Posts tagged hawaii
Maui, Hawai'i (Day Seven): Road to Hana & Wai’anapanapa State Park
Maui, Hawai'i (Day Seven): Road to Hana & Wai’anapanapa State Park

By far one of the most famous activities to do on Maui is to drive the Road to Hana, a 64-mile stretch of highway along the coast, connecting Kahului to Hana. While the drive technically only takes three hours, what’s special about it is the number of roadside stops to see waterfalls, buy fresh banana bread, and take dips in the ocean. so plan on spending much more than a few hours on this excursion. While ideally you would stay the night in Hana to maximize your time for pit stops, it is possible to hit some of the highlights in a single day.

Read More
Nature, TravelHannah Schultzmaui, hawaii, hawai'i, road to hana, wai'anapanapa state park, upper waikani falls, hanawi falls, pua'a kaa state wayside park, waterfalls, hana farms, huli huli chicken, rainbow eucalyptus treesComment
Maui, Hawai'i (Day Six): Haleakala National Park & 'Iao Valley State Monument
Maui, Hawai'i (Day Six): Haleakala National Park & 'Iao Valley State Monument

Today was our big hiking day on Maui and one of the days I was most excited for on Maui. Haleakalā National Park is named for the dormant volcano that last erupted between 1480 and 1600 and rises 10,023 feet above sea level. Haleakalā means “house of the sun” in Hawaiian, and this name is derived from the legend that says the demigod Maui imprisoned the sun here in order to lengthen the day to provide people more time to dry cloth and grow food.

Read More
Hiking, TravelHannah Schultzmaui, hawaii, travel with me, haleakala national park, iao valley state monument, iao needle, halemauu trail, halemau'u trail, hawai'i, sliding sands trail, overlook, hikeComment
Travel With Me: Maui, Hawai'i (Days Four & Five)
Travel With Me: Maui, Hawai'i (Days Four & Five)

As of writing this post, the Maui wildfires are still ongoing after starting around the beginning of August 2023. We stayed near Lahaina, which is where the deadliest fire burned an estimated 2,170 acres and completely destroyed the historic town. About 2,200 buildings were fully or partially burned, about 86% of which are residential, and the death toll is at 115, though 850 people are still listed as missing. Part of the reason for the severity of this fire is underinvestment in local infrastructure (this wildfire had been predicted many time) and instead a focus on tourism that is damaging Hawai’i in myriad ways, from housing costs to clean water access. If you do intend on visiting Hawai’i, make sure you do so with an investment in the local economy and culture in mind, as well as consideration for the health of the local residents (COVID being brought by tourists to areas without sufficient hospital infrastructure is a huge issue).

Read More
TravelHannah Schultztravel with me, maui, hawaii, aston kaanapali shores resort, snorkel, snorkeling, molokini, crater, turtle town, coral reef, green sea turtleComment
Big Island, Hawai'i (Day Three): Polulu Valley, Rainbow Falls, & Kaumana Caves
Big Island, Hawai'i (Day Three): Polulu Valley, Rainbow Falls, & Kaumana Caves

The Kohala Volcano is the oldest of the volcanoes that make up the Big Island, and when part of this volcano slid into the ocean hundreds of thousands of years ago, it formed the sea cliffs along the Kohala Coast. Erosion has formed seven valleys along this coastline, including Pololū Valley, the most northern valley, then Honokāne Nui, Honokāne Iki, Honokeʻa, Honopue, Waimanu Valley, and Waipi’o Valley. Waipi’o Valley is the most famous, perhaps because of its daring grade or the breathtaking views through the cliffs and back into the valley. We faced Waipi’o last time we visited the Big Island (read about that hike here), but it has actually since been closed to non-locals. Since we loved Waipi’o so much, we decided to do another of the Kohala Coast hikes and settled on Pololū Valley, which is a short but steep hike down to a black sand beach.

Read More
Hiking, TravelHannah Schultzhike, hiking, big island, hawaii, polulu valley, rainbow falls, waterfall, kaumana caves, state park, lava tube, Tex drive-in, malasadas, botanical garden, university of Hawaii, freeComment
Travel With Me: Big Island, Hawai'i (Days One & Two)
Travel With Me: Big Island, Hawai'i (Days One & Two)

The last time Ryan and I went to Hawai’i, it was for our honeymoon in 2021, and we visited the Big Island and Kauai (read about that trip here). This spring, when we found out we were expecting our baby girl, the first big plans that we wanted to make were for our babymoon, and we figured what better place to go to celebrate our growing family than where we celebrated our marriage. Flights were cheapest to the Big Island (by several hundred dollars) and since it was our favorite island, we opted to return there for a few of the days on our trip. The other part of our time, we wanted to explore a new island, and we decided on Maui.

Read More
TravelHannah Schultzhawaii, travel with me, big island, bed and breakfast, pine tree cafe, manta restaurant, Kuaiwi Farm, farm tour, shaka tacoz, snorkel, teshima's, teshimasComment
Kauai, Hawai'i (Day Nine): Sleeping Giant, Lydgate Chocolate Farm, & Hanapepe
Kauai, Hawai'i (Day Nine): Sleeping Giant, Lydgate Chocolate Farm, & Hanapepe

This was our last full day of the trip and looking back, I’m shocked by how much we were able to pack in before our flight left that evening! The day began with a sunrise hike (or what was supposed to be a sunrise hike) to the Sleeping Giant. We were exhausted by day nine of nonstop hiking and traveling, so we may have slept in a little longer than planned, and we were dealing with vet calls to home before we could leave. Nevertheless, early in the morning, we set off on the Nounou East Trail, a 3.4-mile trail near our hotel.

Read More
Hiking, TravelHannah Schultzhawaii, kauai, sleeping giant, lydgate farms, chocolate farm tour, hike, hiking, nounou east trail, hanapepe, lilo and stitch, swinging bridge, mural, cacao, dark chocolate, white chocolateComment
Kauai, Hawai'i (Day Seven): Waimea Canyon State Park
Kauai, Hawai'i (Day Seven): Waimea Canyon State Park

This canyon is one of the most striking views on Kauai. It’s known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and it was formed after the central volcano there collapsed 10 million years ago. The Waimea river then carved its way through the lava and basalt formations, leaving a deep, colorful gorge.

Read More
Hiking, TravelHannah Schultzkauai, hawaii, hike, hiking, Waimea canyon, state park, lookout point, berry flat trail, canyon trail, lava lava beach clubComment
Big Island, Hawai'i (Day Five): Lava Tree State Monument & Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo
Big Island, Hawai'i (Day Five): Lava Tree State Monument & Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo

This was our final day on the Big Island, which was a bittersweet moment. We absolutely loved our time here, and of course, there was so much we didn’t have the opportunity to do. However, we packed up our things and decided to do a few extra excursions before our late afternoon flight to make the most of our remaining hours on the Big Island.

Read More
Hiking, TravelHannah Schultzbig island, hawaii, lava tree, state monument, pana'ewa rainforest zoo, itinerary, five days, hike, hikingComment
Big Island, Hawai'i (Day Four): Waipi’o Valley & Akaka Falls
Big Island, Hawai'i (Day Four): Waipi’o Valley & Akaka Falls

Our fourth day began at Waipi’o Valley, or the Valley of the Kings. Aptly named, the valley was the home for Hawaiian alibi (royalty) and the boyhood home of Kamehameha I (one of the central figures in Hawaiian history); in 1780, this valley was where King Kamehameha gained the support of the war god and set out to unite the Hawaiian islands under his rule. The valley was once heavily populated; however, the 1946 tsunami destroyed most of the community. Now, there are still a small number of people living in the valley, and it’s important to remember that you are entering their community when visiting this trail.

Read More
Hiking, TravelHannah Schultzbig island, hawaii, waipio valley, waipi'o, akaka falls, hiking, steepest roadComment
Big Island, Hawai’i (Day Two): Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden & Snorkeling in Hilo
Big Island, Hawai’i (Day Two): Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden & Snorkeling in Hilo

Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden is tucked away at the end of a scenic drive outside Hilo. The botanical garden was created somewhat accidentally when a couple vacationing in Hawai’i decided to retire and move to the Big Island. Dan Lutkenhouse Sr. and his wife Pauline purchased 17 acres in the late 70s and fell in love with the natural beauty of Onomea Valley. To preserve this land, they established the garden, carving the trails out of jungle overgrown with invasive species and undergrowth. The Lutkenhouses collected and planted over 2,500 tropical and subtropical plants, both native to Hawai’i and species from around the globe, including some brought back from their own personal trips. The garden is now run by their children, who wish to use the space to create a larger hub for sustainability education and climate change.

Read More
TravelHannah Schultzhawaii, big island, hilo, Hawaii tropical bioreserve & garden, botanical garden, Onomea Valley, Carlsmith beach park, snorkel, green sea turtle, richardson ocean park, green sand beach, black sand beachComment