Hearts in Hawai'i
Our Trip to Maui (2008)--Day 6
3/22/2008
Mornings On The Beach
Patty initiated this little tradition during our 2007 trip, of walking the beach in front of the hotel each morning. It's slightly more than a half-mile in length, with hard packed sand (at least in the morning before and sun softens the sand) which is easy for walking. I usually join her for at least part of it.
Morning in Lahaina is a mellow, relaxed time. If you walk on Front Street, the shops haven't opened yet and it's relatively free of pedestrian traffic. Contrast that to evenings when it turns into a beehive of activity with all the restaurants, shops and galleries open and catering to the multitude of tourists who converge upon the area.
Morning at the Lahaina Shores is even nicer. If you have an oceanfront room, you can sit on the lanai with your coffee and watch the first rays of sunlight playing across Lanai in the distance. The ocean waves are quieter at this time of day, even more so considering this stretch of water is protecting by an offshore reef. On the beach, you can watch the sun arise over the summit of the West Maui Mountains while walking this palm and coconut tree lined beach. Residents are out taking their dogs for their morning walks. A few homeless folks are waking up and packing up their gear before heading out to wherever they're going on that day. A nearby surfing school jumps into action before 8:00, and you can see the instructors and their students going through their lessons prior to hitting the water. All in all, it's an incredibly peaceful way to start your day. Of the things we like about Maui, this nears the top of the list.
There aren't many people out catching tan in the mornings; many are doing activities. In the afternoon, the action picks up and most of the lawnchairs in the yard at the hotel are taken by mid-afternoon. Two gas grills at the south end of the resort are available for use. We've mulled over the idea of getting some steaks and having a feast in lieu of paying $$$$ for a restaurant meal, but at this point it's just idle talk. Just another day in the Lahaina sun!
Flatbread Company
Yet another recommendation by the Jacobsons' book and one which is a somewhat lengthy drive up to the funky town of Pa`ia. A huge booth awaits us in a somewhat loud place. Flatbread Company isn't known for its intimacy; it's known for what's considered by some to be the best pizza on Maui. We're here to test the hype and voice our opinion on the issue. There was 70's music playing and I had the feeling that these songs all were popular before our young waitress, Jody, was born. She was very nice and explained how all the ingrediants in their pizza are natural, etc. They don't put tomato sauce on their pizza unless you request it (rather similar to B.J.'s Chicago Pizzaria which uses stewed tomatoes unless you request they substitute the sauce). Jody steered us away from the sauce and also attempted to dissuade us from getting pepperoni. We should have listened to her on that point but didn't. The pepperoni was sweet and detracted from the other flavors in the pizza. Overall, the pizza was quite fresh and fairly tasty. But the best pizza on Maui? No...we consider B.J.'s to still be the best. Flatbread is (maybe) the second best.
Previous: 3/21/2008--Our Trip to Maui (2008)--Day 5
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