Hearts in Hawai'i
Our Trip to Maui (2008)--Day 5
3/21/2008
Maui Ocean Center
After talking to Rick about his experience at the Maui Ocean Center and hearing about the new sharks they had introduced to one of the exhibits, we purchased discounted ($23, only a dollar off) tickets from Ali at the Expedia activities desk, and took a nice mid-morning drive to Ma`alea, featuring views of the shimmering, turquoise waters of the Pacific as we drove.
Overall, it was a decent activity to spend a few hours at. They have hand-held listening devices where you punch in the number of the exhibit you're viewing (they're all numbered) and listen to educational info about what's in that exhibit. They're $3 to rent--not a bad deal--but we pass. We were in time to catch one of the daily Manta Ray feedings, which was pretty impressive. Rating: 6.
Makawao Steak House
In previous trips to Maui, we hadn't explored much of Upcountry; we'd been through that area in the past during a bus tour up Haleakala to view the sunrise, but we'd never spent much time checking out what was up there in towns such as Pukalani, Kula and Makawao. James' and Molly's book on Maui restaurants held the Makawao Steak House in high regard, so we thought it would be a nice stop off on our way back from a day trip up Haleakala. We never got around to the Haleakala trip, but we wanted to check out this restaurant so we made reservations.
The lounge opened at 5:00, a half-hour before the dining area opens up. While sitting in the lounge enjoying pre-dinner drinks, we watched another couple arguing somewhat loudly, obviously having had too much to drink during the day. We were hoping they wouldn't be seated near us. Naturally, they ended up being seated at a table right next to us! Apparently the woman hadn't had anything to eat in quite some time (funny how an extended period of drunkeness will do that ), and she wasn't shy about this fact. She punctuated her "demand" by pounding her fist on the table and nearly yelling "I...WANT...FOOD....NOW!!!". Yikes! We listened to this for 15 minutes or so before heading to the salad bar. I joked with the waitress that I hoped the entertainment was free; I don't know if she understood I was joking because she reacted with some embarrassment. Eventually the waitress went to their table and told them that she could no longer serve them alcohol, per the owner's instructions. Drunk Guy was pissed off but tried to act like it was cool--meanwhile, Drunk Lady was busy woofing the pupus they'd ordered. In any event, within ten minutes they asked for the check and were out the door, no doubt in search of another establishment where they could continue their path to oblivion. I had the feeling this was a fairly regular pursuit for them.
The waitress and owner both visited our table afterward and couldn't have been nicer, asking us if we'd like a free Mud Pie for dessert. Why, of course we would! For the remainder of our time, things were as we'd anticipated and better; the steaks, while expensive (over $30 for a New York Strip for Patty and my Filet was similarly priced), were as well prepared and tasty as any we'd eaten at other restaurants. Salad bar and baked potato were included, and the salad bar was excellent. Total bill was $83.
By the way, if you've never explored this area of Maui and only spent your time in the coastal areas, you're missing out. It's cooler up here (you lose three degrees for every thousand feet you gain in elevation) but it's green, beautiful and you have Haleakala's 10,000 foot peak looming above. It's an area we'd neglected in the past and intend to spend more time at in future trips.
Previous: 3/20/2008--Our Trip to Maui (2008)--Day 4
Index of Blog Pages
last updated november 13, 2021
|