Best of Maui - Highlights

{Maui highlights in no particular order}

Road to Hana - A must-drive at least once in your life. Enjoy the lush views and take hike and a dip if you dare.

Wailea Beaches - Spend an afternoon under a rented cabana. My favorite spot (shhhh) is Polo Beach.

Drive through the cane fields from Kahului to Kihei. One of my favorite drives of all time. Can do this drive over and over and over. Super relaxing and beautiful.

Paia and Makawao - Drive to the upcountry and experience a laid back, artist type community. Love these two areas alot!

Maui Ocean Center - This is where I saw my favorite sealife exhibit: Jellyfish tanks! So peaceful and mesmerizing to watch these 'fish' puff in and out as they glide around in water.

Hike down Haleakala - And check out the Silversword endangered species plants. If you need to use the restroom, go behind a rock (women: bring portable toilet tissue).
Take the old sugar cane Lahaina Train - I was driving somewhere, had to make a u-turn and saw this touristy but historical train. They have dinner train rides too! (website)

Walk around Laihaina on Front Street for tourist shops. Check out the Maui Jim (sunglasses) flagship store, the big historic 135+ year old banyon tree, and my favorite resturant on Maui, Lahaina Grill. Plus every Friday from 7-10 pm is Art Night in this city where you can stroll galleries and watch artists in action.

Sugar Mill Museum - very cool historic place just outside the airport (1o min or so).

Iao Valley - walk down the trails and enjoy the green covered pointed mountain view.
Shops at Wailea - Perhaps the best shopping on the island (upscale stores and other favorites like BCBG, BR, Coach, Tiffany's. Even a store called Serendipity.) The Queen Kaahumanu mall in Kahului is your typical midrange mall. The Maui Mall has a theater and the Guri Guri store for the island's best strawberry and orange ice treat.

Grand Wailea Spa - My favorite place for a spa treatment (Bacara in Santa Barbara is gorgeous and elegant)--but at this spa they offer you two complementary treatments: an apricot seed scrub down to start. and then enterance into various mud and milk baths, waterfall massage areas, steam rooms, and an upstairs lounge area and open air deck.

Drive past Mckena beach and past Oneule Beach and you'll come to a desolate lava area that is very cool in it's own way. The view is stunning because in an unexpected way. You can try to make a hike to the ocean but you need sturdy shoes and pants in case you fall and cut yourself on the sharp lava. Makes for great photos. Very black all around. And not your typical Maui beach scene. A hidden find! (Shhhh)
Lavender Farm - stroll the farm on a self guided walk, have informal tea outdoors, and shop the Lavender gift store. (directions)

Maui Winery at Ulupalakua Ranch - One of the few places on the Hawaiian islands that bottles their own wine, offers tours, and wine tasting. Good place to pick of a bottle for your travel collection. (directions)

Maui Film Festival - this June festival in Wailea hosts international and independent films paired with organic wine, cocktails and live music. There are smaller festivals and gatherings throughout the year. Check the site for details.

Places I'd like to visit:
Paper Airplane Museum - 2,000 models in the Kahului Mall complex (70 Kaahumanu Ave)

Aloha Shirt Museum - Paia corner (know what it looks like, don't know the street names)

Whaler's Village Mall and Museum- in Kanapaali. (Lahaina Cannery Mall is not the most interesting but a good enclosed respite area away from the heat and has a food court. I had Baile Vietnamese sandwiches on my last visit.)

Maui Onion Festival - at Whaler's Village every May. Free admission, food boths, games, beer gardens and a raw onion eating contest. That I've got to see!

Shokudo's Honey Toast

I've been to Shokudo more times than I'd prefer. It's a place that I personally would consider a last resort for a late night meal, but no where that I'd run to for good food. The concept is modern Japanese tapas meant for a family style meal. I do like the concept and visual ambiance at the Honolulu eatery but I find that the food here is often been rushed, sloppy, and not very carefully prepared. Time and time again, the flavors seem to run into each other, the vegetables often wilted, and rice, calamari and sushi often mushy.

They do have some redeeming qualities however. Their signature dessert, Honey Toast is actually quite good. I wasn't sure it'd be a hit, but everyone at the table loved it too. It's Japanese style bread toasted, with the middle carved out and cubed. Honey is drizzled over the bread, and it's topped with ice cream. Sounds plain or odd, but something about the combination really works!The dishes I liked were the homemade tofu, shiso fries, tofu salad with won tons, and I'm on the border about the calamari salad--good flavor, bad texture.Shokudo also offers Green Tea Lattes, Green Tea Shakes, and Green Tea Float. In Honolulu only they offer Green Tea shave ice. I can't vouch for any of these items (I think I ordered the green tea shave ice once), but I simply like that they offer such dessert creations on the menu.

Also, good to know: Shokudo offers free dessert when it's someone's birthday!

Interestingly, if you order the same menu items at their sister restaurant, Tokyo Table, in Beverly Hills and Irvine, the dishes are actually prepared better and tastier than in Hawaii. I think the smaller size of the mainland restaurants give it more quality control. The chefs may also be tailoring the dishes for a different taste bud pallet.

Where it's at:
Shokudo
Near Nordstrom parking garage
1585 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
808.941.3701

Pick Your Nose

Humor in the concept and product name. Spruce up your party with an incentive to practice a socail faux-pas with other guests: "pick your nose." Saw these at the Red Pineapple store in Ward Center, Honolulu, located next to Borders bookstore.

Tiffany's Free Jewelry Cleaning - Woes and Redemption

Something free from Tiffany's?
When does that ever happen?

{See update below: Aug 09}

"From July 15 through 19, it is our pleasure to offer you complimentary cleaning of up to six pieces of Tiffany sterling silver jewelry and accessories. Simply bring your selected silver favorites to a participating Tiffany & Co. store and let us make them shine." ~ Tiffany & Co.

{Update 7/18/09: Took my pieces in today. While the usual $10 cleaning fee per piece allows you to have your jewelry ready within your same shopping trip, this promotion requires that you pick up your machine cleaned jewelry 3-days later. Silver pieces will be hand cleaned only if they include pearls or gem stones.}


Hawaii Locations:
2100 Kalakaua Ave in Waikiki (Honolulu)
Shops at the Wailea: 3750 Wailea Alanui Drive (Maui)

{Check online for participating locations.}

Addendum: Aug 09
Here's my terrible (though redeeming in the end) experience with Tiffany's free jewelry cleaning special. When I went to pick up my six pieces from Tiffany's I was horrified to find that each piece was in far worse condition than when I had dropped them off. The majority of pieces were so discolored and scratched up so badly that it was really shocking.

The pieces I were given had blotches of brown tarnish embeded into the front of some of the pieces, had dirt lodged into crevaces that I knew weren't there before, and most had a now dulled look like it was over 70 years old--which I knew was not possible particularly for pieces that I just received or purchased a few months prior. In fact, the pearl on one of my necklaces was covered with caked on white polish that wouldn't come off. The store assistant took it to the back where she used chemicals to wipe off the polish, but now the luster of the pearl is gone. I still remain saddened by this.

In the big picture of things, jewelry is simply a material item. But I was particularly disapointed because sentimentally a few of the pieces were gifts from significant people.

At the end of that visit I refused to take the pieces home and Tiffany's agreed to clean it once more. I left the store appalled, especically since Tiffany's is a company that prides itself on it's reputation of quality and service. I suspected that they probably threw a ton of jewelry into one big cleaning tumbler to save time in the cleaning process and/or that the pieces we received upon pick up were not the exact pieces we submitted. (i.e. perhaps they just gave anybody somebody's else's piece, since all the Tiffany's jewelry look identical as they are constructed from the same mold). I figured that I was probably given someone's jewelry who never took the time to care for them--it was that bad.

The redeeming piece: When I went to pick up my pieces the second time, I didn't know what to expect. Could they really take off the brown blotches, the new liquid stains, and the terrible scratches that made each piece look like an antique? Apparently not. So what they did do, was give me sets of brand new pieces...(expect for the pearl necklace)...which not only saves their reputation but attests to the quality of service that one expected from Tiffany's in the first place.

Lesson learned: Don't take your jewelry in for these public free cleaning events. Pay the $10 fee, take it on an off season...or just do it by hand (buy a bottle of the Tiffany's jewelry polish at the store). Hand polishing the pieces myself is what I've done for years...and will continue to do from here on out. The pieces come out nicely cleaned...and it saves one the hassel of the above experience.

Liquid Aloha

My favorite Hawaii beer, Kona Brewing Co, is hosting an OC event to support the research for spinal chord injury. The guy who's throwing the fundraiser has a tragic life story: as a young surfer he was turned over by a forceful wave that impaled him unto a sandbar and left him quadriplegic. A motivational speaker, he now encourages others to appreciate the gift of life.

For more info: www.liquidalohafest.com

Old School Phone

the first time i saw this was in portland, oregon. it's an old school looking phone "ear piece." just plut it into the jack of your cell phone...and wha-la!...you get that instant retro look. {i wonder if you can get pulled over by a cop if you drive in your car with one of these? it is an earpiece afterall!?}

Fireworks - Photography Tips

It's 4th of July this weekend! Check out your local area for fireworks display. Aloha Tower, Ala Moana Beach Park, and the Hawaii Kai harbor are great places for free community displays. Food booths paired with good weather, family and friends make this a great way to spend the holiday weekend!

{Some 4th of July photos 2008} and a helpful email I got in an email:

Tips for Shooting Fireworks:

• Bring a tripod and flashlight to the fireworks display. It's dark and you'll need longer exposures, so use the tripod to avoid blurry pictures. The flashlight will help you adjust your camera settings in the dark.

• Set your camera to Fireworks mode (if you have that feature), which will automatically take care of the settings. If you don't have Fireworks mode, set your camera to Manual mode: ISO 200, aperture f/8, and shutter speed between 5 and 15 seconds. After you take a few pictures, take a look at how they are turning out, and adjust the shutter speed accordingly (leave the ISO and f-stop alone).

• Include a landmark in the photo, such as a statue, stadium, park, lake, or whatever the surrounding area includes. As the fireworks explode, they will light up the landmark beautifully.

• Take a lot of pictures! You can take over 100 pictures and only keep 2 great ones. The more pictures you take, the greater chance you have of capturing the perfect shot. Be a ruthless editor; you only need one or a few photos to frame andshare!

• Remember that fireworks come fast and furious during the finale of the show. Therefore, you may need to decrease your shutter speed. 15 seconds will likely be overexposed during the finale. Try 5 seconds instead.

Obama Eats

{Obama ordering Shave Ice in Hawaii Kai}

Where did Pres. Obama go while he was vacationing in Hawaii with his family? Well, you too can treat yourself like U.S. royalty. Just stop by these Obama-seen places:

•Indigo (1121 Nuuanu Ave.). The Obama's ordered: the dim sum plate (goat cheese won tons, lumpia-wrapped shrimp, duck mu shu rolls); toasted black mustard and pepper crusted ahi served rare with wasabi soy, sun dried tomato and olive tapenade.
•Alan Wong's, (1857 S. King St.)
Rainbow Drive-In, (3308 Kanaina Ave). Plate lunch.
Zippy's: "Zip Min," a bowl of noodle in hot broth with everything from won tons and vegetables to fish cake and sweet pork.
•Grace's Inn: chicken katsu on top of a bed of chow fun noodles, two scoops of rice and a side of mac salad
•Island Snow Shave Ice, (130 Kailua Road, Kailua). Cheeseburgers
•Sakura Restaurant, (41-1801 Kalanianaole Hwy., Waimanalo.) ahi poke, fried gyoza, and the 12-ounce ribeye steak.
Kua Aina Sandwich, (1200 Ala Moana Blvd.) 1/3-pound cheeseburgers, six 1-pound cheeseburgers, 10 Kiddie Burgers and 20 orders of fries.
•Koko Marina Paradise: The tuna melt, now called the "Presidential Order". (I really don't like the food at this place, personally. I can make a better sandwich than here any day).
Kokonuts Shave Ice, (7192 Kalanianaole Hwy., Hawaii Kai). Small lemon-lime and cherry shaved ice.
Mariposa, (1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Ala Moana Neiman Marcus)

{souce: USA Today}

President Obama Tour

I used to see this really small ad from a small unknown volunteer group that used to lead free (donation optional) President Obama neighborhood tours in Honolulu. The money would be donated to an eco-oriented cause, I believe. But that was before he was President. Now it seems that businesses around are finding ways to capitalize on the name and birthplace of this new president.

There are plenty of local Obama places that you probably drive by everyday. For those unfamiliar with Honolulu, tours can take you here for $22-59/person. (Whoa!)

Typical Obama Tour Highlights
• Obama's Birthplace - Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children (August 4, 1961)
• Punahou School - Obama attended from 5th grade until graduation
• Baskin & Robbins - his "first job"
• La Pietra School for Girls - his half sister Maya Soetoro-Ng teaches
• Hanauma Bay - where he took his family while vacationing before the inauguration
• Sandy Beach - Obama's favorite body surfing spot
• Punchbowl Cemetery - the resting place of his grandfather, Stanley Dunham, a WWII veteran
• Punahou Makiki Apartments - where Obama lived with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, from 1971 until his graduation from high school in 1979. She died in this apartment at the age of 86, the day before Barack Obama was elected the 44th U.S. president.

If you drive to local restaurants, you can also check out "Places Obama Eats."

Obama's former homes:
(1960-1962) 625 11th Ave. – Kaimuki area
(1961) 6085 Kalaniana’ole – Where Obama was brought home as newborn
(1962 – 1963) 1427 Alexander – Lived for a year with various family members, Near Punahou
(1963) 2277 Kamehameha Ave. – Obama’s mothers place while a sophmore in college
(1964 – 1967) 2234 University Ave. – Lived with mother and grandparents near Manoa
(1971 -1979) 1617 Beretania Ave. – Lived mainly here with his grandparents
(1974 – 1979) 1839 Poki – Lived here off an on with mother and sister

For Obama Tours:
I can't recall who offers the official and intial Obama tour for donations. (meets around Makiki park on Saturdays at 10am). The above tour spots from hawaiiactive.com ($22). Be wary for other tours call theirs the Obama tour, but they simply give their usual Honoluluregular tour...with a couple of tacked on stops at his home, punahou school, and kapiolani hospital where he was born. What marketing. My suggestion: just drive around the area yourself.

Family Time - Honolulu

With summer break finally here and airfares as low as they are, friends with kids are headed out to the island. Here's my Top things to do with your family list--off the top of my head:

Toddlers and Kids:
Honolulu Zoo (small by mainland standards, so a good break for the parents)
Honolulu Aquarium (an often overlooked site)
Beach (bring sandcastle buckets and shovels)
Swim with dolphins - Kahala Resort
Visit the penguins - Hawaiian Village Hotel (in the courtyard)
Story time at the Hawiian bookstore - Ward (waikiki hotel location closed from what i recall)
Older Kids & Teens:
Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park - Kapolei (a 40 min drive)
Sea Life Park - (like Sea World) - Makapuu Point on the South side
Ice Skating - Honolulu Ice Palace
Miniature Golf - Jungle River or Bay View golf parks
"Sunset on the Beach" - free movies near Duke's statue
Movie Theater - Ward
Family Together Time:
Picnic at Ala Moana or Kapiolani Park
Day at the Beach
Island Tour
Snorkel at Hanauma Bay
Parasailing, water skiing, jet skiing, kayaking at Hawaii Kai harbor
Horseback riding or jeep tour at the Kualoa Ranch
Tour of Pearl Harbor/USS ArizonaCollege Aged:
Surf lessons
Bowling - Aiea Bowl
Karaoke - Karaoke Room 2, Karaoke Hut
Dave and Busters (18+) - Ward; open air dance floor top level
Waikiki bars and clubs (various on Kalakaua)
Waikele Outlets20-30-something:
Concerts and shows at the Blaisdale Center
Honolulu parades and festivals (see local papers)
Chinatown lounges - forget the names, located next to one another on Hotel St, San Francisco-ish
My favorites: Pearl, Uncle Bo's, Indigo, W Hotel, Chinatown lounges
30-40-somethings:
Live Music & Wine Bars - see other posts
Cultural events and festivals (see local paper)
"First Fridays" - monthly Chinatown Art Walk
55+: Jazz and Food festivals (check local papers)
Dinner Cruise - departs Aloha Tower
Massage, Facial and Golf at local Resorts
Sail Boating

{Disclaimer: places I recommend but have not myself been to: Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, Sea Life Park, Ice Skating, bowling, jet skiing, kayaking, parasailing...and yes, snorkeling and surfing}

Art & Historic Honolulu

In Honolulu
Hawaii State Art Museum
Bishop Museum
Queen Luliokulani Palace
Pearl Harbor & USS Arizona Memorial
Hawaii State Capitol and the Kāmehameha I Statue
Punch Bowl National Cemetary
Contemporary Museum

Outside Honolulu:
Hawaii Plantation Village
Dole Pineapple Factory
Historic Chinatown

A Perfect Day in Honolulu

I've had to host different guests flying into HNL (airport) from the mainland. Having gone through the routine a few times, here's my suggestion for a perfect welcome and first day in the Aloha State:

First, check online to confirm the flight arrival time and baggage claim number they'll be arriving at. For tips on the cell phone waiting lot or to help your guests make ground transportation arrangements to the hotel, see my {previous post}. Tune the car radio to a local Hawaiian radio station (for ambiance sake) and get ready to give them a warm hug, Hawaiian kiss and long "Alooooha!" when your guests arrive.

A nice touch:
- Bring fresh leis for each guest.
- Come with piping hot malasadas from Champions or Leonards (yum)
- And don't forget cold water or Aloha/Hawaii Sun brand soda cans in fun tropical flavors.
Next, depending on what time your guests arrive (and what time their hotel check-in time is), I suggest that you leave the suitcases in the trunk...and do a combination of the following:

- Stop at Walmart on your way to town. They can pick up gifts/omiyage (left side of Walmart has the kitschy Hawaii stuff; also cracked seed and mac nuts by the checkout), an extra towel, sunscreen or pair of slippers.
- Pull over at Ala Moana Beach so they can dip their toes in the water and wave hello and "aloha" to the ocean waves. Easy parking and close access to the beach and water make it a quick stop...and immediate sense of gratification after a long flight.
- Refresh them with a light Hawaiian snack: Shave Ice at Waiola or tropical ice cream flavors at Bubbies.

Head to the hotel to settle in, clean up, and rest.
Have a late lunch at Alan Wong's Pineapple Room in Macy's (this gets the obligatory Alan Wong run out of the way--especially if you never make it to the King Street restaurant). If a later flight or time is passing on, you can do afternoon tea at Mariposas in the Ala Moana mall or the Veranda at the Waikiki Moana Surfrider until 4pm or so (make reservations ahead of time).

Your guests can spend some leisure time in the afternoon while you rest too:
- Shopping at Ala Moana mall or along Kalakaua blvd in Waikiki
- Catching some golden sun at the Waikiki beach
- Catching up on some zzz's in the hotel room.As it draws closer to the evening, watch the sunset from the beach path near the Hale Koa hotel or along the Ala Moana walking path (depending on where you are at the time). Have dinner at Roy's in Waikiki, and watch free evening fireworks that shoots off from the Royal Hilton Waikiki. Take a night time stroll to visit the legendary Duke's statue on the beach, stopping at shops along the way (open unitl 11pm). Check out the star lit evening scene at the Moana Surfrider, and then head over to grab late night drinks and dessert with live jazz at the Halekulani hotel.And call it an early night--remember that your guests will be jet lagged coming from the mainland.

Best Mochi in Honolulu - Mochi Cream

Mochi Cream is a new phenomena in Japan. It's a fresh twist on an old Japanese tradition combining new flavors such as Hazelnut, Blueberry, Sakura...with interesting fillings (no more plain an)...and touted with a surprise tuft of light whipped cream in the middle.

I have to say that this might be my favorite mochi place in Honolulu. I enjoy Mochi Cream in a different way than I do the "Two Ladies Kitchen" (Hilo). The Two Ladies Kitchen is the best hand made, old school type of mochi in Hawaii. I do recommend them. Mochi Cream is for those who want to try to latest fad in Japan.
The major draw back to these mochi treats, is that they are not freshly made but rather shipped frozen from Japan. When you buy each piece, the workers will usually instruct you to wait 15-20 for the frozen thing to thaw out. Once it does, boy is it silky soft. The mochi rice they use just seems to melt on your tongue like fine rice paper.But a caution: If you don't wait for it to thaw, it takes on the consistency of a frozen mochi ice cream, rather than a fluffy and light treat. Alot of folks complain that they don't like Mochi Cream, but I think it's because they ate it frozen thinking it was mochi ice cream. So do wait the alotted thawing time. (I do think they have a mochi frozen yogurt line though).

So unless you're headed to Ginza, Japan (check the Mitsukoshi department store)...save youself some air travel time and stop by Shirokiya at the Ala Moana mall (bottom floor) for a real contemporary Japanese treat.

Best Handmade Mochi - "Two Ladies Kitchen" - Hilo

Wonder what to bring back from your stay in Hilo?

Why, "Two Ladies Kitchen" mochi of course!In their 70's, the Uchida's and Kishimoto's wake up at 4am to start hand making this traditional Japanese treat. The mochi is soft, individually crafted, with a fine texture that lets you know you're eating the real home made thing--not some microwaved version. What dedication they put into their food craft. And how lucky we are to enjoy their little delights.

Also, try their daifuku mochi, filled with an (bean) and a plump and juicy strawberry. Only other place I had daifuku was in Japan during the 3 month strawberry season. Yum!

Where it's at:

274 Kilauea Ave
Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 961-4766

{thanks Gina for the set of "Two Ladies" mochi at Christmas}
{thanks Aunty for sharing this treat when I first arrived on the Big Island}