everyone dons gear and spends a couple of hours snorkeling or, for a limited number of people, scuba diving. Afterward, the group heads to Makena Landing to swim with green turtles and manta rays. At lunchtime Trilogy pulls off an impressive feast of bottomless Caesar salad, BBQ chicken and sundaes. The sails are then hoisted to get back to the harbor. Cost is $110 for adults, half price for kids 3-15; book online for 10 percent off.
Luaus: These elaborate, multi-course feasts with music, hula dancing and storytelling occur nightly all over the island. The Olsen family thoroughly enjoyed the Old Laihana Luau (1251 Front St., Lahaina, 800-248-5828), one of the most popular ones that was so booked during our visit we couldn’t get tickets ($89 adults, $59 ages 12 and under). During high season, it is advisable to make luau reservations well before you get to the island.
More info: Check out .
Travel editor Kyle Wagner can be reached at 303-954-1599 or travel@denverpost.com.
