Five hours by jet and Maui is in sight. Hawaiian Airlines arrives at 1 p.m. at Kahului Airport. An airy, open airport with a tropical feel greets the tourists. Some arrange a traditional lei greeting, and all feel the exotic vacation excitement. Those of us from drought stricken California feel instant humidity.
Since this is not my first trip to this Island I look for changes. Starbucks, Costco, and Walmart are now here. Many make their first stop on Maui at Costco, and arrive at the hotel with a carload of goods. This a far cry from shopping on the Island when we arrived 25 years with our two kids.
The Royal Lahaina Resort which is actually found north of Lahaina, is a perfect location. The hotel is on the Ka’anapali Beach and the ocean view from our tenth floor balcony is gorgeous.
Maui lends itself to many photographic opportunities, so I select my camera gear carefully for this six-day vacation. I take my Nikon D7100 with two lenses: an all-purpose 18-200mm zoom and a 35mm f1.8 for low light situations. I plan to use my small Olympus mirror-less camera for less conspicuous photography. My Kipling bag, tricked out with a camera liner I made myself, and fits into a regular backpack with a tablet and a hoodie. My small Lowepro bag with 2 lenses also serves as my purse during travel time. My tablet allows me to check my images each night.
More photographs coming up. Any favorites?
