We awakened on Day 2, our first official day on the island and I'm pretty certain I woke up at 6 a.m. I changed into my workout clothes and running shoes and headed down to the beach for my first run of the trip. The Kaanapali resort area has this awesome mile and a half long sidewalk that meanders between the resorts and the shore. 3 miles was a beautiful way to begin each day and wasn't hard to put my running shoes on when I knew where I was headed and the view from the path.
After my run I met Mom & Tiff downstairs for our first breakfast at the resort which meant we were headed to the orientation/welcome breakfast. I wasn't sure what to expect because I had never stayed anywhere that offers a welcome meal, but it was definitely beneficial to us. As we ate our meal the hotel staff gave a power point presentation on all of the activities they offer for free at the resort as well as the paid excursions they recommend on the island. We sat with two guys from Sweden who I don't believe were as into the suggestions as we all were but to each his own.
Afterward we set up the classes we wanted to take at the resort that week: ukulele lessons, hularobics and lei making. We also decided to buy tickets to the hotel's magic show and dinner theater. Once we had our plan for the week we got in our Jeep and headed out to a little town North of us. They had a farmers market that Kat (from our hotel staff) recommended. We were talked into buying all kinds of food…fresh pineapple, candied ginger, cookies, papaya and pineapple scones, banana bread… it was all delicious but our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs because we did not eat it all before it was time to head home.
Across from the farmers market was a beautiful beach (pretty much the same glorious perk everywhere we drove…beautiful beaches). We walked out to it and got our feet wet for a few minutes because you just can't say no! Mom wanted to take us to some shopping centers that she likes to frequent when she is in Maui and we did a little perusing. We ate lunch at the one restaurant I had begged to visit. I had read about Aloha Mixed Plate before we left Texas and couldn't wait to try their "mixed plate" of all things. ;0) (The restaurant is located next to the Old Lahaina Luau and owned by the same family. Sheldon, a contestant on Top Chef, used to work in their kitchen). Tiff ordered the grilled chicken sandwich but was later disappointed she didn't order something more adventurous…BUT her chicken breast was ginormous and she said it was tasty. Mom ordered the Ono and as I said I ordered the mixed plate. I also ordered the day's special appetizer which was like a ceviche crab…the entire crab. It was messy. I smelled like crab all day. Our waiter actually lived in Texas and went to SMU on a soccer scholarship for college. I made friends with him and he gave us a free bowl of ahi tuna, raw ahi tuna! It was the first time for all three of us to try it but we all did and none of us spit it out. I liked it enough to eat several pieces but that dang mixed plate was so stinkin' good I tried to focus on it. For dessert we split a small piece of their pineapple upside down cake. yum.
That afternoon we went back to the hotel where Tiff and I headed down to the beach for an hour or so while Mom read her book and rested upstairs. I had a friend tell me to pack my own cheap floats for the beach and I found a twin pack of inflatable noodles at TJ MAXX. It was a fantastic tip. We used them to float while we "snorkeled" on the top of the water. I bought my own snorkel set from amazon for $20 and packed it as well. To go with all of this she told me to go to a souvenir store and purchase a special bag to put my iPhone in so that it become submersible. So friggin' cool. Great tips Dee Dee! The sand at the beach is hot as hell. I am serious, I imagine my feet burning like that if I ever had to step into hell (thankfully I do not because I know Jesus as my Savior, but you get my point). I'm talking hot. It's totally fine during the morning and the evening when the sun isn't directly overhead, but my guess is the lava rocks, which make up a large part of the sand particles, heat up in the sun and then when you walk across it…holy smokes! I'm seriously glad no one was near me the first time I did b/c I cussed like a sailor…it's the only thing that would come out of my mouth! (Again, I am being REAL on my blog. No judgement from anyone for my potty mouth confession).
That night we got all gussied up for our reservation at the Old Lahaina Luau. This is a MUST for anyone on Maui. We saw other luaus from the beach and they looked very hokey. This Luau was art. It was beautiful. The food was served buffet style and I thought it was very good. We tried Poi for the first time. It is a Hawaiian staple and was a means for survival before America invaded. Poi is made from the Taro plant which grows all over the island. The plant is used for a ton of different reasons and we ate it in four different forms during our trip. Poi is packed with protein and has the consistency of pudding but the flavor reminded Tiff and I a lot of refried beans in Texas. ha! Not something I'd want to eat everyday but not so bad that I wouldn't either. The dancers at the luau were fantastic and I found comfort in the women who were beautiful and curvaceous but I could tell from the way their belly buttons were shaped and their skin hung they had babies at home. They didn't care and neither did anyone else. Their dances and bodies were beautiful. The dance told the story of Hawaii from its origins, through the missionaries and Americanization to now. I can understand why some Hawaiian youths hold animosity towards the states for what has been done and taken from their islands, but I also wonder if we had not annexed them…who would have been there next? Off my soap box...
Click on the pics below to go thru the gallery of Day 2:
