From Telluride to Maui: Alan Bradbury’s Garden of Eden

Where Water and Sky Create Lovely Waterlilies

A Special Kind of Paradise

With off-season officially underway here in Telluride, there’s a stillness that hasn’t been felt in this world-renowned resort since before ski season began. Empty parking spaces, a smattering of closed restaurants, hotels, bars and boutiques punctuate the landscape both in town and in Telluride Mountain Village. Needless-to-say the mountain is no longer illuminated at night with snowcats, snowmobiles or slopeside condos. It’s so windy and dry today that we’re apt to see tumbleweed blowing across the Valley Floor, a Western image that would not seem out of place in our now emptied out mountain town.

And I love it! While many people have taken off to warmer climes such as Mexico, Florida, Hawaii or even just a couple hours away to the red rock country of nearby Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, I’m perfectly content catching up at my desk and enjoying the solitude of these mellow Telluride days. Having said that, however, I’ve noticed that I have nonetheless begun to shift gears mentally and am embracing the thought of traveling more now than during the busy ski season. Traveling to me takes on all kinds of forms whether I’m actually hitting the road or sinking into a leisurely stint of armchair travel through the written word, audio or T.V.

Peacock Pride in Maui

Another Kind of Bird

For now, I’ll do the latter and transport you to Hawaii, Maui’s Garden of Eden Botanical Gardens & Arboretum to be exact. Often referred to as the “Jewel of the Hana Highway,” this marvelous botanical garden was lovingly created by Alan Bradbury, a very creative guy that has divided his time between Telluride and Maui for over two decades.

One of Many Trails

Stunning Views Galore at the Maui Garden of Eden

Nature’s Abstract Art

“I liked to cut trails as a kid,” Alan tells me in the below Travel Fun interview. And that’s exactly what he has done within the twenty-six acres of trails that slice through deep, dark jungle to cliff precipices that overlook the ocean. “From the moment you pull into the gate, it looks like the most beautiful tropical garden you could imagine,” Alan says. People spend anywhere from a half hour to three hours visiting this lush terrain on a self-guided trail system where orchids and other sorts of flora—both indigenous and foreign to the environment—thrive twelve months of the year.

You practically can smell the flowers and fruit and spice trees that Alan talks about in our interview. The exotic landscape he describes makes me feel as though I’ve beamed myself into Hawaii, even for just a brief moment. And if you’re like me, you’ll especially enjoy learning about jackfruit, a thirty to sixty-pound sticky creation that many of us have experienced through Juicy Fruit gum. Yum, if I chew on a few sticks and listen to what Alan has to say, I’m halfway there!

Click on the play button below to hear Alan Bradbury talk about Maui’s Garden of Eden Arboretum. 

In the second part of the program, you’ll hear Alan talk about the  unique and often frequent connection people have between Hawaii and the Rocky Mountains. Listen also to Alan’s description of Utopia, a wondrous trail system he recently cut here in Telluride, Colorado. I’ll be posting more on that in the months to come. 

Please note that the music used in this program comes from Alan’s Skyblue, Restore Our World, soundtrack. This professional production features musicians from Carol King, Dave Matthews, Dizzy Gillespie and many other great bands. Written on Maui and recorded with solar power in the mountains of Telluride, you’ll find this music uplifting and inspirational. I love it! Click here to order the CD.

Maui Sunset

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