Today I headed right up the west side of Maui, to the northern section past Kapalua. Up this far the road is narrow and windy, so I saved my photos for the return trip where I could more easily pull into the various scenic lookouts. It is rugged and beautiful and hundreds of folk are picnicking and snorkeling at the numerous coves along the west coast, which is comparatively sheltered from the trade winds which dominate Hawaii's weather.
This section of coast is dominated to the east by the same mountain range which contains the Iao Valley State Park, albeit on its eastern side.
I had a good wander around Lahaina which is a major historical and cultural centre in west Maui. King Kamehameha held court here after he unified the islands. It became a whaling centre for the Pacific and then a major sugar producing area.
It is now a major hub for marine based tourism including whale watching, fishing, diving and snorkeling tours. It even has a great yellow submarine!
Sunset was nice over the water, and I spotted my first humpback out past the surfers.
I watched Obama's State of the Union address on TV tonight, while sipping a Corona. It was actually the best thing on!