With a three-hour time difference, it was no surprise to find ourselves up early on our first day. We were serenaded by an ensemble of tropical birds, and the colours outside our window let us know we had arrived in paradise.

First order of business? Caffeinate! Sharon and I let the kids continue to sleep and set off down the S. Kihei Road to see what’s in the area. We found S&Q’s Coffee and Shave Ice Shack where we were able to top up. We drove the rest of Kihei’s main commercial area and noted things to try later, and marvelled at the never-ending beach running parallel to the road.

Back at our room, we roused the youths and started considering what we wanted to get done. First order of business would be to get some breakfast! This was an easy decision as we’d had many recommendations for the Kihei Caffe.
The recommendations were spot-on. Although there was a significant line when we arrived, we were through it in about 20 minutes. Patrons passed around the menus as we approached the front of the line, and a good thing, too – there were so many choices! Some breakfasts we can personally recommend: cheese omelette (so big I couldn’t eat it all); Huevos Rancheros; french toast; and fruit platter – so sweet it was like a plate full of candy! Delicious all around.

Yes, those are lemons.

Next, time to load up the fridge. To make a bit of an adventure out of it, we headed up to Paia to have a little drive and to see the surfer town. Paia has an almost frontier town style to it, with narrow roads and wooden storefronts. We had a quick stop in a “general store” which turned out to be a souvenir shop; stopped in a swimsuit shop; then found Mana Foods, as organic/natural/healthy a store as you’re ever likely to discover. The store is clearly an institution with an old local grocery store feel to it – long isles of produce, staples in shelves reaching well above your head, wooden floors, short checkout areas. We found lots of great fruits and vegetables here, and picked up some snacks for the road as well.

Then it was back to Kehei to locate the local Safeway for a few more items, and then back to our room, where we had a leisurely lunch.

This afternoon we stayed closer to “home” going first to Whaler’s General Store to get some sunscreen (and salsa, and – oh look, some local beer!), and then back to S&Q’s – this time for the shaved ice! So many options for what is NOT a snowcone :). Pictured is my Kihei Sunset, made with “shark’s blood” (raspberry) and other flavours, and topped with haupia (coconut cream). I also opted for an ice cream centre. Perfect treat for an afternoon in the sun.

From here we were drawn into the stores of the Rainbow Mall. Despite their tourist trapping fronts and tacky selections, there were also some real finds in the local stores – quite a variety of jewelry, clothing and decorative items.

Then it was time for the beach! So many to choose from! So we picked from the list of recommendations and started with Mokapu Beach – apparently a whale magnet, which was located not far from our place. One of our first thoughts on arriving was “Wow – these beaches exist in the real world – not just Photoshop!” It’s hard to describe the smoothness of the sand, the colours of the water and sky, or the quality of the air – many tour books have tried and the only thing they have exactly right is that it must be experienced to be appreciated.

We spent quite awhile splashing in the surf, walking down the beach, not seeing whales, and soaking up sunshine. The temperature was balmy in the upper 20Cs and we enjoyed just losing ourselves in the shoreline for awhile.

Eventually, however, we found ourselves thinking about dinner and began our retreat from Eden. As we considered what we’d like to eat, I remembered that one of Maui’s best secondary industries was located nearby and so we made a quick trip up to the Maui Brewing Company – note the significant tasting room area, which would be worth another visit! I asked for a six-pack of whatever my server thought would best introduce me to Maui brewing – looking forward to finding out what he chose.

And now to dinner at Maui Tacos! Ross is a big fan of hot sauces right now so this seemed like a good choice (as well as being another recommendation). There are a few of these on the islands, and they position themselves a Mexican-Hawaiian fusion dining. Not a fancy resturaunt experience – more of a pizza-by-the-slice environment – but quick service and lots of options. And delicious! We can recommend the quesadilla and the “original” maui taco.

Satisfied with our meal and with our day, we headed back to our room, and then quickly down to the beach for sunset – quite a big deal around here as many others were also congregating on the beach, and conch shells blew as the sun went down. Mother Nature struts her stuff.

We showered off back in our room, and considered a trip out to Makawao for the famous Maui Friday Town Party. Tempting, but too tired for that, we decided that a dip in the pool (and hot tub!) would be a great way to finish up. Refreshed, we returned to our room and had a round of 5 Crowns before drifting off to our books, games, etc., and eventually to bed.