Needle Point

We could have easily spent more time on the Big Island during our Hawaii vacation. Our three days there were enough to hit the highlights we'd planned for, but we'd left the north and east sides unexplored. But ready or not, it was time to move on to Maui.

We took a small commuter plane with room for only 10 passengers. Assuming you don't have anxiety about air travel, I'd say this is definitely the better way to island hop. We were basically able to walk right up to the runway and board, without any of the hassle of the TSA's feckless "security theater." And illogical as it may sound, even the view seems more impressive out of the windows of the tinier plane.

50 minutes later, we were in Maui... but with several hours before we could check into our hotel. So we stopped for lunch, then headed to the nearby Iao Valley State Park. I'd seen some photos online, and the place looked like the sort of serene island paradise you expect to find in Hawaii. Indeed, there were some picturesque spots.

There were also some unusual and beautiful flowers.

But at the same time, because this place was located only 15 minutes outside of Kahului (where we'd landed), the park didn't quite feel like it offered the "seclusion" to go with the "serene."

One particular feature in the park, the "Iao Needle," was something I'd read about before we left Denver. I was expecting a short hike to get there, something that might fill up the afternoon. Instead, less than 200 steps up a few staggered flights of stairs, we came to the end of the line. The view from the observation point was as impressive as promised...

...but it hadn't taken any real time to get there. The drive up to the park and the walk had filled maybe 45 minutes of our afternoon. So on we went to our hotel, hoping we'd be able to check in early. No such luck. But we were able to lounge around on the beach behind our hotel while we were waiting for our room to be ready. After a few busy days full of activity, a lazy afternoon reading on the beach was a welcome change of pace. And the view was stunning.

Once we did get settled in our room, we decided not to do much more with our evening. Someone had told us to check out a place called Coconut's Fish Tacos, so that was our dinner. Not bad, and surprisingly filling for what didn't seem like a ton of food up front.

I think we might have taken a short dip in the hotel pool after dinner. What I know for sure is that we called it an early night, because we had a very early morning ahead of us the next day.