Friday morning after breakfast we headed out for a drive with only a vague idea of where we wanted to go. It’s part of adventuring, as Drew would say. We drove along the southern coast of the island, through a long stretch of lava rocks from the last volcano eruption of Mount Haleakala in the 1790’s, and ended up at the La Perouse Bay snorkeling area.

The La Perouse Bay also happens to be the start of the Hoapili Trail. The trail sign warns its visitors that the path is treacherous one, that we must be prepared to self-rescue since cellphones are useless without signals. Armed with only our cellphones, we parked our car and decided to soldier on anyway.

The English translation for Hoapili is “King’s Highway.” The trail was once an ancient Hawaiian walking path reserved for royalties and has remained untouched since the 1820s. A good stretch of the trail was covered by sharp lava rocks, barren and hot. Many people described the feeling of stepping back in time; for us, it felt more like being on a foreign planet like Mars in a sci-fi film. We did not make the last two miles of the five miles to Cape Hanamanioa. We got tired of walking on rocks and decided to turn around.

That night, we treated ourselves to a traditional Hawaiian Luau in Lahaina. It was a feast for both the stomach and the eyes. We learned about the Hawaiian history and culture. Jenny even got a lesson in traditional hula dancing (see video below). The dinner buffet included fire-roasted pork, chicken, grilled steak, as well as an assortment of fresh seafood and vegetables. 😋😋😋

We woke up early on Saturday for our snorkeling expedition at Molokini. The 150 thousand-year-old crater, located just a few miles off the Wailea, is Hawaii’s only marine sanctuary and a popular snorkeling destination. The boat ride out was about an hour long but well worth it. Once we peeked our heads under the water, a completely different world emerged in front of our eyes—one that’s made out of flourishing coral reef, where thousands of fish, sea turtles and marine animals co-habitat.

On the ride back, we witnessed a baby humpback whale resting on the surface of the water for several minutes, seemingly waving its fin at us. It was quite a magnificent sight.