Linny Morris Cunningham
OLINDA COUNTRY COTTAGES & INN,
MAUI
Forget the beaches, swaying palms, and sprawling resorts 4,000 feet below; this is Maui's eucalyptus-scented Upcountry, where cows and horses—not tourists—roam the sloping meadows. High on the western flank of Maui's massive Haleakala volcano (drive up to the crater to catch the sunrise at 10,000 feet), the Olinda Country Cottages & Inn lies secluded a few miles past the old Hawaiian cowboy town of Makawao, reincarnated as a New Age arts enclave. Lush ginger grows near the trellised rosebushes that climb the Tudor-style main house, while the upper reaches of the eight-acre estate are thick with feathery protea blossoms. Co-owner Ellen Unterman has filled the two bed-and-breakfast rooms and two cottages with an eccentric mix of country furniture from her former antiques-store-to-the-stars in Santa Monica. Most frequently requested is the "Hidden Cottage" (shown here), a cozy lovers' den tucked away in a private corner of the property, where French doors welcome the mountain light, a wood-burning stove warms brisk nights, and an outdoor tub for two beckons
seductively from the bedroom lanai.
Olinda Country Cottages & Inn, 2660 Olinda Rd., Makawao, Maui, Hawaii; 800/932-3435 or 808/572-1453; www.mauibnbcottages.com; cottages from $175.
