Sunday Photo: Footsteps in the Sand

Footsteps in the Sand
Taken by Kris Nelson on April 22, 2008
Location: Maluaka Beach, South Maui
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We're going back to Maluaka Beach this week with this simple little snapshot of footprints in the sand. As I mentioned last time, there weren't too many people enjoying this stretch of sand when we were there. That allowed me to set up this little shot of my footsteps in the sand just before they were washed out by the waves. Sure, there are beaches all over the world and there isn't necessarily anything "Maui" about this photo, but I and anyone else that have visited the beaches on Maui understand.

I actually stumbled onto this photo when looking for a new photo for my Facebook profile. A few other past Sunday Photos that have made it into the final round of consideration include the Grumpy Honu and, of course, a Maui Sunset. If you're on Facebook and want to talk story, be sure to look us up or send us a note. :)

Mahalo.

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If you'd like to see more photos, you can check out our Sunday Photos category here at the blog, featuring a new photo every week. Our website also features daily photos on the Today's Photos page, and if you're Flickr fans like us, you can check out our Ka'anapali Dreamin' collection.

What to own or use any of our photos? Check out our new photo store, Maui Wall Candy, for purchase info and ideas on what you can do with them. Both print and digital formats are available.


Also, subscribe to our blog to get the latest updates throughout the week.

Sunday Photo: Big Beach

Big Beach
Taken by Kris Nelson on April 22, 2008
Location: Big Beach in Makena State Park
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There's always enough room on the golden sands of Big Beach in Makena State Park, located near almost the very end of South Maui. According to some guides, this beach is a whopping 2/3 mile long from end to end, and while I was taking photos, it took me a good 20 minutes to walk it just one way!

It truly is a lovely beach, especially if you're looking to get away from the crowds of the high-end resort areas or downtown Lahaina. No matter what you're looking to do, whether it's throwing around the frisbee, playing volleyball, body-boarding, you name it, you'll be able to enjoy it until your heart's content without worrying about tripping over someone else or getting in somebody's way.

Big Beach is kind of a drive if you're staying in Kapalua or Ka'anapali, so you should plan for spending a good part of your day in South Maui. Which isn't that big of a concern because you have Wailea and Kihei nearby, so your shopping and dining needs will be well met. There are also concerns and advisories about thefts and break-ins occurring in the different parking lots at Makena State Park, so it requires you to be a little bit smarter about what you're bringing with you and don't leave anything in the car that is valuable to you or someone else.

You can follow these tips from our friends at Go Visit Hawaii and you should be okay.

Mahalo.

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If you'd like to see more photos, you can check out our Sunday Photos category here at the blog, featuring a new photo every week. Our website also features daily photos on the Today's Photos page, and if you're Flickr fans like us, you can check out our Ka'anapali Dreamin' collection.

What to own or use any of our photos? Check out our new photo store, Maui Wall Candy, for purchase info and ideas on what you can do with them. Both print and digital formats are available.


Also, subscribe to our blog to get the latest updates throughout the week.

Sunday Photo: Maluaka Beach

Maluaka Beach
Originally uploaded by webnelly

Continuing on with our showcase of Maui beaches, we head further down South of Kihei to the northern part of Makena in a little secluded spot known as Maluaka Beach. Now, by secluded I mean it's not on a main roadway or across of tons of shops like Kama'ole or Ka'anapali. Nor is it nestled near large and glitzy resorts like Kapalua or Napili. Maluaka is a little off the normal route and calls the Maui Prince Hotel it's only large-scale neighbor.

You'll find this one in a few of the guide books and on a handful of websites that cover Maui beaches, but otherwise you don't normally hear many people talking about Maluaka Beach unless they've stayed at the Maui Prince Hotel. As mentioned, it's located in South Maui, but it's not that crowded when compared to Big Beach or the resorts in Wailea nearby. It still has a nice view of Molokini off in the distance, and Cindy and my mom caught a glimpse of a whale breach just off shore when we were there in April. I, unfortunately was off taking photos and missed it, but I give them the benefit of the doubt. They're good people. :)

You'll probably read elsewhere that this beach is one that is referred to as a "turtle town", something that attracts snorkelers and scuba divers which we did see in the hour or so that we stayed there. Being small and quiet, there were also a few families out in the water together, which is always fun to see.

If you're on your way to Wailea or Big Beach, try to squeeze in sometime to check out Maluaka Beach for yourself. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as we did.

Mahalo.

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If you'd like to see more photos, you can check out our Sunday Photos category here at the blog, featuring a new photo every week. Our website also features daily photos on the Today's Photos page, and if you're Flickr fans like us, you can check out our Ka'anapali Dreamin' collection.

Also, subscribe to our blog to get the latest updates throughout the week.

Sunday Photo: Kama'ole Beach I

Kama'ole Beach I
Taken by Kris Nelson on April 22, 2008
Location: Kama'ole Beach I in Kihei
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Who's up for a little beach hopping? I'm starting a beach theme for the next few Sundays and the first in that series is the above photo of Kama'ole Beach I taken this past April. Although it was a partly cloudy day for a good amount of the time we spent there that day, one of the things I like about this photo is the details in the water right at the bottom. I just love walking along the shoreline and snapping photos, but when you can look down and the water is so crystal clear as it washes over your feet, it's pretty neat.

Kama'ole Beach I was the first stop on our beach hopping day during our '08 Trip, and it was a great way to start the day. For us, coming from the Lahaina/Ka'anapali area, it is a little bit of a drive, so to get the most out of your trip down to South Maui, be sure to make a day out of it and plan to stay awhile. Kama'ole Beach I is actually the northern most of a series of 3 beaches that share the Kama'ole name. Beaches II and III each offer something a little different, and are more popular with the local residents than Beach I. Still, with a view of Molokini, parking nearby (that fills up fast), lifeguard, restrooms and showers and a mini mall across the street for a quick snack, you pretty much have everything you need for a day in the sun.

What I thought was neat about this particular beach in the chain of 3 was that there were a few hours along the north end right up against the sand, with only a small line of bushes separating them. The one below, for example, looks like it would be a blast to live in, having full sized windows and stunning views of the ocean. The sunsets alone will probably make you weep with joy. I can only imagine, though, that buying a house like that comes with a pretty hefty price tag. Oh well.



Mahalo.

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If you'd like to see more photos, you can check out our Sunday Photos category here at the blog, featuring a new photo every week. Our website also features daily photos on the Today's Photos page, and if you're Flickr fans like us, you can check out our Ka'anapali Dreamin' collection.

What to own or use any of our photos? Check out our new photo store, Maui Wall Candy, for purchase info and ideas on what you can do with them. Both print and digital formats are available.


Also, subscribe to our blog to get the latest updates throughout the week.

New Maui Beaches Added

This week's site updates feature new additions to our Beaches section, bringing the total of beaches we've been to and have covered to nine.

Our trip this year was the first time we headed down to the beaches down in South Maui, as we wrote about in our beach hopping post. We also added more details from the places we stopped at along the Road to Hana, including more coverage of the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park and our first encounter with the red sand variety, Koki Beach near Hana.

Each beach includes an overview and highlights, photos we've taken of each beach, a few links here and there, and aerial satellite views courtesy of Google Maps. We're always finding great new links and articles about these beaches, so we try to keep them current. We also have a few videos of some of these beaches that we hope to have added soon.

So check out the Beaches section and see if your favorite beach is listed. If it is, let us know about it and tell us why you love it. If you don't see your favorite, let us know!!! We're always looking for ideas and places to visit on our future trips.

Mahalo.

Sunday Photo: Ka'anapali Beach

Ka'anapali Beach
Originally uploaded by webnelly

This is actually one of the first photos we took from our first trip to Maui back in 2006. It's still one of our favorites to this date. And if you think it looks familiar, it's the photo currently used in the header of our website and blog. :)

While the truth is there is really so much you can do on Ka'anapali Beach, this picture truly captures one of our favorite pastimes, just relaxing on the beach and enjoying a gorgeous day on Maui. That's the island of Lanai out in the distance, topped with the only clouds in the sky (aside from Molokai off to the right out of frame).

Sure, you could probably find days like this on other islands, back on the mainland, or even other parts of the world. For us, its just what we equate to being on Maui, and there's really nothing that can compare, nor is there really a compelling reason for us to look elsewhere for such magnificent beauty and magical memories of the happiest days of our lives.

Beach Hopping in South Maui

Boy, today was quite a long day, so forgive me for not going in way too much detail right now. Bear in mind, though, that I will be adding each of these to our Beaches section in the coming weeks.

The day started off about 11am heading down to South Maui for the first time this trip. First on our list today was Kama'ole Beach Park I.



Kama'ole is actually made up of 3 different beach parks in Kihei, and we started off with the first one. Of the three beaches we visited today, the sun and clouds cooperated the most. It was a pretty nice beach, and there was plenty of room for us to spread out. The facilities were pretty nice, too, as there was showers, restrooms and a lifeguard. Parking was a little tight, though, luckily we pulled in just as someone was leaving.

After spending almost two hours here, we went on a little "adventure" (as we like to call it) and tracked down a little beach called Malu'aka Beach near Makena.



It was the smallest we stopped at on Tuesday, but it was still nice. I was able to walk around for a while, and just like Kapalua, there was a little walking trail at one end of the beach where I could go through a few rocks and take photos like the one above. The guidebook said there were are normally a lot of turtles in the area, and there seemed to be a small family with their snorkel gear trying to track them down.

Aside from the beach itself, Cindy and mom spotted a whale out in the distance with the help of a few folks nearby. They said they whale was active for a little bit and then breached, coming out of the water and making an audible splash when it hit the water. Unfortunately, I missed it and didn't even to think to bring the binoculars to get a better look.

The last stop on our beach tour of South Maui this year was Makena State Park, also known as Big Beach.



This is a very known beach in South Maui as was evident by the two parking lots full of cars and the largest crowd that we saw all day. Also, as the name implies, this was the biggest beach we stopped at all day. Big Beach is almost 2/3 mile long, and walking all the way to the end and back taking photos took quite a bit out of me. At this point, the sky was mostly overcast, so the heat didn't get to me as much and Cindy was a little disappointed from a tanning perspective. It was still quite a sight, though, and with so much room and big waves, it's no wonder that it's a popular spot for people doing everything from boogie boarding, playing frisbee and hitting around the volleyball. Aside from the drive all the way from Ka'anapali, it was a great spot.

Three beaches in one day, so much for R&R. :)

Sunday Photo: Black Sand Beach

Black Sand Beach from Above
Originally uploaded by webnelly

As a reminder of, and almost a tribute to, how the magical islands of Hawaii were created, the black sand beaches found on her islands are made up of harden lava that has entered the ocean and has been eroded over hundreds and thousands of years into tiny grains of sand.

This black sand beach is from Wai'anapanapa State Park, which can be found along the Road to Hana. It is also accompanied by a series of caves along the shore of the beach, which as legend has it, was where the Hawaiian Princess Popoalaea would come to hide. She was hiding from her cruel husband, Chief Kakae, who eventually discovered her hiding spot and took her life. As a result, there are certain times of the year where the water here turns an eerie red color due to tiny red shrimp that wash up towards the beach. The red water is said to symbolize the blood of Princess Popoalaea.

The beach itself is rather amazing. While we were only there for about 15 minutes as part of a guided tour, I remember the look and the feel of the sand to be almost like a regular beach (maybe a little coarser), with footprints being washed away by the waves and the usual. There was just some part of my mind that still had a hard time grasping that this was actually a beach, and the sand was black. We'd seen pictures and read about it, but now that we were standing there, it seemed surreal.

Be sure to check it out if you haven't yet seen one. And if you've been, let us know your thoughts.

Sunday Photo: Waves at the Beach

Waves at the Beach
Originally uploaded by webnelly

Interesting enough, not as crowded and popular as Kapalua Beach is, just a litte further north on Hwy 30 you'll find the D.T. Fleming Beach Park. You might miss the turn if you're not looking for it (we did), but once you find it, you have practically the entire beach to yourself.

The first thing we noticed when we went was that it was rather windy. I'm not entirely sure if it was because it was slightly overcast or if that's just the normal for this area. In any case, it's a nice stretch of sand and great for enjoying the sun (like my wife) and just walking along the shore taking photos (like me). We're not sure if this beach is actually larger than Kapalua or just felt that way because there was hardly anyone there. It was still nice and quiet and offered some great time to relax.

Check out more photos from D.T. Fleming Beach Park in our Flickr set.

Mahalo.

Sunday Photo: View Behind Black Rock

Behind Black Rock
Originally uploaded by webnelly

Most people that frequent the Ka'anapali area can recognize Black Rock from the beach, looking North from Whalers Village, or even from an aerial photo (bottom of page). Put in this photo, we actually are looking East towards Black Rock from a Pacific Whale Foundation sunset cruise. We hadn't been able to get this close to the beach from the water up until last year, and had the opportunity to snap a few photos from this view. We didn't, however, get to see the cliff dive ceremony from the cruise, which would have been neat to see.

Sunday Photo: Kapalua Beach

Kapalua Beach
Originally uploaded by webnelly

Kapalua Beach is a lovely beach in West Maui just north of Ka'anapali. It is a crescent beach that is isolated by two rock piers jetting out into the ocean on both sides. You can find an aerial view of the beach (courtesy of Google Maps) from our page here. When viewing that aerial image, this photo was taken from the North lawn area looking South towards the beach and water. When you're on the beach itself, this grassy area doesn't seem to be very accessible because of the construction of the Kapalua Bay resorts going on nearby, but after I saw a few workers taking their lunch break sitting out there (how nice is that) I decided to grab my cameras (photo and video) and went for a walk.

You can find more of our Kapalua Beach photos at our site here or in our Flickr set. You can also check out our Kapalua Beach videos on YouTube.

Sunday Photo: Ka'anapali at Night

Ka'anapali at Night
Originally uploaded by webnelly

One of our favorite things to do (almost nightly) after having dinner or just making a trip to Whalers at night is to walk back to the Sheraton along the beach rather than on the walkway. After many walks, I decided I wanted to capture the view of Ka'anapali at night, so I grabbed my tripod and setup a few shots like this one. Between the stars above, the reflections in the water and the soft glow from the lights, it almost seems surreal.

As a point of reference as to the location, I took this right on the sands of Ka'anapali Beach, near the base of Black Rock at the Sheraton, looking south towards the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel, The Whaler, and Whalers Village.

Monk Seal visits Ka'anapali Beach

Thought this was a cute story and wanted to share. It was reported by the Maui News website, which you can read here, Monk seal digs the sand at Kaanapali Beach.

I guess it's just not human visitors that are drawn to the beauty of the sandy beaches of Kaanapali, but some of the local animals as well. When you put it together, you've got whales that return every winter all the way from Alaska, monk seals that like to set up out front of Whalers Village, and sea turtles that swim all the way up to the shores where snorkelers can swim side-by-side with them.

It's just more proof that Maui is the place where everyone wants to be. :)

Google Maps - Function and Art

I've added a few more Google Maps to the site, in both the Beaches and Restaurants sections. Each of these additions utilize Google Maps in different ways, for both art and functionality, respectively.

Beaches
As mentioned awhile back, Google Maps was recently updated with new satellite imagery in the Ka'anapali area and in other parts of West Maui. Looking for ways to share this new aerial beauty relatively easily, I was inspired to use this new imagery as a different art form to showcase some of the beauty of Maui's beaches.

What you're find on the various beach pages, such as Ka'anapali Beach here, is a full bird's eye view of each beach zoomed in to the best range to fit the page layout. From here, you can see from up above what Maui visitors see from the sandy shores, and gain a better appreciation for the true beauty of these popular spots.

Restaurants
For the restaurant side of things, I was also inspired to add a little functionality with Google Maps. This particular inspiration came from a local portal site near home that I stumbled across while searching for a Chinese restaurant (I can't remember the particular site at the moment). Among all the basics, it featured a little map inlet that showed about a 2-3 block radius of where the restaurant was located. I thought it'd be easy for the Maui restaurants featured here.

So that's what I did, and actually took it a step further by adding two map inlets. The first follows the original idea, having a 2-3 block radius around the restaurant location, just to get your bearings. The second map is more of an island-level view to get a better idea of what part of Maui the restaurant is located.

To get a better idea of what it looks like, check out the Cheeseburger in Paradise page in the restaurants section, which happens to be the first restaurant we stop at for dinner when we visit Maui.

New Google Maps Satellite Imagery for Ka'anapali

When I started this website about three months ago, I was very interested (and still am) in adding aerial views of various parts of Maui using Google Maps, but was a little turned off by the quality of the satellite imagery in some of my favorite parts. You see, I use Flickr for all my photos and was using their geotagging feature to put those photos on their maps, which had much nicer looking satellite views.

But rejoice, because today I noticed that Google has updated some of their imagery and it's looking much better than it was before. Here's a shot of Ka'anapali Beach near the Sheraton.


View Larger Map



There are still a few places like Hana that look very poor, but we can only assume that Google is getting to that, too.

Galaxies and Stars above Ka'anapali Beach

Galaxies and Stars above Ka'anapali Beach
Originally uploaded by webnelly

This is one of my favorite photos we took from our last trip to Maui.

We lucked out and had a moonless, cloudless night and I grabbed my tripod, Cindy grabbed the beach towels, and we setup right on Ka'anapali Beach next to Black Rock (on the right) and spent about an hour under the stars. It was a wonderful time that night. I had the tripod buried in the sand, set it to a 30 second exposure, and would start the photo. While the shutter was closed, I'd run back to the beach towel and sit with my wife looking skyward in awe of what we were seeing.

Since we always stay at the Sheraton when in Maui, we have gotten used to enjoying many lovely nights walking along Ka'anapali Beach. With this photo and the others we took that night, it takes us right back to those nighttime strolls along the water as if we were there yesterday.