Hawaii: Day 7

Before we headed to Hawaii, a few people we know recommended things to do, places to eat, and places to go. One of Eric's co-workers has a condo on Maui and was full of incredibly helpful information. Two of the restaurants she suggested were put on today's to-do (to-eat?) list.

We had breakfast at Kihei Caffe and, oh my goodness, was it ever good! Eric had "eggs any way" (scrambled, duh) that came with a biscuit and Spam (Eric was one happy guy!). Annika had the fluffiest buttermilk pancakes we've ever seen ... and to make them even better, she had them topped with strawberry slices. Conor had a Belgium waffle topped with chocolate chips (another happy guy!). I chose the crab cake eggs Benedict. So good! We were all completely stuffed, but in a "I couldn't eat another bite, but I would if I could" sort of way.

After breakfast, we popped back to the condo to digest. Around 10, we headed north to Lahaina, which started out as a whaling town way back when. The drive up was very pretty with ocean views much of the way. The town's architecture was unexpectedly old. There were a few from the 1800s! We peeked in a bunch of the souvenir shops along the way and quickly realized we were just seeing the same shirts/dresses/necklaces over and over again, which made the shopping a relatively quick experience after awhile. That said, Annika did find a cute sundress and Conor found a sweatshirt to wear back at home when the cool weather returns. (Not now! We keep seeing alerts that the PNW is experiencing a heat wave.) 

Lahaina felt very touristy (at least, where we were) and I realized we kept seeing the same things store after store. What really stood out to me was the architecture. The old colonial feel was still very present in the buildings along the main street. At one point, there was even a wooden plank section of sidewalk. It felt a bit like a trip back in time. We even saw the Baldwin Home, which was the home (turned museum) of Rev. & Mrs. Baldwin, two of the original missionaries in Lahaina. 

One of the things I really wanted us to see was the Lahaina banyan tree. It started out as a single-trunked 8' tree that was planted in 1873. Now, the single tree that is 60' tall and spans an acre of land. Apparently, banyan trees not only grow up, but out. There are trunks all over the park and the leaves/branches have created a gorgeous and refreshingly cool canopy. Someone really thought ahead with that tree and the park! Initially, the park was planned to give the local working class a place to escape the heat and find a comfortable place to relax.

On our way back from Lahaina, we stopped at another place that Eric's co-worker recommended, Leoda's Kitchen & Pie Shop, which is in Olowalu. We picked up a to-go lunch and some of their mini pies. Once back at the condo, we sat down for lunch (due to COVID, there was no in-house dining at Leoda's). To say the sandwiches were tasty is an understatement. They were fantastic. The bread is made right there at the restaurant and if I'd known how good it is, I would have inquired about buying an entire loaf of it. It was a delicate wheat bread that had great flavor and texture ... basically, the prima donna of bread.

After all of that delicious food, we needed to burn it off. We donned our swimsuits and headed to the pool. The water felt marvelous! Eric and Annika busied themselves by having races from end to end while Conor and I practiced our underwater handstands. We also had fun standing with our heads under the waterfalls, which are part of the rockery at one end of the pool.

Eric decided to take full advantage of being on vacation and opted to take an afternoon nap. To help him succeed in his endeavor, the kids and I decided to go for a walk. (Quiet condo = better nap!)

Annika, Conor, and I quickly got detoured when we noticed the shaved ice van (Gus the Bus) was parked outside. Win! Gus the Bus is a converted blue/white VW van from the 1960s, and it is beyond adorable as a shaved ice food van. We'd heard of this famous Hawaiian treat, but hadn't gotten around to trying it yet. We decided it was high time to right that very great wrong! I had expected a snow cone, little chunks of ice bits that are flavored with a syrup of some sort. Boy, was I was wrong. It is more like eating fluffy snow, and it is quite delightful. I ordered a POG shaved ice, which was literally POG juice frozen in a huge cylinder and then shaved. Annika had POM (passion, orange, mango). Conor chose a lemon/lime option. 

Gus the Bus

We took our treats to the Kamaole Beach Park I (aka the beach that is across from the condo complex) and happily sat on the sand while digging our toes in the sand and enjoying our shaved ice. After the kids finished their treats, they happily put themselves to "work" creating a variety of sand art and sculptures. I happily sat on the beach, watching the kids have a great time and taking in the glorious ocean views. The breeze kept us from feeling too hot... as did the occasional dips of toes in the ocean.

Annika's "sandman" creation

By the time we made it back to the condo, Eric was up and ready to hear about our adventures. I promised to take him back to the shaved ice van tomorrow so he could find out how tasty it is first hand. He is definitely in for a treat!!

The rest of the evening was very low key. We picked up dinner from the food trucks (Aloha Thai Fusion and Kina'ole Grill) that park outside the condo complex each day. With our yummy food in hand, we happily kicked up our feet for the remainder of the evening. I read my book, Eric and Annika watched a movie they found on TV, and Conor played a video game. 

Tomorrow will be another activity day, so a little R&R evening was just what we needed.