Friday, July 28: in Paradise but Still Running Errands
I woke up about 6:15, and immediately sprinted for the lanai after pausing briefly to (quietly) make a cup of coffee. Sitting in a rocking chair, sipping coffee and reveling in the quiet of a street that was humming with activity just 10 hours earlier, I knew this would be an every-morning tradition during our week on Maui. I wrote some and read some and mostly just rocked along – a simple but divine pleasure for someone who is used to waking up with “Mom, I gotta go pottyyyyyyy.” or “GAGURT, CEEEEEL!” (Yogurt & cereal, for the untrained ear). Around 8:30 I poked my head into the room, where Rick was awake and writing renew vows for our anniversary (which was today!). After he finished up, we mozied down to breakfast at the Pioneer Inn restaurant. The restaurant was calm and open air, with a breeze rolling in off the ocean across the street. We filled up on approximately 10 cups of coffee, and Rick ordered half a pineapple and huevos rancheros, while I opted for the macadamia nut pancakes and biscuits and sausage gravy (the latter of which I seem incapable of refusing if presented on a menu). Rick said the pineapple was the sweetest he’s ever tasted, while careful to note that the paradise setting may have influenced his taste buds a bit. The macadamia nut pancakes were also bursting with flavor and didn’t skimp on the nuts. The deal (under $25 with a 15% off coupon from the hotel) was unbeatable. Probably our best bang-for-the-buck on Maui the entire week.
Fueled by two back-to-back great meals and a full night sleep, we decided to pack up and head up the coast (still in our super cool Mustang duh) to check-in to the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, where we’d be for the next 7 nights. Though check-in wasn’t until 4, we’d heard that the earlier you get there the better the room you’ll receive. I don’t know if there is any truth to that – but who am I to refuse a leisurely drive up the Maui coast and an early afternoon luxuriating in an oceanside resort? After check-in we dropped our luggage with the valets and did a quick tour around the resort grounds. I settled into a comfy cabana chair to read and write my vows while Rick took off for a mysterious (and I’m sure had nothing at all to do with our anniversary) errand.
About an hour later, I caught a glimpse of the fire engine red of the Mustang as it flashed through the bushes and I knew my chariot had arrived. I hopped in and we headed about a mile north to the unbelievably-named Snorkel Bob store. I had reserved for the week two beach chairs and cooler for $30 after seeing that the same trio would rent for $30/day at our resort. We picked out two nice Tommy Bahama chairs, a cooler, and Rick inexplicably asked after the free book promised online with the reservation – the Life and Times of Snorkel Bob. Ah, what an enlightening, majestic read that must be. With time to kill we wandered into a few souvenir shops and then headed down to Safeway to stock up on perishables and other things we missed at Costco the day before. In advance of our trip, Rick had mentioned looking forward to hearing me try to pronounce all the Hawaiian words, and I must say on this first day of navigating I did not disappoint.
Me: Turn left on Honewahpal… ahpal….powli…ni… ni drive.
Rick: What?
Me: Turn left on Honewahpal… ahpal….powli…ni… ni drive.
Rick: (glances at GPS)… Honoapiilani?
Me: THAT’S WHAT I JUST SAID.
With our errands done and still no word from the resort about our room being ready, we stopped in L&L Hawaiian BBQ joint that we had eyed earlier. We split a teriyaki chicken bowl with rice and veggies. Nothing to write home about (although literally here I am… writing home about it), it was cheap and hit the spot as something to field off hangriness but not totally spoil our anniversary dinner. After our snack we hit a stroke of perfect timing - the Westin called us just as we were pulling into the parking lot at 3:30 to confirm our room was ready. We headed up to a gorgeously appointed room on the South end of the resort with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Because this was a timeshare resort (that also operated as a hotel), we had a full 1-bedroom, 750 square foot condo, complete with a full kitchen (much nicer than the one at home...) and a bathroom that was more or less double the size of our son's bedroom. We fancy. There was even a water closet! For a couple who is accustomed to sharing an 1,100 square foot home with our two young children, we didn't know what to do with all this space. (jk I immediately spread out like a starfish on the couch.) Facing southeast, we'd miss the sunsets, but we both agreed we preferred the unfettered ocean-view to the sunset view, which would also inevitably include the expansive pool area and, as a result, echoes from dozens of kids' voices. I love children – obvs – but when I’m without my own I am generally either a.) relishing in quiet or b.) irrationally tearing up at the sight of a 2 year old toddling and babbling near me because OMG he’s just like Jay never mind he’s a different race and maybe a girl?
Our luggage (which consisted of a bag, fruit, and alcohol from Costco #vacay) arrived about 20 minutes later, leaving just enough time to unpack and dress for dinner without feeling rushed. We headed out for the Sea House Restaurant, which was on a quiet, reserved stretch of beach about five miles north of us. Tucked into the cove of the Napili Bay, I made a reservation for 5:30 (when they opened for dinner) to assure us a seat right against the beach with an unobstructed view of the sunset, which was due to set behind the rural island of Molokai in the northwest distance.
We ordered the poke nachos to begin with, poke being something we both wanted to try. A Hawaiian specialty that is becoming more in vogue as a trendy food in the East (because of course) it generally consists of raw ahi tuna dressed in a soy sauce or sesame oil vinaigrette with green onions. When we ordered this appetizer, I realized I had been pronouncing poke wrong all along (saying poke… you know, like it’s spelled in the Roman alphabet, anglo pronunciation). In fact, it’s pronounced po-kay, an embarrassment I thankfully was able to keep to myself since Rick did the talking. Poke nachos? Gross. Po-kay nachos? Yum. Tasting the poke nachos, we were hooked – this despite the fact that the “nacho” part of our order consisted of, literally, four chips and a few drizzles of Siracha mayo. (ah fine dining) For our entrees, Rick ordered the Mongchong fish, which he said was delicious but looked suspiciously like tilapia-masquerading-as-Hawaiian-specialty to me (Rick continues to assure me it was very good), and I ordered the lobster and shrimp mac and cheese because a.) how could you not and b.) it contained all my favorite food groups: seafood, cheese, and gluten. We dug into coffee and shared a piece of unbelievable ice cream pie (it had a fancier name I can’t remember but it was ice cream pie).
The sun had just began to set as we got dessert, so we settled up and strolled outside to revel in the beauty and take approximately a dozen selfies thanks to Rick, professional photographer. After the sun slipped below the horizon, we headed to our car and made the quick drive back to our resort. We exchanged a few sentiments and vows to mark our 5th wedding anniversary, and the mysterious errand Rick had set out to run earlier that day was in fact a beautiful necklace made of Koa wood in the emblem of a wave to mark our anniversary. We settled in nicely on our first full night in Maui, and were ready for a full adventure tomorrow.
