Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro Maui Real Estate Sales

Snow tops Haleakala Mountain on Maui

We got some snow on Maui! And it stayed more than one day this time. On average, we get snow on Maui about every 5 years or so. This time it was quite a lot of snow coverage, much more than the usual dusting. This great shot is by Giampaolo Cammarota, taken from upcountry Kula Maui.

The Maui News reports that the road to the 10,000 ft summit of Haleakala was closed above the 7,000 foot elevation before dawn Monday due to unsafe driving conditions... high winds and ice. The road was reopened after 11 a.m. on Monday once it was safe to drive. The road was closed again today too, so no need trying to go up and make a snowman! It feels like it might snow again tonight up at the higher elevations.

Haleakala National Park is the crown jewel atop the mountain here, and a trip to this sacred Hawaiian place is an unforgettable experience . If you're visiting Maui, ithis is on the top 10 list of things to do. You can get there by car, by bicycle, or by foot, or you can visit the park on a commercial tour bus. If you're really fit, you can even run up there with the Valley Isle Road Runners on Saturday March 15th 2008, in the Run to the Sun. Take some warm clothes or blankets when you go up!

The snow won't last long and it will be gone, and the bus tours and bike tours will resume their trips through Kula Maui. People will go back to their jobs in the Park, and at Science City.

Meanwhile back at the beach... it's warm and sunny and the wave froth washes over your bare feet, cold drink in hand. Business as usual in the resorts. Good news for property owners.

Maui has a lot to offer. There's something for everyone. Do you have any questions about living on Maui?

(This is my contribution to the Back to Nature contest that Christina Williams came up with. I don't expect it to be an entry that will compete with the others, but wanted to participate for the points! Good luck to all the other entries!)

Twin Falls Maui

One Sunday my 86 year old dad said to me..."I want to go up to that Twin Falls place and go for a walk, how far is it up to the falls?" I thought about it for a minute and imagined him up there slipping in some mud and falling, with nobody around to help him or call, and said "I don't know, but why don't I go with you and we'll find out?" So we got in the car and drove there, all of about a mile away if that. It was a beautiful sunny day in Haiku, the only one we had had in a couple of weeks. The ground was starting to dry out, so the trail was OK.

I have to admit that even though Twin Falls is so close, I haven't been up their trail in probably 12 or 15 years. My memories of it was a narrow slippery hiking trail that didn't impress me much back then. Well, things have changed for the better. The new owners of the property have been busy improving the trails into nicely graded and crowned roads. The trail might have been about a half mile, and then it narrowed out and got muddy. Most of the way was a gradual incline, and easy traveling for me and my old dad. He was keeping up alright. We stopped to admire the lush tropical foliage like the kukui trees, the coffee beans, and bananas. Saw a bright green anole lizard scamper across a brilliant red ti leaf... too fast to snap a picture.

We had to cross over a weir which is part of the East Maui Irrigation canal system that carries rainwater to the central valley to irrigate the sugar cane fields. I helped my dad over it, and he was very gung ho to see the waterfall on the other side. We met some people from Alabama, and some others from various places around the world. They were all enthralled with the trail and abundance of greenery and water. I tend to take this all for granted, having lived here so long. It was refreshing to get another perspective and see it as a tourist for a change.

It was a really great day out for us and I want to go there again. Maybe take my bike next time. Now I can see why the tourists flock to Twin Falls!

I forgot to mention that they have a fruit stand in the parking lot along the Hana Highway. Be sure to get something yummy if you stop here on your way to Hana.

Here's a picture of the waterfalls at the top of the trail. Since it was so muddy and the streams were running high that day we didn't venture all the way over to it. You do have to be aware of flash flooding here, as it's dangerous to cross streams when there is a lot of rainfall. People can die by being careless, so proceed with caution.

Ono Gelato - Paia Maui - on the Hana Highway

Lately I've noticed a lot of people walking around Paia with ice cream in their hands.... There's a new ice cream shop in town, at the corner of Hana Highway and Baldwin Ave. We have really needed something like this since Ice Cream Dreams left town a long time ago. There is a Shave Ice store down the street where you can get rainbow shave ice, but it's not quite the same as ice cream is it?

The Gelato - Three generations of Italian tradition combined with Hawaiian flavors. They make their own rich and creamy organic ice cream, with lots of yummy flavors that are uniquely Hawaiian, such as:

• Kula strawberry
• Lilikoi (passionfruit)
• Maui Pineapple
• Fruit of the Tropics

Hey I wonder if they have rambutan or lychee? I tried the hazelnut/chocolate and was it ever good! I will have to resist the urge to go there every day.

The Philosophy- To combine the fresh flavors of Hawaii with the traditions of Italy, to create a product that is all natural, organic when possible, local, sustainable and ono (delicious). They also carry a line of the finest quality, 100% natural, organic and fair trade Silk Road green teas. Other products available in the store include Anthony's Coffee, Jeff's jams and Jellies, and Maui Tropical Soaps. They use biodegradable packaging from Maui Chemical and Paper.

Contact them - They have a website where you can find out more about them including Flavors of the Month. Call them at 808 579-9201

From their website I learned that they moved here from Victoria B.C. - Canada! I know where they're coming from.

If you're thinking about moving to Maui, and Paia is where you want to live, I can help you with your Paia Real Estate market info and questions.

There are plenty of nice homes for sale in Paia, which is a very friendly town with beaches and shopping and restaurants.

Aloha from Paia - The Hunter - Georgina M. Hunter R(S)

Pukalani Country Club is located in upcountry Maui, on the slopes of Haleakala, where it's a little cooler. If you're driving up Haleakala Highway, take the Old Haleakala Highway exit and then take a right at Pukalani Terrace Shopping Center. Tha's Pukalani Street... drive all the way to the end and there's the golf club, at 360 Pukalani St. Pukalani HI 96768. It's a public golf course with reasonable fees. My dad likes to play here because he's cheap, and he doesn't want to pay the high fees at the resorts down in Wailea and Makena.

That's the driving range pictured above... not bad huh?

They used to have a pretty good restaurant serving local food, but the place burned down about a year ago. They still haven't rebuilt the clubhouse, they are operating out of trailers for now. They serve cold drinks and snacks at the pro shop, but no alcoholic beverages. It seems to be working and I wonder if they will ever have a real restaurant again.

They have a website and you can call them at 808 572-1314 for reservations. Bob Baddock designed the course, if that means anything.

Here's a good tip.... if you have a Hawaii Driver's License, you can get the Kama'aina rates for green fees and cart rental... that's the local price. You can save a lot of money this way. Sometimes it pays to be a local.

There's plenty of homes along the fairway, and they are very reasonably priced for Maui. In fact Pukalani has some of the best prices of homes for sale on the island. Currently you can expect to pay in the $700,000's for a nice home with great fairway views. The residential condos are priced much lower and they are pretty cute.

Let me know if you'd like more info about Pukalani homes for sale.

Aloha - the Hunter - Georgina M. Hunter R(S) - EMAIL ME

Endangered Pieces - Pukalani Maui HI

How can you drive by this place without stopping an going in? Don't they have the best looking junk you ever laid eyes on? And this is just the beginning.... there's 4 rooms of it right here, and when you turn around and cross the street there's warehouses more! The owner has been collecting this stuff for years. He gathers up treasures from Maui estates and recycles them to new owners. This is all good stuff! You won't believe all the weird and wonderful items in this store.... giant Buddha heads, carved horses, hand crafted gates, furniture, old bottles, statues, and so much more. What the heck is that giant Mardi-Gras head doing here? I bet there's plenty of stories here.

You can find this unique upcountry store on Makawao Avenue, between the Haleakala Highway and the Old Haleakala Highway, right across from the Fire Station in Pukalani. The hours are variable, but you can usually call the owner as he might be back in the warehouses.

If you don't know where that is, call me and I can tell you how to get there. I can also help you find a nice home upcountry, if you're thinking of moving to Maui. - Aloha - The Hunter

MAKAWAO HOMES FOR SALE ~ PUKALANI HOMES FOR SALE ~ PUKALANI COUNTRY CLUB ~ PUKALANI TERRACE CENTER