IPS Pretour Maui!

[Cindy Adair]

My adventure started as I left my house in PR en route to pick up my neighbor and head to the commuter flight in Puerto Rico to connect with the San Juan airport. 

Just some giant bamboo toppled by hurricane Fiona that happened to fall during the night. 

I am pretty quick with my sawzall and by headlights I cleared the path pretty quickly. Glad I had recharged the Ryobi batteries with my little generator the night before!

All our flights were on time and we were treated to an amazing pre pre tour dinner by hosts Andy and Arlene Hurwitz near the LA airport. 
 

See the group photo in the most current IPS newsletter.
 

Many of us opted to stay at a fancy airport Hilton for convenience where an airport shuttle took us to catch direct flights to Maui the next morning.

I absolutely don’t need such grandeur, but still enjoyed the lovely lobby with its real tropical flowers.

After another smooth and on time flight we landed at the nice Maui airport where Director Mary Lock had arranged for group transport and brought us snacks.

Thank you so much Mary!

On the scenic ride I took only one photo but you can see the dry aspects of some of this part of the island.

Some of us enjoyed exploring the surrounding area but again I took only a few photos so hoping other attendees will add more.

Many big Samaneas but I was focusing on the baby Ficus growing in the trunk.

It is great to see so many old big flowering trees as far fewer hurricanes to topple them here compared to Puerto Rico.

I liked this double flowered yellow Hibiscus.

Last night’s dinner was a gourmet treat! Absolutely delicious. The hula dancing but especially the sunset attracted many of us.

This photo was taken while sitting at my dinner table.

Funny what catches my eye traveling, but this morning it was a trash can near an elevator.

Just a few more balcony photos from very early awaiting the start of our tours!

 

I am hoping others here will post their photos and comments along the way.

[LP305]

The hotels in Maui are pretty groovy.

[Dypsisdean]

Thanks for letting us ride along with you. Looking forward to more updates that will eventually end up here on the Big Island and with a lunch in our garden - and several other events as well. I'm looking forward to entertaining everyone.

[Cindy Adair]

Clearly I am still not fully adjusted to the 6 hour time difference.

So just a few photos from yesterday’s amazing itinerary and more later!

The Merwin Conservancy was my group’s first stop. 

Sonnet (left) and Sara (right) escorted us and added poetry readings about palms to enhance the the extraordinary experience. 

Below is our first group photo in in front of a Pelagodoxa.

Susan and Paolo (FL) in front of one of many Johannesteijsmannias.

That’s me showing scale between stilt roots of Socratea (left) and Verschaffeltia (right).

 

Split tail, a Madagascar gecko who loves Litchee fruits entertained us all on Mike and Mary Lock’s porch.

So many other photos to come from yesterday’s adventures..

Metroxylon amicarum at the Jerry Welch garden was our group’s first afternoon trip.

Group photo on Jerry’s driveway followed by a group photo on one of famed artist Tom Sewell’s creations.

On the ride home we saw sea turtles and watched the surfers catch waves.

 

Many more photos of individual special palms and people, but time to gather what I need for today’s adventures!

 

[John hovancsek]

I’m kinda bummed that I won’t be there for the garden tours but I know you will se some amazing gardens here in Hawaii. Welcome to paradise 

[PR00636]

Keep the pictures coming, Cindy!  Hi to Doña Nelsie!

[realarch]

A BIG MAHALO Cindy for taking the time to post. Those of us who aren’t on other social media sites wouldn’t n have any idea how the pre-tour was going if it weren’t for you sharing the event on PT.

Tim

[Cindy Adair]

Great to hear from you all! Still too busy to add the many other photos from yesterday but today was our free day and I opted for a downhill bike adventure!

I began with a pleasant walk to catch a very efficient $2 bus ride. The bus stop was at a nice shopping plaza (closed at that time which saved me from temptation. The name whaler’s village fits.

The bike tour was great but taking photos at 25 mph was not safe. The one below was a stop in the van on the way up and gives you a hint of the views!

Some participants including (Miamians Elvis and a first time IPS trip attendee Gloria) had lunch in the quaint town.

This hibiscus caught my eye.

I am literally writing as I enjoy the water view on the bus returning to our host hotel. 

There was the oldest banyan tree in the US per the sign in the little town of Lahaina that fills more than an acre. I will post that photo when I can.

So not a palm centric day but nevertheless great!

[Kim]

Thanks so much for sharing your photos and experiences, Cindy! Love the group photo on the sculpture! Awesome!

Good to see everyone having a great time on Maui, and I will continue to follow the adventures.

There is also a thread in the IPS Biennials section of PalmTalk for those who want to take a look.

[Cindy Adair]

The pretour merged with the main Biennial group at our Oahu hotel early yesterday and those of us on the Board addressed the business aspects of the IPS before the welcome reception, dinner and featured speaker.

Once I add a few more photos here from the Maui day (before my bike ride) I will switch to contributing to the Biennial topic in already in place.

From the Merwin Conservancy this Pinanga aristata caught my eye. It is one of my many favorites.

Here are just some path impressions from our guided walk.

The canopy was so mature I expect I was not alone spending much of my time looking up.

 

[Cindy Adair]

The Welch garden also made me even more aware of the potential height and width of my sometimes two leaf seedlings, should I live long enough to see them grow up!

Jerry Welch is a hands on gardener who started many of his treasures from seed and now they are themselves seeding. 

I love before photos and in this case we got to see what Jerry’s land looked like before he created the wonderland we visited.

Here is his Salacca magnifica. I was recently gifted one (thanks to CBLisa who I met thanks to this forum!) so Jerry’s palm will remind me of the space I should allow!

 

Another species I only recall seeing small before is Mauritiella armata shown with Mike Street bravely hugging.

It lives up to the armored species name but is so lovely (with lower surfaces of each leaf silver) that I too grow a mere toddler version of this palm. Thanks to Jeff and Suchin Marcus for mine!

More neck straining giants from Lemurophoenix to Dypsis bejofo (below) we were all enthralled.

I invite/challenge other participants to add their photos from this garden!

Jerry’s Pigafettas would be better examined with the binoculars that I forgot to bring! My iPhone could not do them justice.

His blue marble fruit (Elaeocarpus) with its enormous trunk and root expanse is not for small yards, but fits in perfectly at his place. 

From his Lodoicea (double coconut)

Here’s a new to me ornamental Brighamia insignis.

 

 

I could have spent all day at his garden and still not seen everything!

Thank you Jerry!

 

[Cindy Adair]

Finally I am back to the acreage of Mary and Michael Lock, but this time featuring a very special add on tour by Mary’s Mom Patte Dee. 
 

Her house is just a short stroll from Mary and Mike’s place. The house is charming from every angle with rainbow shower (Cassia) trees in full bloom as inspiration for her ongoing creativity.

Below is an embroidery vision she created of her house:

We learned of her life well lived and saw many examples of her artistic talents. 

I loved this “coleus sampler” and she kindly obliged to let me take this photo which captures her happy personality.

It was such a pleasure to meet you Patte Dee and I hope our paths cross again!

To add to previous posts, here is the antique pristine Studebaker car kept in mint condition by Tom Sewell. I know nothing about cars but even to my uneducated eye this unexpected glimpse of history won’t be forgotten.

[Cindy Adair]

I am closing with some photos of the authentic Hawaiian experience at our pretour hotel that many of us think of as kbh since we struggle with the full name 

Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel 

From tropical landscaping to lovely beach and pool access and history everywhere I know I felt relaxed and welcomed from the minute I entered the grounds.

There are many hotels in Maui but this one fit my tastes perfectly. 

Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel 

It was a long set of four flights to get from PR to Maui and still not time zone adjusted but all worth it! 

Now time to pack up for our adventures in Oahu!

[DoomsDave]

@Cindy Adair those are serious neck-breakers!

I think I'd have to get a brace before I went on a trip like that . . . .

[DoomsDave]

Whoa, dang, which end of the turtle is which? Looks like someone was playing a board game on it.

(The head's on the left, but it was a big confusing for a second or two.)

[palmfriend]

Cindy, what a great documentation!

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your pretour impressions with us - I enjoyed it very much!

 

Lars

 

[Cindy Adair]

Thanks Lars! Just got out of a great talk on Pritchardia from the curator at the NTBG
 

[MikeL]

Just a little more from the Maui Pre-tour: Here's the group taking in a poem about palms before descending into the heart of the palm forest at the Merwin Conservancy.

[MikeL]

And from the upper slopes of Haleakala, an 'I'Iwi - one of the native Hawaiian honeycreepers.

[Kim]

Wonderful photos and narration,  it’s almost like being along for the adventures. Thanks for all your efforts, Cindy!

Mike,  what a fantastic capture of the I’iwi! They are hard to spot, even more difficult to photograph. 

[Cindy Adair]

As I am back in Puerto Rico and more or less over the jet lag (plus have electricity for three days in a row!) I want to add the few photos that could be of interest to readers. 
 

I want those who have never traveled with the IPS or those who could not make this trip to get a full picture to inspire them to join us next time!

Jumping back in time to the Merwin Conservancy (our first official tour site) I noticed lots besides the palms. 
 

I snapped photos of things I might want to try to compliment my palms-I might even have the plants but see them displayed differently.

And here is a cottage occupied by rotating guest artists. The guides asked our group to be silent so as not to disturb their guest and as you might imagine that was a challenge for us.
 

We heard later that there is an application process to decide who can stay and varying times of occupancy.

Moving on to the Lock’s neighborhood I missed earlier showing the photo I took near Mary’s Mom’s (Patte Dee’s) house. 
I was trying to capture the reason for the nick name rainbow shower tree

 

with the multicolored petals on the ground below. Not a great photo but still you see my intention. 

We living in the tropics don’t get snow, but sometimes still see the color on the ground change minus the cold temperatures. 

I still like seeing snow, in photographs that is, after my first 57 years living in zone 8 or colder.

And here below is a distant view of the Mary and Mike Lock Lychee Lychee orchard whose primary fruiting season had passed, but that could be a reason to time a return trip…

Next to add to my Welch garden photos are some heliconia “sexy pink”. I kid you not, that is the name and I grow this one too in Puerto Rico.

I like this ric rac or fishbone epiphytic cactus and have it too, but not nearly as well grown as in this garden.

I like photos with people the best and here are Mary Street, Glenn Franklin and Nelsie Flores relaxing and chatting in this beautiful garden spot.

To my knowledge these ladies did not know each other living in Florida, North Carolina and Puerto Rico but in this candid shot they seem happy to get to know each other on this trip.

The very big Raphia australis below required some way to show scale and happily Mary and Mike Street volunteered.

And here was the first Forest coconut that I photographed on this trip. None in Puerto Rico I think. 

My last photo to include from the Welch garden is my friend and neighbor Nelsie enjoying a swing and showing off the sweeping design of Jerry’s awe inspiring garden.

[Cindy Adair]

I am still not finished with my additional Maui postings so stay tuned. 
 

Plus lots more here with 1,700 views as of today. Wow!

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/tags/oahu/

 

[Cindy Adair]

Finishing up with the Tom Sewell collection (whose land adjoins Jerry Welch’s) I saw this book among the many in Tom’s libraries. 

I hope there is a copy at the Merwin conservancy?

Two final examples of Tom Sewell’s artistry in repurposing otherwise useless ironworks from closed sugar cane processing plants.

 

I am sure that his property is not open to the usual Hi visitor but once again memories of a day I will cherish.

A last turtle image from a stop en route to our last night at our Maui hotel. 
 

And a poster at the shopping area closest to our lovely hotel offering interesting free classes/demonstrations that I might have sampled with more time…

 

 

[Cindy Adair]

I liked this gift shop at the Maui downhill bike ride lunch stop.

I didn’t buy anything (as my souvenir budget and luggage space were tiny) but cared enough to photograph the shop exterior and some nice linens in hopes of finding a used option on eBay.
 

 

No luck on eBay but I still enjoyed learning more about the store and its artists.

OK that’s it for my Maui memories photos. Don’t pass up the chance to travel to HI or anywhere else that the IPS goes.