March 7, 2013

The Island of Maui in Hawaii was our port of call on March 7, 2013. We docked in Kahului in the commercial port. From our cabin we had a nice view of Kahului Harbor and the West Maui Mountains. Today we traveled to the Iao Valley State Park to see the Iao Needle, a lava remnant that rises 1,200 feet above the valley floor. On this site was also where King Kamehameha destroyed the Maui Army to unite Hawaii.

We than proceeded across the Island, between the West Maui Mountains and the Haleakala Crater, to the southern shore and the town of Lahaina, an old whaling village that now houses many boutiques and shops some of which date back to the 1820’s. In Lahaina we walked along Front Street to the large Banyan Tree in the town park. We returned to Kahului via the same road passing the sugar cane fields and processing plant.

We left Maui just before sunset as the rain was falling in the valley on the other side of the harbor. After leaving the harbor we watched many Whales frolicking in the bay.