Maui

In 2010, my mom took my family to Maui for the first time and thus began my love affair with Hawaii. It's been a short but passionate love affair. Since that time, we've gone to Maui four times and we've started to explore Kauai and Kona. Here are some of my favourite things to do and some tips. 

WHERE TO STAY: 

We usually stay in Kihei at Kihei Kai Nani. Some of the things we like about it are that it's right across the street from Kamaole Beach II, a very quick walk, the condos are very clean and most of the condos have everything you need in terms of snorkels, masks, flippers, noodles, beach towels, umbrellas, beach chairs and boogie boards. There are outdoor grills and the kitchens are well stocked with cooking utensils, dishes, and pots. The complex has a pool and although we don't use it often, it would be handy with little kids. There are also coin-operated laundry facilities. 

 

WHAT AND WHERE TO EAT:

We don't eat out much. You might laugh but I think of going to Maui a bit like going to the cabin. Meals are pretty low-key, yogurt and fruit for breakfast, a light lunch, and grilling and salad for dinner. Food is pretty expensive in Hawaii, so we often do a big Costco shop when we arrive and then shop at the Safeway in Kihei for the other stuff.

However, we have a few favourites - fish tacos and coconut shrimp are delicious everywhere. We had a great lunch at the Hula Grill (http://www.hulagrillkaanapali.com) in Kaanapali. The restaurant, HumuHumukunukuapua’a at the Grand Wailea, is a wonderful spot for romantic sunset dinner with the beach side table. Looking for a great lunch, check out Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop in Olowalu (http://www.leodas.com) - I would highly recommend their pies, sandwiches, and french fries.If you're shopping in Paia or passing through on your way Hana, stop by Anthony’s Coffee. (http://www.anthonyscoffee.com)

WHAT TO DO:

Here are a few of my favourite things to do in Maui:

 

Whale Watching:

The season for whale watching is December to March. We took a whale watching tour and I would recommend this as even though we didn’t see a huge number of whales, we got a lot of information about the whales and this made it easier to spot them from the beach. Another great spot for whale watching is the lookout on the Honoapiilani Hwy between Maui and Lahaina. It’s hard to miss.

Shows:

We don’t often go out to shows in Maui but there are two I would highly recommend - the Old Lahaina Luau and the Warren and Annabelle show also in Lahaina.

One treat we found last time was free evening concerts every Thursday night in Lahaina on the grounds of the Baldwin Home Museum. It's the perfect spot for an evening picnic.

 

The Road to Hana is worth it – it is twisty and narrow but you will see a whole different face to Maui. It’s a rainforest but the rain never lasts long or is too overwhelming. There are lots of places to stop and see waterfalls and beaches. There is a guided tour that you can download as an app or get as a cd. Lots of advice recommends staying overnight but the hotels are expensive and book up early, and really why pay for two hotel rooms. Just be sure to leave nice and early. Pack or buy a picnic lunch. Paia is a great place to pick up a picnic lunch.

To have the best experience, rent a convertible or a jeep. Bring walking shoes if you plan to do any “hiking," these are not long walks but can be really slippery. There’s a half-way point that advertises the best banana bread - it might not be the best but it's pretty darn good and worth the stop.

Pack towels, a lunch, a camera, bring bug spray and sunscreen, and wear or bring your bathing suit. Honokalani Black Sand beach, close to the town of Hana, is worth stopping at. Ohe’o Gulch, past Hana, is pretty but it is really weather dependent – the day we went it was too wet to hike up to the waterfalls.

The Road to Hana is 52 miles and is said to take about 2.5 hours to drive but that's without any stops which would defeat the purpose of this beautiful route. You will encounter 59 bridges, the majority of which are one lane wide, and 620 curves.  

Shopping:

My favourite shopping is the little quirky shops in Paia – it’s a bit of a hippie/boho place so I love it there. There are some interesting shops, esp. art galleries, in Lahaina along Front St. Wailea has some great chain stores, Tiffany’s, Guess, the Gap, Tommy Bahama, etc. There are outlet shops in Lahaina on the north end.

For gas, we always fill up at Costco before returning the rental car at the airport.

 

Haleakala National Park:

It is really worthwhile to go up to the crater at least once. It’s an amazing view. The road is really high and twisty so if you are prone to car sicknesses or afraid of heights, prepare yourself but it is worth it. It is cold up there even if it’s balmy by the beach. We’ve done the sunrise bike ride and it was nice. It is even colder on top of the crater in the early morning hours – mittens are not a bad idea. We’ve also rented bikes and parked at the Ranger station and biked down but Dave was willing to ride back up. I rode into Paia – it’s an easy ride.

 

Cycling: Dave and I rented bikes this last trip for the whole week. It was about $150 but for us it was worth it. Dave is a serious cyclist and got a top end bike (paid more for it) but went for a long ride out to Big Beach every morning. I just did a few little trips but it was great. We go to South Maui Cycle in Kihei.

 

Boogie Boarding:

Big Beach has some amazing waves, which makes it a great spot for boogie boarding but not necessarily for swimming.

 

Makena Landing Beach: (past Wailea)

We were lucky enough to find this great little spot on our last trip. It has a small but very sandy beach and it has a gradual slope into the water so you can walk out for quite a ways before it's over your head. Great for little people. There are some trees creating some nice shady spots. But the best thing is that it is a great spot to snorkel and find turtles.

 

Turtles: Turtles usually hang out in the rocky coast. They love to eat the seaweed off the rocks. Don’t touch them though as there is a huge fine ($25,000 I believe) but the fine doesn’t apply if they touch you. This last trip Dave bumped noses with one. They can have a pretty vicious bite though so give them their space.

 

Snorkeling:

Dave does a lot of snorkeling often off Kamaole II beach. Another great spot is Black Rock in Kaanapali. He’s got some great shots and footage with his go-Pro.

 

Last time we did some touring around the Kaanapali and Napili area. The Nakalele Blowhole is a bit of a walk but it’s totally worth it. Definitely worth checking out is the Iao Valley State Park, it's a beautiful walk.

Sunsets:

The Kihei sunsets are spectacular. Most days end with pouring a drink and walking across the street to watch the sun close on another day.

Finally, one of my favourite things to do that won't be everyone's cup of tea is St. Theresa Catholic Church in Kihei. It has the most beautiful stained glass windows and often the hymns are Hawaiian. 

Anyway these are some of my favourites. Have an amazing trip and don’t worry if you don’t do it all, if you’re like me, you’ll fall in love and make many trips.  

***All photos were taken by me and copyrighted to me. You are welcome to use them for non-commercial, educational purposes as long as you credit/cite this blog post.

Is Dinner Ready?

My mom was a pretty good cook but once in a while, especially when we really young, there was this dinner that she would make. It was really simple and truthfully we all loved it. In fact, I remember that meal fondly. It was a can of salmon and a can of peas mixed into and warmed up with a can of mushroom soup and served on toast. It doesn't sound like much but we actually loved it. It wasn't until years later when I was a mom of my own that I realized what this dinner was. It was done. Done like dinner. My mom was a working mom for our whole lives and this dinner, unbeknownst at the time, must have been when she either was exhausted from a busy, stressful day at work or the cupboards were bare and this was all she could pull off. It was warm and covered the major food groups and best of all filled our bellies with minimum fuss and muss.

Perspective is everything ... as a child I never had an inkling that money was tight or my mom was stressed. I just remember sitting down as a family over dinner. It was a treat to have toast for dinner. Forty plus years later, thoughts of this dinner still fill me with love but not those of a happy kid blissfully ignorant but from the perspective of a mom, whose had her own stressful days, her own bare cupboards, and they fill me with love for my mom and her ability and desire to shield us from the harsher realities of life. To swallow her own feelings and show us nothing but love.

Anyone with a full pantry and well-stocked fridge can be a gourmet but the real trick to cooking is the ability to take meager offerings and pull a meal together. I hope that some of the recipes that I compile here will help you to do this.

This dinner is 30 minutes to the plate and delicious and most of the ingredients are usually around. I found it on Martha Stewart's website and have tweaked it a tiny bit.

One Pot Pasta
Original recipe by Martha Stewart

Serves 4

12 ounces linguine (basically one box of dried)
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (it's a good way to use slight soft tomatoes)
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves minced garlic (the already chopped garlic works great, esp. from Costco)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your taste)
2 sprigs basil, minced
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
4 1/2 cups water (I use homemade chicken stock, more on that later)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (again I use the fresh grated from Costco)
Chorizo sausage (about 3 sausages) or pre-cooked chicken (about 2 or 3 cups)*

Directions:

• Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and water or stock into a large pot.
• Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and liquid is nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

*If using leftover chicken, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot when you start. The boiling will help give the chicken the flavour and warm it. If using chorizo sausage, chop into bite-size pieces and pan fry the chorizo until cooked, then drain some of the oil off with paper towel.

Final Word: Life's too short to fuss with dinner, I know there are a 100 things I would rather be doing on a week night like watching the kids play soccer, helping with homework, or playing a board game.

Bon Appetit!