Capturing the Moment

  After six straight weeks of leading adventure trips in Hawaii I was ready to head out for an adventure of my own. I was headed farther south than I had ever been before, to the tip of the South American continent, Argentina. Here awaited the southern-most city in the world, the fabled wilderness of Patagonia, the bottom of the Andes Mountains, and of course a little steak and wine. Mimosas and on my way Buenos Aires from above   First things first. I needed to scoop up my girlfriend in Buenos Aries after a winter storm rerouted her from Vermont. I flew United on miles, 30K each way, and luckily had a first class lounge pass leftover from my United credit card. There is nothing quite like kicking back in a airport lounge and drinking mimosas during a layover. And pretty cool having your girlfriend waiting for you at baggage claim 8,500 miles from where you started. Neighborhood vibe in Buenos Aires Entrance to Solar Soler B&B    ...

   A month ago I posted about seeing the first baby humpback whale this winter season here in Hawaii. Since then I have spotted many more mom and calf pairs around the island of Maui. It is pretty amazing to think that these mother whales swim all the way here from Alaska , pregnant, then give birth to a baby the size of a small pickup truck, go on to feed it gallons of fat rich milk every day, all while not eating anything herself. With all of this effort the moms are putting into the calves it is nice to see plump, healthy, well fed calves jumping and playing.  Whenever I see baby humpbacks breaching or slapping their tails, I wonder if they are just learning the moves needed for communication once they get older, or if it really just for fun. We came across this baby whale and watched it breach over and over. Finally when it stopped breaching it just changed behavior and started tail slapping over and over. Mom was always nearby and I could just picture the baby say...

Early Morning whale watch on the skiffs Manta Ray Night Dive in Kona Humpback surface behavior Safari Explorer For the past six years UnCruise Adventures has been operating a small cruise ship between the islands of Molokai, Lana'i, Maui and the Big Island. With a maximum of 36 guests, the 145ft, luxurious Safari Explorer provides a unique way to experience Hawaii. With no ferries in the Hawaiian Islands other than between Maui and Lanai, everyone is forced to fly between islands. Sailing on the safari explorer is about the only way to wake up in a new Hawaiian island without being on a huge cruise ship.  Small ship adventure cruising the Hawaiian Islands with UnCruise   For the past two years I have had the privilege of being the expedition leader onboard the Safari Explorer. I get to share my passion for the Hawaiian islands with people from all over the world. We carry out toys around with us, think kayaks, SUP's, snorkel gear and small boats. ...

Nearing the top of the Lahaina Pali Trail Hiking up from Ukemehame    There are not too many hikes on the dry side of Maui between Lahaina and Kihei. The only option is a dry, rocky climb up the Pali cliffs towards the line of windmills. This is called the Lahaina Pali trail. It is a 1,600ft climb up from sea level with no shade but beautiful panoramas of Maalaea Bay and the central valley. There are two entrances to the hike, one just across from the shops at Maalaea Harbor and the other across from Ukumehame Beach Park. If you only have one car and plan to go up to the windmills and back I would suggest starting at the Ukumehame entrance. Both ways are exposed to the sun with little shade so hiking early in the morning or later in the afternoon is usually the way to go. However you do occasionally get some cloud cover which makes the hike doable all day.   This was my third time up the Lahaina Pali trail and every time I have done it differently. I had hiked...

View from above Halawa Valley, Molokai     Molokai is the least traveled to of the main Hawaiian Islands not including Ni'ihau which is private and forbidden, and Kaho'olawe which is also forbidden due to unexploded ordinances. There are no chain restaurants and no chain hotels on Molokai. In fact there is only one hotel at all now a days. It takes a certain kind of adventurous, off-the-beaten path traveler to make their own way over to Molokai. Usually it is to see the historic leper colony where citizens of the kingdom of Hawaii were sent to whittle away their days on a peninsula surrounded on three sides by crashing north shore surf and the other by 3,000ft sea cliffs. Molokai is also home to one of the largest sandy beaches in the state of Hawaii on its west end. However the real hidden gem lies in its people. Taro Patches   Molokai has been dubbed 'the friendly isle' by those who have spent time there. A high percentage of the 8,000 or so residents have...