Destination Hawaii: Maui’s Upcountry
March 17, 2009
Filed under Destinations
When most travelers think of heading to the timeshare on Maui the vision of sun, sand and a Mai Tai in hand come to mind. But what rests on the slopes Maui’s majestic Haleakala Crater is worth escaping the white sand behind and trekking up this beautiful volcano and exploring Maui’s Upcountry for a day.
About an hour’s drive from Wailea and Ka’anapali, on the 20,000-acre Ulupalakua Ranch sits Tedeschi Winery. The tasting room, or the “King’s Cottage,” was built in 1874 for Hawaii’s monarch David Kalakaua and Queen Kapi’olani. Today visitors can sample, carry, or ship home local Maui Splash Pineapple Wine or Framboise de Maui Raspberry Wine, along with other traditional grape wine varieties.
Lavender-laced scones spread with lavender butter and lavender-flavored tea and coffee are only a taste of what you will get at the 11-acre Alii Kula Lavender farm. Guests may opt for guided or self-walking tours through stunning and relaxingly scented lavender gardens. Guests complete the tour with a small lavender bouquet of their own to take home. The indoor gift shop is teeming with lavender specialty items, including coffee, tea, candles, lotions, and other novelty items.
The Surfing Goat Dairy is one of the more unique stops along the way. Guided tours are offered, which include the milking of a goat–if you wish. Or, if “hanging loose” is more your speed, skip the tour and kick back with a cheese sampling. After all, the dairy churns out more than 25 different kinds of goat cheese. Some of the tasty chevre includes Ole! (jalapeños, artichokes, lime juice, cilantro), Men’s Challenge (horseradish), and Purple Rain (Maui lavender).
