🚀 go-pugleaf

Just a few comments on Maui:
>** MAUI **
>Lahaina - Quaint old whaling village on West Maui.  Many colorful 
>buildings and shops.  Tours out of the harbor include a glass- 
>bottomed boat tour and (in season) a whale-watching tour.  A few
>miles north, the Kahana Keys restaurant has an outstanding salad bar.

There are some nice beaches on the road to Lahaina to stop
at and go snorkeling. (just past the whale lookout points -- winter
is whale breeding season in the area)  Lots of shopping and 
good food in Lahaina.

Another wonderful snorkeling place is some C shaped island
 (Molikini???) you take a boat out to.

>Haleakala - This dormant volcano is impressive.  It's a long narrow
>road to the top, but worth it.  Plan on making the drive in the
>morning, because the clouds tend to obscure the view in the
>afternoon.  There is an observatory at the top, but I don't believe
>it's open to the public.

I've spent several days hiking in the crater.  It is well worth your
time to do this (if you have time)  Wonderful colored sands and 
silver sword plants.  Huge lava tubes you can walk through (if you
know where they are -- ask a ranger??)  Sunrise at the top of the
crater is something to experience (it does take a few hours to 
drive up).

>Drive to Hana - Another long, nerrow road, but what fantastic
>scenery.  Numerous beautiful ocean views and many pretty waterfalls. 
>Go on past Hana to the Seven Pools state park.  Also, stop at the
>Waianapanapa State Park and see the black sand beach - there's a
>small cave at the right that opens out to the sea.

Wear your swim suit and try jumping in some of the streams & pools 
on the way (or have a guava fight).  7 pools is nice.  There is a
place half way that has all sorts of interesting trees (arboratum?).
Not much food in Hana (that I found).  Leave early--it takes a while
and you can't spend too much time at 7 pools.

>Iao Needle - Interesting geological formation in a park with a stream
>and many interesting flowers and plants.

Yep.

You can always drive somewhere else on the island if you don't like
the weather.  The Lahaina side is usually hot and dry, the Hana
side (windward) is wet.  Haleakala is cooler (except IN the crater).

>Whichever you choose, have a great time!