Hawaii: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9
Mary learned a lot while at the conference!
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
We were up at a decent time today as Mary did NOT have to go to school. However, we stayed up so late last night celebrating that we didn’t need breakfast, so we just checked out and drove off.
Checking out!
We required some nourishment in an hour and stopped in the Village of Makawao and at the now-famed Makawao Garden Cafe.
Hop, skip, and three jumps! Then to the airport in the afternoon!
I opted for a burger and a bowl of noodles while I went for the basics: grilled cheese with Turney. It was Hawaiian, as it had fried SPAM in the mix!
Lunch at a Mom & Pop diner.
The folks there were amiable; we walked around the town for a few minutes before returning to the plantation tour starting point.
The grilled turkey and cheese was OK.
We have never heard of many pineapple-based hard liquors, but they make them on-site. At Hali’imaile Distilling Company, we set ourselves apart by starting with local ingredients and distilling in small batches, using unique stills, to create authentic Hawaiian spirits. Every part of our Distilling process is one of a kind and designed in-house. Once distilled, our spirits are mixed with crystal-clear Hawaiian spring water.
Tasting room? This sounds promising.
The tour guide was very informative. He drove the small bus and stopped so we could get out and see the pineapples up close!
These plants are hand-picked, making for a better product. While machine picking is less costly, it picks anything, whether ripe, rotten, or bruised.
We learned there are “canning pineapples” and “juice pineapples.” When picking a pineapple in the market, choose based on feel only. The pineapples are sprayed with a wax coating, and if you can smell the pineapples, something is wrong.!
This one is just a baby!
We are on a gentle slope overlooking the valley between two huge mountains on Maui, one on the north coast and one on the south coast! It is about 30 miles across the isthmus (land between the ocean).
Mile and miles of plants.
The side of the pineapple has blooms, and the berry begins to develop when the blossom falls off. They are then picked.
The side of the pineapples are pods (leaves)
Although it has yet to reach the popularity and ubiquity of bananas and apples, America’s passion for pineapples continues to grow. According to commodity-tracking company McKeany-Flavell, the average American consumes around 8 pounds of fresh pineapple each year, plus 2 pounds of canned pineapple — and that’s not including pineapple juice, dried pineapple, or other products that contain pineapple, such as certain baked goods.
Looking down!
He has worked at the plantation for four years and is quite knowledgeable about pineapple.
Our guide was pretty good.
With his machete, he removed the side of the pineapple and passed out pieces to the folks on tour. Fresh pineapple is quite impressive.
They pick two days a week and process two days a week.
After the tour, we stopped at the “General store, ” which was converted into an upscale restaurant.
Did You Know? The pineapple boom in the islands in the early part of the last century is mainly responsible for the existence of this historic building. In the 1920s, camp houses for plantation workers were needed to house the hard-working immigrants who raised the crops that were the engine of island commerce. Construction of the camp store followed under the direction of Maui Agricultural Company’s Pineapple Department, and in 1925, the legacy was born. The plantation store was not just for groceries. The original Hali’imaile Store was a butcher shop, fish market, and post office with departments for clothing and household appliances. This building was the one-stop shop for all necessities, the place to catch up on the news, and a depot for local gossip…a tradition we proudly encourage today! The store continued operating over the decades in various formats until late 1987 when all that changed.
The “store,” as it was known, became available during Christmas in 1987. Chef Beverly Gannon and her husband, Joe Gannon, signed a lease and planned to use the location for a gourmet take-out deli, their catering headquarters, and a general store. Their take-out deli was an immediate success from the first day it opened its doors. With only a couple of tables set up, guests asked, “Where do we sit”? The requests for seating from guests led Beverly and Joe to add tables and a full-service staff. And that is how Hali’imaile General Store became a restaurant.
The General Store
We counted the cars and trucks whizzing by while sitting on the patio. The ocean breeze was strong, which was welcomed as the temperature was in the high 70s.
We sat outside and drank wine and ate French fries.
The French fries would hold us over until we got to the airport.
We are almost native.
We are off heading to the car return. We had to stop and admire the shrubbery.
The plants were terrific wherever we went.
A cute little tram runs back and forth, delivering people and baggage to and from the airport terminal.
The tram picked us up at Enterprise and dropped us by the terminal.
We went to Sammy’s, a recommendation by the officer who checked us in. We dined, drank, and played cards for two hours before going to our gate.
We sat inside Sammy’s and had some dinner.
Yes, she beat me at cards over and over.
Yes, she beat me 2-1!
We boarded at 9:45 pm and got into LA at 4:50 am; there was a two-hour time change between LAX and Hawaii.
We arrived early; the arrival time was 4:53 am.
Our chauffeur was waiting for us, and we were delivered to our doorstop by 6:00 am. We tippy-toed inside so as NOT to wake up Irene and crashed until about 8:00 am.
