24 Hours on Maui

After five hours of flying over the Pacific Ocean, our flight was on its descent and I was excited to see an island I’d only ever seen on television. No plans, no idea what the days ahead had in store, I stared out my window looking at the water, the clouds, and eventually the approach of land. Honestly, I was also staring at the wing since that took up most of the view. Oh well. I was going to Hawai’i!

Once we landed, I made my way through the airport toward the exit where I was hit with my first “Aloha” and signage welcoming me to Maui. My only immediate plan was to get in a Lyft and make my way to the hotel in Paia. “Wait, maybe I should just book a car and have freedom of movement” That was my thought as I looked across the street. I didn’t follow through and learned it was a regrettable decision.

The Lyft ride was smooth and easy. My driver was in complete shock that I had no plans on the island and that I booked the flight so last-minute. Paia is about 25-30 minutes from the airport. I’m sure the scenery was alright, but the sun had set by the time we were on the road. Upon arrival to the hotel we were caught in a Hawaiian rain shower. I retreated from the car fairly quickly and headed into what turned out to be a restaurant attached to the hotel. This restaurant entrance had a hallway that led to the hotel entrance so I was escorted to the lobby for check-in. Nice people!

I’ll probably talk more about this hotel another time. The restaurant, as it turned out, was a sushi spot that I would highly recommend. The food was delicious! At the recommendation of the front desk, I made a pretty basic plan for the following day to fill the time before my island-hopping flight. My decision was to wake up early, take an Uber to Twin Falls (which is on the Road to Hana), hang out at Twin Falls, and then grab some breakfast back at the hotel and wander the sites near Paia. These plans were foiled almost immediately.

Upon arrival at Twin Falls, I was dropped off and my Uber driver departed (as one does). The locals collecting money for parking/entry got on my case about how Uber drop-offs were not allowed. You had to park a car. This, in my opinion, was a total scam to ensure that the locals can collect money. On the flip side, I understood that this was to ensure everyone who came to the property had a way off the property. You know, safety! This was discovered when calling for an Uber failed due to no data connection with my cell phone provider. Phone calls were fine, but using data was impossible. The locals were no help until it had been roughly 90-120 minutes and I was still sitting in their parking lot trying to get an Uber. Finally, I had the bright idea (coming from a background in hotels) that I could call the hotel and ask them to hail a cab for me. I was on my way back in 25 minutes. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner?

Later I recognized that my attitude was poor and had to remember that God had me on a journey. I was meant to hang out at the Twin Falls parking lot for three hours. This was by design. Recognizing that, I made an effort to forget what was and look to what is to come. I enjoyed my hotel as fully as I could before the afternoon flight. This included time on the hotel beach and at the hotel’s private lounging area overlooking the beach. I even saw a sea turtle! The turtle was walking up from the water and we hung out on the beach together for a while.

Now that I’m thinking about it, this Maui trip was actually less than 24 hours. Holy moly! Headed back the way I came, I wandered into the airport, found some coffee beans for purchase, and awaited my flight to the island of O’ahu. What’s a key takeaway here? I do NOT recommend going to Twin Falls. I’ve seen some of the most impressive waterfalls in Western North Carolina. Save your time and money. Would I do another 24-hour trip to Maui? No. This island is so low-key and chill, I’d love to explore it much more. At least 48 hours for sure!

Signing off from Paia, HI.