It's said that Maui strikes the Goldilocks balance: not just touristy kitsch, not just remote beaches. In our Memorial Day weekend trip to the island, we found that to be true. We stayed in Wailea, Hana, and Lahaina so as to sample the varied pleasures of the island.

Here's a sketch of Maluaka Beach, just south of our hotel in Wailea. Getting to beaches early was key -- in many cases only a handful of people were there with us. Bliss!



As we drove toward Hana, we saw vast sugarcane fields -- a reminder of what the island's trade used to be.



A highlight of our trip was seeing turtles on Kuau Beach.



This was the scene at Haleakala National Park's Kipahulu District.



Next year, perhaps we'll visit the Big Island.