ENJOY THE VIEW
How precious
and fleeting is life? How fortunate that we have lived and breathed and laughed
and loved for all these days? As the recent lava flows on the Big Island threaten
the town of Pahoa, we are reminded of the capriciousness of life. Our time in
Eden is sadly, short-lived, both figuratively and literally. Yet, imbued with
the infectious Aloha spirit where time slows and attitudes lilt, Team VFH realizes
how serendipity and chance can soften the blows of such realities, or
unfortunately add to our grief. Well, rather than cobbling together a list of
cautionary tales perhaps it is better to just sit back and enjoy the view, and
what better place than in Hawaii.
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| Maui Palms (C) Pierre Leclerc |
Of
course, opting to travel to Hawaii is not done lightly, especially for your
favorite cheapskates. The cost of such a trip cannot be ignored. Airfares are steep. Food can be expensive and Hawaii’s gas prices are the highest in the
United States. It is far away. This tropical archipelago is the most isolated
population center in the world. California is 2,300 miles away and Japan is
3,800 miles distant. You can’t go much further west before you hit the
International Date Line and the day starts anew. So, if you come this far you
should not complain about the costs; just enjoy the view. What is particularly fascinating
is that on this range of massive volcanic mountains, just barely peeking above
the blue Pacific, one has the same expectations of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness as they would in New Jersey.
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| NEW JERSEY PALM |
Okay,
I’ll give you the scenery and weather of Hawaii’s Eden is a bit lovelier than
New Jersey’s Eden, although paradise in both places is fairly expensive. A
recent article puts Hawaii and NJ in the top seven most expensive places to
live in the United States. Yes, it may be a “self-evident truth,” but it’s
gonna cost ya. If you opt to travel to Hawaii then, throw out your budget. Considering a move? Convince yourself you won't survive "island fever"; your pocketbook will be happier in the long run.
Here’s a game to
play. This website compares cost of living between cities. I compared my historic and touristed little river town, Lambertville, New Jersey with Lahaina, a spirited tourist town on the Valley Isle, Maui. According to the website it is 38% more expensive in Lahaina, Maui
than my place in New Jersey. I admit it’s not a very fun game for dreamers.
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| Going FULL TOURIST |
SERENDIPITY AND CHANCE AND HAPPY HOURS
Thankfully there is one self-evident truth in Hawaii that surprisingly is not expensive. In fact Happy Hours, that sensible catering to the thirsty masses, are rather pervasive on Maui. One might not expect Hawaii and especially Maui, to be so reasonable, but even in the deepest recesses of the resort stretch along the Ka’anapali coast on West Maui one can find a number of places to get out of the sun and drink cheaply. Some of the joints are on the beach offering incredible views of the ocean and others are in strip malls, and some are hidden in industrial neighborhoods. There is a website that can help you navigate through all the options. It is from 2013, but hey, this is Aloha time central, so you know this is still up-to-date. MAUI HAPPY HOURS
Thankfully there is one self-evident truth in Hawaii that surprisingly is not expensive. In fact Happy Hours, that sensible catering to the thirsty masses, are rather pervasive on Maui. One might not expect Hawaii and especially Maui, to be so reasonable, but even in the deepest recesses of the resort stretch along the Ka’anapali coast on West Maui one can find a number of places to get out of the sun and drink cheaply. Some of the joints are on the beach offering incredible views of the ocean and others are in strip malls, and some are hidden in industrial neighborhoods. There is a website that can help you navigate through all the options. It is from 2013, but hey, this is Aloha time central, so you know this is still up-to-date. MAUI HAPPY HOURS
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| Doing research at Duke's |
Of course, with such a list one may have to throw out all other activities on Maui if you wanted to binge your way through all the listings! During a week of non-stop antics for your favorite moochers it was a wonder we managed to find the time to quench our thirst.
Readers of this blog may remember our week of Maui exploring. On Monday we did the much ballyhooed "Road to Hana" and survived. Tuesday we went full-tourist and attended the Old Lahaina Luau. Wednesday was a beach day at Makena State Park's Little Beach and then a Willie K Dinner Show at Mulligan's on the Blue that evening. Thursday we went snorkeling at the crescent shaped islet Molokini and Friday had us greeting the sun atop Mount Haleakala before hurtling white-knuckled down the massive shield volcano on bikes.
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| Mai-Tai's at Dukes |
MAUI BREWING COMPANY
Since our arrival on Hawaii I had been drinking the Maui Brewing Company's Big Swell IPA in cans and our first research drinking soiree was to go to the source. Inside the large, airy brewpub contrasts the strip mall location. They offer an extensive variety of very good MBC beers that are written on chalkboards and a strip of ice embedded in the bar to keep your selection cold. Decent price for burgers and the Happy Hour is daily from 3-6 pm and beers are $5.00 for pints.
MAUI BREWING COMPANY
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| Maui Brewing Company |
DUKE'S BEACH HOUSE
I'm always wary about slick, touristy joints like Duke's Beach House. It screams expensive. After all it is right on the Ka'anapali Beach Boardwalk with resorts everywhere. On our first day on Maui we took a stroll along the boardwalk and were pleasantly surprised by their "Aloha" hour prices. From 3-5 pm many of their beer offerings are under $5 and Mai-Tai's were $6. We were fully expecting our libations to set us back a day's pay or two! Of course, Janet insisted on eating the flowers they floated in our drinks!
DUKE'S BEACH HOUSE
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| Sunset at Hula Grill |
HULA GRILL's BAREFOOT BAR
This joint is right on the ocean and we snagged a couple of pews at the crowded Hula Grill Barefoot Bar to drink some Mai-Tai's and watch the sunset. This evening it seemed everyone had the same idea. Located at the very busy Whaler's Village shopping mall, the Hula Grill brimmed with tourists. Thankfully live music, sand a beautiful sunset and pupus like Hawaiian Creviche and Crab & Macademia Nut Wontons, helped us overlook the commotion. Their Aloha hour is also 3-5 pm and features $6 Mai-Tai's.
HULA GRILL
Speaking of serendipity it certainly was a pleasant surprise to discover Betty's Beach Cafe our last evening on Maui. This little gem is on Front Street in Lahaina but far enough from the burgeoning tourist areas. We went there on a Friday evening and it was quiet. Betty's Beach Cafe is set in the back of an unassuming little mall, but the back lanai has not only a great view of the ocean and sunsets, but also free view of the smaller and more intimate Feast at Lele Luau. This luau features fire dancing, something the Old Lahaina Luau does not. So, if you're inclined to save money you can reserve a seat with Betty on her lanai.
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| view from Betty's lanai |
Betty's Beach Cafe is open from 8 am for breakfast through to midnight. With food specials like Wednesday night lobster dinners and daily drink specials like $2 margaritas and $3 mai-tais for their early and late happy hours Betty's Beach Cafe should be a destination for the budget conscience whether or not you want to see the luau for free. Had we more time in Maui I would have insisted on becoming a regular at this joint.
BETTY'S BEACH CAFE
Okay, if you're interested in spending money you too can go FULL TOURIST and go to the Feast at Lele Luau. Go here for particulars: FEAST AT LELE But, here is a sample of what you'll see from Betty's lanai!
