My favorite week of the year

Even with our recent trip to Hawaii, this is my favorite week of the year. We're at Cornerstone Festival in western Illinois. Matt & I met here in 1998, but that's just one reason this place is so special. We meet up with Steve & Sara (my brother & sister-in-law), Jerry (from Atlanta), Jeff (also from Atlanta, though without his lovely wife this year), Scott & Heather (from Chicago) and Brian & Angela (now from Austin, so it's not as exciting to see them). We're missing some of our group this year, but you should get the picture. This is a reunion of sorts for us.

Cornerstone is hard to define, especially during the middle of it. It's music, community, worship, arts, and more in the cornfields of western Illinois. I'll write more post-fest, but for now, check out the daily updates we're writing at http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/blog/

Hawaiian Applique

I've been rendered immobile one again this week with bursitis in my heels (yes, both heels now!). Even though I haven't been able to walk around much, I was able to finish my second-ever Hawaiian applique block.


Head on over to flickr to see it larger.

This one is about 18" square and I designed it myself. It's supposed to look a little like some flowers we saw in Hana, Maui. It is entirely hand appliqued (needle-turn). I cut out the shape 1/8 to 3/16" beyond the lines I drew and turned them under by eye (which means no lines to follow, no freezer-paper, etc. which you sometimes have in hand applique).

It still needs to be finished into something (the lines you see are my ironing board cover, not the applique itself). My mom did a great job quilting my first Hawaiian Applique block, shown below. I still need to press it and make it into a pillow cover.



(it, too, is at flickr for a better view)

Thinking of my mom & applique, she & my dad are playing host to one of the best applique designers in the country today - Becky Goldsmith from Piece of Cake (she's coming to speak at my mom's quilt guild, I think).

Hawaii Trip: South Maui

Finally, here is part 6 of our Hawaii trip summary. Sorry for the delay; being back at work takes time I could spend blogging! :)

Part 6: South Maui

South Maui has some great beaches, some decent restaurants, and nice hotels. We stayed on the border of Kihei & Wailea. Kihei is marginally a residential area (condos, most of which I suspect are rentals most of the time). It has only a few hotels, but has quite a few easily-accessible nice beaches. Wailea is a master-planned community with hotels, shops, restaurants, and golfing. Both of these areas would naturally be in Haleakala's rain-shadow (meaning they'd be quite dry with almost no rain) but irrigation allows these areas to be a tourist's dream: little chance of rain, but everything is lush & green. Flowers like this were growing just outside our doors.

From Saturday (Kihei)

We stayed in a rental house. Staying in a house was nice for our group. We ate breakfast at the house almost every day, and enjoyed a communal-aspect to dinner many nights (with everybody helping out). We hung out and worked on our computers together (all of us are pretty geeky, so it wasn't uncommon to find multiple laptops open). We would have missed all of those things if we had stayed in a hotel (and honestly, we would probably have missed our guests too, since staying together made the costs lower).

We spent a lot of time around South Maui, but (as prior installments on my blog should make clear) we ventured out as well. I think that would be a good idea if you were to visit Maui. Don't be content to stay near your resort, venture out and see other areas.

One area that's easy to get to if in South Maui is La Perouse Bay. This park at the end of the paved road in south Maui has a blow-hole and other volcanic formations. Here's the blow-hole going off, with my Mom & I as a size reference.

From Monday (Kayak & Beaches)

There are also great beaches, other than just the one your hotel may be on. Big Beach is among our favorites. It's, well, BIG!

From Sunday in Maui - Big Beach, La Perouse, Sunset

Kihei is a good area to stay if you're coming with friends/family - because there are so many condos/rental homes. It was a good home-base for our group - a few of us pictured here (Matt, me, Steve, Sara).

From Saturday (Kihei)

We did many things in Wailea, also. One of my favorites was enjoying a lovely dinner at Mala with Matt on the day before we departed. It was Restaurant Week in Wailea, so we enjoyed meals from a special menu at a special price. But, mostly it was the company that made it such a special night!

From Saturday (Kihei)

We also did a kayaking trip from the Makena Landing area (south of the Wailea resorts). We went with Keli'i's Kayaks. We did their trip on the West Shore last fall, and that tour was a little better. Still, we had a good time kayaking and snorkeling, seeing giant sea turtles and lots of fish. Here are our friends & my parents in their kayaks:

From Maui - Waterproof Camera

Other interesting things about South Maui:

• Kamaole Beach Park (in downtown Kihei, if you can call it that) is a great beach. Kam I, II, & III, as they're called, are all easily-accessible parks with nice sand and good waves (enough to know you're in the ocean, but not to much to be scared). It's an especially good place for sunset. (even more than those pictures when it's not voggy)
  
• Kihei has a nice little quilt shop (called the Maui Quilt Shop, appropriately enough). They sell a lot of things common to quilters from the mainland, plus a good selection of Hawaiian-inspired patterns (especially applique) and hawaiian-inspired fabrics (especially batiks).
• Kihei has a few other nice shops. We enjoyed some of the shops in the Kalama Village shopping area. At first glance, this area may look like just another everything-imported-tourist-junk-zone, but it actually has a few local artists and shops. We especially enjoyed the soap/bath products stand, and the photography. There are also some good lower-cost restaurants in that area.
  
• You can get some good shave ice in Kihei as well, at Local Boy Shave Ice, in the Kalama Village. Pictures don't do it justice!

I think that about sums up our trip to 2009 Hawaii! It was a great trip. Though, I have to admit that about 2 weeks in, I started to crave breakfast tacos from Rudy's and anything else from Chuy's! (Sorry, Maui Taco, you just can't compare to tacos in Austin!) After our friend Brian picked us up at the Austin airport, we headed straight to Chuy's. Creamy jalapeno & chicka-chicka-boom-boom enchiladas are really good at welcoming us home.

From Home from Hawaiian Vacation

Home... Being in Maui made us appreciate living in Austin even more. So many people we met who asked where we were from would remark in awe that we're from Austin. Being in Hawaii is nice, but I'm glad to call this place home!

Hawaii: Haleakala

Part 5: Haleakala

(By the way, I figure this will go to just 6 parts.)

I think Haleakala is the feature that sets Maui apart from most pacific islands (the ones we've visited, at least). Haleakala is an actual mountain growing up out of an island, and you can go to the top. It's not a former-mountain, eroded down to a little blip. It's something that looms in the distance from so many sites, and is something you can actually visit.

Haleakala is a giant volcano (technically not extinct, but it's been centuries since any hint of an eruption), with a summit at 10,023 feet. Signs at the top indicate that if you measure from sea level, Haleakala is actually bigger than Mount Everest (photographic proof here). I think that's cheating, but maybe it illlustrates just how big this mountain is. And, consider that Haleakala sits on an island. When you go up it, chances are good that you started the day at less than 100 feet above sea level. So, it's fairly dramatic to get over 10K in just a few hours' drive.

As our guidebook pointed out, Haleakala is commonly referred to as a crater, but that's not technically correct. (read more at wikipedia) It doesn't have a distinctly round crater-shape (like Diamond Head on Oahu, for instance). It's technically some sort of erosion. But, for us non-geologists, it's roughly crater-like. Here's what "the crater" looks like on a mostly cloudy day:

From Friday in Maui - Haleakala

(There were too many clouds on both of our visits this year. We got better shots in 2008.)

Haleakala itself occupies much of the land-mass of Maui. Most people only head up the mountain to see the park, but there are some interesting sights along the way. One we enjoyed this year is the Kula Lavender Farm. The farm is free to visit (they hope you'll buy something of course) and has some gorgeous flowers like these (this hydrangea was the size of a basketball):

From Friday in Maui - Haleakala

Also part-way up Haleakala is the town of Makawao. Cute shops, a little on the new-agey side. But, it does have a lovely glass-blowing shop.

Past these areas (and the town of Kula), it's pretty much nothing but the park. Haleakala is a National Park. There's a $10/car entry fee (which is good for three days*). Yeah, you've got to factor in a rental car & gas, but $10 is a bargain for a place as interesting as this! The highway to the National Park feels like an adventure, with hair-pin turns and expansive views to fields far below. Once you're in to the National Park, though, you realize the adventure has just begun! The road loses the guardrails (um... if a 4 inch curb really going to keep me from plunging to my death?), has quite a few more turns, and gets a lot more narrow. This is one of those moments when I'm very happy the rental car is in Matt's name and I can't drive it!

If you go up Haleakala, be sure to stop at the Leleiwi overlook. It seems to me that most people breeze by this short hike with a parking lot. Their loss. Take the short hike around a corner and there's a viewing area of the entire crater. If it's not cloudy, you might capture a picture like this:

From Friday in Maui - Haleakala

And, if it's cloudy, you might at least get a picture like this, of your friends & family on the edge of the world:

From Wednesday (Haleakala again)

Haleakala is apparently also one of a few places where you can see the "Broken Spectre:" a phenomenon where your own shadow is cast on the clouds below you and you see a rainbow around your body. Here's a picture of a faint one, of Matt.

After about the 20 mile marker, you reach the upper visitor's center. Behind the visitor's center, you can either see great views of the park, or you can huddle for warmth. As you can see, we chose the later during one of our trips this year.

From Friday in Maui - Haleakala

The visitor's center has a short hike, which we did & enjoyed. It also has a longer hike (the Sliding Sands Trail) which Robert did part of. Read about that hike here; it's not for the faint of heart, I don't think.

The short hike takes you up a small hill, which can have views to the crater (or to clouds, as it was for us):

From Wednesday (Haleakala again)

Even on a relatively cloudy day, you may be able to see one or both of the peaks on the Big Island as well. Here's photographic proof.

About a half-mile past the visitor's center is the actual summit. We made it! (You can drive all but the last 20 feet or so.)

From Wednesday (Haleakala again)

From all the pictures I've seen, I believe the summit is a great place for sunrise. However, I don't really want to get up at 3am on my vacation and drive up a mountain road in the dark. So, we've chosen sunset instead. On this trip, there was too much vog & too many clouds for a great sunset, but it's still nice to feel on top of the world.

From Wednesday (Haleakala again)

Other tidbits about Haleakala & Upcountry Maui:

• There's not a lot of great food upcountry, at least not that we've found. Make your tummy happy and go home thru Pa'ia for dinner.
• Makawao has a nice public parking lot near the library. In May, Makawao is filled with leaves with great purple flowers, several of which bloom near the library. For a cold soda in that town, the liquor store by the library is a pretty good choice. No beverages to be found in the park, so grab some on the way up.
  
• Even if you don't want to spend money on hand-blown glass, try to visit Hot Island Glass for a demonstration. Interesting stuff if you haven't seen it before. And, they sell a few small bowls which can be good gifts. (At least we thought they were a good gift for Lisa for Christmas last year!)
  
• Start your trek up Haleakala with at least a mostly-full gas tank. You'll hardly use any fuel on the way down, but you don't want to run out, either.
  
• Oh, and going down is defintiely a time to use different gears on your car.
• There are observatories at the top of Haleakala. We imagine it's a good place for star-gazing, but haven't tried it ourselves.
  

*A 3-day pass is usually quite nice, since you can visit the coastal areas of the park, too. However, during our visit, since a bridge past Hana was under construction, we couldn't get there easily (yes, there's a back way, but rental cars + 1-lane gravel roads don't = fun for Becky). Too bad, since the coastal areas at Kipahula (also called the 'O'heo Gulch) are gorgeous. I bet Haleakala National Park is one of few (if not the only) National Park with areas at both sea-level and 10K ft!

Hawaii: West Maui

Part 4 in the trip summary: West Maui

Areas in West Maui offer some diversity. On one hand, you have Lahaina, which was a town at least as far back as the 1820's. On the other hand, you have areas like Ka'anapali or Kapalua, which have only been around since the 1960's or so (at the earliest). Lahaina has history with whale-fishers, and features a gorgeous banyan tree filling a central square around a historic courthouse. Ka'anapali & Kapalua are master-planned areas with corporate logos, manicured lawns, and fancy resorts. Together, these two areas work well together, especially for people like us who like nice hotels, but also want to explore some local flavor.

We stayed in Ka'anapali on our 2008 trip. On that trip, we went into Lahaina frequently for meals, shopping, surfing lessons, etc. On our 2009 trip, though we stayed in South Maui, we came this way several times as well.

If you go to Maui, you have a 50/50 chance of staying in West Maui (probably in/near Ka'anapali). But, even if you don't stay here, you ought to visit this area for a few reasons:

• Scenes looking over water to other islands.
• A cute town to stroll thru (with somequality local art that's not entirely mass-marketed).
• Pretty beaches & shorelines.
• Golf, if you're into that

Other islands:

From West Maui, if it isn't voggy*, you can see the islands of Lana'i and/or Molokai. I think this helps your brain realize you're on an island, not just the coast of California or something. To get the best views of Molokai, drive north towards Kapalua and beyond. At certain times of day, Molokai looks so interesting, with deeply-carved valleys and varying landscapes. Other times, it looks more like this:

From Friday in Maui (Kapalua)

There's also an excellent scenic overlook (clearly marked along the road) just as you head up into West Maui. Check it out for scenes like this:

View towards Haleakala:

From Maui Panoramas

View that includes Haleakala, Molokini (small islet/crater) and Ka'holoawe ("dead island").

From 2008 Maui Panoramas

A Cute Town:
Lahaina is definitely touristy. But, it also has a nice charm to it that some other tourist areas don't have. I think the many historical sites and the beautiful old banyan tree help keep Lahaina from feeling too much like just another tourist area with a Hard Rock Cafe.

Lahaina has free parking lots, which can be crowded, but we've always found a space. The heart of the town is along Front Street. Part of the street runs right along the harbor, which views over to Lana'i island. This street definitely has lots of touristy shops, but it also has some more unique shops, including antique maps, etc. (There's also a jewelry shop selling beads for Pandora bracelets; ask for their Hawaiian-inspired collections.)

Roughly in the middle of Lahaina is the courthouse and the Banyan Tree. Pictures can't capture this tree, which is about the size of a city block (yes, it's just one tree). Steve got a few pictures which show some of it, however.

The courthouse has 3 shops, clean restrooms, and a small whaling museum. The art shops are great here. It seems to be an art coop, with the actual artists often present working as sales people. All art in the shops is from people who have lived on Maui for at least 6 months. Art includes acrylics, watercolors, photography, ceramincs, etc. While there are quite a few shops all around the island that sell nice-looking art, we were especially impressed by this one. They have a smaller shop downstairs (in the old jail) as well.

Pretty beaches & shorelines:
In addition to views to surrounding islands, West Maui offers some nice beaches & shorelines (just like other parts of the island). Ka'anapali Beach is a wide sandy beach, easily accessible from all the Ka'anapali resorts (and not hard to get to for others, either). The beaches in Lahaina aren't great for swimming, but are good for surfing lessons. North from Ka'anapali, you find other beaches which are good for snorkeling.

One shoreline near Kapalua is quite good, an area called the Dragons Teeth. The rocks (which I think are volcanic) have been eroded by wave-action to look like a long row of sharp teeth. To get here, you'll have to walk across part of the Kapalua golf course (a security guard gave us permission to do so). Once at the end, you'll be rewarded with nice views of Molokai as well.

From Friday in Maui (Kapalua)

There are other scenic spots north from Kapalua which we visited in October 2008. On that trip, we took an awful one-lane on-the-side-of-a-cliff road from Kapalua around the north end of the island. We'll never do that again! However, you could still see many of the good sites there (including a blowhole) and turn around before the one-lane sections.

Golf, if you're into that:
As mentioned above, we walked along one of the Kapalua golf holes. Gorgeous course!

From Friday in Maui (Kapalua)

Other things about West Maui:

• We stayed at the Sheraton in Ka'anapali last time. We didn't love the hotel, but it's not bad either. Great location on Ka'anapali Beach. They host an evening cliff-dive ceremony off an area called Black Rock. You can watch the ceremony even if you don't stay at the hotel. Come by about 30-45 minutes prior to sunset to make sure you don't miss it.
• Cool Cat Cafe in Lahaina makes a pretty good burger. But, before you go there, be sure to get a coupon for a "free" Root Beer Float (available at the art shop at the courthouse, or from most of the activity vendors on the sidewalk). We think that the price of the "free" Root Beer Float is included in the price of the burger, so you might as well get it.
• Maui Taco in Lahaina isn't great (tiny shop, no view, etc.) but if you're staying in this area, check it out for a cheap breakfast or lunch.
• Kahekili beach between Ka'anapali and Kapalua isn't great for swimming, but is nice for laying out or ought to be good for snorkeling (we saw quite a few fish within 2 feet of the shore).
• If you do take the evil one-lane road, be sure to get banana bread in the little town. (You can't miss it, I don't think.)
• Sunset on Ka'anapali beach can be quite nice (when it's not voggy*).
• There are tons of places to pull off the road and be on the shoreline all over west Maui. Watch for surfers, stand-up paddlers, and kayakers.
• Local Boy Shave Ice in Lahaina (across from the courthouse, more or less) makes the best shave ice we've found on Maui. They'll include ice cream or other add-ons for free. (they have a location in Kihei, too.)
  

*Vog is volcanic-related fog or smog.

Hawaii: Central Maui

Part 3 of trip summary: Central Maui:

If you visit Maui, you'll have to visit the central area for a few key things:

• The airport (or if you arrive via boat, I think many boats come here as well)
• Walmart, Kmart and other non-touristy shopping
  

I think a lot of tourists overlook Central Maui's other worthwhile destinations, thinking of this area as mainly residential communities and warehouses, and someplace to drive thru on your way to Hana or Haleakala.

While that's generally a correct view (in my opinion at least) I think there are two places in Central Maui that ought to be part of a well-rounded itinerary.

The 'Iao Valley / 'Iao Needle

From Tuesday in Maui

This site (a free state park) is relatively easy to get to and makes a good short destination in Central Maui. I figure that you're going to come this way at some point during your stay, so why not make it more interesting than just visiting Walmart or Kmart? Take a slight detour thru Wailuku and then as far into the West Maui Mountain as I think you can get.

The 'Iao Valley / 'Iao Needle is located in the West Maui Mountain. This photo explains more. Basically, in addition to being a unique geological feature, this area is visited because of it's significance in some of the battles to unite the Hawaiian Islands under a single ruler. If geology/history aren't your thing, you may also enjoy this area for it's lush vegetation and pretty streams.

On this trip, Matt & I visited twice. Once, we both went to the top viewing area (which they claim to be a half-hour hike). The second time, my foot was hurting, so I avoided the stairs and stayed at the bottom while the others went to the top. I snapped this photo (zoomed in as far as I could!) of Matt & my parents at the top viewing area.

From Tuesday (Iao Needle, Kahekili Beach, Family)

Pa'ia
This town, the next you come to when driving west from the airport, is another town I think most tourists skip in a race to get to Hana. That's unfortunate, I think, since Pa'ia is home to two of our favorite restaurants on the island.

Pa'ia also has quite a few shops, though they don't seem entirely fit for me (i.e. too many natural foods stores, unique clothing stores, etc). Despite the stores not being entirety interesting, I'd encourage friends to visit Pa'ia twice, for meals. One might be as you get back from Hana, and the other after you come down from Haleakala.

One meal should be at the Flatbread Company, mentioned earlier on my blog. Yum!

The other should be to the Pa'ia Fish Market. (This is not to be confused with Mama's Fish House which is also in Pai'a. The Fish Market is actually affordable while Mama's is not. I hear it's good, but incredibly pricey.) They serve fresh fish (and other things) in many ways. You order at the counter then sit at long tables, where you'll often have the chance to talk to others (mostly locals, from what I can tell). Tasty food in an unpretentious environment.

Neither the 'Iao Needle nor Pa'ia is what a trip to Maui should be made of - but I think they bring some balance to a trip. Both destinations take you out of the traditional tourist areas into other parts of the island, and offer something to see besides gorgeous beaches.

Other items of note in Central Maui:

• Hansen Road is a nice cut-off if you're staying in Kihei or Wailea and are headed up Haleakala. You can avoid driving by the Walmart and other busy shopping areas. However, this is the heart of the sugar refinery/landfill, so it may be a little smelly. Think of me as you drive your convertible on this road. I think I referred to it as "Return to Stank Land."
• Maui Coffee Roasters on Hana Highway near Dairy Road is most excellent. This is a good place to grab breakfast before driving to Hana. Their bagels are basically "a roll with a hole" but taste pretty good*. Their coffee is excellent, and well-priced. If you want to bring home some coffee from Maui, I'd recommend getting it here (fresher-roasted) rather than something from a grocery or souvenier shop. They carry Kona coffee, as well as other lesser-known but very excellent Hawaiian types.
• If you're meeting a friend at the airport and want to bring them a lei, Kmart has plenty. Look for the refrigerated case by the registers, along the front wall. And, note how the employees are all wearing special shirts with Hawaiian flowers and the Kmart logo worked into them. Kmart also has a remarkably good selection of touristy gifts to take home.

*By the way, "roll with a hole" in reference to bagels comes from the Newsboys movie, Down Under the Big Top, which I loved at some point in my youth. Here's a short clip.

Hawaii Trip: To Hana and Back Again

Part 2 of my trip summary: Hana, Maui

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

If you've ever driven to Hana, the mere mention of "Road to Hana" probably either makes your stomach churn or brings to mind more shades of green than Crayola has heard of (or maybe both). And, if you've ever stayed in Hana, the mere mention of "Hotel Hana Maui" probably makes your bones start to melt, just a little bit.

The Road to Hana one of our favorite journeys, and the Hotel Hana Maui one of our favorite hotels. So, we were very happy that during our time on Maui to take the Road to Hana (and back again) twice - once by ourselves heading to stay at the Hotel Hana Maui, and again with my parents just to see the sights.

I recognize that many people (including a few I know, I suspect) don't find the Hana Highway quite as wonderful as I do. The countless hairpin turns, steep drop-offs, one-lane bridges, ignored no-trespassing signs, makeshift parking areas, and food establishments that you doubt could pass an inspection aren't everybody's thing. But, for Matt & I, this is the stuff vacations ought to be made of.

The big thing to recognize about driving to Hana is that it isn't about getting to Hana. Unless you're spending the night, there's not really a lot to see in Hana. And, during our trip, since a bridge past Hana was being repaired, there wasn't even much of a reason to go past Hana. The Road to Hana is definitely one of those times when the journey is the destination.

Thankfully, I'm not nearly as prone to car sickness as I used to be. Yet, riding in the backseat on this road isn't something I'd want to do every day. At least it's nothing like the road around the north west side of Maui - a trip we took last October and will never do again! (Who cares that they've got the world's greatest banana bread!)

If you're going to drive the Road to Hana, I suggest you do some homework first. Get a good guidebook and read it before you leave. If you open the book just the day of or day before your drive, you'll not be able to adequately plan, and I think you'll miss out on some of the better sites. We're partial to the Maui Revealed guidebook (yes, we know some locals don't like it, but that's another story). That guidebook helps you find easy-to-get-to yet out-of-sight waterfalls, helps you figure out what's worth stopping at, and gives other background info on the road. It also outlines a few longer hikes for the more adventurous (including people who may not mind the no-trespassing signs or who may want to take time to get permission to cross private land).

Here's a bit of what you'll see driving the Road to Hana:

Surfers:

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

Oddly colored trees:

From Thursday in Maui (Road to Hana)

Easy-to-get-to waterfalls:

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

Interesting flowers:

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

Waterfalls you can swim in, if you're willing to brave the cold water temps:

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

Yummy banana bread:

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

Dramatic ocean action:

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

Funny signs:

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

A black-sand beach:

From Maui Panoramas

If you stay in Hana and get up early, you just might have this beach to yourself:

From Monday in Maui (Hana, then the road from Hana)

I hope this gives you a little taste for why we enjoy this journey so much. I sincerely hope all of our friends can one day can take this trip!

For more pics, check out these albums:
Road to Hana (Sunday)
Back from Hana (Monday)
To Hana & Back (Thursday)

Austin vs. Maui - Food

Almost every time we met somebody in Maui and they asked where we were from, they'd say something like "Wow, Austin's such a great town!" or "I hear that's the best town in Texas" or just get all dreamy and say "Austin..."

Inspired by those comments, and with much love for my adopted home town, I offer this un-inclusive comparison between Austin & Maui, specifically the food options in each area.

Austin vs. Maui: Fancy Restaurants

Yeah, it's not a surprise that Austin wins this hands down. It is probably a matter of population size, but Austin offers so many good choices for fancier dining. Maui puts up a good fight (with some celebrity chefs in resort areas), and admittedly we've only tried two "fancy" restaurants (at the Hotel Hana Maui, and also Mala, which is at least locally-based rather than a concept by an outside chef) but I'd say Austin wins. Austin has a remarkably good scene for foodies, featuring excellent fine-dining restaurants of both of the home-grown and imported varieties.

Austin vs. Maui: Local-Cuisines

Austin wins this hands down as well. There's just no doubt that the local cuisines of Austin (BBQ & Tex Mex) are better than those of Maui (Spam & Loco Moco). I think that the fact that we've had some competent Mexican (not quite Tex-Mex) in Maui (Cilantro in Lahaina was pretty good and Maui Tacos is affordable and can be quite nice when the staff is following the recipes) and have seen several supposedly Texas-style BBQ places proves in Maui this fact. Plus, I can't think of anyplace in Austin that features Spam Mosubi.

This entree alone puts Austin in the lead: (Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom enchiladas from Chuy's). That's better than poi any day!

From Home from Hawaiian Vacation

Austin vs. Maui: Pizza

Sorry friends, this one goes to Maui. While Austin puts up a good fight with the likes of Saccones (my favorite local place - New Jersey style), Maui beats Austin with the Flatbread Company (located in Pa'ia). Tasty pizzas with fresh ingredients cooked in a super hot oven.

My brother Steve took a picture of the Flatbread Company's pizza with kalua pig, goat cheese, and other yummy ingredients.

Austin vs. Maui: Fresh Fish

Obviously Maui. It's an island. Enough said. :)

Austin vs. Maui: Fresh Pineapple

Edge to Maui but Austin isn't that bad. I think a whole fresh ripe pineapple in Austin (keep in mind - whole pineapple, not those that are pre-cored at HEB) compares quite favorably to those found in grocery stores in Maui. Ok, I haven't gone to the pineapple plantation to pick my own or anything, but overall, the pineapples we get here are actually quite like those on Maui. I think that it might just be the general tropical vibe that makes them taste better on Maui. (And, I fully understand that my husband & friends probably disagree with me here.)

Austin vs. Maui: Prices in Grocery Stores

Obviously Austin. It's probably not fair to compare an island to a city in the heart of Texas in this way, but I have photographic proof, so I had to include this category.

Comparison of what Stubb's BBQ marinades cost in Maui vs Austin.


$6.75 on sale in Maui.














$2.55 on sale in Austin.


Yes, Stubb's is local to Austin, so this isn't quite a fair comparison. But, again, I had pictures so I had to post them. :) It was mostly just fun to be in Maui and notice that they sold a product from home!








Austin vs. Maui: Shave Ice

Maui knows how to make it. There's a reason it's often called Hawaiian shave ice. Hawaiians know how to make it properly: Start with good quality ice. Then shave it (don't crush it or grind it). Then, use fresh flavorings that have been kept COLD. That last point is really the key. Even if you have bad ice that's not too finely shaved, if the flavor is cold, you'll be far better off. When you put the flavor on at room-temperature, it melts the ice a bit, creating nasty chunks. Hawaiian Shave Ice places know how to avoid that. And, using flavorings that are fresh (or at least hand-made) seems to improve the flavor - somehow more pure fruit flavors without having to resort to just sugary sweetness. They also know how to put in things like ice cream to enhance the experience (which most places in the mainland wouldn't even try, let alone get right). Too bad Austin doesn't get this, since good Shave Ice would be mighty nice come August! (There are a few competent local places, notably Sno Beach, but it's just not the same.)

Here's one example of good shave ice on Maui. This was from a road-side stand in the middle of nowhere, and they still get it better than anyplace in Austin! I think this was cherry-pineapple. Notice the huge serving, straw & spoon.

From Sunday in Maui: Road to Hana

Hawaii Trip: Honolulu

I didn't live-blog our trip, but I do think I'll do a series reviewing our Hawaii trip. So, watch over the next week or so for posts about our recent visit to Oahu & Maui.

Today's topic: Honolulu

But, before we get there, a word about American Airlines. I'm seriously considering, if we ever fly American to Hawaii again (which is in doubt by itself) that we just don't bother booking a hotel room for our first night, since the chances of getting to Oahu in time to use it are slim. This happened to us in 2007 and again this time. *sigh* Not much to do about it now, and nobody died, but we really weren't planning on visiting Las Vegas on this trip! Our simple, well-planned trip somehow got us in the next day, minus our luggage.

At least we got In-N-Out Burger out of the experience. Those were the most expensive burgers we've ever had, once you factor in the cab fare. But, oh so good!

From Las Vegas

We've visited Honolulu/Waikiki before (in April 2007 - see photos / descriptions). Both times we've been to Waikiki have been in the "low" season and it's been crowded enough; we can't imagine what it would be like in the "high" season! Waikiki with a crowd does have a high energy level, which is nice for just a few days (and only a few days, if you ask me). Ideally, we would have stayed two nights. Thanks to American Airlines, we stayed just one night -- but it was still a good time.

This time, we stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. For those familiar with Waikiki, that's the hotel that has Duke's in it, right next door to the Moana Surfrider, and across from the International Marketplace. For those who aren't familiar with Waikiki, read that to say "right in the heart of the action." Here's the view from our window (very early in the morning, before the beach got crowded):

From Friday in Honolulu

We wanted to do two major things while in Honolulu, and we got to do them both:

1. Eat at Alan Wong's
2. Hike Diamond Head

Alan Wong's Restaurant is amazing. They were recently named in the top 10 in the country. The food is fantastic, and I've already gone on about it here.

We hiked Diamond Head on our last trip, and yeah it's a bit of a touristy thing to do, but we enjoyed it and wanted to do it again. The view from the top is worth it! And, it was a good milestone for me. Around Thanksgiving, I ruptured part of my Achilles tendon, then developed a bursitis in my heel. Over the past 6 months, merely walking thru the grocery store has been a challenge most days. So, being able to hike Diamond Head was definitely not guaranteed, but a fantastic accomplishment. My podiatrist came to the rescue with a miracle shot to stop the pain. Here's proof that my foot made it:

From Friday in Honolulu

Some other random highlights of Honolulu: (links are to pictures)

• Best restaurant: Alan Wong's
• Most unique (but delicious) fast food in Waikiki: Puka Dog
• Number of stairs you climb to reach the top of Diamond Head: 271
• Steps you can take on Kalakua Avenue (the main street of Waikiki) before seeing yet another ABC Store: About 10.
• Steps you can take on Kalakua Avenue (the main street of Waikiki) before you want to see another ABC Store because you desperately need another bottle of water: About 20.
• Worst souvenir to bring back from Hawaii: This tin of mints
• Cheapest thing you can buy to bring a smile to my face: A hair-flower from the seller at the International Marketplace (she seems to set up on the right side of the water-feature near Kalakua Avenue).
• Thing not to do on Kalakua Avenue: Make eye contact with the guy with the parrots. We didn't want our picture with them and didn't want to give him $ either. Oh well.
  

Check out our favorite photos from our time in Honolulu:
Friday
Saturday
And also Las Vegas, just for the fun of it

We're home

We've returned home from Maui! I plan to post more about our trip, but I may need a few days. I go back to work tomorrow (first day since April 3rd), I'm 5-hours behind the time zone, and I'm also sleep-deprived from a red-eye flight. So, no good blogging in me today. Instead, check out our photos, including some panoramas like this one.

From Maui Panoramas

Family Photo & Maui Update

Steve captured our family photo after dinner last night. We were thankful for the remote on his camera, so we could capture the few hours we were all together. See it and read his comments here.

My parents ought to be on their way from Hartford airport to their home by this time. Steve & Sara are out exploring the island. Matt & I are lounging at home (nice to have a slow day -- my foot is hurting again, so better to save up energy). Our friends Robert & Lisa are contemplating the waves. This afternoon, we're gathering together to go up to Haleakala National Park. Here's a webcam of the crater. The webcam is awfully cloudy right now; I hope it clears up!

The trip is going well so far. We've gotten to spend good time with my parents and also our friends. Now Steve & Sara are here, and we're looking to have fun with them, as well. Matt & I have done almost everything we wanted to while on the trip, so we're mostly falling into uber-relaxation mode now.

We continue to post photos here, pretty much every day. Here's just one photo - I took this picture of my family at the top of a trail while I waited at the bottom.

From Tuesday (Iao Needle, Kahekili Beach, Family)

Picture updates

Pics from Hawaii (Oahu, and now Maui) are going up here - http://picasaweb.google.com/becky.laswell. We're putting up new pictures almost every day.

Enjoy!

Amazing meal

Last night, we enjoyed the 8th-rated restaurant in the entire country (according to Gourmet Magazine): Alan Wong's, in Honolulu. This was our second trip, so we knew a bit of what to expect, but were still blown away.

We started with appetizers. We knew that we wanted the "Manapua" Quesadilla again (having had it on our first trip in April 2007). This is not at all a typical quesadilla, it features Chinese barbecued pork and mozzarella cheese. The pork is actually sweet, which works so well together with the guacamole (which is not traditional guac, either - I think it had something like wasabi). Every little detail of this dish was just right, even down to the ultra-minced cilantro and other herbs which decorated the plate.

I think I surprised Matt when I ordered the Seafood Cakes as our other appetizer (since he knows that I'm not really a seafood lover). These were just amazing! They were intently creamy, somehow. Each bite showcased a different distinct seafood (shrimp, crab, lobster, and scallops).

We then had two salads. Alan Wong's Restaurant is amazing when it comes to local ingredients, and that shines especially well in the salads. My salad was entirely from the Big Island (which, ok, didn't exactly come from the back-yard in Honolulu, but that's basically local). Over a base of greens, which were definitely lovingly hand-picked, there was a blue-cheese ranch dressing, ultra-fresh tomatoes & cucumbers, and various other delicious bits. Matt had a salad featuring heirloom tomatoes and locally-grown spring lettuces.

At this point, we definitely didn't need an entree and dessert, so we went for two desserts instead. Why 2? Well, we knew it would be a while until we could come back, so why not? :)

From Friday in Honolulu

First up: The Coconut. Many of our friends have heard us go on about this dish after our first visit. Last night was amazing once again. This is a sphere of coconut sorbet (haupia in Hawaiian), covered in chocolate and toasted coconut, then hollowed out a bit (to look like an actual coconut). Coming out from the coconut are a range of super-fresh fruits and a passion-fruit sauce (lilikoi in Hawaiian), which is both tart and sweet. This is just so good - not too sweet, light, fruit-filled, and delicate.

We also got the special Bread-Pudding inspired entree. Neither of us (especially not me) generally orders bread pudding (I find the soggy nature gross, typically), but this was far different. Yes, there were a few cubes that I'd identify as banana bread pudding, but they were actually good - almost tasted like banana bread in places (something we'll eat any chance we get while on Maui!). One cube was covered in a dollop of intently flavored banana ice cream. Another had a very rich dark chocolate mousse, and others had something like bananas foster. The last bite was amazing (though we let it sit a little too long, so it wasn't that hot anymore): two chocolate truffles coated in a crumbly mixture, then fried (so the chocolate was molten). Anybody who loves chocolate would have been satisfied by that bite alone.

The entire meal took about 2 hours, and we were attended by excellent staff - from the friendly woman at the reception counter, all the way to the person who brought us clean flatware after each course. They paid attention to all the details.

So, if you ever find yourself in Honolulu, and aren't scared to spend a bit (though we thought it was a great deal - having spent the same or even more for meals in Austin that weren't nearly this good), go to Alan Wong's. You'll escape the hectic bustle of Waikiki and instead be surrounded in a food-lovers paradise.

(Oh, and their rolls are pretty amazing!)

Hawaii trip - day 1

You can find pics from our first day in Hawaii here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/becky.laswell

Not a lot so far, but I'm sure I'll post other things later. I also imagine we'll tell the story of our very long first day of vacation later. The short version - weather at DFW (which people we know who live near DFW didn't even notice) delayed our flight out of Austin and messed up American Airlines entire flight network. So, rather than getting to Oahu yesterday afternoon in time for dinner, we got here this morning at 5:20am (local time), via Hawaiian Airlines and Las Vegas. Other than exhaustion and feeling rather unclean, it wasn't that bad, really (minus our suitcase, which we're still waiting for) -- and was mostly remedied when we saw this view from our hotel:


Not the best photo I've ever taken - but that's Waikiki beach (and the little dots you see in the ocean are surfers).

Check the link above to pics from our hike at Diamond Head. Next up is probably lunch & getting adjusted to the time zone.

Oh, and one unexpected bonus of detouring thru Las Vegas was that we got to get In-N-Out Burger. YUM!

Packing = Real-World Tetris

Like a lot of geeky people my age, I played a fair share of Tetris when I was a kid. I was glad for those hours of fitting blocks onto a grid during what I did today - packing suitcases.

See the long orange block in this image? In the realm of packing, that's a tripod (in a handy-dandy travel case!). The blue 2X2 cubes are shorts & shirts. They can pretty much squeeze in anywhere. Purple L shapes are shoes, you do best when you put two matching ones together as a unit (stuffed with socks, of course).



Unfortunately, when packing, unlike in the game, blocks don't disappear when you complete a row. But, when packing, unlike in the game, you can almost always squeeze one more thing in.

In the end - we're going to make it on our trip with just one checked bag! It's a 50 lb limit, of which I think we're using about 49.999 lb (this is one of those times when I think .9 repeating may actually equal 1 - haha). We'll have 4 carryons in addition (purse, laptop, small suitcase, and briefcase-type bag), but at least we'll have only one annoying checked-bag fee, and not too much to tote around while making our connection tomorrow.

Otherwise, things are set and basically ready to go for our trip! I'll try to post some pictures here while we're away.

A more productive day

I had a hard time being productive a few days last week, so I made myself a few goals for today:

• I'd post something thoughtful on my sabbatical blog. DONE!
  
• I'd finish a sewing project. DONE!
  
• I'd make a big batch of some kind of food to put into the freezer. SIMMERING!
  
• I'd make some Mexican food, from scratch, for dinner for Cinco de Mayo. WILL DO THAT IN THE NEXT HOUR!
• I'd do some laundry! DONE!
  

The sewing project was a bag from a recent special edition magazine from Better Homes & Gardens Creative line - Bags, Pillows & Pincushions. The bag I made was featured on page 46. I was looking for a larger bag that I could take on trips, or use to hold books/etc. while going to the office. This bag looked like it might work. I modified it in a few ways:

• I used medium-weight canvas as a stabilizer, rather than heavy-weight interfacing.
• I used cotton webbing inside the handle, to make it easier on my shoulder.
  
• I added a zipper pocket inside (following these directions). The written pattern has just two open pockets inside.
  
• I added a zipper-top. I made the bag without a zipper on the top and it was just too floppy. You couldn't use this bag for much; everything would have fallen out! It only had a single clasp in the middle, which is not enough for a bag that's roughly 13 X 3. So, I improvised a zipper-closure. It's not perfect, but I'm quite happy with it, considering I don't really know what I'm doing!

The outside fabrics are from Amy Butler, purchased at a shop in New Braunfels, TX. The bag is sitting over my antique rocking chair. In front of the bag are two small pouches - one with velcro (rough directions here) and one with a zipper (better directions here).




The first cooking project is simmering away on the stove presently. I'm making the classic ragu bolognese recipe from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. Prep took about 45 minutes (I tripled the recipe, to make sure there was enough to freeze), and it's now been simmering for about 3 hours. I think it has at least another hour, or maybe two to go before it's finished. From that description, maybe you can tell why this isn't a recipe we make often! Matt made it once before, and it was yummy. This is a gift to myself, really - one night in June, I'll come home from work exhausted, but will be able to pull off a home-made meal thanks to a container of bolognese in the freezer!

The second cooking project will be Green Chile & Chicken soft tacos from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday. It will have grilled poblano peppers and onions, along with chicken. I think I'll top it with our favorite avocado-tomatillo sauce (which I pulled out of the freezer - I love little rubbermaid containers!) It winds up tasting a bit like my favorite item at Taco Deli, the chicken frontera fundito (not entirely, but close). I figured the ragu would need more time to simmer, and it's also Cinco de Mayo, so tacos seemed like a good choice.

The Marcella Hazan cookbook is probably only for those who want to spend a lot of time cooking (though the food is good, the recipes are time-consuming). But, I'd happily recommend the Rick Bayless cookbook (that title, or others) to anybody! The recipes are actually doable on a weeknight, are very tasty, and are usually fairly healthy. If you want to try his dishes before buying the book, you can find quite a few on the Frontera website, or check out the show on PBS.

Trip Advisor

Do any of you use TripAdvisor?

Just curious.

Every once in a while, I get a bug to write reviews of places we've visited while traveling. Here's my travel map from TripAdvisor, showing places I've marked.

1. Bora Bora, French Polynesia


2. Oahu, HI, USA


3. Hana, HI, USA


4. Honolulu, HI, USA


5. New York City, NY, USA


6. Paris, France


7. Dingle, Ireland


8. Tralee, Ireland


9. Moorea, French Polynesia


10. Tahiti, French Polynesia

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• Travel Info at TripAdvisor