Things To Do On A Rainy Day in Maui (Besides Praying for Sunshine)

While most of us think of Hawaii as a sun-drenched paradise, we rarely know what to do when the reality of overcast skies, rain and thunderstorms dampen our plans. This year, Maui, and most of the state of Hawaii, experienced much more rainfall than normal. As a result, our week-long vacation boasted a whopping single sunset for our enjoyment. Not nearly enough for me but what was I going to do? Arguing with God doesn't seem to work so besides praying for the rain to let up, my husband and I decided we were not going to waste one minute of our hard-earned vacation and mope the lack of sunshine.

Here are my discoveries while in Maui. I am almost thankful for being forced to leave the beaches and explore the hidden treasures of the island. But I reserve the right to go back and experience a sunny Maui vacation.

Quick Tips:

1) Bring an umbrella wherever you go. Showers are the norm in Maui. While you're at it, keep a towel with you to dry off.

2) Duck into a shop or mall to escape the rain. You never know what you might find, including terrific deals you can't get at home.

3) If there is no thunder or lightning, get in the water. After all, you're going to get wet anyway and the fish don't mind when it rains. Note that visibility decreases if there is a storm offshore.

4) You can always eat. Most of the time, restaurants do not force you to eat outside so take advantage of the rain and go tasting!

5) Make friends with locals! Find out what they suggest and go do it. These people live with the rain throughout the year. They know how to navigate the island best when the weather is not tourist-friendly.

6) Look on the bright side. Without the rain, dramatic waterfalls do not appear. We saw some of the most spectacular waterfalls after a good rain.

Best Way To Get Around:

If exploration is your goal, then rent a car. Maui is renowned for its Road To Hana and I strongly recommend taking it at your own pace. We found the greatest little places, and therefore, have the best memories, from stopping when we felt like it and exploring as we saw fit. Obviously, in the rain, a convertible may not be the best choice. We had a car with a sunroof.

Now that the roads on the north part of the island are paved, you don't have to worry about the four-wheel drive off-roading vehicle. We had a compact sedan that worked just fine.

“You either love it or you hate it,” our friend said of the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas. He loved them but we needed to see for ourselves. We arrived late in the evening. A pleasant breeze blew through the empty, ensuring us that the spirit of Aloha was taking over.

We reserved an immaculate, one-bedroom villa. The kitchen had everything we needed, plus two vanilla Drumsticks in the freezer for our ice cream addictions.

The bedroom boasted the well-known Westin Heavenly Bed, which invites anyone to jump on its fluffy duvet and feather pillows. I resisted and moved on to explore the bathroom. Paved in marble, the bathroom looked exactly like the ones at the St. Regis Monarch Beach (a story for another day). The whirlpool tub, which faced the TV in the bedroom, and the separate shower told me that I would be spending a lot of time luxuriating in this very special room.

Too good to be true? You bet. Promptly at 8am, we awoke to the sound of jackhammers pounding at the construction site directly outside our window. Our view faced the new buildings that the Westin was building for the next phase of villas. Now, beyond the din and the eyesore was the ocean. But it was difficult to enjoy. When we tried to change rooms, no luck.

We decided that sleeping in was not part of our vacation agenda. So we had to adjust our schedules so that we would be up before the jackhammers started singing.

Needless to say, the service left much to be desired. The hotel manager refused to return our calls to address the noise problem, something that Westin still has not corrected. But conversely, the concierge was not only helpful but also knowledgeable about Maui and offered her insights into what the locals do and eat. With her help, we found several terrific restaurants and gained many pounds. Wait, maybe that wasn’t so great…

The pool and beach area get crowded so claim a spot early. For a fee, you can reserve a cabana by the pool or for $10, you could use a lounger on the beach. We skipped both since we would rather save our money for something more tantalizing.

The pool features a spiral water slide. Kids and adults alike love this pool and rightly so.
The beach, when the rain subsided, held performances at dusk, featuring beautiful sunsets. We managed to catch one showing during our vacation. Sadly, when it rains, the show is, naturally, canceled. A note of caution: beware of bougainvillea thorns in the sand. I found them the hard way.

While we recommend the resort as a whole for its facilities, we caution travelers about the lower than average service. Keep in mind the price you pay at the Westin should afford you a certain level of courtesy. Stick to your guns, stick up for yourself and protect your investment of a hard-earned vacation.

If you are not quite ready for traditional Hawaiian fare but are hankering for a taste, try the Hula Grill in the Whaler's Village for a blend of island flavor with American favorites.

Hula Grill, like its sister restaurant, Leilani's, is perched on the beach in Whaler's Village. Park in the lot and get your ticket validated either by dining or making a $10 purchase at any of the shops.

The Barefoot Bar at Hula Grill borders right on the sand which invites both swimmers and surfers alike to belly up to the bar. The bar features burgers, sandwiches, and snacks while the dining room boasts pricier and fancier cuisine. Try sitting in the building next to the kitchen where you can order off both menus and watch the cooks fire up the wood burning oven.

We found ourselves getting addicted to the complimentary focaccia and chili pepper water (not available at lunch) while we ordered. Try the Crab & Macadamia Nut Wontons. Five fried wontons in the hot Chinese mustard dipping sauce will clear your sinuses.

Our entrees were the Kapulu Joe Pork Sandwich and the Fish Sandwich (ahi seared rare). The fish sandwich was fresh and topped with the works. The Kapulu Joe was as good as a pulled pork sandwich can get, reminiscent of a luau pig specialty.

Hula Grill was offering a special where if we returned, ordered an entree, we could get an ice-cream sandwich dessert on the house. So going back for lunch the next day, we ordered the Spicy Coconut Calamari appetizer and the Hula Applewood Cheeseburger with Fries.

The calamari was so tender we could cut it with a fork. If you don't like coconut, try Leilani's calamari. But the Hula Grill's calamari was phenomenal.

The burger was terrific but the extra bleu cheese and applewood smoked bacon toppings were pricey at $3.00.

Dessert was vanilla ice-cream sandwiched between two chocolate and macadamia nut brownies, topped with raspberry sauce. We almost licked the plate clean.

A festive environment which is also great for families, the Hula Grill was one of the most recommended restaurants. You can expect to pay about $25 per person for appetizers and entrees, drinks additional.

If you want to take a little Hula Grill home with you, stop by their Logo Store for souvenirs but more importantly, their Chili Pepper Water or Not So Ordinary Ketchup, which has guava jelly in it for a fruity flavor. Bottles of either sell for $7.25 each.

Pricewise, here’s what we paid on a few dishes: Spicy Coconut Calamari $9.95, Applewood Cheeseburger $13.75.

During a rainy afternoon, we stopped by the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center to escape the downpour. At the Gap, we talked with a sales associate who told us about some of the local restaurants. “Yeah,” she informed us, “Mama’s Fish House is the most expensive restaurant around.” But my husband and I like to search for the hole in the wall, local restaurant experience. “What about the Paia Fish Market?” I asked. “Oh, yeah,” she remembered, “That’s a nice restaurant too.”

On the return trip from Hana, we decided to try the Paia Fish Market. Our casual swimsuit attire presented the only problem and weren’t in the mood for a fancy restaurant. “Let’s just take a look and decide when we see it,” we concluded.

As it turned out, the sales associate’s definition of “nice restaurant” and ours were a bit different. The Paia Fish Market is an unassuming counter service eatery that boasts benches and tables for their patrons. Serving delicious food was more of a concern than impressing the tourists, although there were many visitors in the place. If you are concerned with touching sticky tables and bussing after yourself, skip this place. But if you want terrific Mahi Mahi, you can’t pass this up.

My husband and I both ordered the grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich topped with the house cole slaw. Our orders were accompanied by the requisite skinny cut Cajun fries, which were sprinkled with Cajun seasonings. Simply seasoned, the fish was tender with a mild flavor, not at all overpowering. The substantial meal filled us to contentment. It was too bad that we never went back because the Paia Fish Market certainly merited a repeat visit.

Pricewise, here’s what we paid: Mahi Burger $8.00, Cajun fries $2.00.

As we devoured our dinner, we noticed a couple outside the window by our table. They seemed to be agonizing over whether or not they should step foot in the joint. We got their attention through the window screen and assured them that anything they ate would be memorable, in a good way. Convinced, they too dined there for dinner.

And that is how word-of-mouth can turn a hole-in-the-wall into a popular dining destination.

Leilani's On The Beach can be found across the way from its sister property, The Hula Grill, in the Whaler's Village. It features a dining room, as well as a bar where one can order from the dining room menu, as well as the bar menu.

On the night when we visited Leilani’s, it was pouring and a crowd massed in the restaurant’s lobby. Without reservations, the wait began at 45 minutes. My vocalizing stomach sounded its protests. We trotted back outside and around to the back of the restaurant where the bar looked out over the ocean. There, the non-existent wait appeased my now cranky tummy.

At the bar, we found we could order anything the restaurant offered, be it from the dining room or the bar. We had to compare the Crispy Calamari Strips appetizer to the Coconut Calamari that we had at The Hula Grill. We discovered the same, tender morsels as the Hula Grill’s version, but without the coconut. If you shy away from coconut, this is the dish you’ll want to try. As for me, I’m a coconut fiend so I prefer Hula Grill’s calamari.

As for our entrées, my husband demonstrated his ordering prowess. His Ono Tacos evoke emotional responses from him even today. The special sauce that lines each taco enhances the mild flavor of the fish. Topped with shredded cheese, I could barely get a bite in as my husband inhaled his meal. What I did manage to taste caused me to regret my own choice for dinner.

In Hawaii, I have found that between the plate lunches and fish, there is not much room for vegetables. So I opted for the Kaanapali Cobb Salad. While it was good and assisted me in achieving my Five Servings A Day of fruits and vegetables, I found myself enviously eyeing my husband and his rapidly disappearing tacos. In retrospect, I will honor my mother’s wise words and never order anything that I might be able to readily get at home because I might miss out on a unique opportunity.

Thankfully, our dessert fit the description of a unique opportunity. The Hula Pie is so renowned that Leilani’s serves the concoction on plates that boast the Hula Pie logo. The pie starts with a chocolate cookie crust, filled with macadamia nut ice cream, layered with whipped cream, and topped with chopped macadamia nuts and hot fudge. Once you get over the guilt, indulge. After all, you’re on vacation!

Pricewise, here’s what we paid: Calamari $8.50, Cobb Salad $11.00, Fish Tacos $10.00, Hula Pie $6.50.

Overall, we preferred The Hula Grill’s food to Leilani’s and found that the noisy bar atmosphere at Leilani’s detracted from what we enjoy about dining out. But despite that, our meal filled us to the brim and as we left, I could swear I heard my stomach purring.

“You must try this deli,” my friend Yumi insisted. We were discussing our upcoming trip to Maui. "It is owned by the former chef of Mama’s Fish House and he has opened a deli in the Lahaina area. It is good for take out.”

But we’re on vacation, I thought. Why would I want to go get take out when we want to be wined and dined? Well, all that wining and dining gets kind of old after a while and if you’re like my husband and me, you need some down time. So on a rainy evening, we got into the car and drove to a nondescript strip mall in Lahaina. If you like the “hole-in-the-wall” kind of finds, this is one of them.

Honokawai Okazuya & Deli could stand to do some serious deep cleaning but the food was prepared fresh and quickly. There is one counter for patrons to eat in and a couple of tables outside but truly, this place was small and intends for its patrons to take out.

My husband tried the grilled Mahi Mahi and I had the stir fried eggplant. I was hankering for some home-cooked Chinese food and this looked like it would do the trick. When we got back to our hotel, we found our entrees atop steamed rice and grilled vegetables. We chose the vegetables over the potato salad because we needed to start thinking about regulating our mayonnaise consumption.

The eggplant was spicy, just the way I like it. My cousin warned my husband and me before we left home for Maui that once we try the Mahi Mahi in Maui, we will never be able to have it back at home. She was right. The Mahi Mahi was flaky and so fresh. At $8 to $9 per person, this was a fairly good deal considering the rest of Maui’s eateries can charge twice as much. But if you were to compare this to the Sam Woo take out deli in Irvine, CA, then this was overpriced and not as good.

A hint to future diners, call ahead and bypass the wait. The quarters are so cramped that the less time you spend shoulder to shoulder with other hungry patrons, the better.

Still, we ate until we were stuffed and considered it a worthwhile trip. Another successful meal despite the pouring rain.

One of the most recommended restaurants we encountered was Aloha Mixed Plate. Unfortunately, we don’t agree with our friends and family who felt this restaurant provided a memorable experience.

We arrived at an outdoor restaurant, perched on a deck by the Lahaina beach waterfront. We waited for quite a while before a server seated us. We thought it strange since the restaurant did not seem that busy.

No matter. We sat by the beach walkway and ordered a mango smoothie, Cajun curly fries, and I felt like a bowl of saimin, being that we were in Hawaii. I had not sampled the Hawaiian soup noodles on Maui and wanted to see how they measured up to Kauai’s famous Hamura Saimin.

The mango smoothie won the contest of best item ordered. My husband and I polished it off before the main meal arrived. The Cajun curly fries did not stand out as extraordinary. Ordinary described them best.

Finally, I received my soup noodles. I had to take a picture of them so that I had proof that I do not exaggerate when I describe the presentation. Nestled in the Styrofoam cup in which the noodles must have been purchased, the cup, labeled Okahara’s Saimin, screamed “You could have gotten this in the market!!” The water that had been poured into my instant noodle cup was lukewarm and a piece of pink and white fish product floated at the top. My husband, however, ordered the Mahi Mahi mixed plate, complete with potato salad. His description was that it was good but not great.

Pricewise, here is what we paid: Mango Smoothie $3.95, Cajun Fries $3.25, Mini Mahi $4.50, Saimin $3.25.

Sadly, I cannot recommend this restaurant and advise that there are several better choices in the area where you can dine and still want to talk about it when you get home. Move along, nothing to see here.

Another marvelous suggestion our hotel concierge gave us led us to The Sea House Restaurant at Napili Kai Beach Resort. Usually, I don’t like to patronize hotel restaurants. I find them over-priced and unmemorable. This was an exception.

A word of warning, parking can be scarce so go early. Park in the hotel parking lot and walk down the winding pathways, past the guest rooms and pool. When you reach the sand, veer right toward an open air building. The Sea House overlooks the beach and Napili Bay.

The perfect setting for our first lunch, the restaurant features terrific service and even more extraordinary food. We started our meal with calamari, tasty and fresh. My husband tried the house special Mango With Chicken Salad which featured pineapple, mangoes, and other tropical fruit. He loved it. I opted for the Seafood Cioppino, which was good but I felt that a few of the mussels had been around too long and did not taste as fresh as I would have liked.

Our dessert choices rounded off a great meal. The coconut sorbet arrived, topped with fresh pineapple, kiwi and mangoes. It was not too sweet but just “islandy” enough to satisfy our craving for tropical fruit and coconut flavors. I ordered the coconut crème brulee. If you like coconut and crème brulee, read no further and catch the next flight out to Maui. If you need convincing, the crème brulee featured toasted coconut pieces and creamy custard which filled my mouth with the aroma of mild coconut. The carmelized sugar topping was thick (just the way I like it) with a dollop of whipped cream. Fresh strawberries, caramel and chocolate drizzled on the plate tempted me to lick every morsel and leave the plate sparkling clean.

Pricewise, here’s what we paid: Seafood Cioppino $14.00, Macadamia Shrimp $12.00, Mango with Chicken Salad $12.00, Coconut Sorbet With Fruit $5.50, Coconut Crème Brulee $7.00.

While we dined, we gazed out onto the ocean and periodically saw spouts of water emerge from the surface, signaling a surfacing humpback whale. What more ambiance could one want?

We will remember this restaurant as the place where we had our first meal on Maui. When we return, we’ll keep this tradition alive.

How fitting that our most memorably delicious meal was our last on Maui. One final tip our concierge gave us was to try brunch at The Gazebo, located within the Outrigger Napili Shores Resort.

When we arrived at the hotel, my skepticism rose. I do not normally enjoy eating at hotel restaurants. So as we walked toward the pool area and I began to realize that the Gazebo was the round open structure by the pool, my first inclination was to turn around and find another option. We walked around the pool and got in line to be seated in the tiny restaurant. One tip, get there as early as possible because the lines can be long due to the low capacity.

However, on that morning, the service must have been especially speedy since we were seated promptly. We ordered the macadamia nut, pineapple and banana pancake platter, as well as an omelet chocked full of goodies, including Portuguese sausage. As we ate, we grew silent because what we tasted so thoroughly satisfied our appetites. Even the birds around the restaurant knew how good the food was as they perched along the perimeter, watching the diners for scraps. As I held out a bit of bread, one bird flew down and took the morsel from my hand in mid air. Brave little critter.

If looks were any indication of how good the food is inside an establishment, then I would venture to say that one must look for a reverse correlation. The Gazebo is an unimpressive structure, which at first glance, could be mistaken for an average poolside bar. In reality, it is a well-run restaurant serving delectable and filling meals for a reasonable price. We spent $21.00 on a filling meal for the two of us. Don’t miss this or you’ll lose the opportunity to discover something truly memorable.

“No, we don’t have reservations,” I said, realizing I didn't make plans to attend the popular Old Lahaina Luau. Our concierge, after figuring out that we love food, suggested the Feast at Lele luau. The food was reportedly terrific. But alas, it was fully booked, too. But we wanted food and a fun show, and found it in the Drums of the Pacific luau at the Hyatt.

We arrived 30 minutes early and were greeted with a shell lei. We posed for the photographer for a luau picture (available for an additional fee) and proceeded to some tables, strewn with items for purchase. The “swap meet” atmosphere reeked of tackiness, which we could do without. As we rounded the corner, a long line of about 300 people waiting to be seated greeted us.

The stone-covered stage at one end of the dining area resembled a cave where the entertainers would later perform. To pass the time as hosts seated us, the MC invited members of the audience onstage for a hula lesson. Shortly, one performer blew a conch shell to begin the Imu ceremony, or time to pull the Kalua Pua’a (luau pig) from the roasting pit. Two men ran past the stage to deliver the main course to the buffet tables and guests were excused for dinner.

The menu included the Kalua Pork, Huli Huli Chicken, Mahi Mahi, Ulupalakua Beef, Lomi Lomi Salmon, various salads, the requisite poi (which is grey and tasteless--no food should ever be grey), and steak. Don’t fill up on open bar if you want to save room for the bread pudding and pineapple cake, but it all depends on your priorities.

The show started almost as soon as I started digesting. It depicted different dances of the South Pacific. One highlight was the mini fashion show in the middle of the program where models demonstrated multiple ways to tie a sarong. It inspired me to run right out and purchase one later in the week.

The finale featured a fire dance by Chief Fa’a. Between twirling the batons and clenching the blazing torches in his teeth, he found time to swallow fire and spit it back out.

How is this weather-proof? The Hyatt’s contingency plan is to move the luau to their ballroom space. Large drops fell on us during the show, but fortunately, the cloud passed and we were spared moving inside. Granted, the outside atmosphere lends to the overall show experience, but the alternative would not change the quality of the food or the show.

The Hyatt charged the following for the luau: $78 for adult guests, $58 for guests aged 13 to 20, $45 for kids aged 6 to 12, and children ages 6 and younger enjoy the dinner and show at no cost.
We enjoyed the luau, despite a crowded start. While we have not been to the Old Lahaina Luau or the Feast at Lele, the Hyatt’s provided enough entertainment and a satisfying meal.

I don’t call it “whale watching” anymore. We don’t watch the whales, we ultimately gawk at them. Magnificent creatures that are about 45 feet long, longer than the boat that we rode, breathing air a mere two yards away from us.
On a rainy morning, we waded into Lahaina and checked in for our trip with Maui Adventure Cruises at Slip 1. The hostess offered to reschedule the trip for us, as many did that morning, due to the weather. However, she added that whales don’t care whether it’s raining or not. Whales like rain and, apparently, will view the falling drops on the water’s surface with curiosity and will investigate what is causing the anomaly. The ocean spray would mix with the drizzle and we would not be able to tell the difference. So we stuck to the plan but not without first purchasing a useless rain poncho from the ABC store across the street for $1.29. Skip these. Hefty trash bags hold up better than these ponchos.

The boat was a canopy-covered, hard-bottomed inflatable vessel that held about 30 people. No bathrooms but then, the whole excursion only lasted 90 minutes. As we zoomed across the water on our way toward the channel between Maui and Molokai, the skipper mentioned that there were several whales still in the area, as late March was the tail end of Maui’s whale season.

For the first few minutes, we didn’t see much. But then we spotted two dolphins. Shortly afterward, a mother and her calf, escorted by a huge male, that the crew had named “Bubba”, met us. Apparently, Bubba was known for his white pectoral fins, which are fairly rare, a crew member mentioned, because predators more easily spot him.

Bubba swam under our boat, something that I don’t see every day. Momma kept a protective distance between her baby and us. The calf played with the dolphins and tried a pectoral fin slap. Humpback whale calves are just as uncoordinated with their bodies as toddlers. So as Baby raised its fin, it lost its balance and clumsily rolled back into the water. Giving up on the pectoral slap, it tried a tail slap. Again, raising its fluke in the air, Baby lost its balance and its tail flopped to the side, and rolled into the water. There is something adorable about any baby animal as it tries to learn basic movements, even if this baby was about 12 feet long. Enchantment like this doesn’t happen every day and such encounters touch the soul.

Another magical moment came when our skipper stopped the boat and lowered a microphone into the water. When he flipped on a speaker, we heard whale songs. The skipper informed us that every whale sings the same song for a while and then, at approximately the same time, they’ll change it.

We did not witness any breaching but the show was magical. Not a bad way to spend a grey, wet, lovely morning.

Sure, most people would prefer a sunny drive to Hana but a rainy drive guarantees that the water in the waterfalls will be plentiful. We were lucky, in retrospect, to have had rain in the morning because by the time we arrived at the waterfall spots, the waterfalls were stunning.

I won’t bore with details of the drive to Hana as most have been able to write about detailed excursions. I will, however, explain how we enjoyed the trip despite the rain.

Before we left Ka’anapali, we stopped at CJ’s Deli for a picnic lunch. At first, I thought the cost for a simple picnic lunch was exorbitant, ending with a Styrofoam cooler rental for an additional $5.00. But we did not know where we would be able to stop on the way to Hana and we figured, since CJ’s came highly recommended by our friend, Billy, we’d better just bite the bullet. Total price for a picnic lunch for two of us, including the cooler rental was $30.21.

My friend, Yumi, insisted that we stop at Keanae Peninsula, swearing that the views there would eclipse anything we would see during the drive to Hana. She was right. The lava rock formations and pounding north shore surf made for superb pictures, which I have every intention of entering into a photo contest. To top it off, we found Aunt Sandy’s Banana Bread stand, which served fresh, warm banana bread. Sandy had bags of her bread mix available for us to take home so that when we got the hankering, we could whip up a batch for ourselves.

The stunning scenery provided the perfect backdrop for our lunch. We sat in the car and broke open the cooler to find chunky roast beef sandwiches with all the trimmings, pickles, chips, toll house cookie-like bars, pineapple spears and drinks. Now, I know I complained about the $12.00 per person but the meal filled us up and then some and prevented us from spending over $15 per person on a greasy meal elsewhere with a fraction of the atmosphere. The pounding waves and mists kept inspiring us to ooh and ahh between bites.

We were fortunate to time our trip properly and stumbled upon the annual Taro Festival in Hana. Want local color? This is the place. Not a tourist in sight. We meandered around the craft booths and inhaled all of the enticing smells emanating from the food locations. Every food booth had to serve something with taro in the ingredients. Not sure how the shave ice booth got away with it but we saw plate lunches with taro, taro bread, and taro chips. The drizzle intermittently fell but not enough to dampen the spirits of the festival attendees.

My father-in-law, when he was stationed in Maui during World War II, worked on the Lahaina Ka’anapali Railroad when the US Army assumed operation of it. For that reason, my husband wanted to ride the railroad and booked us on the Sugar Cane Train dinner for the Thursday night.

In the pouring rain (with interludes of lightning), we returned from our outing to the railroad parking lot. We checked in at the small wooden kiosk, along with other passengers who huddled to avoid the rain. Each passenger received a bandanna with a silk-screened company logo. As the staff advised us to wait in our cars to seek shelter from the downpour, we hopped over rivers of water, which drained from the parking lot to the road below.

Finally, the train appeared but passed the station. The staff informed us that the train had to pass the station and turn around at the roundabout so that we would face south when we boarded.

We scrambled onto the train and found seats in the well-used passenger cars. As the train slowly rolled down the track, we could smell the natural gas emanating from the engine. We rode through Ka’anapali and arrived at Lahaina station. There, we disembarked and strolled into the gift shop. My husband watched the staff moved the engine onto a turntable and reversed the train’s direction.

As we headed back to Ka’anapali station, the rain slowed to a light drizzle. When we arrived, four young girls and a band greeted us with a hula dance. We had the choice of remaining on the train or eating at the picnic tables behind the station. The contingency plan in case of rain was to move passengers onto the train and have the performers dance on a covered patio instead of the lattice stage at the back of the station.

As it turned out, the performers split their show between the stage and in front of the train for some passengers chose to remain on the train to have dinner. We opted for the picnic tables and, fortunately, it didn’t rain on us.

The barbecue buffet featured ribs, chicken, corn, salads, fresh fruit and dessert. Apparently, the Sheraton had catered the meal. Perhaps they should never have told us this because the food was average and my expectations of Sheraton catering had been higher. Nevertheless, this was our first all-you-can-eat dinner so we stretched our stomachs. The show began about halfway through our meal.

Some of the performers were young girls, who were especially endearing as they danced with the adult dancers. We enjoyed the cute performance but the Hyatt Luau provided more entertainment.

After dinner, we boarded the train for the train depot where we had started our journey. In retrospect, we recommend this event for families with children. However, for adults, the ride, dinner and show may leave you feeling as if you had overspent for average food and entertainment value.

During rain, think about taking a trip to Molokini Crater. If there are thunderstorms, don’t get into the water. Fortunately, on the day that we rode on the Pride of Maui, the rain remained at a steady drizzle. We checked in at 7:30 for the 6.5-hour excursion.

Scuba divers of any experience level cannot miss the trip to Molokini Crater, if not only for the 100-foot visibility. If you dive off of the Southern California coast like I do, then visibility of more than 15 feet is a treat. Molokini is what remains of a dormant crescent-shaped crater. Teeming with sea life, the back side of the crater steeply drops, serving as a home to large, scary things, including sharks. The inside of the crater has more light, coral, fish, and more of a hospitable environment for beginners like me.

Our divemaster led us to the edge of the back of the crater, where we saw a reef shark swim slowly by. At the top of the crater we peered down the sheer cliff. Our divemaster motioned to her ears, and as we listened, we heard the unmistakable echoes of humpback whale songs. While it was eerie and awe-inspiring all at the same time, I couldn’t help but peek over my shoulder to check if one lurked behind me. They seemed as if they were right around the corner, but of course, sound travels four times faster under water than in air. The whales were not to be seen.

All too soon, we ascended and climbed back on board where a sandwich lunch waited. Potato salad, cookies, and drinks accompanied our meal as we refueled for our next dive. The food was nothing exceptional and could improve. My husband snorkeled while I dove. While it was crowded with others from our boat and other tours, he saw three different kinds of trigger fish and enjoyed the clear water as much as I did.

We made our next stop at Turtle Town, off the Kilua coast. Visibility decreased to 40 feet, but that did not stop us from spotting turtles. On the return trip to the boat, I noticed a large fish approaching us. As the fish swam closer, I realized it wasn’t a fish at all but a large turtle. It stopped 5 feet from us, drew upright, and looked us over from head to toe. After we passed its inspection, it swam slowly away.

The drizzle steadily fell throughout our trip but I didn’t mind. On the ride back to shore, my fellow divers, my husband, and I chatted nonstop about what we had experienced. We returned at approximately 2pm, which left the rest of the day to us for more exploring.

Sadly, my next diving trip will be back in the murky waters of Southern California, where, if lucky enough, I will be able to see my fins as I stand on the sandy ocean floor. Ah, to be back at Molokini.