Monday, July 4, 2011

Day 9 of Our Tour of Maui, Hawaii - Polo Beach - Maui Hawaii Landscape Photography, Maui Hawaii Portrait Photography




On Day 9 of our Summer Adventure, we travel to the last of the "hotel beaches," Polo Beach, which sits in front of the beautiful Kea Lani Hotel. It is a very small beach; and these days it would appear, covered in beach chairs.  This used to be one of my favorite beaches, because it is super easy to locate, has an excellent parking facility and I loved the long park as you walk into the beach.  I used to take my kids here for family pictures all the time.  An old tree in the park is a favorite posing location for me, also.  It brings back memories that go way back to my oldest son, who is grown and gone from home now.  I have pictures of them with visiting family members on this beach.  We've spotted several celebrities who were hanging out in the bungalos of the Kea Lani.  This beach has been part of our history.  The park is always quiet; and if you want to have a picnic lunch, it is a nice quiet place.  The view of the beach is blocked though, from the park, by the high retaining walls built by the two properties that border this beach access.  Steps have been built that lead down to the beach, and great rock formations are right there, making lovely places to stop and take some family pictures.

On this day, I was dismayed to see the beach overrun by beach chairs, like a giant traffic jam in the middle of a downtown freeway.  It was such an odd site, and it didn't used to be this way.  So it brings up a standing joke in our family about Polo Beach.  Polo Beach is disappearing and one day it will be gone.  It's not true, but our family loves to laugh about how every time we go down to Polo Beach we think, wasn't this beach bigger the last time we were here.  Then every time we go to the beach, usually Kam III though, we come back, stick the kids in the tub and tons of sand settles in the bottom of the tub.   Then we laugh hysterically and say, "yup, I told you!  This is why Polo Beach is shrinking!"  It's just the changing tides, I'm sure, that make Polo Beach look smaller at different times of the year, but this beach is tiny.  All this said, it is still dear to my heart, reminds me of my children's growing up years, and always will be a favorite beach of mine.  If you'd love to have me document some family pictures of your own, just call me up.  I'll meet you down there.








The wind was whipping up a bit the afternoon that we went to Polo Beach, and it was causing some wild action out in the water. My kids are Polynesian, so this did not concern them a bit. I on the other hand, was having a mild panic attack. Here are some pictures to show you why "Mommy" was getting a bit freaked out by having them in the water that day. A word of caution to those of you that are not familiar with the island, the surf conditions, the rock formations, etc. There have been so many, many times that we have turned on the evening news and found out that one of you has not taken these things seriously and been knocked off a cliff by an incoming wave, washed out to sea by currents that were unfamiliar to you, or tumbled down a cliff while hiking in an unfamiliar area. Take these things seriously. Many people have died when they didn't. Now to the pictures that show you why I started to freak out about my kids being in the water.









I eventually asked the oldest, when you stand in the water is it over any of your heads. Yup, my youngest son was underwater at some points. Okay, I pulled them out and set them on the beach to play.






They started a sand fight.  Well, at first it started out like this...How cute is that?

But soon it turned into this...Hello!!


Boys sprawled out in the sand...girl's triumphant.  I don't want to give the ending away, but that's pretty much how the whole fight went.


Woah!  Incoming friendly fire!


Get back to the rear and hold your positions.


The enemy is advancing.


Hello!!!


Hi!


Boom!!  Let that be a lesson to you about women, son.  Never be fooled by their charming smiles.


Take a look at the confused look on my older son's face.  It must have been the wind that caused this optical illusion, or perhaps it's a force shield.  If any one of my kids could develop a force shield around them it would be my youngest son.


Uh oh!  It's these two.  I hope no one ends up crying or furious.


Throwing first...


She leaves herself vulnerable to the attack.





Oh no!  Man down again!!!









One thing is for sure.  I'm a very lucky lady.  Many of my friends tell me this, and sometimes I get caught up in the stress of life in an economy that would eat up even a very rich man and forget.  I love these guys like crazy.  Just look at their faces.  They are lively and vital little people and I'm very lucky to be their mother.




In honor of all the years that I've come to this beach and brought my children for formal portrait sessions, I decided that I would stage an informal portrait session in a couple of my favorite posing places.  I allowed them to hang loose and just do whatever they wanted.  I hope I haven't opened up a pandora's box that can't be closed.  I still want my formal portraits, guys, that are nice and attractive.














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