travel : road to hana, maui

i have been sharing about our trip to maui, hawaii this week, i shared about paia town already and today – the road to hana! before we left paia, we downloaded an app called gypsy guide, that came highly recommended to us. i wish this app existed for every city; it is a gps guided tour that tells you when to stop and prioritizes sites for you while driving. the road to hana is a famously treacherous, 42 mile drive along the northeastern coast with 600 hairpin turns. have i sold you? this drive took us about six hours because we took our time and stopped every chance we could. this is truly about the journey, not the destination.

we stopped first at the ho’okipa lookout to see the windsurfers and surfers. the next stop was the rainbow eucalyptus trees off the road in a grove – their bark looks like watercolor. love at first sight. next was the garden of eden arboretum, a small nature preserve with peacocks and local flora where parts of jurassic park were filmed. next was the black sand beach at waianapanapa state park; there are beautiful sea caves and you can go for a swim at the beach. there are many waterfalls (upper waikani, wailua) along the way, we stopped in at a few and swam in the icy water. we drove along the keanae peninsula and stopped at a stand for warm banana bread and shaved ice.

along the route, we stopped at the nakihu mile marker for the most amazing fish tacos and famous ‘coconut candy.’ the last stop was in our little town in hana at hamoa beach where we would stay for a few days. the beach at hamoa is beautiful (one of maui’s best) and there are a few restaurants for dinner if you plan to head back. we saved the south coast for the drive back to wailea.

{the first stop – ho’okipa lookout and windsurfers}

{our jeep for the week}

{rainbow eucalyptus grove – my favorite stop of the whole trip}

{rainbow eucalyptus grove}

{rainbow eucalyptus grove}

{winding roads and lookouts on road to hana}

{‘garden of eden’ arboretum black rock from jurassic park}

{banana bread on keanae peninsula}

{waianapanapa state park – black sand beach}

{waianapanapa state park – black sand beach}

{perfect black sand beach at waianapanapa state park}

{sea caves at waianapanapa state park}

tips:

• download guide before you leave when you have wifi
• take snacks and water with you, not stops till later in the drive
• plan for this to take a full day (early morning) if going there and back (or stay in hana)
• rent your own car if you can so you can stop at your own pace (and fill up your tank)
• convertibles and jeeps are most fun for this drive, be prepared to close to top for passing showers
• bring hiking shoes, towels, and swimming clothes!
• leave enough time to return and don’t drive back in the dark (we rented a place and stayed a few days)

{white plumeria everywhere in hawaii}

{last stop at hamoa beach in hana town, pastoral, and beautiful}

xoxo

madeline

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iced over

this week has been the craziest of winters i can remember in tennessee. a massive ice and snow storm came through the south monday and covered every surface in a thick layer of ice, from roads to leaves. tornadoes, humidity, and mosquitos are commonplace here, but it is not often that we get ice and snow. the city slowed and quietened over the last two days; we spent them at home, playing with the dogs, sledding, and watching movies. the ice glimmered like diamonds on the trees, coating each branch and leaf. i could not help but snap a few images of the ice before it melts into spring. this morning we woke up to a beautiful powdery snow in a blanket of white. are you staying warm and safe?

also, happy first birthday to little baxter! hardly little anymore, he weighs 77 lbs and stands almost as tall as our lab, sampson. he came to us 9 months ago and we have loved every minute with him.

madeline

new traditions

2015 so far has been about rest and recharge. we spent new year’s day exploring with the dogs and letting them run and play at an agriculture center and preserve near our home. we decided a family hike in the woods would be a tradition every year on january 1, a time to reset in nature and be together. growing up on new year’s day, my parents always cooked black eyed peas for prosperity in the coming year. last NYE we were in nyc!

do you have any new year’s day traditions?

don’t they look like they are having the time of their lives…?

xoxo

madeline

dream state

 

we have had a beautiful week in tennessee. walking around the yard today was reminiscent of a dream, the sunshine filtering through the trees, the lush green grass, and the perfect blue sky. the images that came to mind immediately were from sofia coppola’s virgin suicides. have you seen it? the film is full of scenes with dappled sunshine and suburbia landscapes. i can even hear air’s playground love playing in my head. or maybe arcade fire’s the suburbs. i love taking pictures and keeping a record of this beautiful time of year, much more to come this week. how was your saturday?

 

all photos are my own.

first signs of spring

{flowering hawthorne branches}

spring has quickly become my favorite season. working in an cubicle eight to five has made me appreciate the extra hours of daylight at night and the approaching color in nature. the yard is so beautiful this time of year; i am so thankful to live somewhere so beautiful with such a deep connection to nature. i get to watch the plants that my grandmother planted here come to life every year. yesterday was the first day of spring, and i am thankful for it’s arrival – bringing us all out of the winter blues. here are some blooms to brighten your day from our home. the first signs of spring peaking out…

{wild daffodils and lavender}

{forsythia and tulip tree}

{helleborus blooms}

 

happy friday!