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Maui: Morning Walk, Part 4

One of my favorite stretches of the Kapalua Shoreline Trail is the boardwalk. It gives you a smooth stable pathway and a slightly elevated view — and what a view it is.

By the way, why do people feel the need to talk on their cell phones while immersed in such wonderful vistas. I could understand one using FaceTime to share the sights (perhaps to make your friends and family envious) but talking? No thanks.



Looking down we can see a couple surfers eying the waves which are usually adequate and often awesome, dude.


Already, a couple surfers are out there checking out the swells for the ones that are going to provide them the best rides.


The swells are starting to pick up — get ready!


Finally a good one — looks like fun even though I have never tried board surfing.


Just a bit further and we reach the end of the trail overlooking the beach — here it turns uphill toward the lower Honoapi‘ilani Road.



Across the road are the Ridge Villas, another of the condo complexes here at Kapalua. I love their landscaping.


A short distance up the lower road brings us to the intersection with Office Road which leads further uphill. I always stop and remember that there used to be a small bridge here to allow the golfers to proceed to hole number 4.

It was originally built because the lower road continued on across what is now the Ritz-Carlton Resort — you don't want golf carts having to contend with automobile traffic — and in the early days, there was no upper road so all the traffic came along this way. Once construction of the new resort started, the road was closed and thus the need for the bridge was diminished — it was demolished a couple years ago.


And turning around we can see the tee box on number 4 with one of the Ironwood residences overlooking the tee box. That always reminds me of the next hole, a par 3 where you have to hit your ball over the ocean hoping to land it on the green. Good luck — you'll need it.

BTW, if you are a golfer, you might enjoy the animated flyover that the Kapalua Bay Course website provides — click here and scroll down.


Looking to the mauka side of the road, we can see the wedding chapel. This used to be a regular church but they build a new sanctuary and this building took on a new role as the start of many, hopefully happy, relationships.


The trail continues onto the Ritz-Carlton property. I think I have mentioned this before but for newer readers, the original plans for this resort was to build it close to the ocean. However, they discovered that this was an ancient Hawai‘ian burial ground. As a result, they decided to move the hotel site uphill — and, in my humble opinion, greatly improved the overall property.

The burial grounds are bordered by a hedge — no one other than maintenance workers may enter. I do not recall seeing this small sculpture before and there was no plaque but I infer that has something to do Hawai‘ian spirits soaring into the afterlife, escorted by geckos.


At one edge of this bluff, the view is AWESOME!


To be continued...

Life is good.

Aloha,
B. David

P. S., All photos and text © B. David Cathell Photography, Inc. — www.bdavidcathell.com