Maui- Day Six

 Zack was able to get us a reservation to Iao Valley State Park. I didn't know anything about this park but it's actually a really big deal... 

Aside from its natural tropical beauty, sacred ʻĪao Valley has great historical significance. It was here in 1790 at the Battle of Kepaniwai that King Kamehameha clashed with Maui's army in his quest to unite the islands. Even with ʻĪao Needle serving as a lookout point, Kamehameha defeated Maui's forces in a ferocious battle that ultimately changed the course of Hawaiian history.

It is a very pretty place!

On the way to Iao Valley, Zack saw another park nearby that they hadn't noticed before and wanted to stop on the way back down. Kepaniwai Park & Heritage Gardens was a really good stop... 

Kepaniwai Park and Heritage Gardens, adjacent to the Wailuku Stream, is a beautiful public park containing displays that honor the cultures that contributed to modern Maui. Among the interesting structures are an early-Hawaiian hale, a New England–style saltbox, a Portuguese-style villa with gardens, and dwellings from such other cultures as China and the Philippines. The park’s name harkens back to the infamous Battle of Kepaniwai in 1790 between Kamehameha I and Kahekili, king of Maui. Once a site of great turmoil, today the park is a place for rest, reflection, and relaxation.

Like almost everywhere in Hawaii, there were also all kinds of super cool big trees!!! Unlike other places we visited, I loved that this place was full of locals. Families enjoying the day, swimming, having birthday parties and BBQs... 

We did brunch at Maui Tropical Plantation, one of Tatum's favorite places. The grounds are lovely, the food was very good, and it was interesting to learn about the sugar plantation history on Maui...

Next stop was Tatum's favorite souvenir shop, Coco Nene's. It is a very cool shop with tons of stuff that I loved! Even the mall was pretty cool...

Next stop was a favorite of all of us... Ululana's! It was worth the super long line! 

Tatum and I really wanted to go to a Tiki Bar and we found one in the fancy schmancy resort community of Wailea. Cute wallpaper and yummy drinks...