Aloha Friday – July 3rd, 2009

Aloha Friday Photo
Vivid red rocks at the base of a cliff at Koki Beach.

This week’s Aloha Friday photo was also featured in on the Koki Beach post of my new website, Maui by Photo. As always, our Aloha Friday photo is taken from today’s photo in the Maui Daily Photo Calendar, so if you’re a fan of Maui, you might have seen this shot a few times already ;).

With the shameless self promotion out of the way, I remember being really surprised when we saw these rocks at Koki Beach on our visit to Hana earlier this year. We were there relatively early in the morning, so the beach was empty and the sun was hidden behind a ton of clouds. Made for a nice stroll and listening to the waves hit the beach was very memorable.

Follow Friday
Well, with the launch of my new site, and trying to get back into the full-time Aloha Spirit, I’m back into the Twitter groove again!  After a few weeks of skipping the Follow Friday part of the Aloha Friday post, here’s a few new folks to check out.

• @GrandWailea – The Twitter account for the gorgeous luxury resort in South Maui with the same name.
• @mauithing – Bio: “Maui Thing is a lifestyle company inspired by all “things good”on Maui”…
• @flickr – Okay, nothing to do with Maui, but I love Flickr and can’t wait until this Twitter account picks up
• @MauiPetTherapy - Dr. Shannon Dominguez from Friendly Tails – visiting up to 800 animals a month on Maui, including rescue animals
• @PeterLiu47 – fellow blogger, photographer, social media fan. Calls Maui home.
• @PacificWhale – new account for the Pacific Whale Foundation, although it’s still starting out

As always, you can find me on Twitter as @webnelly, and if you haven’t yet, help support my newest endeavor by following @MauiByPhoto.

Maui Tweetup – July 5th!!!
Wishing we could be there ourselves, @Ucsmiles and many other Maui tweeps are having a tweetup this Sunday, July 5th at Kalama Park in Kihei.  Details can be found at http://twtvite.com/lgxgwx and if you make it out there, pass on a big ALOHA from Cindy and I, and take lots of photos. :)

Everyone should at least get to attend one of these Maui tweetups, especially if you’ve been lucky enough to get to know them on Twitter. Read more about the tweetups we’ve been to and how this all got started.

Mahalo, and have a good holiday!
- Kris

Related Links

• Follow Friday Archives
• Sunday Photo: Maui Tweetup
• More Maui Tweetups
• Our visit to Koki Beach – Come on in, the water’s fine

My Newest Maui Site: Maui by Photo

As I started mentioning late last week, I have been working on a new Maui site and it officially launched yesterday. Yay!

About the Site
The new site is Maui by Photo, and its primary focus is to provide a place for those that have visited Maui to relive all their favorite memories without setting foot outside their front door. And while you have those special moments top of mind, you have a place where to share them with others, as well as read stories from other frequent Maui visitors and even local Maui residents.

Below are a few screenshots from the new site.

 

Site Home Page

 

Sample Post View

 

Talk Story with Comments

 

The new site, much like this one, is always a work in progress and there are still a ton of things I want to do with it. Plus, there are still many, many more places that will be added to the site, as I’ve only begun to scratch the surface with the dozen or so posts that were added for the initial launch.

So what are you waiting for, head on over to Maui by Photo and start talking about your favorite Maui memories from some of the best spots on the island. And if you like it, which I hope you will, help us spread the word by telling all those Maui lovers in your life. You can also show your support by following @MauiByPhoto on Twitter, and if Twitter’s not your thing, become a fan on our Facebook page.

I hope to see you there!

Mahalo,
- Kris

Sunday Photo: Cliff Dive Warrior

Taken by Kris Nelson on September 17, 2007
Location: Black Rock, Ka’anapali

I stumbled across this photo from my archives while selecting photos for my new website (which I’m hoping to launch on Monday). The Black Rock Cliff Dive is certainly one of our favorite things to see while when we stay at the Sheraton, and in fact, it was a tough call whether it was my one favorite at this Facebook thread. Anyway, I was amazed with the detail in the lit torch, and even though the rest of the photo is mostly underexposed (aka dark), I chose it anyway. :)

This last week has been pretty busy with work on my new site, but I do have a few things I’ve been meaning to post here as well (which should have been up yesterday).  Be sure to stay tuned Monday for some of the news. 

Mahalo.

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If you like this photo, you can see more in our Sunday Photos series here at the blog. Our website also features daily photos on the Today's Photos page, and you can also get a new photo from Maui everyday on your Google home page. Check out our Maui Photo Day Calendar for more details.

Aloha Friday – June 26th, 2009

Aloha Friday
An old version of the sign out front of Whalers Village.

Back today with another Aloha Friday photo after missing the last few weeks.  I like this photo, even though this sign has since replaced with a new one.  It’s a reminder that even though all of our past trips have essentially centered out of the same spot in Ka’anapali, there is something always new and different to discover at Whalers Village.  The second year we were there, they updated the sign and a few shops.  This past February, there were even bigger changes with the Rusty Harpoon moving out and the edition of Cindy’s favorite, Swarovski, near where Tiffany’s used to be.

Our Aloha Friday photo each week is from our Maui Photo Day Calendar. Visit http://daily.kdmaui.com for more details on how to add a new Maui photo on your iGoogle page or your blog everyday, as well as how to subscribe via RSS.

In the News – Sheraton Working Giving Back
In addition to the Aloha Friday photo, I ran across this article in the Lahaina News this morning that I wanted to pass along:

School receives fresh coat of paint from Sheraton workers

You probably know by now that we’re fans of the Sheraton, so that’s one reason why it popped up on my radar (thanks to a Google News Search).  It’s just one of many touching examples of how people from all over the islands regularly show off their Aloha Spirit and give back to the communities around them. I posted a link to another story back in December about members of the Ka’anapali Beach Resort Association joined to participate in a holiday drive that raised 30,000 pounds of food for families in need. You may only hear about these stories every now and then, but you can rest assured that this type of community sharing and commitment can be found somewhere on the islands just about every week, however large or small.

Follow Friday
So, I’ve been sort of absent from the Twitter seen for the last two weeks now, only jumping back in earlier this week. I don’t have a full Follow Friday list like before, and I actually wanted to take a moment for a shameless plug of the new Maui site I’m working on. :)

So, I’m inviting you to follow @MauiByPhoto on Twitter and help me spread the word.  I’m targeting Monday for the initial launch of the new site, so be sure to look for an announcement soon.

As for the new site?  It’s going to be mainly a blog format, but with a few slight twists. Relatively small in the grand scheme of things, it’s primary goal is to highlight the beauty and magic of Maui through some of my best photos, and be a place where fellow Maui fans and residents can talk story about some of the best places, and their favorite memories, on the island.  It’s not a replacement for the site here or any other of the great Hawaii blogs out there, just a little place to stop along the way. :)

I’m pretty excited (and slightly nervous) about the concept, and here’s to hoping it’s well received.  Hoping to see you there.

Mahalo,
- Kris

News: County Department Proposing New Beach Rules

Came across this article from the Maui News this weekend and thought it would be something worth sharing.

Maui News Article: County ‘drawing a line’ in sand with park rules
Posted on: June 21st, 09

The short recap of the story and the issues at hand are new rules being proposed by the county’s Parks and Recreation department. The aim of the new rules is to limit the number of tour and activity operators that can function on certain beaches, as well as only during specified periods. The effort is being made to help reduce some of the crowding these tour operators are said to have on beaches around the island, both popular and small.

Please read the article for all the details, as well as good points on both side of the argument. Since our site here has a good mix of both Maui residents and frequent visitors to the Valley Isle, I thought there’d be a good range of opinions to talk story about. Cindy and I, personally, like to refrain from planning our beach trips on the weekends, mainly because we assume that’s when the island residents make their way to the beach to enjoy the paradise around them.

Talk Story
Tell us what you think. There are good arguments to be made on each side, particularly the point of “why now?”  Also, if you’re a resident of Maui, have you seen some of these crowding scenarios first-hand?  We’ve seen the usual surf schools and even a catamaran every now and then docking right on the sands of Ka’anapali Beach. For us, it’s not a major inconvenience, but that’s because we’re only visiting.

What do you think?