Ululani’s

Maui 2012: Day 9

August 30, 2012 By Misono in Family and Friends, Foodie Love, Wanderlust Tags: Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum, back road, back road of Hana, back road to Hana, Hawaii, Kanaha Pond National Wildlife Refuge, Kanaha Pond National Wildlife Sanctuary, Maui, Road to Hana, Sugar Museum, Ululani's, Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice, waterbirds

August 3 was our last full day in Maui, and because my sister Miwa and brother Kosei had to catch a flight in the late morning, we stayed in the central Maui area. We asked them what they wanted to do before they left, and they said they wanted shave ice one last time! Upon doing a quick search, we discovered that there’d been an Ululani’s in Kihei the whole time — it had just opened two months ago! There was no question; we had to go get a taste of Ululani’s one last time!

We found an Ululani's Shave Ice in Kihei! — The Ululani’s Shave Ice that had just opened in Kihei!

Enjoying Ululani's one last time! — Indulging in Ululani’s one last time!

Right before seeing Miwa and Kosei off to the airport.

After dropping them off at the airport, it was just Dan, Mio, and I, and we had the whole rest of the day to do anything we wanted. We hadn’t made any plans, so we just drove around central Maui and explored the area. We first stopped by the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum, which showcases Maui’s once thriving sugar industry.

Mio looking at the Japanese dress — I didn’t know that many Japanese had come to Maui in the mid-1800s to work as laborers in the sugar plantations.

This is how Japanese women dressed while working in the sugarcane fields.

Mio and I by one of the gears used in the production of sugar. — Mio and I inside the Sugar Museum

Daddy and Mio by the huge tractor (?) outside the museum.

Daddy loves machinery! — It’s no secret that Dan is a fan of anything related toÂ machinery!

Dan and Mio under the claw — Mio is hanging onto Daddy for dear life…

We then visited the Kanaha Pond National Wildlife Refuge, which served as a sanctuary for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds including the tall and pink-legged Hawaiian black-necked stilt, the brown koloa duck, and the white-billed Hawaiian coot.

Everything inside the visitors center was really modern, clean, educational, and child-friendly. We got to learn a lot about the sanctuary and the waterbirds that were protected there.

A sanctuary and refuge for the waterbirds — Kanaha Pond National Wildlife Refuge

We went back to the cottage to eat lunch and relax for a while, and pondered how to spend the rest of our last day in Maui. One regret that we had had (besides not being able to see the Haleakala sunrise) was that we didn’t get to drive the back road when we traveled the Road to Hana. As we mentioned, we found out afterwards that the back roads had been fixed in recent years, and that it does offer its own beautiful, unique views along the Piilani Highway, as you drive around the southeast part of the island. Who knew when we’d be in Maui again, so we decided to just screw the car rental company’s rule forbidding us to drive those roads, and drive the opposite way towards Hana so that we could see a little of what we missed. (I know, we are such fearless rebels.) We agreed, though, that we would not go all the way to Hana, and that we would just try to see as much as we could until we hit roads that seemed a little too dangerous, and that we’d try to get back before we lost daylight. (So I guess we’re not that fearless.)

We headed out in the late afternoon, around 4:00pm and drove along the Piilani Highway.

Molokini crater in the water — We could see great coastal views of Maui — even a clear view of the Molokini crater in the ocean.

Beautiful view along the Piilani Highway — The coast of Maui.

Entrance gate, flanked by lions — There was a random Chinese memorialÂ dedicated to Sun Yat Sen along the Piilani Highway. It was nice, but it seemed like a very remote place to put a memorial…

Sun Yat Sen Memorial — Statue of Sun Yat Sen

Mountains of Maui rising up from the ocean

Dan during a stop along the Piilani Highway — Dan with the Maui coast behind him.

Giant marshmallows in the field! — We also spotted what looked like giant marshmallows in the fields alongside the road. I then couldn’t stop thinking about how much I wanted marshmallows during the rest of the drive.

A house among the clouds,Â above the ocean.

Majestic cliff beaches — Majestic cliffs by the ocean.

The canyon along Piilani Highway — A canyon along Piilani Highway.

Dan on the cliffs. I was terrified that he was going to lose footing and tumble down.

Wrecked cars at the foot of the cliff... scary! — Wrecked cars at the foot of the cliff… scary!

Driving along the one-lane bridge — Walls of volcanic rock towering by the narrow roads.

The back side of the Road to Hana definitely has a very different landscape than the lush, green views we’d seen going around the northeastern side. It’s much more rugged and can be more treacherous, but it’s not without its own beauty. We were in awe of the huge cliffs, canyons, and rock formations along the way, with incredible views of the coast and mountains across the water. We were really glad that we took the risk and the initiative to take the back roads, because we felt like we were able to really see all the variety of landscapes and scenic views that Maui has to offer.

Approaching the unpaved area of the road. We decided then to turn back, especially since it was getting late.

Mountains in the distance — Mountains shrouded by the fog in the distance.

Before heading back, though, we stopped by the Nuu Bay area to check out the pebble beach and the natural bridge there.

The natural bridge by Nuu Bay — The natural bridge at Nuu Bay

Mio and Daddy at Nuu Bay — Mio and Dan at Nuu Bay

Mio and I by the natural bridge at Nuu Bay — Love you, Mio!

On the drive back, we saw these beautiful rays shining through the clouds — you can see why they call them God rays, or Fingers of God. A truly beautiful sight!

Rays shining down on the Molokini Crater — The sun rays shining down on the Molokini Crater. Stunning!

Driving the back road of Hana was a spontaneous but really great way to end our vacation in Maui. We got back in the evening, and got a good night’s sleep before we had to catch our flight back to California the following morning. It was a truly memorable vacation spent with the family, and we hope that we have a chance to visit the beautiful island of Maui again someday! 😀

Maui 2012: Day 4

August 17, 2012 By Misono in Family and Friends, Foodie Love, Wanderlust Tags: beach, dan, Hawaii, Iao Valley, Iao Valley State Park, Kihei, Kosei, Lahaina, Maui, Mio, misono, Miwa, Pukalani, Pukalani Superette, shave ice, Ted, Ululani's, Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice

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.

Rising Sun shave ice from Ululani's — 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!

Ordering shave ice — The rest of the fam ordering their shave ice.

Miwa taking a bite of her shave ice — Miwa digging in.

Sad that I ate it so quickly... — Me, visibly sad that my shave ice went all too quickly…

Shopping in downtown Lahaina — We spent about an hour doing some souvenir shopping in downtown Lahaina.

Mio and I on the bridge overlooking the shore.

Mio looking out at the sea — “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.

Mountains by Iao Valley — 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.

Lush vegetation in Iao Valley — The Iao Valley was very lush, green, and beautiful.

Mio looks uncomfortable. — Mio looking uncomfortable on Dan’s back.

Mimicking Dan's pose. — 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 at Iao Valley — Miwa and I against the lush mountains of Iao Valley

River running through 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…

Such ginormous leaves! — 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.

Resting at our lodge in Kihei — Mio was so hot that she refused to wear clothes.

Mio was happy to cool down indoors! — Although I have to admit, there’s something really adorable and cherubic about a baby clad only in a diaper…

Cheeks! — Mio, only a few days away from turning 16 months old.

Happy in Mama's sunglasses — 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 right by our cottage. — The beach was conveniently right by our cottage.

Mother-daughter moment on the beach. — Sharing a mother-daughter moment on the beach.

It was so peaceful! — 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.

Misono + Mio + Miwa — The ladies! 🙂 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.

Sunbeams on the water. — 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! 🙂

Maui 2012: Day 2

August 13, 2012 By Misono in Foodie Love, Videos, Wanderlust Tags: Banyan Tree Park, beach, dan, family, Hawaii, Kaanapali, Kosei, Lahaina, Launiupoko, Maui, Mio, misono, Miwa, pool, shave ice, swim, Ted, Ululani's, Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice, vacation

With the rest of the family having arrived the night before, we could finally get our vacation off to a start with everyone on our second day in Maui. We fixed breakfast together, took a dip in the pool at our lodging, and then set out to hit the beaches!

A sleepy Mio with her morning pick-me-up. lol

Preparing breakfast in the kitchen of the 2 bedroom condo we rented during our first three days in Lahaina.

Taking a break — Mio had a great time in the pool with everyone!

Dan teaching my brother Kosei how to snorkel.

Mio and Mama at Kaanapali — Kaanapali is one of the resort areas of Maui, and it was really gorgeous with its clear blue waters, smooth sand, and well-manicured grounds.

Feet in the water. — Dipping our feet in the water… Mio does not look very excited, probably because she’d just woken up.

A video of Mio giggling while playing on the beach with Uncle Ted:

After a couple hours at Kaanapali Beach, we moved a little further south in West Maui to Launiupoko Beach, which had a rocky cove, and had sand that was a lot darker, almost like a black sand beach. It was different from Kaanapali but still very beautiful!

Sisters at Launiupoko — My sister Miwa and I at Launiupoko Beach.

Miwa and I at Launiupoko — My sister and I trying not to crack up while posing for our “candid” photo.

It was so relaxing! — It was so relaxing to just sit on the beach!

Sand creations in the gray (black?) sand.

Playing frisbee on the beach — My brothers and sister playing frisbee in the water.

Miwa playing with the sand — Meanwhile, Dan, Mio, and I played in the sand.

Mio at Launiupoko Beach — Mio was a little apprehensive of the waters, but she felt safe with her aunt and uncles.

Later in the afternoon, we drove over to downtown Lahaina area to visit the Banyan Tree Park.

The Yokoyamas by the Banyan Tree — The Yokoyama siblings

Yokoyamas in Maui! — Our first time in Maui!

Dan and I by one of the branches of the Banyan Tree — The Banyan tree forms multiple trunks from roots that drop down from its branches. Here’s Dan and I by one of the clusters of its several trunks.

At the huge central trunk. — The huge central trunk of the Banyan Tree.

Dan, Mio and I at the Banyan Tree — Mio’s face in this picture cracks me up…

We then walked around downtown Lahaina and did some souvenir shopping, and enjoyed an afternoon snack at Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice stand.

We had heard from our friend that Ululani’s had the best shave ice in all of the Hawaiian islands, and we were at first skeptical. Our favorite shave ice during our last trip to Hawaii was Waiola Shave Ice in Honolulu, which we’d found out about from our friends who had lived in Oahu who told us it was so much better than the more famous Matsumoto’s Shave Ice (and sure enough, Waiola was 10 times better than Matsumoto’s)! Dan and I have been having cravings for Waiola since our trip two years ago, so it was hard to imagine any shave ice could be better than Waiola — but we were pleasantly surprised to find that Ululani’s ice was really similar to Waiola, but even better! The ice was really fine and soft, the flavor variety expansive with their locally made syrup, combined with lots of great topping choices (like sweet cream, azuki beans, mochi pieces, and the option of adding ice cream at the bottom), and they poke holes throughout the shaved ice before pouring the syrup on so that it gets evenly saturated. It was truly shave ice perfection — so amazing! Ululani’s has since dethroned Waiola in our minds, and it’s now the new shave ice we dream of tasting again. (Thank you Komy for recommending it to us!)

Watermelon, mango, and lychee with mochi pieces. — I had watermelon, mango, and lychee flavored shave ice with mochi pieces.

Obligatory pictures of every one with their shave ice…

Kosei with his large shave ice... upset that they didn't have azuki beans. — Kosei in mid-complaint about Ululani’s being out of azuki beans.

Happy Mio — Mio got to try a couple bites, too!

After a fun-filled day, we headed back to the condo to wash up, cook and eat dinner, and play board games at night (our favorite thing to do when we’re reunited with my siblings). I’ll post about Day Three next, in which we explore more of West Maui! 😀

(Special thanks to my brother Ted for taking some of the amazing photos that were used in this post.)