With our little rental car we tried to hit every corner of MAUI.

We arrived on Dec. 15, 2011 at Kahuliu Airport and stayed at the Aston Hotels & Resorts in Kihei for the duration of our stay in Maui.

Upon our arrival we got to experience first hand a traditional Polynesian meal...

...prepared by the chief and...

...and his helper...

The fresh fish was wrapped in leaves, covered in red hot coal to simmer away until perfection.

Dec. 16, 2011. Getting our bearings and to acclimatize we hit the Hanakao'o Beach close to Ka'anapali.

Equipped with our snorkel gear we are lucky...

...to encounter a couple of turtles.

In the evening we check out Cheeseburger in Paradise in Lahaina where Ruby ends up with a couple of Pina Coladas.

Dec. 17, 2011. We decide to discover West Maui...

...by taking the Kahekili Highway.

With the surf just right we are able to see a blowhole in action.

A closer look reveals a tourist in very close proximity to the action.

The 194m tall volcanic dome of Kahakuloa Head.

The area is surprisingly remote and we can't resist a snack from this colorful stand on the side of the road.

The road definitely gets narrow in spots making for fun exploring.

Beautiful rugged country side.

The landscape flattens out as we get closer to civilization and Kahului.

Next stop is Ho'Okipa Beach.

Famous for it never ending big waves...

...we enjoy watching...

...windsurfers...

...and kitesurfers alike for hours. It is truely fascinating.

Dec. 18, 2011. No trip to Maui would be complete...

...without driving the road to Hana and beyond.

Along the way our first stop is the Waikamoi Nature Trail.

It does feel like being in the rain forest...

...and the trail is beautifully overgrown...

...with the roots of the trees.

The trunk size of the Eucalyptus robusta is enormous.

Reaching the ridge at the top of the trail we can barely make out the winding Hana Hwy below.

The return way keeps on getting denser...

...and denser with trees, bush and fauna.

At the 10-mile marker we get a glimpse of the Waikamoi Falls.

Thanks to the recent rain it made for a nice stop.

Hawaii is a paradise for all type of unique flowers.

A great view of the coast and across Honomanu Bay. The Hana road as it makes its way along the cliff can barely be seen.

Another stop at the Ke'anae Peninsula Lookout.

Just past the halfway mark to Hana we stop at the Three Bears Falls.

One of the 54 one-lane bridges along the Hana Hwy.

After mile marker 24 we come upon the Hanawi Falls.

Past Hana lies the Wai'anapanapa State Park.

The sea is rough, but it is a treat to see the jet-black sands at Pa'iloa Bay.

Hamoa Beach and the start of Pi'ilani Highway.

At the start of our hike along Pipiwai Trail we are awarded within 1/2 mile with the Makahiku Falls.

Further along we encounter a massive banyan tree.

But the highlight of the trail is the Bamboo Forest.

It is a magical place...

...thick groves of bamboo...

...bang together musically in the wind.

The trail becomes muddier...

...and eventually boardwalks cover the worst of it.

A closer look at the bamboo.

As we continue through the dark parts of the bamboo forest we finally reach...

...the Waimoku Falls.

The spray from the 122m high waterfall makes us keep our distance to save the camera gear.

The lush green scenery disappears as we leave Hana behind and ..

... travel the Pi'ilani Hwy along the southern flank of Haleakala.

Dec. 19, 2011. We take in the Maui Ocean Center.

The Maui Ocean Center is the largest tropical aquarium in the US.

The exhibits start with the nearshore reefs...

...displaying eels...

...and colorful tropical fish...

...more tropical fish...

...and ending with a walk through a 16.5m glass tunnel where we were amazingly close to stingrays and sharks.

The sunsets from any of the Hawaiian Island are always...

...amazing.

Dec. 20, 2011. We spend the day at the beach and Mike volunteers to take a picture of a family in Holiday spirit.

Logo Moco a must have in Hawaii...

...consisting of rice topped with a hamburger patty, fried egg and huge amount of gravy.

Dec. 21, 2011. We spend the day on the Alu Nui catamaran,...

...taking in some far away...

whale spotting, but...

...the main reason was to go to the Molokini Crater...

...which lies between the islands of Maui and Kaho'olawe.

The coral reef that extends outward from Molokini is...

...perfect for snorkeling.

The waters are most calm and clear in the morning...

...making for amazing visibility...

...of colorful coral reef and fish...

...and some fellow snorklers.

Dec. 22, 2011. We head for the Haleakala National Park.

We zig-zag our way up Haleakala to the summit, but along the way...

...at the Leleiwi Overlook, we get our first view of what is to come...

Offerings like these at the volcano...

...and at other sacred sites are part of Hawaiian religion and tradition.

A unique plant that is able to survive...

...at this altitude is the Haleakala Silversword.

Reaching the summit...

...the panoramic view over the island and beyond....

...is spectacular.

The summit sign indicating 3055m above sea level...

... but most amazingly another 5,998m of mountain is hidden under the ocean.

We can't resist taking a hike into the lunar landscape.

Yes, it is Ruby all bundled up from the cold wind walking along the trail.

This trail is part of the Sliding Sands (Keonehe'ehe'e) Trail.

Another plant that survives at this elevation.

Our short hike takes us down into the crater.

Along the way are many photo opportunities...

... with the ever changing weather conditions and landscape.

Ruby runs along the rim of the Ka Lu'u o ka O'o cinder cone...

...and yes that small figure across the rim is Ruby.

Snack time.

Hiking back out as the sun starts to get lower in the sky.

We return to the summit to watch this incredible...

...beautiful sunset.

Dec. 23, 2011. Our last morning in Maui and we head for Big Beach.

At this time of the day...

...Big Beach is still deserted.

Ruby enjoys...

...one last walk along the beach.

It seems weird to be almost the only ones on the beach.

On our way to the Airport we detour into Iao Valley State Park...

...for one last try to get a photo of the pinnacle...but no luck...

...instead we found Ruby's Dinner. We are off to the Big Island of Hawaii for another week of exploring.