maui memories part 1

i thought i would share a few pictures of our trip with y'all!

this was my view for most of the days we were in maui. because of the four hour time difference, 

we were waking up every morning just as the sun was rising, and got to enjoy the beautiful sunrises

nearly every morning. i felt SO productive! ( then i realized that i was actually waking up at 10 my time. oh well, i was on vacation, right? i didn't have to get out of bed EVER if i didn't want to...)

the colors of the sky and the rocks and beaches were all so varied.

we enjoyed the beaches while we we there, but for three of the days we were unable to go into the water because overseas surges were causing some pretty major waves. the surfers were in heaven....

this beach is called "big beach", and was just that...BIG, and beautiful!

an early morning walk.

we went snorkeling one day at molokini, a partially submerged crater a few miles of the coast. the water

was clear and warm and we saw some amazing fish.

another day, we drove to the top of mount haleakala, a volcanic crater. the 10,000 foot elevation ensured

some chilly weather and lots of wind.

it was so amazing to see the deep blue skies against the black and red rocks...we literally had to drive for several miles through the clouds to get to the summit, and once we got to the top, and saw the sky again, it was like we were on another planet.

this is the only place in the world where silver sword is found. it's minty-green "leaves"are such a pretty contrast to the volcanic rock.

the drive down form the mountain was filled with pastures, rolling hills and cattle. i felt like i was

in the east somewhere...until we would turn around yet another bend, and catch a glimpse of the ocean!

the iao needle is nestled in the lush west maui mountains...it really was amazing to see how many different landscapes there were on this "little" island.

the maui nature center had some neat exhibits that the kids enjoyed. next door were some public gardens that were really great to meander through.

the colors of the flowers here are unreal...pinks,  oranges, yellows, reds, whites...

and every one of them exquisite.

one thing that i kept seeing over and over again was the intersection of plants and rocks. i don't know why this intrigues me so much...but, for some reason i am captivated by seeing lush, greenery growing

around and sometimes out of rocks and concrete.

this is the bailey house, built by christian missionaries in the mid 1800's. the inside was a museum, and 

we wandered through here and saw quite a few artifacts spanning the history of the hawaiian people.

we weren't allowed to take pictures of the inside, but the floors were wood, and some of the rooms

had some very traditional, english antiques made from koa, a tropical hardwood.

the green trim around the windows was a fun accent to the white.

this back section was the kitchen, and was originally separate from the main house. notice the 

lava rock patio...

our attempt at a self-family portrait. the island in the back is lanai.

part 2 is coming tomorrow!