Sunday, March 17, 2024

Hawaii: Day 9 (Maui)

Started out our last day in Maui with a vegan brunch in Upcountry hosted by Moku Roots, a farm that had premises in Lahaina. They made a coconut yogurt and macadamia nut ricotta that were both fantastic with the toasts they made. And the view can't be beat...

Upcountry Maui

After that we started on the road to Hana - I was iffy on it and others have given mixed reviews (one local called it overrated, my Colby donor said it was a highlight of Maui for her on her honeymoon). Dave really wanted to do it because he hadn't done it last time. It's basically a windy oceanside road similar to 101 in California, but more windy and lush.

Road to Hana

Lots of rain means lush rainforest...and moss!

Mossy rock wall on the road to Hana

We were lucky to have a nice day, not just for the views but the turns really are kind of scary sometimes and I was glad it wasn't slick.

Road to Hana

When we got back, we stopped by the beach where surfers like to ride the waves. It was fun to watch them; Dave might try it someday. 

Watching surfers in "the jaws," Ho'okipa Beach

We had time for dinner prior to our flight, but we didn't have reservations and weren't sure what to do. On the one hand, we had heard good things about the poke at the Foodland grocery store. On the other, I wanted some tasty old school Hawaiian fare, similar to Ken's in Hilo. 

Dave suggested trying to walk into Mama's Fish House, one of the most popular restaurants in Maui where I'd failed to obtain a reservation earlier in the week. What do you know - if you go early enough, there are usually seats at the bar! Dave had what he said were the best shrimp of his life, and I had a fish curry (not normally my thing, but it was very tasty). We split a sweet apple banana crisp. Part of the reason we stuffed ourselves is that there is no meal included on our red eye flight. And we did stuff ourselves.

What a great trip. I would come back to Maui if only to do the Upcountry again, but Kauai was our favorite and there were lots of hikes Dave didn't get to do. Everything worked out great, including all the intra-island flights, and if my plane crashes after I finish this post from the airport, you can all laugh at me.

Aloha!

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Hawaii: Day 8 (Maui)

We started our day at the Maui Swap Meet in Kahului, where we bought some fruit, a baked good, and a burlap zip-up bag. Lots of jewelry and crafts to browse, too.

Next was breakfast at Nalu's South Shore Grill, where I got a kimchee bloody mary, Dave got some kind of ridiculously awesome ahi tuna benedict, and I got eggs, potato, and toast - the potatoes were particularly good, as was a side of fruit we ordered (no melon!!). We had been recommended to Nalu's by a bartender at Maui Brewing. If there is a line, remember that the bar is first come, first served; we got right in!

After breakfast, we headed to the Upcountry, which we weren't sure why it was called that until we started ascending the slope of Haleakala. It's up!

First stop was Maui Alpaca, a cute little fiber farm with a small herd of alpacas and angora bunnies. We got to walk the alpacas around the farm a bit, which was fun because they munched and hummed a lot. Dave got a 9-month-old cria (alpaca baby) who hopped around adorably.

Mine in particular, Lola, is a huge female who got that way by eating tons of snacks (I got to feed her some grapes, in addition to lots of weeds she likes). That said, they look bigger than they really are right now because they are about two weeks from being shorn.  

My girl Lola

After the walk, we got to hold angora buns, which are always super floofy and lazy, making them fun to cradle and pet. Dave got a big white girl and I got a chocolate gal. They have a few albinos and even a lilac one, which is sorta rare.

We had been worried about the weather for today, because the whole thing would be spent outside and the forecast was looking bad, but it ended up a very fine day!

Next stop was the Ali'i Kula lavender farm, which does have lavender to smell and also a shop where you can buy all sorts of lavender items, but they also had a neat botanical trail area where you can explore beautiful tropical plants. One person we met even found a chameleon friend in the trees on the property!

Lavender

Next up we visited the Surfing Goat Dairy Farm, sort of on a whim, but it ended up being one of my favorite stops of the day. The goats are super funny, and you get to feed them! We also got to pet a day-old baby goat. The babies in general are super cute, and you can get a tour just of them.

At the end, we got a fresh goat cheese flight, which included a bunch of flavors: black pepper, chive, sun-dried tomato, horseradish and cayenne, herbs, and one with jalapenos, artichokes, cilantro, and lime juice. It was so smooth, flavorful, and tasty! I realized super fresh goat cheese would also taste great on bagels and made a note to try it when we got home.

Everyone recommends the distillery Ocean Vodka, so we did stop for a drink, but not a flight. The spot has great views and I could see it being a popular sunset destination.

Next up, we drove up to Haleakala National Park for hikes, bird watching, and to see the sun set. I was frankly terrified driving up (and eventually down) the road, but Dave had a blast and logged some new bird friends.


Haleakala

The sunset was beautiful, but it got very cold at over 9,000 feet above sea level! At any rate that makes two national parks on one trip.

Sunset over Haleakala

On our way back to town, we stopped at Mahalo Aleworks for a flight and a quick dinner; the beer was OK, I think we both preferred Maui Brewing. But those two breweries are the only ones currently brewing on the island, so I'm glad we tried them (we also got to try the other brewery, Kohola, who normally brews but was lost in the fire).

Tomorrow - our last day - will include a farm brunch and, if weather cooperates, the road to Hana!

Friday, March 15, 2024

Hawaii: Day 7 (Maui)

Started the day off right with some caffeine and bagels at Maui Coffee Roasters. Like Rainbeau Jo's on Kauai, the bagels here seem focused on the schmear. I got a sesame with sun-dried tomato and garlic schmear, which was clearly the star of the show.

It was raining, but Dave found a nice short hike at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge; the coastal boardwalk is a cute little foray into coastal waters, and we got some great birdwatching in. Dave added a warbling white eye, a Hawaiian coot, a dunlin, a black-necked stilt, and a gray franklin.

Kealia Coastal Boardwalk

We met the Hawaiian school administrators at Maui College's Class Act Restaurant, which is a test restaurant where students learn hospitality and cooking. They did a great job with four courses: a mushroom & chive dumpling, a seared scallop, a choice of fish and veggies or cauliflower and veggies, and a dessert of ice cream and white sesame cake or mango sorbet. Wow! Dave talked financial aid with the Hawaiian folks while we ate all this.

After lunch, we joined the school administrators for a tour of the Lahaina recovery area with the national guard and some folks leading the removal of debris. Super interesting and learned a lot, both about the community, what happened in the fire, and how they are recovering. It's astonishing how some businesses and homes were unscathed and others were destroyed. 

I learned that the west side of each of the islands is more dry, whereas the east side tends to be wetter. Thus, west sides like Lahaina will be vulnerable to wildfires in coming years, and all islands need to plan for this. For example, three schools in the Lahaina area are still concentrated on one road - if there is a fire during a school day, evacuation would be difficult.

Afterward, we told financial aid stories at a local bar over some appetizers; as the chocolate shop told me, the Lahaina shops remaining standing are aching for tourists to return, so we obliged by throwing some money their way. 

Tomorrow it's farm time in Upcountry!

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Hawaii: Day 6 (Maui)

For our first full day in Maui, Dave and I separated paths during the day - he had a presentation on federal financial aid with the Hawaii system financial aid directors, so I decided to do a tour at the Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate Factory

Making chocolate bars at Ku'ia

Much of the chocolate is grown on Maui, although they do source some single estate chocolate from Ecuador and Uganda. They process it in small batches here, and I learned more about the chocolate making process than I've ever known before. For instance, you have to ferment chocolate, not just roast it, to develop the flavors.

Throughout the tour, we got various samples, including a raw cacao bean, nibs, two processed cacao samples, and then a flight of finished chocolate. I got the Maui Dark, Maui Dark Milk, Maui Mokka Cappuccino, three single origin cacaos (Costa Esmeraldas, Ecuador; Semuliki Forest, Uganda; and Wild Amazon), and the Maui Mango. They seem to specialize in dark chocolate and chocolate flavored with tropical fruit flavors. Special to try all these flavors in the only U.S. state capable of producing cacao.

The factory is in the Lahaina area, although it was unharmed by the fire. The company's founder, who personally gave us the tour, indicated that the businesses are trying to recover, so tourist dollars help - if you are considering doing a tour or visiting other Lahaina businesses who are still open, go for it, throw some money their way!

I picked up Dave after his talk and he was tired, so we went back to the hotel for a nap. I can't think of the last time we took a daytime nap together! Gotta love vacation.

Strangely, the best poke on Maui is supposed to be found at a liquor store: Tamura's Fine Wine & Liquors. They do have a great wine and beer selection, as well as fun Japanese and Hawaiian specialty grocery items, but their poke is also fantastic. I was disappointed that you couldn't do tofu or any "sides," such as edamame or cucumber, but the ahi tuna was fantastic, and it comes in a few varieties.

Poke from Tamura

We each ordered one, grabbed a Japanese beer from the store, and enjoyed it all at a beach while watching the sunset.

Maui sunset

We had been recommended to the bar Pint & Cork, which we were attracted to due to the presence of several Modern Times beers on the menu. We enjoyed our pints and then wandered the luxury mall where the bar was located. You can browse Hawaiian artists and jewelry while also viewing Rolex, Gucci, and Tiffany. Dave was torn between wanting to flee immediately and wanting to get his steps in.

Tomorrow I'm joining Dave with the Hawaiian school administrators for a lunch and tour of the Lahaina disaster area. Then we'll have a couple of days to explore Maui and head home!

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Hawaii: Day 5 (Kauai / Maui)

On our last morning in Kauai, Dave and I hit breakfast and coffee at Kalaheo Café & Coffee Company, which served hot breakfast, pastries, and tea/coffee. We wanted to check out the beach one last time, but it was cutting it too close to the flight, so...next time.

We caught a flight to Maui, our last island hopper. As with the others, it was easy and fast. 

The forecast had been iffy, but the weather looked great when we landed, so we headed over to the Iao Valley for a short hike at the national monument; this is a super short (0.6 mile) trail, and don't forget to make a reservation!

The valley was stunning; it reminded me of Jurassic park and was one of the wilder areas within driving distance; everything else sort of looks like suburbs.

We stopped in an artsy little town, Wailuku, on the way back to the hotel. We bought a couple of koa wood butter knives at Native Intelligence, where I also drooled over the many beautiful baskets.

There are a bunch of murals throughout the town, so of course we walked around trying to find many of them. Our guidebook recommended a few of them; my favorite was on the back of a gas station.

Mural in Wailuku

We had some time to kill before Dave could check into the hotel, so we stopped at Kahului Ale House for a pint. They had a lot of local brews, also a lot from California and the western United States.

Later, we also visited Maui Brewing Co., the largest on the island and allegedly the tastiest. They are one of two who actually brew here. We really liked the POG Hazy and the imperial coconut porter. Then we had dinner at Humble Market Kitchin (sic); the view was spectacular, and the food was tasty, very vegetable-forward. Dave and I both got the catch of the day, which was similar to a mahi mahi, but it wasn't mahi mahi (I can't remember what the fish was).

We also found the Hawaiian station on the radio, which has been a fun way to drive all around on each island. It really sets the tone for the ride and the place. Our favorite is still KAPA-FM on the Big Island.

Now we're in the hotel and Dave's found his haunting shows, so all is well. Tomorrow he helps out the schools with FAFSA and emergency funding questions.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Hawaii: Day 4 (Kauai)

Another totally amazing day in Kauai - we got to do a lot more than we thought we would because the rain held off for the most part!

First stop was bagels at Rainbeau Jo's; it used to be a food truck and recently got premises. Our hotel staff recommended it. Our favorite was the pesto schmear - why isn't this available everywhere??

The owner at the bagel shop recommended some waterfalls for us to visit, including Wailua Falls and Opaeka'a Falls, which we did visit...

Elusive chicken + waterfall shot - maybe only in Hawaii?

He also recommended the Wailua Country Store, which had a great selection of fun gifts but also groceries and other consumables. We picked up an ube cinnamon roll and a cookie for breakfast or lunch tomorrow.

Spam candle I almost bought at the Wailua Country Store

Continuing on the bagel guy's recommendations, we stopped at Keahua Arboretum, which had some really cool trees with rainbow bark. They were like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Trees in Keahua Arboretum

We didn't get too far here because it did start to rain, which was our cue to head out. We went back to the hotel and it had stopped, so we took a walk and a bike ride along the ocean path. The bike rental came free with the hotel stay, which was nice because our hotel (a Hilton Garden Inn!!!) had free coffee but no free tea. Discrimination!

The bike path, though, was worth it - we rented some cruisers and took them up the path and back down, seeing lots of views. It was very sunny at that moment, so hopefully my sunscreen held out. The bike ride was probably my favorite thing we did all day.

After the ride, we headed back down to Lihu'e to have lunch with my favorite teacher of all time, Joe Miller (who in my head I still call Mr. Miller), the man who inspired me to be a history major and become somewhat of a WWI / WWII buff. He was funny, kind, and always so smart. 

Turns out he is still all of those things; we have kept in touch over the years and I knew he had retired to Kauai, so I knew whenever I made it here, I wanted to say hi.

Celebrity sighting

We caught up about old times and the present; I also shared the photo with my high school class Facebook page, where lots of people reacted and shared their stories of how he inspired them.

Next was a trip up to Hanalei on the north side of the island, where we got ice cream at Pink's (two flavors with macadamia nut for the win), bought beautiful artisan crafts at Kavaiki, and got cocktails at Tahiti Nui (another mai tai for Dave, a mezcal drink called a Smokin' Bryant for me). Lots of surf shops we weren't into, but clearly a lot to browse. 

We had managed to secure a reservation at Ama, a ramen joint in Hanalei. We split the green papaya salad (a favorite of mine anywhere) and each got a ramen. The setting is stunning; it's on the edge of the forest and you get to look at the beautiful hills and mountains to the south.

On the way out of town after dinner, Dave found a short hike to something called "secret beach," which I made fun of but apparently it was secret because we were the only people there for this stunning sunset.

"Secret Beach"

We watched the waves for a bit and had to head back because the trail was super dark; as it was, I had to turn the flashlight on my phone to avoid all the frogs!

Too short a time in Kauai; we got to see a lot, but there were hikes Dave didn't get to do, and we liked it even better than the Big Island. Next time we might spend the whole time here. 

Tomorrow, off to Maui!

Monday, March 11, 2024

Hawaii: Day 3 (Kauai)

Alas, we said aloha (the goodbye kind) to the Big Island this morning, flying over to Kauai for a few days. On our way out of town, though, I did take Dave back to Ken's, where he ordered the pocho loco and made the Hawaiian ladies very happy.

For lunch on Kauai, we visited the Koloa Fish Market for some poke. The ladies in the shop recommended the medium size for an adult, which gets you two different poke mixes, two sides, rice, and a topping. I got sushi rice with ahi-avocado poke and spicy Korean poke, and kimchi cucumber + edamame for the sides. Mmmmm. There was quite a line and you can't eat it on the property, and there don't seem to be good options nearby, which was the main annoyance. The poke was outstanding.

Poke two ways at Koloa Fish Market in Koloa, Kauai

We had planned on visiting Waimea Canyon tomorrow, but the weather is supposed to be rainy, so Dave suggested doing it today. We had a convertible rental car and drove over to visit the overlooks and do a hike.

Waimea Canyon overlook

We really didn't know how cool this place was - it's like the Grand Canyon but with greenery in the crooks and crannies. 

Dave found a really cool hike for us to do, which led us up and over some hills and into the canyon itself. This is as close as I was willing to get to the edge:

Midway through the hike

There were absolutely stellar views, as well as a waterfall at the end. Oddly, the tropical forest was full of strangely common birds - common cardinals (caught a male and female pair), a red crested cardinal, and, of course, the ubiquitous wild chickens that populate the island. 

Chicken on the trail

In fact, one chicken seemed kind of lonely and followed me and Dave for a while. I called him Rodney. It was kind of strange to hike down the trail with him trailing us. 

We had planned on borrowing a dog from the Kauai Humane Society for a hike, which you can do from 10 a.m. to noon, which is before we landed. So, instead of walking with a furry friend, we walked with a new feathered friend.

After a physically and emotionally (for Val) exhausting hike, we stopped for beer and Brussels sprouts at Kauai Beer Company. Nice lagers!

We're staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay, which is now a Hilton property but is obviously old school and retro (in a good way). Lots of little perks, including ukelele lessons and other things.

More tomorrow!