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Health & Fitness

Maui - An Island of Diverse Landscapes

Maui - An Island of Diverse Landscapes, Hawaii Series Continued

Our Hawaiian cruise around the islands begins with a port stop in Maui, also known as the "Valley Isle".  Maui is the 2nd largest island in the Hawaiian chain and the breeding ground for Humpback Whales, but we won't be seeing any of these magnificent creatures on this trip.  June tis not the season.  If you have a hankering to view Humpback Whales, make sure to travel between December and March.

We've received so many rave reviews about "The Road to Hana" tour on Maui, that we decide to check it out for ourselves.  We join a ship excursion and load up on the bus with our fellow explorers.  Tom, our driver, knew the route like the back of his hand.  "The Road to Hana" is considered such a difficult route to navigate that car rental companies will negate your rental insurance if you dare to try to travel it on your own.  Part of the thrill was Tom, our trusty driver, and his confidant and sometimes speedy peeling around the curves on the edge of a cliff.  He claimed he had to give it a little gas to ensure we made it up and around!  Everyone knew were were from the South when Lon let out his, "Yeehaw!" in approval.

The winding, hilly road with hair-pin curves that narrows to one lane in places is not the choice for the faint of heart.  However, the reward for the ride was a day of changing landscapes that included sugar cane fields, cattle ranches, waterfalls, mountains & valleys, lush tropical foliage and dry plains with mesquite trees.  Our favorite landscape of the day was the black sand beach with lava boulders.  What a sight to behold!

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We were introduced to living proof of nature's bounty, specimens so unique they didn't quite look real.  Like the Rainbow Eucalyptus - a tree that looks as if it were painted in watercolor strips and left in the forest to dry.  Photo ops were plentiful along the way. 

To indulge everyone's sweet tooth, one of our stops included Aunty Sandy's Banana Bread Stand where we sampled authentic home-baked bread which was delicious.  What a treat to take back to the cabin and snack on throughout the trip!  To top off the day, the tour ended with a quick stop at a winery where we tasted pineapple wine.

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Three hundred pictures later and the tour is complete.  Photography enthusiasts will not be disappointed in this tour.  Back to the ship and we're off to pack bags for the Molokini Snorkel tour in the morning.

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