Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Visit Makawao in Upcountry Maui

No vacation in Maui is complete without a trip up country to Makawao, the home of lush farmland, sheep, cattle, deer and the beautiful Jacaranda trees. It is also called cowboy or paniolo country dating back to 1793, when Captain George Vancouver brought the first cattle to Hawaii under the reign of King Kamehameha I.

This July 3 -6 Upcountry Makawao will hold its 53rd annual rodeo celebrating Independence Day Maui-style, with qualifying rounds, Bull Bash and rodeo. Read more about the Hawaiian Paniolo and be sure to take in the rodeo if you visit Maui in July.
Today we have a treat for you with more great photos by Maui photographer Jimmie Hepp. He has moved from West Maui to Makawao, and has captured some great photos of the beautiful Jacaranda trees which are now in bloom. Remember he took the fabulous photos of the Hawaiian Monk Seals.


Jimmie also caught some wildlife surprises. See below.





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For a final treat, here is Jimmie's latest Maui sunset.

For more information about Maui Photographer Jimmie Hepp and to purchase photos, visit his website.

Follow this link to go on a great upcountry driving tour.

Find some affordable Maui Vacation Rentals for your Hawaiian summer holiday.

6 comments:

  1. Julie, this is awesome! We just happen to be going up to Makawao this Saturday to the annual Seabury Craft Fair, perhaps Jimmie will be there!

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  2. HI Lucy
    Aren't these photos great? Have a great visit in Makawao. Wish we were there to go with you.
    Julie

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  3. Those photos are really reflecting the beauty of upcountry Hawaii: Makawao on Maui and Waimea's rolling hills of Parker Ranch on the Big Island. The blooming Jacarandas are my favorites.

    Aloha, Pua
    Best Hawaii Vacation Blog

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  4. A big mistake on our part, it wasn't until our 4th visit to Maui did we spend any real amount of time in the upcountry. We stopped in Kula for breakfast after our sunrise drive up to Haleakala, and visited Makawao afterwards. We also made an extended stop with new friends in Paia on our way back from our overnight in Hana, an had lunch in Haiku with a friend of the family who paints for Maui Hands when he's on the island 3 months out of the year.

    All of these stops in the upcountry were amazing in their own right, and it is such a strong contrast to the sun and beach areas that most people associate with Hawaii in general. We haven't made it out to the Lavender Farm yet, but that also comes highly recommended from friends and is certainly on the agenda for our next visit.

    I can easily see us spending time in the upcountry each visit from here on out. Between that and staying in Hana, it's a great way to experience some of the older days in Hawaii that offer some of the true magic of the island life.

    Great post!

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  5. Aloha Kris
    Thankyou for this interesting comment on your experiences with upcountry Maui. We have been to the Lavender Farm tea and loved it. Everything had lavender in it, even the scones and jam. The view is phenomenal too and the tour around the grounds very worthwhile. Also we love to have lunch at the Kula Lodge and enjoy the wonderful view from there. Artist Curtis Wilson has a great gallery there. Love his work. We have been coming to Maui for over 20 years and still haven't run out of new places to explore.

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  6. We were in Maui early this year. It was beautiful! We stayed at the Grand Wailea and got married on Poolenalena beach. We were content just staying at the resort but next time we will have to go visit the whole island.

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