Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [335]
Sights
Stop and smell the roses…and the lavender and all those other sweet-scented blossoms. No two gardens in Kula are alike, and each has its own special appeal.
ALI′I KULA LAVENDER
Immerse yourself in a sea of purple at Ali′i Kula Lavender ( 878-8090; www.aklmaui.com; 1100 Waipoli Rd; admission free; 9am-4pm). Start by strolling along the garden paths where dozens of varieties of these fragrant plants blanket the hillside. Take your time, breathe deeply. Then sit for a spell on the veranda with its sweeping views and enjoy a lavender scone and perhaps a cup of lavender tea. Browse through the gift shop, sample the lavender-scented oils and lotions, any of which would make a fine gift. If you want to really dig in, a variety of activities from garden-tea tours to wedding packages are available.
KULA BOTANICAL GARDEN
Pleasantly overgrown and shady, this mature garden ( 878-1715; 638 Kekaulike Ave; adult/child 6-12 $7.50/2; 9am-4pm) has walking paths that wind through acres of theme plantings, including native Hawaiian specimens and a ‘taboo garden’ of poisonous plants. Because a stream runs through it, the garden supports water-thirsty plants you won’t find in other Kula gardens. When the rain gods have been generous the whole place is an explosion of color.
ENCHANTING FLORAL GARDENS
A labor of love, Enchanting Floral Gardens ( 878-2531; 2505 Kula Hwy; adult/child 6-12 $7.50/1; 9am-5pm) showcases the green thumb of master horticulturist Kazuo Takeda. Kula’s micro-climates change with elevation and this colorful place occupies a narrow zone where tropical, temperate and desert vegetation all thrive. The sheer variety is amazing. You’ll find every-thing from flamboyant proteas and orchids to orange trees and kava – all of it identified with both Latin and common names.
MAUI AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER
It was in this garden ( 878-1213; 424 Mauna Pl; admission free; 7am-3:30pm Mon-Thu) at the University of Hawai′i that the state’s first proteas were planted in 1965. Today you can walk through row after row of their colorful descendants. Named for the Greek god Proteus, who was noted for his ability to change form, the varieties are amazingly diverse – some look like oversized pincushions, others like spiny feathers. Nursery cuttings from the plants here are distributed to protea farms across Hawaii, which in turn supply florists as far away as Europe. To get here, follow Copp Rd (between the 12- and 13-mile markers on Hwy 37) for 0.5 miles and turn left on Mauna Pl.
HOLY GHOST CHURCH
Waiakoa’s hillside landmark, the octagonal Holy Ghost Church ( 878-1261; Lower Kula Rd; 8am-5pm) was built in 1895 by Portuguese immigrants. The church features a beautifully ornate interior that looks like it came right out of the Old World, and indeed much of it did. The gilded altar was carved by renowned Austrian woodcarver Ferdinand Stuflesser and shipped in pieces around the Cape of Good Hope. The church is on the National Register of Historic Places.
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THE MONSTER WAVE
When this monster rears its powerful head, it’s big, fast, and mean enough to crunch bones. What is it? Jaws, Maui’s famous big-wave surf spot. A few times a year, strong winter storms off the coast of Japan generate an abundance of energy that races unimpeded across the Pacific Ocean to Maui’s north shore, translating into the planet’s biggest ridable waves.
News of the mammoth swells, which reach as high as a seven-story building, attracts gutsy surfers from throughout Hawaii. With them come scores of spectators. Unfortunately, there’s no legitimate public access to the cliffs that overlook Jaws, and the crowds that gather create some big headaches. Photographers, visitors and locals numbering in the thousands have been known to trample the surrounding pineapple fields and hold up harvest for a glimpse of