The Magnificence of Maui
BY ANN PARENTI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANN PARENTI & CURTIS MCCOY
Hawaii has always had a special place in my heart since I was a young child. When my father was in the military, the Army sent him to Schofield Barracks, the military base on Oahu, Hawaii, and my mother and I moved to be with him. That was around 1965, and the war in Vietnam was going on. That year they sent over U.S. troops, and my father was one of them.
I think we were in Hawaii for less than a month when my father received the transfer papers to leave. There we were, my mother and I, alone in Hawaii for almost two years after that. It wouldn’t have been so awful, but my mother couldn’t drive! We walked everywhere we went. Let’s just say we were very tan and in tip-top shape when we left the island in 1967 and knew the island a little more intimately than others who just drove by areas of the island to get to their destinations.
To make it a tad more complicated, we lived off barracks in the early days and finally moved into military housing later during our time on the island. It was an experience I have never forgotten, and when we moved away, I knew I would make it back one day to the islands when I got older. I kept in touch with Esther, a childhood friend I made while we were there, and we wrote letters to each other for ten years while growing up. When I moved to Las Vegas in 1977, my first vacation was Oahu, and I saw her for the first time in all those years! It was a fun reunion.
Fast forward to September 1996, I had just married my husband Curtis, and we decided to honeymoon in Kauai. Sadly, you could still see the ramifications of the Sept. 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki. That incident damaged or destroyed most of the structures on this 627 square-mile island, with property damage totaling $1.8 billion. It was recovering slowly by then, but it took years for them to recover fully. However, emotionally, I don’t think they ever will. It left one-third of the island homeless, and not one resident on the island didn’t experience some loss or another. It was a beautiful and charming honeymoon, and we enjoyed our trip there, but the next trip we made, we decided upon Maui.
When we got to Maui, I suddenly found “home.” There is something about that island that feels like I belong there. To this day, I cannot explain it. Since our first visit, we have visited Maui annually for over 20 years. I suspect we will rack up a few more trips in the future.
We have returned to Kauai a few times for business trips. About 20 years ago, we visited Oahu to see our daughter Sondra marry, and our granddaughter Shyann was born there. Ironically, the family was stationed on the same base as I was as a child. Talk about full circle. A few years before COVID, we did a layover and visited our friends Marilyn and Denny in Oahu for a few days; that was the last time we spent there.
Maui is our home away from home … at least for a couple of weeks each year. One side of Maui reminds me of our own home in the desert as you drive down the highway and look to one side and see nothing but red rocks and dry landscaping and then look to the other side of the road and see that gorgeous emerald, blue ocean welcoming us back to the island. It’s such a strange combination.
When we arrive, we do what all good tourists who own a timeshare do—stop at the Costco by the airport and get what we need for the trip! We have a unique condo in Kahana Beach that sits as close to the ocean as possible. I am positive there are no other current structures built in the last 30 years or more that can offer this spectacular view. There are only 88 units in total and only 12 one-bedroom condos, and we are blessed to have one of the one-bedroom units. The rest of the resort offers only studio apartments. The best part of this property is every room has an ocean view.
We also have another property that is more traditional in today’s times, but you can only see the ocean from afar. That would be the Westin at Kaanapali. The two weeks we spend in Hawaii provide a totally different experience based on the resort where we stay. The Kahana Beach property feels more intimate and homier, and the Westin feels more like a resort with many amenities and action and certainly more people! We seem to have stumbled on the best of both worlds while we vacation there.
What I love about the island is the ease of getting around it. You would be hard pressed to get lost there unless you strayed off the beaten paths. We like to visit upcountry while we are there at least once, and one of the fun trips we make while we are there is the Ali-i Kula Lavender Farm in Kula. The farm is nestled on the slopes of Haleakala National Park, and here the visitors can admire over 55,000 lavender plants and other species like olive trees, hydrangeas, and succulents. The air is always fresh and cool, and the gardens are very calm and charming. Don’t forget to make sure you try their lavender tea and lavender scone while sitting out on the patio enjoying the view.
When we head to that part of the island, we usually make a day of it and drive back through the little towns of Makawao and Paia to do a little shopping and visit friends we have made over the years at their shops. When life was not so hectic, we would make our last stop at Mama’s Fish House in Paia, but now you need reservations months in advance to get in the door. The tourists are back!
One of my favorite secret gardens there is two miles below Makawao Town called The Sacred Garden. It is a lovely Zen Garden with a meditation garden and two labyrinths. They also have a nursery. It is run by the Divine Nature Alliance, a 501c3 public charity that generously sponsors the entrance fee to the garden, so the gardens remain free to the public! It is off the beaten path, but once you find it, you will visit it time and time again.
I cannot write this article without mentioning the Road to Hana. Take it from someone who has done the trip three or four times over the years—don’t try driving this yourself! I did years ago and lived to talk about it, but I will NEVER do that again.
Especially now, it has been under road construction for quite some time, and they do not allow large buses or stopping along the way to view the beautiful waterfalls and the greenery. It’s just too dangerous and annoys the locals! I recommend taking the trip at least once but leave it to the professionals to get you back safe and sound.
One time we were in one of the smaller vans that go up there, and we had to pull over due to the one-lane roads. I happened to look down at the vehicle alongside us and saw Woody Harrelson looking at us with a very annoyed face! I wish I had the thought to pull out my camera, but it was a long time ago, and iPhones were not quite around yet. The look on his face still cracks me up just thinking about it today! I am not sure Willy Nelson would be as upset, but maybe so; he lives in Paia, where driving isn’t so harrowing.
If you drive to the other side of the island near Wailea, you will find it has a different feel and a higher-end clientele since the Four Seasons Resort is in Wailea. It is a lovely part of the island, too. We have friends who have stayed there over the years, and we drove to meet them for dinner on one of their visits. There is a beautiful outdoor shopping mall called The Shops at Wailea that offers plenty of excellent restaurants and stores to choose from. This year, we stumbled upon a fun Hawaiian Hula show in the mall plaza, and it was delightful to see the costumes, the dancers of all ages, and a Hawaiian band to give the story behind the dance. We were fortunate enough to get a very oversized chair Curtis and I both could sit in to watch the show and enjoy the island breeze and the music.
Of course, there are tons of tours to take while you are in Maui, whether it is scuba diving, a sunset dinner cruise, numerous luaus, or biking to Haleakala and watching the sunrise. There never is a dull moment in Maui unless you want to chill out at the beach or poolside and read a good novel.
Now, let’s talk about the food! Wherever you eat—I recommend the fish! I did not have a lousy seafood dinner while dining in Hawaii. Our personal favorites off Front Street are Lahaina Grill, Lahaina Fish Co., and Fleetwood’s. For fun, on a less formal night, visit Cheeseburger in Paradise and Cool Kats Café, known for its burgers and fries and live music most nights.
In the Hyatt, you will find Son’z Steakhouse. The Hyatt also has one of the most popular luaus on site. Higher in the mountains, right outside of Kahana, The Plantation House Restaurant and Golf Club has a beautiful brunch. Also, near Kahana, The Gazebo is a fabulous place for breakfast and turtle watching, but I must warn you, there will be a line.
When you get over to the more mainstream hotels like the Marriott and Westin, Leilani’s and Hula Grill are our favorites, too. The good news is that many restaurants are bringing back live music while you dine or have drinks in the bar. Like many other tourist destinations, live music was devastated during the Covid times. I am happy to see some life returning to the world of tourism and the music industry.
Now that the very restrictive travel rules were lifted this year, Hawaii has gone mad with new visitors, so I recommend booking your restaurants and tours well in advance. Also, upon returning to the airport, plan more than enough time to get through their agricultural checkpoint, baggage ticketing, baggage drop point, and the extraordinarily long lines through TSA. Let’s just say when we were there in June, it took three hours to arrive at our gate, and we had 20 minutes before the flight departed. I am so glad I had a premonition to get there earlier than I would typically have in the past years.
It’s always somewhat melancholy when we say aloha to our home away from home every year, but we can hear the island calling us back until we meet again.
Mahalo, Maui, for all the beautiful times, sunsets, rainbows, and memories you have given us over the years, and until next time, you will always be in our hearts.
