Hearts in Hawai'i
Our Trip to Maui (2008)--Day 16
4/1/2018
Heading Home
Ugh, even typing those words "heading home" a month after our return to Duluth conjures up the finality of that final morning. Sure, we'd had two full weeks, more time than most people ever get to appreciate here, but we were still not ready to return home. Are we ever ready? It's seems not.
Was this our favorite trip? Those things are difficult to quantify, but we enjoyed the best weather of any trip we've taken. There wasn't a drop of rain in Lahaina during our stay, temps had reached the mid-80's nearly every day, and it was sunny nearly all the while. The weather has been fantastic!
We had a lot of fun experiences on our activities, also. $600 was spent on these activities, and it was worth every penny.
Today we slept in until 7 a.m. We knew it would be a long time (28+ hours) before we could sleep in a bed again and it's never a certainty that we can sleep on a plane, being crammed into those seats like cattle. After showering and packing the rest of our stuff, we realized what a smart decision it was to buy a new 29" suitcase for our checked luggage. We brought back much new clothing, souveniers and gifts for others and this bag was packed to near capacity. After checking out, staff at the hotel allowed us to stash our bags in a storage closet, after which we hit the road for a final day of sightseeing. There were more beaches to check out, including a re-visit to our wedding spot at Wailea Beach. The new circular polarizer I purchased last year seems to be working extremely well, much better than the cheap polarizer I'd previously used. We grabbed a quick lunch at Da Kitchen--Patty had the Teriyaki Chicken again. I opted for a burger with cheese and sauteed onions, a mess to eat. The Loco Moco I'd had on Saturday was much tastier. Patty's chicken was a taste bonanza and left me wishing I'd ordered the same thing.
Near Lahainaluna High School
Lahaina Shores from Lahainaluna
14 Mile Beach
West Maui Mountains from 14 Mile Beach
Ukumehame Beach
Hilltop overlooking Wailea Beach
Wailea Beach
Wailea Beachwalk
A visit to Iao Valley State Park followed lunch, but clouds prevailed up there, ruling out the possibility of taking exceptional pics of the Needle. Finally we cruised the Honoapi`ilani Highway one final time to Lahaina to pick up our bags at the hotel. It was a bittesweet feeling walking into the lobby one final time and feeling that warm ocean breeze blowing through the lobby. We bid adieu to M.K., our Expedia concierge, and returned our rental car to the Alamo outlet in Kahului.
Walking down the open-air concourse at Kahului Airport, I was reminded of landing here just a short fifteen evenings prior and feeling the same warmth as the sun was about to set. The four flights leading us back to Duluth are a dull blur of trying to sleep, walking through airports, and feeling resolved to another return to "real life"
Previous: 3/31/2008--Our Trip to Maui (2008)--Day 15
Index of Blog Pages
last updated november 13, 2021
|