WOW! Maui for everyone

Making arrangements for eight people to meet in Maui during the holiday season, all coming from different cities and on different schedules, is no small feat. Once there, however, we indulged in everything from Luaus to snorkeling adventures, biking Haleakala, upcountry horseback riding, golf lessons and seaweed treatments at the spa.

Quick Tips:

Start with the obvious things mentioned in the "highlights" If you tire of snorkeling, surfing, boating, whale watching, bodysurfing, sunning, lounging you might try driving upcountry as we did at long last.

There is much to see amid the beautiful, rolling ranch lands of upcountry Maui. Kula Lodge makes a fine lunchtime stop. Be sure to visit the adjacent Proteo Farm. The Botanic Gardens are also a must see on route up the volcano. We followed the snaking, meandering narrow road which lead to the Tedeschi Winery. There you can taste the wine and sample some history in the small but informative museum. We found the small exhibit conjured vivid images of life at the ranch in the days of the Makee sisters and provided a fascinating, historical perspective on ranch life in "old" Hawaii.

On our way back we stopped at the old cowboy town of Makawao and found it to be surprising bustling and quaint. To our surprise there were numerous fashionable boutiques and shops - to my husbands delight they were closed as it was late on Sunday afternoon. Never fear. I'll be back!

Best Way To Get Around:

The scent of plumeria wafts through the open-aired reception hall and grand lounge. Or is that the smell of the lei you were presented upon arrival? A ukulele strums in the corner of the room and the lovely wahine sways to the rhythm of the waves. Drawn to the balcony and breezes of the courtyard, you see it now. The postcard picture that will identify your days here – the ocean, the sun bouncing off the distant island of Lanai and the gorgeous cloud formations perpetually shrouding the mysterious Molokai.

The Ritz is in Kapalua on the former playground of the Hawaiian royals... a playground that includes the burial site of many ancient dignitaries. With this view, it’s easy to understand why the kings and their descendents wanted to linger here – forever.

When the Ritz broke ground for their hotel on Maui, they discovered the evidence of the sacred burial site and thus reconsidered their site plan. Originally intended to be distinctly "oceanfront," the Ritz now sits back from the sea just a bit. In order to utilize the beach, guests take a short walk or are happily driven in golf carts past the revered site (never through it! that is strictly verboten except to Hawaiian natives during authorized rituals), past the tennis center to the Beach House Restaurant and Ritz Carlton beach kiosk.

The beach is officially called the D.F. Fleming beach which is unofficially considered one of the best beaches on Maui. It, like all other beaches in Hawaii, is public, though a section of the beach is attended carefully by Ritz personnel. The kiosk stocks ice water, towels and lotions, and the helpful staff will set up your lounge chair, if you like. There are seaside showers and changing facilities along with the Beach House Restaurant where lunch is served until late afternoon along with the island’s best "lava flows."

The Ritz has an open policy with Kapalua which allows guests at the villas and homes to use the hotel facilities including the beach service, pools and spa. To truly feel pampered in the best spirit of "Aloha," poolside service at the Ritz is a must while visiting Kapalua. The multi-tiered pool, waterfalls, double whirlpools, covered and shelter cabanas, lunch and drink service, mid-afternoon complimentary pineapple chunks (fresh!!) and Evian spritzes are conducive to dreaming the day away. That is, if you aren’t tempted to take the challenge of the putting course or the croquet court adjacent to the pool area.

Friday is "Aloha Friday" in Kapalua as the Ritz invites local artisans and entertainers to spread culture and cheer. Other times, a full-time "cultural advisor" brings the unique aspects of native Hawaii to island hotel visitors. During our last visit to the Ritz, we participated in the Friday evening cultural entertainment. Native Hawaiians sang and "talked story" as kava was offered to help everyone get "mellow." Not that you need any help with that here!

This restaurant is the stuff of dreams to sushi lovers. Even if you are squeamish eating raw food, this would be the best place on earth to try it as the fish is only hours out of the waters when you eat it. If the fresh and excellent factor still doesn't convince you, you will also find dozens of other cooked versions of seafood specialties to your liking at Sansei. It is perhaps the most popular and busy establishment north of Lahaina because 1) the food is outstanding and 2) great numbers of locals thrive here on the "local" discounts. As if the food weren't enough to draw tourists and locals alike, Thursday nights are Karaoke night, which literally rocks the joint and makes getting a table tougher than getting into Aqua without a reservation on Valentine's Day.

Go early (5:30 pm) to slip into your favorite table easily and take advantage of the "happy hour" reduced price appetizers. I have not ordered an "entree" here, as it's much more fun to order tapas style from the huge selection of appetizers. Favorites include the Calamari salad which is fried calamari piled into a fried wonton shell on a bed of greens. What makes this dish a Maui specialty is the sweet and tangy sauce. Move on to the Panko crusted seared ahi, then the unbelievable Butter Fish (honest, it's like "buttah").

Trust the waiters. They are friendly, happy, kind and at least a few have admitted they work here because they are addicted to sushi and working to support their habit. They will steer you in the right direction if you are adventurous. Last time I was there I was introduced happily to the Rainbow Roll. It is like a California Roll with salmon, avocado and ahi on the outside. That ahi was so stupendously fresh we just had to order an extra side of sashimi to get our fill of this gift from the sea. Afterward we gave praise and thanks to the magnificent tuna who had sacrificed himself for our pleasure. Moments such as these make one glad one is human.

Save room for dessert -- the apple tart with cinnamon ice cream is very likely the best you will ever taste.

I'll admit it. I love Sansei. Everyone I know who's been there lusts after the unique flavors long after they've left the island. Hopefully you will too.

In Maui, with all that sun, sea and activity you can really work up an appetite fast. When you find yourself in the sudden "I need to eat right now" pickle , here are four suggestions for American’s favorite fast foods with nary a corporate logo in sight!

For Pizza: Pizza Paradiso with two locations, one at the Whaler’s Village food court and the other larger and more appealing option in the Honokowai marketplace. Voted as the best pizza on Maui, you can order your favorite by the slice or create your own specialty from an extensive list of ingredients. Also available are pastas, paninis, and one of the best Greek salad I’ve had. The tiramisu was also voted the best dessert on Maui. Menu and details are online at Pizza Paradiso

For Burgers: Jonny’s Hamburger Joint is a great alternative to golden arches any day. Hidden in a semi-subterranean location at the entrance to Kaanapali under Luigi’s Italian restaurant are the best burgers in Maui awaiting your discovery. Another best, you question? Well, they have the sign to prove it and my endorsement, of course.

There are big (6 oz.), bigger (9 oz.) and biggest (double sixes) burgers and fries made to order with scrumptious fried caramelized onions if you please (and I do!) There is a chicken breast/burger combo specialty and authentically shaken milk shakes to round out the meal. Don’t look for napkins. Those rolls of paper towels placed strategically on the community tables along with the condiments are what you’ll need to handle the mess made with these whoppers.

For Tacos, you can only go to one place in Maui: Maui Tacos. They have several locations on the island, but on the West side go to Napili market to enjoy their unique take on Mexican cuisine. This taco stand is about as Mexican as the Hula Hut in Austin is Polynesian,(see Journal: Austin) but that’s okay. We like a little local color mixed into our displaced ethnic cuisine. Although you won’t find the down-home authentic Tex-Mex flavors you might crave, you will find wonderful Hawaiian versions of freshly grilled fish tacos, tubular vegetarian burritos and an assortment of freshly made help-yourself-to-them salsas created with delicious local ingredients such as kula tomatoes and fresh pineapples.

For Deli and beyond, you simply must try out the locals’ favorite fast-food, Honokowai Okazuya and Deli 3600-D Lower Honoapiilani Road. This tiny little counter and carry-out gem boasts the most unusual and delightful menu selection I’ve seen anywhere on the island. Along with the typical deli sandwiches, tuna melt, turkey and cheese melt and Italian sausage , all served with Hawaiians favorite side dish, Macaroni Salad, there is also panko-crusted mahi mahi, teriyaki mushroom burgers and spaghetti and meatballs. If the picky eaters in your groups still can’t decide, have them try any of the six specialty vegetarian stir-fries or the Korean barbeque chicken with rice or a mahi mahi caesar salad.

Arriving in Maui on four hour’s sleep on a day that included a five a.m. wake up call, one layover, ten hours of flying time and five time zone changes, I was ready for something with a kick in it to tide me over until sundown, which was still amazingly six hours off. I knew just the thing to fix me up and just the place to get it.

The last time I was in Java Jazz it was the coolest coffee shop on the West Side and still blooming. Owners Katherine and Farzad Azad had the place smokin’ with exotic decor that included sofas brimming with overstuffed pillows, a fountain swimming with fish, artwork enlivening every nook and cranny, jazz streaming on the excellent sound system, whimsical, wild and wonderful touches and, of course, coffee brewing and smoothies shakin’.

"Darling! You’re back!" the ever charming Farzad greeted with his accent rich as a double espresso sweet as caramel creme. "And I lovewhat you’ve done to the place!" I told him with a two-cheek continental kiss, "c’est magnifique!" I try to throw in a little French or German or Spanish when I talk to Farzad to show him I’m not decaf. He speaks five languages and that’s only a small hint at his talents.

For one, he’s used his artistic flair to create a superb interior design that is a bistro, casbah, cafe and coffeehouse all in one. He doubled the original space and included a full-service restaurant and bar. The new, larger quarters offer the essential display spaces needed for Farzad’s expanding artworks which include pottery, paintings, and sculpture. The instruments, guitar and amp next to the stool in the back are also Farzad’s. He puts on impromptu performances and jam sessions with friends on certain evenings. This guy would make you feel inadequate except that he always makes you feel so wonderful, which is just another talent in his overabundant cache.

That‘s Cool, But How‘s the Food?
Only the best of the best of local premium blends and pure Kona make it into Java Jazz brews so be prepared for a jolt. If you want a bit mellower drink, have a mango-pineapple smoothie. Breakfast and coffee service starts at 6 a.m. with french toast, waffles, eggs, burritos, omelets and bakery items.

A simple soup, salad and sandwich menu is offered for both lunch and dinner which includes falafel, burgers, Tuscany chicken, and blackened fish. There are just enough surprises in the flavors and sauces to prompt you to recall them later and then want to have some more. I’m still thinking about that sweet thai chili cream cheese that kicked up my turkey, cranberry and romaine sandwich on sourdough toast. Which reminds me of the candied walnuts and apples on my spinach salad which then causes the jazzy music that was playing through the speakers while I ate it to still linger in my ears.

Sensational.

Anuenue means "Rainbow" in Hawaiian and couldn't be a more fit description of the melodious infusion of ambiance, service and cuisine presented at the Ritz' upscale dining option.

There is no better place to celebrate a special occasion during your stay in Maui than the Anuenue Room. After making yourself comfortable in first class dining chairs, before you've taken the first bite of wondrous food you will notice that singer/entertainer, Reko Fukino, has the voice of an angel who seems to have ridden down from heaven on a rainbow; a voice that soothes your spirits but never intrudes and is happiest when serenading special couples with requests. (I once saw her join a romantic couple after dinner out on the patio and sing Joni Mitchell's, "The Circle Game," just for them. The breeze was still, the stars were twinkling, the lovers were breathless and even the loud table across the way fell silent in response. I still get verklempt thinking of it.)

But back to the other stellar aspects of dining at Anuenue.

First off, the ambiance. Enter the restaurant through what appears to be a richly paneled private club room. Tropical flowers and crystal chandeliers share the limelight as sophisticated mood setters. Ubiquitous patio torches cast their dancing glow on the diners in the open-air portion of the restaurant. Most tables are overlooking superb views of the Ritz pools and the ocean.

An extensive wine list will surely entertain the most worldly connoisseur. The restaurant wine list has awards of excellence from the Wine Spectator magazine yearly since 1996. To see the extensive list of awards the restaurant has received go to the link, Ritz Carlton, Maui

After the pleasant task of choosing your wine has been accomplished, relax and be assured that anything you order will be memorable. Originally from the Champagne region of France, Chef Virgil Brandel uses his background and experience to fuse traditional French foods with distinctly Hawaiian flavor and ingredients such as salt-crusted onaga, and Hawaiian seafood bouillabaisse. The results are tres magnifique!

Anuenue Room regularly hosts "wine dinners" presented by representatives from top vineyards and are attended largely by the residents of Maui along with guests of the hotel. At one such festive dinner we had the distinct pleasure of being seated with Anuenue's head chef, assistant chef, sommelier, the representing vineyard owner and local wine distributor. Meeting these fascinating people was, as you might expect, as memorable as the food and environment.

If you are celebrating anything special, such as just being alive and in Maui, splurge on the Anuenue Room. It is sure to provide you with surprises and memories as it has so many time for me.

Mama's Fish House is nowhere near any of Maui's major resorts yet it's a rare visitor that doesn't dine at Mama's. The food is excellent and the service friendly, but so it is at many more conveniently located places. The big attraction has to be something else.

Situated on an isolated stretch of sandy beach, it conjures the perfect vision of a tropical hideaway. I've been to Mama's when the sea churns violently as if thrashing through nightmare visions, spewing high into the air on the surrounding rocks and lava tubes. I've also been there when the ocean laps gently onto the beach under the coconut groves that form Mama's front yard. In spite of the ocean's fickleness, Mama's remains supremely predictable. Just one thing. Where did the classic woodie go that used to act as the road sign for Mama's?

I forgot to ask. As I made my way down the path formed from cleverly designed interlocking gecko-shaped tiles, past the tiki gods and torches to the reservation desk, a thatched roof hut typically mobbed with waiting visitors, I was already so happy I forgot to worry about the missing surf mobile.

I tried once to figure out the site plan and architecture of Mama's. It looks like an added-on beach house. A few rooms have really large umbrellas for roofs and bamboo screens for walls that form the many separate dining areas. It would be a mess in lesser hands, but here the warm native wood floors, the tapa cloths, the beams and paneling pull it all together for a warm, upscale look. There's much to see while you wait even when the views outside go dark; vintage Hawaii posters, all sorts of Hawaiiana and locally made works of art.

Fish rules at Mama's. Sashimi, poke and fresh island fish are served with wonderful Pacific Rim flavorings and locally grown ingredients such as maui onions, paholo fern, roasted kukui nut, fresh hearts of palm, pineapple and lettuce and tomatoes organically grown vegetables from nearby Haiku farms.

Each day Mama's excitedly informs you who caught the fish you are eating and where on the island they snagged it. One of the specialties of the house is the mahimahi and luau leaf cooked in a ti bundle and opened at your table old Hawaiian style. If you'd like to try something other than fish order the duck cooked with lemongrass and bok choy or the filet and Kona lobster served with macadamia nut pesto potatoes. My mouth waters to write about it.

Mama's is the dream come true for the Christenson family who founded it after traveling extensively through Polynesia and falling in love with flavors and sights of this region. Hard to believe now, but when Mama's opened her doors in 1973, it was the first fresh fish restaurant here. That more than anything explains the enduring appeal of this Maui classic and reminds us of the importance of following your dreams.

Watching the new learning center being built was the incentive I needed to take a few lessons. I promised myself that as soon as it opened I would try it on for size. Since the lessons book up, especially during holiday periods, I would advise you do as I did and make your reservations when you book your hotel accommodations. You can request this online at the Kapalua Bay website.

For the first lesson, my excellent instructor, John took me out to the range to assess my swing. After offering much encouragement he made a few suggestions. Soon, I was hitting my four iron long, straight and beautifully. Then we went into the "swing center" for the videotaped version of the swing. The view from the teebox there is worth the price of the lesson alone. With the magnificent ocean as the target how can you do any less than your best? Additionally, the facility has all the gadgets and equipment to help you perfect the golf swing.

The next day we practiced the "short game" at the chipping and pitching area just over the ridge from the driving range. I would highly recommend all golfers utilize this fabulous practice area complete with the bunkers and undulation, which simulate real course play. Having done this made a big difference in my game the next day I played with my husband.

Two practice putting courses leave a golfer little excuse for not being accustomed to the bent-grass greens and unique challenge they create. How was that again? It plays fast toward Molokai's South side, tends to break toward the oceanside and don't forget the wind's effect. Certainly takes some getting even if one is used to it!

At the learning center there is also an 18 hole putting course. Be sure to check in at the clubhouse before you play. We made the mistake of thinking it was free as a practice course and were somewhat embarrassed to learn otherwise after we'd helped ourselves to the fun.

If you have ever been smeared with green seaweed goop, steamed like a dumpling, kneaded like a ball of dough, lain on a bed of hot rocks or sprayed with high pressure water hoses you will know what a delight all of these torturous-sounding treatments can truly be. If you haven’t, do not delay -- get thee to the spa at the Ritz.

Since there are many treatments particular to Hawaii, I usually take advantage of the special seaweed wraps and Hawaiian lomi-lomi massage as soon as possible after arrival. Any extra water retention from that long flight melts miraculously away along with the stress I came to Hawaii to leave behind. I've heard a rumor that there are more massage therapists per capita on Maui than anywhere else in the country. Makes sense, and with the competition so keen I've never had a less than stellar massage here.

Many people are so inspired by the clean air and beautiful colors and scents of Hawaii that they decide to "detoxify" or start a fitness program while on the island. At the workout center you can lift weights, have a fitness assessment, hire some training, participate in a pilates or yoga class or merely continue with your normal fitness routine in a most pleasant and condusive environment. State of the art fitness equipment, friendly staff, chilled towels, tropical fruits and lemon-infused ice water are a few of the personnal touches that add to the incentive to get physical.

Trail maps are available at the fitness center or concierge desk outlining routes for morning hikes and jogs that take the fitness buffs and aspiring hard bodies along the property from the Ritz to Pineapple Hill, along the oceanfront and back again. The more determined, fit and adventurous might try the upcountry mountain hikes often organized by the hotel fitness staff.

The Beauty Salon offers manicures, pedicures, hair care and facials as well as an interesting selection of products and treatments, many produced locally.

The locker rooms are luxurious and fully stocked with all you could ever need to feel squeaky clean and glowing: lotions, shampoos (the Ritz's own formula), deo, razors, hairspray and spritzes. You need not bring a thing, but do leave the temptingly fluffy robe in the basket on your way out. Though it's okay to take an extra piece of fruit "for the road."

Realizing that performances of luau and hula offer native Hawaiians a forum for keeping their ancestry and culture alive, how can you not go? A Luau show, such as the Old Lahaina Luau, voted the best in Maui for many consecutive years, may be the best opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and flavors of the original inhabitants. It's not perfectly authentic, of course, but it's a very good thing.

Hula, considered sacred to the Hawaiians, uses dance to give thanks, tell "story", relate history and is the traditional accompaniment to the foods, which are also prepared in ritualized fashion, from the pounding of the poi, to the slaughter and pit smoking of the pig.

Although the Natives probably drank Kava at their feasts, this Luau breaks with tradition and serves up wicked potions of Mai Tai's starting with the glass you are given with your Lei upon entering the site. Now Smile! Everyone gets a souvenir photo with the beautiful men and women who will both serve your table and later perform the dances.

Arriving at the Luau around 5:30 p.m. gives guests a chance to stroll the idyllic setting directly on the ocean, eye up the locally made crafts displayed round the perimeter on batik-tapa cloth sarongs and have a second cup of kindness. Don't miss the unearthing of the pig in your rush to the open bar, however, as sarong clad muscle men raise the meat from its smoky grave to the "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd gathered round the pit.

Soon enough the as the sun sets slowly behind Lanai, guest make their way to the elaborate and bountiful spread of salads, fresh tropical fruits and vegetables, roast pig, poke, chicken and island fish. With everything so tempting, it's hard to decide which items to put on your plate. This is also your chance to try the ambrosia of the Hawaiian royals -- poi. (No doubt an acquired taste, I have heard poi delicately described as a cross between paste and snot. Sorry, but had to warn you.) Then comes an assortment of desserts presented by the unfailingly cheerful staff and the show begins.

Center stage and in clear view of all the tables, the wait staff has transformed into costumed warriors and island beauties singing melodious ballads along with war-like chants that tell the tales of ancestral journeys across the seas to the newly born islands of Hawaii. Legends of the great gods and goddesses are recounted and inter-woven with stories of the human inhabitants. All during the telling, the acceptance and awareness of the rhythms of life, nature, and the sea are expressed by the incredulously graceful and controlled movements of the Hula. Those hands, those arms, those legs, those hips! Those coconut shells! Remember the expression Lester had in "American Beauty" while watching the cheerleaders? My husband had that very same look on his face.

I couldn't blame him. There's just something in the way they move.

Oh where are you, 'Ulalena rain? The mind reaches out, To be near the loved ones. With a single glance. A thrill possesses me, With this thing called love. Written Circa 1879 by Nakulula

Be still at the moment between daylight and dusk and you will sense the uniquely Hawaiian phenomenon of Ulalena, the whispering wind that the ancients and moderns alike revere for its sense of cleansing and hope.

A lone, sustained, haunting wail of the ‘ha, or breathe, forced through the conch shell calls the audience to attention. Chatter ceases and all eyes are cast upon the stage as a lone man enters carrying the coffin of his ancestral bones upon his back as he makes his way to a new, unknown land. An earthy, a cappella chant from the goddess, Mo’o, signals a stirring in the mana, or life-force and sets the stage for discovery.

Life springs forth as journeyers from the distant islands of Polynesia make their was across the stage in outriggers and sails being guided by the great Shark-god toward the land of the volcano goddess, Pele. A demi-god, Maui, has pulled the island up from the sea and captured the sun in his fishing net. Visions abound. Swimming fish, fluttering birds, cascading waterfalls, the lizard-god and half-pig/ half-god beast we will come to love are introduced into the story and the lives of the new inhabitants to Maui.

The life and culture of the Hawaiians is portrayed beautifully and rhythmically with dancing and chanting, whether by the pounding of kapa and taro, the struggles between forces, or the feasting and merriment that Makihiki Harvest brings to the community.

Ulalena. The winds bring change with the arrival of the sails of the great god from the sea, Captain Cook. Seduced by the magnificent items he offers, the mirrors, and gold and gun powder, the islanders mistake him for a god, as his banners appeared to them to be in reverence for the agricultural god, Lono.

Missionaries and seekers of wealth arrive along with immigrants to work their fields; people arrive from the Phillipines, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Portugal to work the sugar fields. In its state of flux and change the ways of the kapu, or total respect and reverence for the natural order of things, is lost.

A great disturbance between old ways and new threatens. Caught between two worlds, the last remaining monarchs attempt desperately to bridge the gap, but it is to no avail. The tides have turned and Pele explodes.

But the determined and forceful passion of the Hawaiians remains intact, as if the kapu system has never really left them. In accepting the ebb and flow of progress and development, and by embracing the winds of Ulalena they offer us all the promise of hope and joy in the wake of the destruction. It is a truly inspiring and beautiful story, told in the most passionate and moving manner.

There I was, minding my own business trying to decide between the hibiscus print in red or bright blue, the halter top or the button front blouse when a loud choir of angels pronounced, "Ah-LO-HAAAA!" causing me to jump from my decision making temporarily until I realized it was only the Hilo Hattie's staff just trying to make a newcomer feel right at home. Their robust greeting is as regular as rainbows in Kapalua, as ubiquitous as whales breaching in the straits, as innocent and naïve as Hawaii herself and after an hour or two it won't bother you at all.

After a dark period in time, when Elvis had left the building and most Hawaiiana had been officially designated as cheap, commercial, trashy kitsch, the sort of thing fingered jokingly at garage sales and found in your Uncle's pine paneled basement covered in dust, a great and wonderful force emerged. The force was known as "retro-chic" and from that day hence all the marvelous island-produced items are in vogue again and to be revered forever from this day forward.

Okay, so it's not as mythic a history as my exaggerations, but Hilo Hattie's almost is. Just try walking through these spacious aisles and not pick up dozens of items you imagine a friend back home would delight in (the quilted, appliqued potholders especially). Try to pass by the profuse selection of Hawaiian shirts and dresses and not imagine the day when Aloha Friday is understood on the mainland for all its original implications. I dare you to walk past the smell of pure, aromatic Kona coffee and not pick up a pack. Sample those chocolate covered macadamia nuts and then pass them by. You just try leaving the beautiful tapas cloth photo albums and journals on the shelves where they belong. Go ahead, stick your pictures of paradise into some shoebox in the back of your closet instead!

I promise you, as ridiculously gauche as you might have thought those little charms of whales, fish, iguanas and turtles were before you got here to see the creatures in person, to share their essence in the grand universal cosmic wonder of paradise, you will want to buy one now to wear around your neck or ankle or wrist. You will gaze at it happily, perhaps in the middle of a meeting or traffic jam, as it continues to accompany you through life carrying with it the memories and awareness of all that is simple and beautiful and childlike and pure in the best way possible. Like Hawaii herself and Hilo Hattie's selection of kitsch souvenirs.

For years I shunned the idea of visiting Hawaii. Too commercial. Too many outdated surfer boys, too many hula girls on dashboards, umbrellas in Mai Tais and jokes about getting "lei-ed." Where was the adventure in Hawaii? How would the budget-minded traveler find her place amid the high-rise condos and beaches of Waikiki? There was a whole world to see and Hawaii was the familiar boy next door. I stayed away, convinced it was better left to some suburban, middle-aged vacationers who only ventured out once and year and didn’t want to bother with a foreign language or cultural discrepancy.

One day I was lured with a free ticket. Even though I admit that I went under the wrong circumstances, how could I ignore the glorious beaches, the wonderful assortment of tropical fish witnessed on my first snorkel at Kihei and subsequent ventures to Molokini crater? I was awed by the spectacle of light and color viewed from the top of Haleakala at sunrise with its lunar landscapes. It was with sheer amazement that I gazed at the infinite ocean and sky while being at the highest point on the most remote island chain in the world. To find that a foreign culture did exist in the context of the United States of America, where the water was pure and the air was clean, somehow surprised me. This was my first date with Hawaii and I was definitely interested in the second.

That came soon enough under much more auspicious circumstances. I flew into Lanai and was dazzled by the unique ambiance this little island, only miles from Maui, presented. A four-wheeled Jeep expedition down rutted dirt roads across the entire length and breadth of the island expanded my awareness for some of the more intimate and complex qualities the islands might offer, while the beautiful, reserved elegance of the Lodge at Koele provided a comfort and sense of welfare that I had never before experienced and certainly never expected from Hawaii. This was as far from clique high-rise hotel as one could get.

Returning to Maui on the same trip, I checked into the sublime Four Seasons in Wailea, and began sensing the inevitable enchantment being conjued before my eyes. On a day drive to Kapalua during a picnic on the outer stretches of the lava-formed rock outcroppings that drop dramatically into the sea above Honolua Bay, I became even more certain that I had found my paradise at last.

Still needing to know more, I returned once again to Kauai and found that outpost, hurricane-ridden island one of the most spectacular sites to behold. This time the whales with their little tikes in tow splashed and slapped to our great amusement. Every afternoon a light rain shower brought with it a myriad of ubiquitous rainbows - double bows, high bows, into the sea bows, barely visible bows and bows that glared with every color of the spectrum before disolving as quickly as they appeared out of nowhere. Now, like a lover who suddenly reveals they can dance, Hawaii was marveling me with its seemingly unending reasons to love it.

Visions of Maui persisted. In the dentist’s chair I dreamed of the beach at Kapalua, in traffic I drifted off to snorkeling at the Bay, during meditations I found myself constantly returning to the perfection of joy and peace that Maui had unveiled. Even while preparing for surgery and working through accepting the pain of life's inevitable personal losses, I turned to Maui for comfort. It became for me a touchstone and lighthouse of life beyond the rocks.

The allure had become undeniable. Realizing this, it was time to take the next step. When I returned to Maui for the fifth time, it was with intention to stake a claim. We bought property and considered the true possibility of making the island more than a once in a while destination and dreamland.

I’ve worried at times that it’s too good to be true. If you get what you always dreamed of, what do you dream of next? I wondered if staying on the island for extended periods of time would bring wanderlust. Would my head be turned somewhere down the road for a more beautiful and desirable spot? I decided to test the infatuation.

Since then we’ve made dozen trips staying as long as three weeks at a time. I’ve read volumes on Hawaii’s history and culture, explored the upcountry and wandered through outlets off the beaten track. Observing the locals and the natives, the tourists and the travelers, I hoped to see things through oother eyes. I’ve continued to wallow in the spirit of Aloha that is truly palpable here.

So as not to be swayed by the obvious allure of this "vacation" fling, I waited to become disenchanted. I looked for flaws, examined my conscious, and cooked and cleaned to prove I wasn't mistaking room service for love.

Still, I found myself defending Maui's superiority during discussions with fellow travelers at distant ports. I learned to swat off detractors with carefully thought out counters to any objections.

My real, true love took me away to Bali and Bangkok, Malaysia and Mexico, CostaRica and Cabo, the Outback and the Outer Banks, the Inner Passage, every charted Caribbean island so that I may be sure. I love to seek the new, of course, I write for a travel site! Yet, nowhere have I found a spot so serene, so pristine, so able to capture my attention like this one.

As time marches on the proof of love is revealed. Does it continue to inspire, to compel you to be better in the face of its radiance, to make you seek to understand more, to want to know it ever more deeply? As you learn more of its subtleties and intricacies, its complexities and surprises does that love grow even stronger?

So it has been with me and Maui. The more time I spend there, the more I find to love there. The Hawaiians say it best, "Maui, No Ka Oi," Maui is the best.