Day 10 - Lahaina

The whole clan took it a bit easy this afternoon at the condo. Wild the three little pigs stayed at home, mama went out to get huffs and claws done. After she got back around 2:30pm, we got ready and left for Lahaina – tourist trap. Lahaina is located near the west of Maui and is more populous than Kihei. It has all the little tourist shops and is loaded with restaurants and bars. On the drive up we passed the wind mills on the side of the island and they looked massive.

The girls looked up restaurants online on our way there and decided on Lahaina Fish Company. We got to the restaurant around 4pm and couldn’t get seated for another 30 minutes. We hit a couple of shops and then headed back for grub time.

Dinner was fantastic! Lahaina Fish Company sat right on the water and we got seated in the best spot. Anna had the special – fresh caught grey snapper, LT had a prime rib (wonderful), Olivia had a coconut shrimp & tofu platter and I got an Opah (moonfish). Everyone’s food was simply delicious! Luckily we are on vacation here, because there is no way I could continue to afford to eat out in Hawaii for an ongoing basis. I do like that almost everywhere where we have eaten, the fish is always caught daily or is fresh.

None of us could leave Lahaina Fish Co. without trying the Mana Pie – made with Macadamia nuts. And of course a Lime Pie (Gi-Gi’s favorite). The Mana pie was far better than any pecan or nut pie I have ever tasted. This could easily add to one of my weaknesses!

With the time remaining before sunset, we bummed around the shops which lined the beach strand and bought ourselves some local memorabilia. The street had quite a bit of galleries selling art primarily from tv and movies star actors - Kind-a-weird! Anna and the kids went in to look at the artwork by Jim Carrey. I can assure you Olivia is a far better artist and should have her artwork there before Mr. Carrey’s – but as the say, “Art is in the eye of the beholder”, plus I am a little more basis for my daughter.

Sunset was absolutely beautiful as usual. Walk around a bit more and then ventured back to the casa!

Day 10 - Po'olenalena Beach

Anna and I headed to Po'olenalena Beach park to do some snorkeling after LT and I got back from fishing. LT wanted to take a little nap since he woke up early and Oli wasn't feeling to good. Po'olenalena was one of the spots that the snorkel boats stop at. It is also known to the locals as Turtle Town. We stayed at the beach until 12pm. Plus, it gave the kids some space.

Day 10 - Starting off with a little fishing

LT and I decided to do a little fishing early this morning. Only LT caught true fish. I happen to catch everything that wasn't. All the things I caught either had teeth, claws or spikes. I would be one hungry islander. We got to the lava rocks right around 6:15am and fish there 'til 8:30am. We both had an awesome time and will definitely do it again in the upcoming week.

The crabs were the craziest. They had a deep red color and their claws and feet were unlike any I had ever seen.

Day 9 - Ho'okipa - Windsurfing Capital of the World

On the way down back from the Upcountry, we decided to go to Ho'okipa Beach Park. Ho'okipa is known for "the spot" to go windsurfing and traditional surfing. Seeing it was July 4th, the place was busier than usual. To us though it seemed relatively empty. To the west of the beach was a coral/lava cropping that was literally brimming with sea turtles. You could look at the water and see their shadows slowly rise from within the water for a quick breath and then dive again. Others laid on the coral resting. It was pretty amazing watching all the surfers. We managed to hang around there for quite a while.

Day 9 - Ali'i Kula Lavender farm

Woke up this morning at 5:15am and decided to head out and doing a little fishing before the kids got up. Ended up Anna was already up and was having coffee. I sat and had a cup with her and then headed out to try my luck at a little surf fishing.

Headed back to condo and picked up the Fam at 7:45am to go see the Surfing Goat Dairy. It was quite a drive up to the Upcountry. Everything seems far away only because of the driving speed, but was truly only 20 miles away. As we arrived, it had a sign out front stating they were closed.

Oh well, on to the next - Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm. Luckily it was only 6 miles away. Flowers, flowers and more flowers! Pretty neat place. The gift shop had everything lavender. We tried Lavender coffee, tea, scone and ice cream – all was surprisingly delicious!

After about an hour or so of walking through the flower gardens we walked back towards the car and watched a handful of para-gliders come down the mountain. The place was located near Kula State Forest which was up the mountain. Apparently, the paraglide club go up to the top of the mountain and then glides down near the parking lot.

 

Day 8 - Sunset near 5 Palms

Anna and I went down near the beach around 6:30pm tonight to watch the sun go down. It was beautiful this evening.

Day 8 - Paia & Makena State Park

The helicopter ride was done and over by 9am, so we still had an entire day of  fun in the sun. We left the heliport and headed to Paia, the small town that marks the start to the Road to Hana. It's a cute little town with shops and restaurants. Our bellies were a bit hungry and were calling for some breakfast after the aerial flight. After a few shops and some inquisitiveness by Anna, we chose Charley's. The food was bangin'! Definitely some good local food!

Now that the troops were back at full capacity, we hit a couple of the local shops before heading back towards the condo. On the way, we stopped at the bird wildlife sanctuary and checked out some of local feathery friends. It was a massive park, but only a small portion that visitors could get to. We hung around for about 15 minutes and returned to the condo to get ready for the beach.

Makena State Park was a park that Olivia and I passed by the other day and we wanted to show it to Anna and LT. The park is located close to the very southend of the island. Waves were big and thundering very close to the shore. LT, however, was not afraid to brave the waters. He stayed in the water and buggy boarded and swam out there for well over an hour.