Having visited Maui four times before, there was one experience that we keep putting off: an early morning ride to Haleakala to witness the rising sun. The weather was predicted to be pretty good for April 1st. Kathie awoke at 1:30 AM. She is just an early riser. We did go to bed around 8:00 P.M. and there was…
Our first taste of Maui back in 1998 was driving around West Maui right after a six hour plane ride. That was not the best time to do this three hour experience. It is like doing a tamer Road to Hana drive without all the bridges. Most of the drive at that time was along a single lane. The…
We came to Maui in March in particular to see the humpback whales. They migrate from Alaska which takes anywhere from six to eight weeks. They can go as fast as 9 mph. Even though there is no food for these whales in Maui, they come for the warm waters to mate and breed. The peek months of their…
We are drawn to this place. Our 5th visit and we come back to this old historic capital, Lahaina. It is hard to imagine that at one time sailors butchered Humpback whales in Lahaina. This area was literally the “Whaling Capital of the Pacific.” Today, it is a mecca for “Whale Watching.” In the distance you can see the islands of…
Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands with the Big Island of Hawaii the largest. This is my favorite island. There is so much to see and do. It is a destination for many honeymooners, rightfully so. It is also a place to get married. It is called “The Valley Isle,” as there is a large valley…
After visiting the Petrified Forest, we had reservations at the Winslow Best Western. We like Best Western’s consistency, comfy beds and small refrigerator. Usually there is a breakfast too. Lee and Mabel Carroll told me that they will be staying at this BW on a future trip. I had originally planned on staying at the famous La Posada…
Another hour east on I-40 through the town of Holbrook on Route 180 will take you on the Southern end of Petrified Forest National Park. I did stop to take a picture at “Wigwam Motel” where the rooms are designed as Wigwams.” I still think they rent rooms too. Plenty of petrified rock was being sold by various venders.…
About an hour east of Sedona on I-40 is one of the “Natural Wonders” of the USA, Meteor Crater. I was tempted to just drive past, but having seen the 1984 John Carpenter’s film, “Starman,” with Jeff Bridges, we had to stop. One of the guides did confirm that the movie’s last scenes were shot here with National Guardsman…
The next day we ventured to Sedona. Our daughter, Pamela, was here several years ago and gave us the dream to visit. We are glad we did. Sedona is a beautiful area tucked in the Verde Valley and Red Rocks. Our Best Westin Sedona Inn was perched on a hillside overlooking this vista. We enjoyed the tour we took with…
We picked up our rental from Enterprise at the Weston and drove five and half hours to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Originally, I told Kathie it would take four hours. We did manage to stop at a historical town called Seligman. It was part of Route 66 trek. We went into the Rusty Bolt to find a cloth…