Day 4: The Adventures of Jen and RaeRay...

Ray is writing this from a tiny lava-filled cove at the foot of Haleakala. Jen and Rae are laying in the sun listening to the song of the Pacific. They have just passed through a magical mystical forest to reach this spot just off the King’s Trail. Surrounding them is the last active lava flow on the island from years ago. Maybe the volcano was protecting this land from the ritzy developments that have claimed this area around Wailea. Waves are crashing up on a lava shelf along the shore. These white waves crashing onto the dark black lava is a different photo each second that is worth millions. The nearby Kings Trail leads visitors and royals along a path surrounded by nothing but lava fields. The walk here took 15 to 20 minutes with another 15 minutes to see the only man-made thing for miles to begin the trek on the first road around the entire island built in 1824. 

It was time to experience another beautiful beach, says Rae, so we packed in everything we packed out and headed back through the mystical forest, passing signs warning swimmers of a Hawaiian Sea Lion who has been approaching people in the water. What a cool experience. Driving along a one-lane road back to normal roads took about 15 minutes until we took another turn onto another unpaved bumpy road. This one took us right up to a parking lot with a port-a-potty and our first black sand beach. We packed a lunch to have here while watching another unreal photo zooming second-after-second across our eyes. 

Rae decides she has to swim, since she hasn’t swam in so long — a few days. After another hour here we pack up and head to a town where the famous Charley’s Saloon is located, Paia. 

Jen is quickly amused with this little hippy town with stores to the left and the right. We went into many beautiful stores looking at artwork, photography, the softest shirts ever, said Jen. Every step there was another store Jen had to check out. This is now her favorite town on the island. After walking to see Charley’s (history about Charley’s to come later) and making our way back to the car, it was time to head back into Kahului and fill up on gas for our week with Rae and go to Ray’s potential new at Home Depot to get some paint supplies. You know Jen always finds something to do and someone to help. She will be painting Rae’s gym bathroom within the next few days.

One thing Rae had promised her boss and host Sue was a home-cooked meal. Lasagna was on the menu tonight and Ray was the chef. After borrowing some pots from the neighbors and finishing Jen and Ray’s first cooked meal on the island we had a great Sunday family dinner,  telling old stories and laughing through the courses. We couldn’t return the pots without sharing our Alabama hospitality. We had to go to sleep early because we would be island-hopping tomorrow.