Aloha! 

 

Vacationing in Hawaii holds a lifetime of memories

 

 

 

                   By CHRISTIN GUERRERO, 12

 

 

 

 

Last summer I was lucky enough to venture away from the continental US to the islands of Hawaii. Specifically, my trip took my family and I to the island Maui, the second largest of the island chain. The “Big Island”, Hawaii, is the largest.

 

The flight from DFW Airport took roughly 9 hours making one stop in Phoenix. When traveling to Hawaii neither shots nor passports are needed. Remember Hawaii is one of the 50 states of the United States. In fact it’s the 50th state, having been admitted to the United States in 1959. Hawaii is made up of over 100 volcanic islands but 8 of them are the major ones.

 

As my family and I arrived at the airport in Maui we were greeted by staff with a nice warm "Aloha". In Hawaii, aloha means hello or goodbye. After that they placed purple and white leis around our necks. Leis are a traditional Hawaiian flower necklace given as a sign of welcome.

 

Maui, and all of Hawaii, is located in the tropics about 20 degrees north of the equtor (Dallas is about 33 degrees north) so the temperature fluctuates little from about 73-85 degrees. As soon as we stepped off the plane it was the first thing I noticed. The area was much cooler than Dallas in the summer. It was perfect for relaxation but visitors should always have sun block handy. No matter how nice the weather the sun can still burn.

 

The condo we stayed at had a wonderful view of the mountains in the front and the beach in the back.

 

The balcony in the front had a good view of it raining in the mountains. When it would stop raining there would be a light rainbow right over the tree tops. The beach in back of the condo was extremely rocky and jet black. It was that way because because of constant volcanic activity in Hawaii. It’s just a regular beach except the sand is naturally black with dried coral and beautiful seashells scattered along the shore. It was basically like a reef.

 

To start off our activities we went snorkeling at Molokai Crater. Molokai Crater is a crater in the ocean shaped as a sliver of the moon, a crescent shape.  The crater is also a reef made up of lava rock covered in millions of colored coral and exotic fish that live in it.

 

The next event that occurred was a Luau. A Luau is a grand celebration of food, entertainment and learning about Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. They serve lomi salmon, kalua pig (a whole pig cooked in an underground oven), poke (yellowfin tuna), haupia (coconut milk based dessert) and much more. The abundant food served at the Luau represents the  aloha spirit. Attending a Luau is getting the real deal. A taste of Hawaii.

 

We also went to Haleakala National Park. Haleakala means "house of the sun" in Hawaii. The park is comprised of over 30,000 acres and is Maui's highest peak rising 10,023 feet above sea level.

 

Hawaiians are very proud of their state and its natural wonders. One thing you should NOT do, is take anything off the island. The locals are very superstitious. If you take something like rocks or seashells from the island it’s a Hawaiian belief that you will receive bad luck. Maui overall, is a wonderful, relaxing place to visit. I recommend anyone who ever has the opportunity to visit our 50th state to do so. Aloha!

 

10.13.14