On our fifth day in Maui, we woke up at 3am and left the cottage at 4am to drive up to the Haleakala Crater summit, in hopes of watching the famous sunrise which is said to be the most beautiful when seen from the volcano’s highest point at 10,023 feet. The drive took over an hour and a half, but we got there just in time for when the sun was scheduled to come up. It was freezing up there, but we bundled up and eagerly waited with cameras on hand.
View of the sun about to rise, from the Haleakala Summit
…and then came the most disappointing moment of the entire trip. It had looked like the sun was about to shine through the clouds and light up the valleys below, and then a massive fog came in and shrouded everything. It became dark, and we couldn’t see a thing.
Darn you, fog!
You can see what happened in the time-lapse that Dan created, below.
We were really bummed, as this was supposed to be one of the biggest highlights of the trip and was one of the top attractions in Maui, probably second only to the Road to Hana. We found out afterwards that there was a hotline you could call the night before with a rating/forecast of how the sunrise would look the following morning. If only we’d known about it, we could have saved ourselves the early wakeup and long drive up and down the summit that had all been for naught.
At least we got some stunning views of the sunlit valleys of Maui on the drive down for the summit. I guess it wasn’t a complete waste of time…
We went back to the cottage to take a nap, and then drove over to Polo Beach, where we spent much of the afternoon.
We checked out of our lodging in Lahaina on the morning of July 29, and would spend the rest of our day making our way over to central Maui until we got to the cottage we were renting in Kihei for the rest our stay in Maui. Before we left West Maui, though, we all agreed that we wanted to make one last stop in downtown Lahaina to get another taste of Ululani’s before we left the area.
This time, I got the Rising Sun shave ice from Ululani’s – a combination of green tea, almond, and lychee flavors, topped with homemade mochi. I loved the Japanese-inspired combination of flavors – it became an instant favorite for me!
The rest of the fam ordering their shave ice.
Miwa digging in.
Me, visibly sad that my shave ice went all too quickly…
We spent about an hour doing some souvenir shopping in downtown Lahaina.
Beautiful sky and waters in Lahaina
Mio and I on the bridge overlooking the shore.
“Goodbye, Lahaina!”
Dan loves getting fresh fruit in Hawaii, so he had to make a stop when he saw this large fruit stand.
We then drove over to Iao Valley State Park, which is one of the top attractions in Maui. Iao Valley is formed from the remnants of Maui’s first volcano that created the western part of the island, and the valley is a narrow gorge 5 miles long, flanked by heavily forested walls almost a mile in height. Iao Valley is also the site of one of the Hawaii’s most famous battles, the battle of Kepaniwai in 1790 when King Kamehameha I destroyed the Maui army of Kalanikupule in an effort to unite the Hawaiian Islands.
Iao Valley State Park
The Iao Needle (on the left side of the photo) is a volcanic monolith 2,250 feet high, soaring nearly straight up 1200 feet from the valley floor. This is widely considered a lookout for warriors of Maui, and the view from the bottom is quite impressive.
The Iao Valley was very lush, green, and beautiful.
Mio looking uncomfortable on Dan’s back.
The family at Iao Valley State Park
Ted and Miwa are mimicking Dan’s pose. Kosei was not a very good sport and didn’t want to play along.
Miwa and I against the lush mountains of Iao Valley
It is said that during the battle of Kepaniwai (“damming of the waters”), the Iao river ran red with blood all the way to the ocean and that the number of warriors fallen held back the waters of the river, thus the name given to the battle. There’s some morbid historical background for ya…
Look at these ginormous leaves! You could use them as umbrellas, like in Totoro!
For lunch, we stopped by Pukalani Superette and bought a whole bunch of poke, musubi, and other Hawaiian dishes to share and ate picnic style.
In the afternoon, we checked into the private cottage rental in Kihei and got settled in, resting and cooling down.
Mio was so hot that she refused to wear clothes.
Although I have to admit, there’s something really adorable and cherubic about a baby clad only in a diaper…
Mio, only a few days away from turning 16 months old.
Cheesing with Mama’s sunglasses.
After getting some rest and settling in, we walked over to the ocean which was right by the cottage, so we could get some beach time before we lost daylight.
Making our way down to the beach in Kihei
The beach was conveniently right by our cottage.
Sharing a mother-daughter moment on the beach.
There was no one else there, and we had the whole beach to ourselves! Although the beach wasn’t as breathtaking and manicured as those in West Maui, it was really peaceful.
The ladies! π All of us (with the exception of Dan, so all of the Yokoyamas) were frequently mistaken as locals. With our darker complexions and Asian background, I guess we look Hawaiian to some people.
Soaking in the last of the sun’s rays.
The boys frolicking on the beach. Mio couldn’t stop laughing as Daddy held her and her uncles ran circles around her.
We retired early that night, since we had an early wakeup ahead of us the next day to catch the sunrise at the Haleakala summit! π
Picking up where we left off on Day Two, we explored more of West Maui on our third day. This was our last day staying in the Lahaina area, so we wanted to make the best of it! π
Mio bathed in the Maui morning sunlight.
We spent much of the early half of the day at Napili Kai Beach and Kapalua Beach, which are right next to each other. It was a great area to snorkel in, as well as to just sit back and enjoy the beach.
Stepping into the ocean.
Dan and my siblings getting ready to snorkel at Napili Kai Beach Resort.
Ready for some snorkeling!
Mio stayed behind on the beach, and we took turns watching her.
We got some great underwater pictures thanks to the underwater housing that we brought along for my point-and-shoot camera.
A sea urchin embedded in the rocks.
Coral at Napili Kai
We discovered some sea turtles while snorkeling! We’d seen them last time we were at Tunnels Beach in Kauai two years ago, but it’s always such an exciting experience to see them.
Sea turtles in Kapalua Bay
One got on top of the other. We suspect they were mating…
Closeup of the sea turtle: such majestic creatures!
Here are a couple underwater videos we took of the sea turtles!
Some more underwater pictures that we took…
Colorful fish and a sea snake.
Returning to the shore, we had a great time playing in the sand together.
Mio having fun with the noodle. (I swear I’m not naked in this picture – bad cropping.)
Kosei burying Ted in the sand.
Kosei also dug a hole for Mio to stand in. She looks unfazed.
Mio made a friend on the beach, and we found out upon talking to his mom that they were from San Ramon! We actually ran into a lot of fellow vacationers from the Bay Area.
It was a gorgeous day.
For lunch, we went to Star Noodle in Lahaina, as a bunch of us were craving some ramen.
Mio usually loves being outside, but she’d had enough of the heat and was happy to cool down indoors.
Everyone at lunch.
For the appetizer, we had some awesome pork buns. They were so good!!!
My hapa ramen from Star Noodle, with black miso. Ehrmahgerd… it was some of the best ramen I’d ever had.
Dan got the saimin, which was also great!
Miwa and I, full and satisfied after our delicious lunch!
Next stop was D.T. Fleming Beach! It was so hot and we were experiencing some major food coma, so we just wanted to lay out in the shade and nap.
Resting in the shade.
Mio had so much fun with Uncle Ted!
Later in the afternoon, we drove up North to see the Nakalele Blowhole. Mio was napping in the car, so Ted (who injured his foot) stayed behind with her while Dan, Kosei, Miwa, and I made the trek down to see the blowhole.
Scary warning sign.
The hike down was pretty rocky, but we finally reached the blowhole area.
Dan was fascinated by these rock formations.
The Nakalele Blowhole
The blowhole in action. Definitely dangerous if you get too close!
Miwa and I by the heart-shaped hole near the blowhole.
It was a perfect heart! Very cute.
We had a wonderful time in West Maui, and thoroughly enjoyed all the beauty it had to offer! The next day, we’d move to our cottage in Kihei, and explore the central and Eastern part of the island during the rest of our stay.
Today, we spent the day with Dan’s parents and brother, driving over to Tomales Bay Oyster Company to enjoy a BBQ lunch (with no shortage of delicious oysters!), exploring the downtown area nearby, and ending the day with some fun on the beach at Point Reyes.
I’d been craving oysters since the last time we went out there and got oysters from Drakes Bay, so I was elated that we got the chance to get another oyster fix in before we leave. I think I may have eaten one too many, though, because I feel like they are swimming in my stomach now. I wonder if there are similar places by the Chesapeake where we can buy and grill oysters in Virginia…?
On Saturday afternoon, we drove down to go to the Mountain View Obon Festival. We’d always heard about it and had wanted to check it out, but it’s about an hour drive away for us so we hadn’t gone until this year. We originally wanted to attend on Sunday because that’s the day they have the bon-odori, but Dan had an obligation that day, so Saturday was the only time we could go together. We had a wonderful time experiencing Obon together as a family!
Arriving at Mountain View Obon
Dan enjoying a beer
Mio was dressed up in her matsuri attire – thank you Yuko & family for the jinbei!
I dressed in yukata for the festival. It’s been a while since I wore one!
It was really hot down in Mountain View… especially in the yukata!
There were various food stands serving shaved ice, sushi, manju, ohagi, chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki, corn, corn dogs, french fries, spam musubi, beer, sake, and other refreshments.
Kingyo-sukui (Goldfish Scooping Game) – an Obon classic!
Love all the colors!
Mio and I watching the Goldfish Game
Mio loved walking around and taking in everything.
Thankfully, she’s been getting better about holding my hand while navigating crowds.
Taking a break to eat some ohagi and sip on Italian soda.
Mio has been doing this funny thing where she pretends to sip water, and then afterwards lets out a big burst of breath, like it was really refreshing. I’m not sure where she learned it from… I have a feeling it’s from this beer commercial, which comes on a lot when I’m watching Japanese TV shows. Here it is on video.
Silly girl.
Love her!
We ran into our friends Ali and Tim, who recently just moved back to the area after living in DC for a couple years.
Mio loved them!
A family picture (courtesy of Ali)
Our first time at Mountain View Obon!
Around 6pm, we headed over to the stage area where Jun Daiko was going to have a taiko performance.
This adorable little boy was walking around the taiko set.
Meanwhile, Mio was getting restless and flashing people with very unladylike poses. Please don’t do this when you are 16…
…so we moved her to Dan’s lap.
Jun Daiko performing – they were great! I love watching taiko.
Mio’s first time seeing taiko – she was fascinated, too.
A lion came out during the performance.
Mio was transfixed on the lion.
The lion went around to different members of the audience, and he eventually made his way over to Mio. She was definitely a bit intimidated and shrank bank a little, but she didn’t turn away. Even after it left, she kept her eyes on him and pointed in his direction.
Here’s the last half of Jun Daiko’s finale performance of “Inazuma.”
“Inazuma” performance by Jun Daiko
Towards the end, Mio was yelling along with the taiko performers… lol.
Afterwards, we headed over to downtown Mountain View for a ramen dinner and frozen yogurt for dessert!
Our messy ramen eater
A froyo lover, just like Daddy!
I’m really glad that we made the drive down to go to the festival this year! It was memorable, and I think it’s great to give Mio exposure to Japanese culture and traditions so that she can develop an appreciation for her ethnic heritage.
