Minuses: The access road can be 4WD?Sound-bite: [crashing waves, cheers and helicopters]

If you’re a fan of big-wave tow-in surfing, Jaws is a must-see if you are visiting when one of our winder North Shore monster swells come in.

Tow-in surfing is when the waves are so large that the only way a pro surfer can get in to them (in one piece, anyway) is to be skillfully towed in, and dropped off, via Jet Ski.

Jaws is Maui’s biggest tow-in surfing wave, and the yearly Billabong XXL Global Big Wave contest has listed Jaws as the winning break more than any other place. The top names in surfing flock to Jaws when it is going off – and mere mortals like us follow to watch in awe.

Big wave surfing is something that, when seen in person, allows you to fully appreciate the magnitude of this feat – check out the You Tube video on our full article for better perspective of how big these waves actually are.

The lookout on the Peahi cliffs above the break are the best vantage points outside of a boat or helicopter. Directions and map are on the full article.

Here is the link to the full article: http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/jaws/

About The Author::
Mark Goldberg lives at the edge of the rainforest along the Road to Hana with his wife and four children. Mark’s captivation with extraordinary environment and people of Maui has inspired his mission to create the most comprehensive and balanced online guide to Maui. [Visit MauiGuidebook.com].

?Minuses: The road becomes rough for portions and rental car companies say “you’re on your own.”
Most visitors will travel toward Hana in a clockwise direction, and when they reach Hana, they’ll turn around and head back the way they came.

For those seeking adventure, this open-vista driving tour is a fitting finale to a Road to Hana adventure. The trip will proceed through several climate zones as the scenery transforms from the lush jungle of Kipahulu, through ranchland, dry grasslands, lavascapes, and ultimately back into lush green views of cloud-forest.  You will also have the opportunity to see historic heiau’s, Charles Lindburgh’s grave, historic churches and petroglyphs (if you can find them!)

Caveat Emptor ?This drive is not for everyone. While there are recently just-resurfaced glassy-smooth stretches of asphalt, significant sections of the road are still relentlessly bumpy, having evolved over time into a sloppy mosaic of asphalt patches.

Here is the link to the full article with photos: http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/haleakala-backside-kipahulu-to-ulapapakua/ 

About The Author::
Mark Goldberg lives at the edge of the rainforest along the Road to Hana with his wife and four children. Mark’s captivation with extraordinary environment and people of Maui has inspired his mission to create the most comprehensive and balanced online guide to Maui. [Visit MauiGuidebook.com].

Minuses: The road in Ulupalakua is unforgiving if you become over-enthusiastic during the wine tasting!

Sound-bite: “They should call this ‘Paniolo soul food’, brah!”

This is a good side-trip to take after a Haleakala Crater sunrise trip, or during a planned Upcountry exploration day.

Grandmas’s Coffee House*  (This is SwellWomen’s Favorite Breakfast Place)

Grandmas’s coffee house is in the sleepy town of Keokea. Stores here include an old-time gas station, art gallery and an old, no-nonsense country general store called “Henry Fong Store.”

Grandma’s Coffee house has been a neighborhood fixture for over 90 years, and across four generations.
Unassuming and authentic; down-home reasonably priced comfort foods and fresh local-grown organic coffee and an assortment of terrific baked goods.

Between Grandmas and the Tedeschi Winery is the larger area called Ululpalakua. There are many stunning views of neighbor islands, the valley that bridges Haleakala and West Maui, and the blue ocean on both sides of the isthmus.

Tedeschi Winery
The Tedeschi Winery grounds have much history, and were once a large estate called the Rose Estate. The wine tasting room was originally a constructed for King Kalakaua who was a frequent visitor to Rose. The grounds have stunning views and planted with flowers, shrubs, flowering vines and stately trees.

You can also continue past the Winery and Ulupalakua and see the back side of Haleakala – that is my next article, stay tuned!

Here is the link to the full article and photos: http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/grandmas-ulupalakua/ 

About The Author::
Mark Goldberg lives at the edge of the rainforest along the Road to Hana with his wife and four children. Mark’s captivation with extraordinary environment and people of Maui has inspired his mission to create the most comprehensive and balanced online guide to Maui. [Visit MauiGuidebook.com].

Minuses: Small beach, smaller parking.?

Sound-bite: “The snorkel boats pull right up over there “

Details:?Five Graves is lesser known to visitors, and is a perfect place to snorkel or shore dive.

There is excellent snorkeling everywhere you go along the rocky point, all the way from the beach, though Pamolepo (Five Graves) and even on toward Makena Landing. The snorkeling is spectacular at Five Graves and snorkel boats anchor just off these shores to bring paying guests to enjoy some of Maui’s best snorkeling.

Advanced cave divers will find also large underwater caves to explore. They go on for quite a distance, however they can be dangerous for even experienced divers. The caves are too deep for snorkelers to access.

The name Five Graves refers to a small family graveyard just south of Ulupikanui Beach (aka Chang’s Beach.)

Ulupikanui also has an historical archeological ruin of rock which are the remains of a pre-contact Hawaiian canoe house. It is now a centerpiece of some of the shared lawn of some of the luxury homes, and is up a short path on the south side of the beach and passed a low wall with locked gate. Access is permitted and the gate/wall is easily passed without opening the lock, but you are asked to call the manger before crossing the private lawn.

Link to article & photo: http://mauiguidebook.com/beaches/ulupikanui-beach-aka-changs-beach/

About The Author::
Mark Goldberg lives at the edge of the rainforest along the Road to Hana with his wife and four children. Mark’s captivation with extraordinary environment and people of Maui has inspired his mission to create the most comprehensive and balanced online guide to Maui. [Visit MauiGuidebook.com].

Most visitors will travel in and out of West Maui along its West and South shores through Maalaea. This is definitely the commuter route, as this route along West Maui’s northern side is precarious and slow going. For those seeking adventure, this open-vista driving tour is a must-do.

The north shore of West Maui has been called “West Maui’s Road to Hana” – but that really is a very broad generalization. But if winding narrow roads at the edges of cliffs make you nervous, or if you already did the Road to Hana and can’t figure out what all the fuss was about, you may want to give this journey a second-thought.

For all but the most confident drivers, going clockwise is recommended as it puts you on the body-shop side of a miscalculation. If you do decide to go against this advice, be certain the person riding shotgun is equally as confident in your abilities.

For more details, photos and directions on finding the best sights along the route, check out the full West Maui’s North Shore article on MauiGuidebook.com.

About The Author::
Mark Goldberg lives at the edge of the rainforest along the Road to Hana with his wife and four children. Mark’s captivation with extraordinary environment and people of Maui has inspired his mission to create the most comprehensive and balanced online guide to Maui. [Visit MauiGuidebook.com].

Soft Tops are the best to learn on.

What to Expect
So, what should you expect for your first beginner surf lesson? First of all, surf lessons (and surfing) should always be fun! If you are able to laugh at yourself (even the naturally athletic may be humbled by a couple of not-so-graceful wipe-outs), you are right on track. Surf lessons are typically 2 hours and should be at a maximum ratio of 5:1 (5 students to 1 instructor.)

At the beginning of your surf lesson, your surf instructor will do a brief check-in and introduction. After the intros, it time for a land lesson. Your class time on the beach will include things like safety, ocean awareness, anatomy of a surfboard and last but not least, surf etiquette – all critical to having fun once you hit the water. On the land, you’ll also receive instruction on how to pop up on a surfboard, how to ride the surfboard, and how to safely end your ride.

After your land lesson, is the time you’ve been waiting for – time to hit the ocean! This is where the true test lies, so hopefully you have paid attention to your surf instructor. Once in the water, the surf instructor will corral you in a group and call you over one at a time. During your turn, your instructor will watch for the perfect wave, and once it is coming, he/she will give you a slight push (I call it a love pat) into the wave. This is when the fun begins! Once you feel the push, it’s time to pop-up and enjoy the ride. Nothing beats your first wave!

Enjoy and yumminess to you!

Dining outdoors after some serious wave catching.

Would anyone care for some delicious'ness?

Our lunch Menu.

Happy V-Day

Beyond the commercialism of Valentine’s Day, let this day be a reminder that LOVE for yourself and others should be top priority in your life. I know I may sound like I’m preaching and maybe I am, but I find that when I put LOVE in all my relationships and dealings with people that it adds a bit of lightness. This isn’t easy, mind you and is a practice. I have the words LOVE spelled out right across from my desk, whenever I look up, there it is. Sending LOVE your way from SwellWomen.

SwellWomen Surf and Yoga retreats was just published in Travel and Leisure! Yippee! The article written by  Colleen Clark , starts off by saying, “After a messy breakup, sometimes a great getaway—whether it’s a quiet retreat or a hedonistic hot spot—is the best medicine.” The article goes on to talk about the best places to Rebound around the world and SwellWomen made the Hawaii section!

For the full article, click here.

For the SwellWomen piece, click here.

Happy Rebounding!