Ocean Breeze Hideaway  has been recognized as a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame winner!

The Certificate of Excellence award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. The ‘Hall of Fame’ was created to honor those businesses that have earned a Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years.  Winners include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a superior customer experience.

A big mahalo to everyone who took the time to share their experiences with us. Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

 

 

Two weeks ago we lost our beloved friend, familiar and mascot, the great cat Coconut, who came into our lives as a tiny 4 week old kitten shortly after we purchased our bed and breakfast. He had obviously lost his mother, and was circling outside our property, crying and hungry. We were concerned that our guests would be sleepless and not happy! We were unable to get near him until finally, at long last, he came out from under the coconut tree, starving, shaking with hunger, and ate the food that up until that point, Sande had unsuccessfully been able to feed him.

That’s how he got his name, and he entered our hearts from that day forward. Sweet Coconut became our baby, as well as our wise teacher, filled with endless unconditional love. Coconut loved when guests spoke to him in Italian, and he kept us laughing with his quirky ways.  Our home feels empty and too quiet now. Sande terribly misses Coconut sitting on her lap, the sound of his voice talking to us, sleeping with us, and singing to Coconut.  He followed Bob around everywhere.

Grief comes in waves. Coconut was part of our family and his spirit will always be in our hearts. We are so grateful to have had such a precious blessing in our lives for nearly 16 years. We would love it if any guests would like to share photos or stories about Coconut, aka Senor Lopez, our beloved companion.

All things pass
A sunrise does not last all morning
All things pass
A cloudburst does not last all day
All things pass
Nor a sunset all night
All things pass
What always changes?

Earth…sky…thunder…
mountain…water…
wind…fire…lake

These change
And if these do not last

Do man’s visions last?
Do man’s illusions?

Take things as they come

All things pass

Lao-Tzu

What a fine run it has been for us, these past 16 years!  We have had so many wonderful guests and made new friends from all corners of the earth, including China, Peru, Siberia and Uzbekistan!  Thank you all for sharing your lives with us and letting us help you enjoy your vacations.  We have learned so much from all of you about how to help make your time with us more enjoyable, relaxing and easy.  Our oceanfront condo and bed and breakfast continue to evolve, both inside and out.  In these sweet 16 years, Sande and Bob have evolved too–well, grown older anyway, beginning in our 50’s and arriving at this celebration in our 70’s.  We continue to be inspired by the warmth and kindness shown by so many.  We love hearing from our guests and learning how your lives are evolving and celebrating…babies being born, marriages taking place, different homes and locations, news about your careers. You are part of our ohana, our family.  We hope to continue celebrating  for years to come.

The whale population thankfully continues to grow each year on Maui since 1966, when, because of whaling, there were only around 1,400 humpback whales left in the North Pacific.  Whales are now an endangered species.  They are protected by a variety of national and international agreements, and can no longer be hunted.  The current population of North Pacific humpback whales is estimated at 20,000.  Whales can be identified by the unique markings and shape of their tails, such as the whale’s tail in this photo.  North Pacific humpback whales travel 3,500 miles from Alaskan waters to the tropical waters of Maui each year to mate, birth and raise calves, safe in Maui’s warmer winter breeding grounds, and far away from Orcas, which may attack a newborn calf.

We look forward to humpback whale season every year. Typically the whales begin arriving sometime in November and stay until mid April, although they have been known to arrive as early as October, and we remember one year seeing them still here in June! Our guests, returning from whale watches  and beach walks,  delight in sharing their experiences of the aerial displays and behaviors of the whales. We love diving down into the ocean to hear the whales sing.  On a calm ocean day, it is possible to float on your back and listen to the whales!  Sung only by males, their complex song can be heard up to 20 miles away.  Researchers have learned that a typical song lasts between 10-20 minutes, is repeated for hours, and changes gradually year to year.  Whales in the North Atlantic have their own song, which is different from that of the North Pacific whales.

Scientists are unsure how these whales make their sounds, and speculate that the songs may be part of their mating behavior to attract females in Maui’s breeding grounds.  If you ever get a chance to see and hear the whales, it is an amazing experience that will never be forgotten!

 

 

We’ve gone green!

We now have solar power at our bed and breakfast, with the exciting addition of a new photovoltaic system! Since beginning our bed and breakfast operation,  sixteen years ago this coming March, we’ve enjoyed solar hot water. We have used only compact fluorescent bulbs for lighting and are moving toward LED lighting.  For years we have used a clothesline to air dry our sheets and clothes.

Living off the grid for four years on the Big Island in the early nineties taught us a great deal about being green. For that we are forever grateful.  We built our home on a three acre organic ginger farm in the rain forest,  with only the sun for power. Rain water catchment provided our water source. All we had for communication was a radio telephone. While living there, Bob and a friend built a small ohia log cottage, also off the grid, for guests wishing to have an eco travel experience.  This got us started in the vacation rental business.  Needless to say, we learned a lot about conserving energy during our four years on the Big Island.  At that time, however, solar technology was not nearly as advanced, efficient or streamlined as it is now.

Here on Maui, within two days of installation, we were up and running!  With this newly installed photovoltaic system, we further our intention to reduce our carbon footprint, and help our  bed and breakfast guests do the same.  We can even monitor our solar energy production online. The Maui sun is very kind to us, and we are easily saving energy.  We still plan on hanging our linens outdoors, for that fresh island air smell!  We love being green!

Interested in Getting Solar Power?

We recommend Daryl Hansen with Pacific Energy LLC at 808-280-8135 for your solar energy needs on Maui. Our experience with Daryl and his crew was very positive.  Daryl is honest and straightforward, his crew professional and courteous, and he made solar power affordable for us.  The job was done in only two days.  Please mention that Sande and Bob at Ocean Breeze Hideaway referred you. We know he will give you excellent service at a great price!

 

 

 

 

 

Mele Kalikimaka from Maui!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!

Bob and Sande at Ocean Breeze Hideaway

 

 Today marks the official opening of Humpback Whale season here in Maui.  It is always such a delight to see the first spouts and breaches of the season.   Looking out to sea as we walk along the beach, we are greeted by these magnificent creatures who have just arrived from Alaska.  And as we look down the beach, we are greeted by our other visitors who have come to these shores for a bit of rest and warmth.  Welcome to both kinds of visitors!

This is our first blog post!