Kicking Back: Maui

For the perfect slice of rejuvenating aloha, nothing beats Maui.

- Debra Bokur

The luxuriant slopes of Maui are a million shades of green. I’m deep within the western side of the island, immersed in the lush, brilliant emeralds of Iao Valley State Park, where the soaring, 2,250-foot-tall Iao Needle points toward the heavens. Long ago, this naturally formed rock pinnacle served as an altar to ancient indigenous peoples. Now, hikers like my husband and me stroll the paths, making unique, individual connections to this landscape.

Hawai’ian legends tell the tale of how the demigod Maui lassoed the sun and tamed it, ensuring there would always be adequate daylight for planting and gathering crops. For visitors in search of a little rest and relaxation, that means plenty of time to enjoy the island’s beauty.

We’ve deliberately timed this visit to coincide with the return of the humpback whales that spend part of the year in the waters surrounding Hawai’i. In the morning, we head out to participate in a whale-watching cruise with Pacific Whale Foundation, a research and education group that offers a variety of seasonal eco tours departing from Ma’alaea Harbor north of the old whaling town of Lahaina.

In the company of a marine naturalist and a dozen or so other whale watchers, we board an eco-friendly catamaran and head out into the channel separating Maui from the island of Lana’i. In less than 10 minutes, the naturalist points out a mother humpback whale and her young calf, barely a hundred yards from the bow. He explains the young whale was born after the pod’s recent return from its 3,500-mile annual migration from near the Alaskan coast. For two hours we watch the baby cavort in the smooth waters while two adult males do their best to impress the mother.