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| These eight or nine feet exquisitely carved Giraffe we saw in an art gallery in Lahaina sent me to the moon! |
Another beautiful day in paradise. Tom was out of bed before me and opened the two doors for a sweeping, cooling cross breeze. When I walked out of the bedroom I was almost swept away by the feel of the refreshing tunnel of cool air and the smell of the ocean. It took my breathe away. If only there were giraffes and warthogs in the yard, I could stay here forever.
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Art galleries are commonly seen in the shopping areas of Maui including this one on Front Street in Lahaina.
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Often when travelers visit to Maui for a week or two, they stay in the popular Kaanapali Beach, a mile long strip of exquisite beach that was developed in the 1960s.
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This side mall off of Front Street had a tattoo and hair braiding shop, clothing for surfers and more art galleries.
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Our next outing will be to visit Kaanapali and it’s seeming endless row of hotels, shops and restaurants after which we’ll share many photos of the renowned area.
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| Glass is a popular tourist purchase in the islands. |
In my life BT (before Tom) it is the only place I’d stayed in Maui on no less than 10 visits to the islands over a stretch of several years. In the 80s it was the place to visit when sun, sand and surf were on the menu.
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| More art shops. |
No doubt, Kaanapali Beach has changed as had the village of Lahaina which we continue to highlight today after our recent visit. I didn’t recognize a thing as I’m sure will be the case in Kaanapali, so many years later.
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| A small shop sold only these and other wood carved sunglasses. Tom offered to buy me a pair but I graciously declined. I already have two near new pairs of fine sunglasses. Novelty items such as these, rarely appeal to me. |
As we walked along Front Street, the main street of Lahaina, where most of the shops and restaurants are located, not a single popular establishment jogged my memory other than a few fish restaurants that may have remained from 25 years ago or more.
Putting the past behind, we wandered along the streets, occasionally staring out to the sea, embracing the charm and beauty of the area. Yes, the focal points centered around tourists spending money. But, doesn’t any tourist area do the same?
“Lahaina was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. In the 19th century, Lahaina was the center of the global whaling industry with many sailing ships anchored in at its waterfront; today a score of pleasure craft makes their home there. Lahaina’s Front Street has been ranked one of the “Top Ten Greatest Streets” by the American Planning Association.”
Please see this link for more details about Lahaina.
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| Ceramics and glass. Notice the Sea Turtles. |
Housing in Lahaina is limited with many homes starting at $2 million. Rentals are high, starting at $300 a night for a studio. For long term stays it often makes sense to stay further away and rent a car visiting the village at one’s leisure.
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| Many of the shops cater to the themes of Hawaii which the tourists gobble up while here. Later at home, they may wonder why they purchased this bowl with Turtles climbing in and out. Cute dust catcher. |
We investigated every restaurant we passed as we walked along the road planning to return for dinner sometime soon. We were pleased to see that the restaurant we’d frequented in Waikiki Beach, Cheeseburger in Paradise, was located on an oceanfront corner on Front Street. We should visit this restaurant since they had the best Cobb Salad on the planet.
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| The romantic nature of the Hawaiian Islands is tempting to travelers to purchase expensive jewelry. |
We noticed beef and pork options on the menus of the popular seafood restaurants which would be suitable for Tom who won’t eat fish other than pan-fried walleye. Guess we won’t be finding any of that anytime soon.
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| This painting appealed to us as we walked by yet another art gallery. Tom reminded me, “We don’t have any walls.” Good thing. |
Today, we’re staying put to relish in this exquisite day, sitting outdoors, visiting the pool, walking along the beach. Tom will watch the Vikings game on the app he purchased from the NFL while I chop and dice for tonight’s dinner.
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| Tom spotted these Spam flavored macadamia nuts when we perused the Lahaina General Store which was loaded with interesting items. |
Tonight, we’re cooking steak and lamb on one of the two convenient outdoor gas grills. Our biggest challenge of the day…can we find a lighter? I love that!
Photo from one year ago today, October 26, 2013:
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| Lion cubs lounging in the sun in the Maasai Mara as we shared a few of our remaining safari photos on this date a year ago. Please click here for details. |
Loved that giraffe sculpture – how exquisite! And a great shot – all the color contrasts stand out so well on this post. And, the Vikings won today with a fabulous late-regulation and overtime comeback. So bonus points on the day!
Staci, that is an amazing Giraffe! I'd have been hauling that home with us, if we had a home. Then again, we may never have lived among Giraffes and other wildlife in South Africa if we hadn't made the dramatic life changes of two years ago.
Our two year anniversary of leaving Minnesota is on Halloween – time to celebrate!
Soon, Tom will watch the Vikings game on the NFL app on his laptop. It only takes 90 minutes without the commercials. He always finds out the score from looking at Facebook so lately there's been no surprises as to their winning or losing.
We're heading out now (its 5:30 pm) for a stroll on the beach to search for Sea Turtles which we do every night. Hopefully, we'll see them at some point. As you can see, we're wildlife fanatics!
Hope you both had a lovely Sunday and thanks for "stopping by" to say hello!
Warmest regards,
Jess & Tom
Jess & Tom you have both been in my thoughts, as the UK TV news showed pictures of the lava flow this morning. I am praying and keeping everything crossed that you are not having to find alternative arrangements, especially with your family visiting.
bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29776436
Liz, thanks for your thoughts and prayers. In the realm of things, this is but a blip on the radar. If we can't go to those houses, we'll find somewhere else. It won't be easy, but Tom and I will work on it non-stop until we wrap something up in a safe area on the Big Island.
We've been watching the local news everyday which is very comprehensive so we're going to be able to know what to do. Thanks for sending this thoughtful message.
Many hugs,
Jess & Tom