It was 6:30 a.m. and I was heading out on a sunrise jog on the West Maui coast with Brad Kukral, the running ambassador for the Westin Maui Ka’anapali resort.
Our group of early birds included casual runners like me and a few others who were more serious about the sport. Fortunately Kukral, a seasoned marathoner and a resort bartender, set an easy pace on the paved beach path that traces this scenic coastline. As we ran steadily north from the resort, the morning light caught the mountaintops of neighboring Lanai and Molokai islands across the Pailolo and Au’au channels to the west.
Lacy ocean waves gently lapped the shore and a few moored excursion catamarans bobbed placidly in the calm, windless conditions. To the east, the West Maui mountains were draped in mist and low-lying clouds, backlit by a rising sun. It was Maui’s morning magic at its best: quiet, serene and breathtakingly beautiful.
Reaching the Sheraton Maui Resort, set on the jagged volcanic Pu’u Keka’a (aka Black Rock) promontory, we maneuvered around a few buildings to transition from South Ka’anapali Beach to North Ka’anapali (aka Airport) Beach. Just past the historic Keka’a landing pier, I watched a family of sea turtles surface just offshore, raising their heads above the water as they commuted to their favorite feeding spot. The most extraordinary thing about this morning jaunt along the beach was the emptiness of it all.
Just a handful of people passed us on the path and the long expanse .
