2/6/99: Dropped dad off at Church where he does yard work every Saturday. He even still climbs the palm trees to prune their branches. He never quits!… Mrs. S. (Ruth’s God mother) has recently taken up dancing and was in a show at the Maui Cultural Arts Center tonight. We went with Dad and Mom, and had a great time…
2/6/24: *During our 1999 stay with Dad & Mom at the end of our round-the-world trip, we did not take many photos. So, I am posting photos and stories from some of our other trips to Maui over the years.
’Ohe’o Gulch has been given the touristy name of “Seven Sacred Pools.” Because the Hawai’ian word ’ohe’o is roughly translated as “something special.” The serires of cascading pools that come down the Pipiwai Stream number quite a bit more than seven, and the does not actually have a “sacred” or religious significance to Hawai’ians. That being said, this part of Haleakala National Park is certainly worth a visit, and it is one of my favorite places to return to ever since I first visited in 1995. On that trip, Ruth and I had been dating for about 4 months. I was already knew I wanted to marry her, but wanted to meet her parents in person first. So, in July of 1995 we visited Maui. While there, we camped in tents at the Kipahulu Campground at the bottom of the gulch with Ruth’s father and her childhood friends Todd and Kathy (who were married and still living on Maui). After climing around in the pools below the bridge that spill down to the ocean, we set up our tents in the cover of some jungle trees and plants. Our campsite was right next to the rocky shore line of the ocean, so, Dad climbed over the rocks and found an abundance of ’opihi (limpet snails). Todd brought his mini-grill to cook teriyaki chicken and beef ribs, along with the fresh ’opihi. Dad, as if he were testing me to see if I was a good match for his only daughter, offered me the delicacy first, and was not content to let me get away with eating just one! We slept beautifully and the next day we hiked up the Pipiwai Trail.
NOTE: The photo above shows Todd, Kathy, Dad and I, unloading the camping gear from the back of Todd’s pickup truck at our Kipahulu campsite.
