Maui – Lahaina

    Maui was the first piece of land that came into view after almost five days at sea. We arrived on Wednesday morning, October 28th, 2009. The port at Lahaina was not large enough to accommodate our cruise ship so the ship was parked in the harbor and they used several of the lifeboats – which double as tenders – to ferry us between the ship and shore.

    We took a short walk down Front Street along the water passing shops and restaurants. A block off the water we found the post office – where we dropped off a bundle of thank you notes. We were hungry so we decided to try one of the places we had passed along the way. We sat outside at Lahaina Fish Company (www.lahainafishcompany.com) and enjoyed our lunch along with the nice view of the ocean (and our ship). David enjoyed a nice locally brewed beer – a Bikini Blond from the nearby Maui Brewing Company (www.mauibrewingco.com). We found out the brewery was very close, so after lunch we took another stroll and found the brewery. Unfortunately, the tasting room was only open on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday – and it was Wednesday. Although David later purchased a six-pack of the Bikini Blond beer and snuck it back aboard the ship to enjoy later.

    The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping – David found a nice Hawaiian shirt, and Laura purchased a pair of Birkenstocks for of us at the Naturally Birkenstock store around the corner from the brewery. The lady, Susann, was delightful and we enjoyed talking with her about Hawaii and things to do on the island. After we left with our new sandals we were thirsty and so we stopped in to the McDonald’s about a block away to quench our thirst and our need for internet access. Their wireless access cost $3 for two hours as opposed to the price of 55¢ per minute as charged on the ship.

    In the evening, we experienced a fabulous stage production called ‘ulalena (ulalena.com). This was a powerful story of myth, magic and the history of Maui told by performers who blended dance and song to tell their tale. Rich costumes, lighting and stage design are woven together to produce fantastic images drawn from Hawaiian legend and history. The Hawaiian musicians are incredibly talented and provide a vibrant world of sound to accompany the show. If you are ever on Maui – go see this show!