Back in the land of reno we are putting the finishing touches on our phase 1 updates. Just to re-cap, we took 3 bedrooms and made it 2, took 2 bathrooms and made it 1. It seems like we are moving backwards, but we gained a huge closet for the current master, a bigger bathroom, a coat closet, and a big area for more living space and stairs to the second floor.
Check out these before and after photos-
"Master" bath on the day we first saw the house. This is not our mess!!
Please make sure your read the caption above. That photo was taken before we owned the house, and although it wasn't our mess, shortly thereafter it did become our mess, as the house was in rough shape when we moved in. You can see the doorway near the toilet where you could enter the other bathroom. There was a stall shower near that doorway as well. Dave took great joy in terminating this bathroom and the other one. Here are progress photos...
See you later stinky bathroom!
Looking more like a closet, less like a laundromat.
After the electrical was re-done and our plumber changed the heating situation in the room, we painted and added the recessed lighting. We installed closet built ins from IKEA, the Pax model.
Here is the almost after:
It's getting there!
We still need baseboard trim, a door and new windows. The window guru is coming today to give us some advice. I can't wait!
One more look at the before and almost after:
Music Theme Day: Women from Boston who are Amazing!
The Both, "Milwaukee"- This band is made up of Ted Leo (ok, don't
know anything about him, but bear with me) and Aimee Mann (Boston rock
royalty). The group formed when both solo artists shared a tour. Aimee
Mann is an amazing songwriter, having written the majority of the songs
for the movie "Magnolia." In fact, the director of Magnolia said that
he wrote the film as a story set to Aimee Mann's songs. The Both's
album is out now!
Juliana
Hatfield, everything - As anyone who knows us knows, we love Juliana Hatfield. She is a prolific songwriter, and I have followed her since her first band, the Blake Babies. Since she has put out so much music it's difficult to choose just one song to share with you. Some of the things that I love most about her songs are the
references to other songs in her songs, the simplicity of the recording,
the lyrics about confronting your fears of growing older (hello,
self!). Here is "My Protege" from the album "Juliana's Pony: Total System Failure." This album was released at the same time as "Beautiful Creature," but they are completely different yet together they make up the perfect double album.
Juliana also has a new band with Matthew Caws of Nada Surf. They are called Minor Alps, and here is the song "Waiting for You"
Kay Hanley "Galapagos"- As much as I love Juliana Hatfield, I love Kay Hanley, but not for the same reasons. Where Juliana Hatfield made me want to be a better guitar player, Kay Hanley made me really think about lyrics. This is one of my favorite songs of all time...
If you have been wondering where we've been here's a hint...
As most of you know, renovating is a stressful process. One of the things that kept us going throughout the renovations was the fact that we would be spending April vacation in paradise...Maui. Much like the characters of "Lost," Dave and I will often turn to each other, our eyes will glass over, and we will say "We have to go back to the island." So we set off there for 9 nights.
Maui is an amazing place. I bet you couldn't have guessed that. The island looks like it was carved out of emerald that leads the bluest ocean water with white sand and black lava rock. The things that we have seen and done there are like nothing else we have ever seen or done. There is so much natural beauty, and that is what we look forward to experiencing every time we go.
This was our 7th trip to Maui. Yes, I know that's a lot, and no we are not secretly rich. I think many people believe that going to Maui is just not going to happen because it's too expensive. Yes, the flight is expensive and long, but you don't need to spend a ton of money once you get to Maui. I think the financial argument comes forward because it is very possible to spend a ton of money on a hotel, and other activities because you believe that this is your "once in a lifetime" trip. If you fall into this trap you will most likely regret spending so much, and you won't return to this magical place!
Here is a run-down of our tips and favorite places-
1. The flight- If you expect to save money on the flight you have to be flexible. You might be flying into a West Coast city and staying the night before flying to Maui the next day. I think this is the best way to go because there is no getting around the fact that Maui is 12-13 hours away. On our last trip we left Boston at 7:00 pm and landed in Seattle at 10pm their time. We stayed over at a cheap hotel by the airport, and even had time to squeeze in a quick visit to the best/weirdest karaoke night in the Sea-Tac area. The next morning we caught our flight to Maui at 7 am and arrived there at 1 pm their time.
Going home is another thing. Most flights back to the mainland are red-eyes. We left at 11 pm and arrived in Portland at 7 am with the time change. We had a 2 hour layover and got into Boston at 5:30. The total flying time was 11 hours, but the time change is confusing since Maui is 6 hours behind Boston.
2. The hotel- We have stayed at 3 different places on Maui- the Westin, The Kaanapali Beach Hotel, and Maui Kaanapali Villas. All of these hotels are on the West Side of Maui. When you are figuring out what side of the island to stay on you should consider that the South Side is typically sunnier, and closer to many driving attractions. The West Side is more remote, but less built up than the South Side. The beaches are beautiful no matter where you go.
Here is the Westin with its awesome pool and great location on the beach walk and hefty price tag-
Here is the Kaanapali Beach Hotel, billed as the "most Hawaiian hotel" for its free classes on hula, ukelele, etc. It is also located on the beach walk.
Our favorite place to stay is the Maui Kaanapali Villas because they are mostly condos so you have your own kitchen, the ocean is great there, the people are nice, and the price is right. It's a little further down the beach from the other resorts which means that it is not as crowded. The only concern is that not all of the units are the same quality since most are privately owned so you don't know exactly what you will get until you show up.
Attractions- This is why you will come to Maui, not for the resort, but for the things you can only do here. Here are some of our favorites-
1. Um hi, the beaches!!! There are so many amazing beaches, but you can't just swim in the water, you have see what's in there. Get a snorkel and try out these snorkeling locations:
Black Rock at the Kaanapali Sheraton- This is a great place for beginning snorkelers like me. You will see tons of fish and turtles as they feed on the coral and algae on the "black rock." You will also see tons of other people in the water and jumping off said black rock.
If you are worried about swimming into others, and need your space, this place might not be for you. You should try...
...Kapalua Bay- This is my happy place. I am not a huge fan of the open ocean so it is better for me to be in a protected cove like Kapalua Bay. There is a decent amount of coral where you will see plenty of fish, but it's also a great place just to swim. In the winter months it's a good place to see whales breaching.
That's Molokai in the distance.
While you are there you should check out the beach walk that takes you to a place that we call Turtle Town, because you can see a ton of turtles from the shore.
That's also a turtle
Kahekili Beach Park- This is right next to the Maui Kaanapali Villas, and it is part of a long stretch of beach on the other side of Black Rock. This is where we have had our most successful snorkeling. In addition to fish, you will usually see a sea turtle of two. In fact, I once saw a woman put on her mask, put her head in the water, and immediately come face to face with a turtle. When you are done snorkeling you can hang on the sand, sit on the shadier grassy knoll, or walk the beach walk.
It's hard to bring your camera/phone when you snorkel. Photo credit: Maui Magazine
2. You saw those mountains on the flight in, now go check them out up close! Here are our favorite hiking spots:
La Perouse/Ahihi Kinau AKA "The End of the World"- This is the site of the last lava flow from Mt. Haleakala. It is named after a French explorer, and you will know that you are in the right place when you see a monument to him upon driving up. The trek to the hike is an interesting drive through lava fields, with the back of Haleakala in the distance.
You might see some goats on your drive, and you will see people snorkeling in the various coves off the road. I have never snorkeled there, but it is supposed to be good snorkeling. The hike starts off following the coast and brings you to a beautiful white sand beach where some hippies or surfers might be hanging out. Don't worry, they are harmless, even if they look a little crazed. If you continue on you will see the most remote parts of the island. There is no road that comes close to this part of the ocast so the only way to see it is on foot, or by boat. At the end of the trail you will see some tidal pools, and maybe some more goats.
Last lava flow, reaching the beach at the end of the world.
Tidal pools at the end of the hike
Parts of the trail used to be an old "highway," that is a walking trail for the kings, so you might see some rock formations that look like walls. Don't touch these. They are the remnants of ancient heiau.
If it was good enough for kings...Dave headed back to base, our rented Nissan Versa.
We finally finished this hike on our last trip, and as we were walking back to the car we saw a guy with scarves and huge sunglasses coming our way. As he passed us and we heard his voice we realized it was Steven Tyler! We were too tongue-tied to say anything, but it was an odd experience to see a Boston celebrity half way across the world at the end of the world hike!
The Waihee Ridge Trail- As you look at a map of Maui you will see that there is a significant amount of the island that doesn't have any roads in it. When you fly to the island you will see all this area is a forest in the mountains, and you will want to go to there. Get yourself over to the West Maui Mountains and hike!! On this hike you will see a lush forest reminiscent of middle earth, waterfalls overlooking the west Maui Mountains, prairie-type landscape, rugged red sand trails, and an amazing view of the mountains and valleys all the way to the ocean. It is a strenuous hike on the ridge of a mountain, with an elevation gain of over 1,500 ft.
Hellooooo?!
Dave can almost touch the clouds
True story, the first time we hiked this A) we did not get to the top, B) Dave had just recovered from hip surgery, and C) we saw a woman running down the mountain. She told us that she was jogging for Jesus. Well, that's the only reason I can think of to RUN UP (and down) THIS MOUNTAIN!! The jokes write themselves...If you do this hike you will get the added bonus of hearing the funniest birds on the whole island. I have no idea was the actual bird was, but its chirp sounded like this, "Uhh?....Tweet? tweet?"
Bamboo Forrest AKA Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls- The down side is that you have to drive all the way to Hana to get here, and most people will not leave enough time for this hike, but you should. You walk along the trail and see streams and small pools and waterfalls, but the real draw here is walking through the bamboo and hearing it sway in the wind.
Sorry, not my photo. Photo credit: National Park Service
You know those relaxation tracks that they play during a facial or massage? I'm convinced that they all originated in Maui. Further evidence- at the end of the hike you will be at the bottom of the 200ft Waimoku Falls. Photo op!!!!
Also not my photo, but this shows the scale of the falls. Credit: Wide-angle wandering
Swinging Bridges (closed)- This trail is near the Waikamoi Ridge Trail, and it was probably closed due to safety reasons (check the photo and you'll know what I mean). I'm so glad that we got to do this hike before it closed, but I'm also glad that I will never have to do it again!
Prepare to walk the plank! Never have my legs been made so much of jello.
There are so many more trails, and once you see Maui you will want to find more to explore.
3. The Road to Hana.
Aloha white-knuckle driving!!!
Yes you must do this. It's a hard sell to rip yourself away from the beach for a full day, but unless you plan on spending a night in Hana, you must complete this trek in one jam-packed day. You will probably want to make sure that you get a rental car that allows for a second driver without any additional fees because you will want to take turns. There are a number of attractions on the way to Hana, but of my favorites are:
Twin Falls (Mile Marker 2.1 on the Hana Highway)- great trail to irrigation streams and waterfalls with good swimming. This place is a little precarious to get to as you need to traverse a rocky stream to get to the falls. Wear old sneakers?
Waikamoi Stream and Waterfalls (Mile Marker 9.9)- 2 waterfalls and a bit of a challenging hike make this place a fun stop. Once again, you will need old sneakers.
Honomanu Beach (between Mile Marker 14.1)- quick stop to a beautiful beach.
The Ke'anae Arboretum (Mile Marker 16.5)- beautiful walking trails, and of course, trees. Very jungly (that's a word, right?)
Ke'anae Peninsula (Mile Marker 16.8)- amazing water views, but no swimming, coral church. This is just a beautiful place...
Kahanu Garden - site of native trees and flowers and Pi'ilanihale, which is thought to be the largest heiau in Polynesia. A heiau is a house of worship from way back.
We did not take a helicopter tour of Maui, so this is not my photo. You should splurge of the heli tour, though.
Wai'anapanapa State Park- awesome black sand beach with private cove and a blow hole? Sign me up! There are also hiking trails along the beach, and if you want to sleep here overnight you can rent a tent no problemo.
The drive around the other side of the road to Hana- most people drive back from Hana the same way they came in, but you should just keep going straight, do not turn around once you get to Hana. You can stop at the Seven Sacred Pools and Pipiwai (see explanation above)
Seven sacred pools, well 3 of them at least.
There is some great scenery to be seen, as you will be driving past the back of Haleakala and various forest preserves. You won't see many people, no stores, or gas stations so be prepared. You might see some cows, and you will certainly drive through some rough road patches (and a few cattle gates), but you will see a side of Maui that most never do.
If you have enough time you might be able to stop at the Tedeschi Vineyards for a few samples. You could even stop at the Kula Lodge for dinner, just be sure to get there before 9.
Kula Lodge, home of the giant fern and good food.
4. Haleakala- Want to get up before the butt crack of dawn and drive up a windy road to an elevation of about 10,000 ft just to watch the sunrise? Well, then this is for you. You should definitely do this, and make sure it's the first morning you are in Maui since you will be jet lagged and probably wake up at 3 am anyways. It is cold up on top of this dormant volcano so bring layers. You don't want to look like one of those fools with their hotel towels wrapped around them at the top of the volcano. Bring a fleece you crazy person, then you will be able to focus on the beautiful sunrise. Watch out for cows in the road on the way back down. Do some hiking in at the top of the crater if you have time...
Yes, this is still earth.
Also earth, not mars.
5. South Maui- If you are staying in West Maui you have to take a trip to South Maui to get to the La Perousse hike anyways so while you are down that way, go to one of the amazing beaches there. Big Beach is a good one and it's big with big waves. You could also try the Kealia Pond and check out the birds.
6. Upcountry Maui- You must go upcountry and see how green and mountainy it is there. Not only will you see views of everything below you, you will see the simple life, Maui style. Go to Alii Kula Lavender and visit Buddha, check out the Maui Botanical Garden, and hit up Grandma's for a cup of coffee in the clouds.
Hey Buddha, do you have any advice for me? "Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth..." Oh, ok. Cool.
7. Molokini- Looking like a tan crescent in the middle of the ocean, Molokini is a place that boats take people for snorkeling. You can't go on the "island" itself, but the snorkeling is good if you can convince yourself that you are not in the middle of the ocean!!!! Suggested activity- do not put on your mask until you swim closer to shore and know that the water will not look so deep. You will avoid scaring the bejesus out of yourself.
If I could do this, you can do this. I did not take this photo. It's from www.mauiguidebook.com
8. The Road Around the West Maui Mountains- So you survived the Road to Hana, and you're looking for something a little more....death defying? This is the place for you. You will see some amazing views, but you could also die. It's worth the gamble. Watch out for the sign that says "Slow Down! This isn't America!" You might have to back up while clinging to the side of a mountain so there's that. You've been warned, now go do it, but make sure you're going from Kaanapali to Kahalui (not the other way around), or you will wind up on the cliff side of the road rather than the mountain side. Side note, you will be passing the Waihee Ridge Trail at the end of this crazy adventure. Why not extend it a bit further by hiking up the side of the mountain that you just already almost died on? 9. I'ao Valley- Once you get to the Kahalui area you will be close enough to the I'ao valley. Go there and marvel at the stream and mountain peaks. The I'ao needle was used as a lookout during ancient battles, but don't even bother trying to climb it. An ancient Hawaiian warrior you are not.
So, it's decided. You're going. Let us know if you need additional help planning your trip.
You will need to pack your own tunes unless you don't mind listening to Hawaiian music and easy listening from the 80's, as that is all they play on the radio in Maui (which is fine with me). It's amazing to me that most of the popular music from Hawaii consists of songs praising the beauty of the island. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Most of my Maui selections are easy listening too...
1. "Home," Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros- This must be played upon getting into your rental car. Maui will become your home, and any time you need to get back to it, at least in your mind, you will have this song.
I might be obsessed with this song...
Exhibit A) This was Dave's anniversary gift last year. I do not typically cross-stitch/needlepoint unless I am moved to do so by a song.
2. "Me Name Junior Gong," Damien "Jr Gong" Marley- You will hear this on the radio in Maui. It's best if you prepare yourself now. Listen out for the tribal wail sample...
3. "Sweet Leilani," Chris Isaak- Cover of a Bing Crosby song from the movie Waikiki Wedding.
4. "The Only Place," Best Coast- a great surfy band perfect for listening to on your long drive to Hana.
5. "Rise," Eddie Vedder- this is from the soundtrack to "Into the Wild," which is also a decent book. The whole soundtrack is appropriate for your Maui adventure, as you will be doing some serious soul searching and marveling at nature. See also "Release Me" from Pearl Jam.
6. "Release Me," Pearl Jam- Tread lightly here you could wind up crying into your surfboard..
7. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," IZ- I had to do it. How could you improve upon one of my favorite songs? Add a Hawaiian flare. Oh yeah, watch out for rainbows when you're in Maui. That place is filthy with them.
