Retirement is not without Hassles: Aloha Dining, Whales, and Music #47

Aloha!  Talk about hassles, everything I wrote yesterday mysteriously disappeared, not once but twice.  It’s the joys of hotel internet service, so I’ll try once again to reconstruct.  We’re relaxing in Lahaina and it’s another blue sky day to celebrate!  Lahaina is about 25 miles north of Wailea and just south of Kaanapali on the northwest side of Maui. Can I buy another vowel please, Pat?  It was a long trip for our Uber driver with bumper-to-bumper Spring Break traffic along the west coast, however it gave us more time to enjoy the spectacular views along the drive.  Spring Break for them is a Bad Break for us.  What was once a romantic honeymoon destination is now a tropical Disneyland, with screaming children interrupting even our sunset dinners.  I have nothing against children.  After all, I once was one and like to think of myself as still a kid at heart, but please go to Pizza Hut, or better yet order room service.  When I had a young son, I could never of afforded a trip to Maui, so any disruptions by him were limited to stay-cations.

We enjoyed our Easter brunch on the water, looking for whales, but they were elsewhere dining.  We’re at the very end of Humpback season, so we had reduced expectations.  It was difficult to find transportation into the harbor, with Uber prices nearly triple the price of a cab.  Our original plan was to take the local shuttle into downtown Lahaina, but it wasn’t running in a timely manner.  We strolled under the famous Banyan Tree that serves as shade for the local artists,and bought some pink pearl earrings.  I was curious about all the posters and t-shirts of the Duke, and found out that John Wayne did several movies here in Hawaii back including “Donovan’s Reef,”  “Sea Chase,” and  “Big Jim McClain.”  He also got married in Hawaii, so the question is which Duke is more popular in Hawaii?  John Wayne or Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern day surfing?

We have some exciting plans over the next few days, including a Rolling Stones photo exhibit hosted by Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame, plus dinner and a live performance at his Lahaina restaurant.  We are also making a return visit to Chef Bev Gannon’s restaurant in Wailea.  We have been to her highly acclaimed Hali’imaile General Store known for its regional Hawaiian cuisine.   We also have dined at Joe’s Bar and Grill, named after her husband, Joe Gannon.  Joe was the original lighting designer for Pink Floyd, managed Frank Zappa’s record company, produced records for CBS, road manager for Bill Cosby, managed the Kingston Trio, and toured in various capacities with Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross, and Julio Iglesias.  He also staged Madonna’s first film appearance.  As a result, all the Gannon Restaurants are filled with Rock and Roll memorabilia.  Between Mick Fleetwood and the Gannon family, it shows the influence of music on fine dining in Maui.

Hoping for a second opportunity to view a Humpback, we also booked an afternoon snorkel aboard the Gemini.  The owner of the boat went to high school with my wife and was close friends with her sister back in Rochester, Indiana.  He’s been navigating Pacific waters for over thirty years now, so we’re counting on a safe return.  It is, after all, a Three Hour Cruise, right Gilligan!  It’s just another example of the surprise encounters with former neighbors we’ve had these past few days on Maui.

We’ve spent a lot of time soaking up the sun, trying to get the cold Portland dampness out of our bones.  The morning walks and runs along the congested pathway, just out of reach of the crashing waves, is the first duty each morning.  I usually have 10,000 steps in by 9 a.m., then spend the rest of the day on a lounge chair with an occasional dip in the pool.  The powerful tides and sharp rocks make swimming in the ocean a challenge.  I have a few scratches on my back to prove it.

The process of changing your skin color from a pale white to golden brown is a painful process.  It will take a few more days to get the redness out.  The heat of the sun sometimes feels like tiny needles poking at your skin.  It must be similar to getting a tattoo, although I’ve never had that experience.  Even the softest of  sheets at night can be your worst enemy.  Somehow, however, I feel healthier in the torturous transition to brown.  To entertain myself, I’m reading “Bruce,” the story of Bruce Springsteen.  I brought a friend’s hardbound copy for easier reading in the sun.  Most of my reading I do on an I-Pad but there’s just too much glare in the bright sunlight.  In sharp contrast, at night I’m reading the “Secret Garden,”  that takes me back to my childhood.  The Springsteen book  is filled with Rock ‘n Roll history, a great passion of mine, although there’s been no connection as yet to Mick Fleetwood or Joe Gannon.

Mahalo!