Maui Wild Dolphin Days

This weekend is Maui’s celebration of Wild Dolphin Days! To commemorate this weekend, the Pacific Whale Foundation held its Wild Dolphin Sand Sculpture Contest out on Keawakapu Beach in South Kihei! Prizes were given out in 5 categories to participants to encourage all ages, abilities and family sizes to participate.

Wild Dolphin Days not only celebrates the spectacular wild dolphins that grace us around all 3 Maui islands, but also commemorates the tenth year since Maui County passed a law to not allow the display of captive dolphins (and other cetaceans) to ensure that they will continue to remain wild. The Pacific Whale Foundation participates in the research of wild dolphins and makes the public aware of  how to respond to dolphins responsibly.

One could see large families working side by side to create realistic dolphin families with an equal number of dolphin-siblings as there were human siblings, or fathers and sons digging happily to create their symbolic representation of a wild dolphin. The event was open to individuals or groups while the crowds gathering cheered sculptors on.  I was especially impressed with the large turnout of entire families - from prenatal to grandparents supporting each other. This is just another form of aloha here on Maui. Community means a great deal.

Thank you Pacific Whale Foundation for another fun and inspiring event! Mahalo!

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The Miracles at Haku Baldwin Center

You’ve probably passed the ranch in Makawao a dozen times without realizing the magic nestled on the side of the road. Back behind unmarked fences lies a 33 acre ranch known as Haku Baldwin Center. They don’t advertise a lot and in fact, don’t even have a website yet – but you’ll be amazed at the lives they’re touching with their emotional support animals and the strives they’re making to bring free therapeutic horseback riding to as many families as possible.

"Where special people and animals come together." Therapeutic Horseback Riding, Pet Therapy & Animal Education. That’s what you’ll find on their Facebook page. Behind the scenes you’ll find dozens of volunteers working with more than 70 animals to bring comfort and emotional support to more than 400 people every month. This nonprofit group relies on a very small staff of paid employees and a very large community of volunteers wanting to make a difference. Whether it’s for the love of animals or for the love of humanity that brings these folks together, the combined result is one of warmth, generosity and learning.

The Haku Baldwin Center was originated in the early 70’s by Ms. Haku Baldwin herself. For the past 21 years it has acted as a non-profit organization utilizing word-of-mouth as their primary means of support. They’re always looking for dedicated volunteers so if you can spare a few hours a week, I know a dozen faces that will smile every time you arrive! They even have a Vacationing Volunteers Program – ask me and I’ll show you where to start!

The Center has two distinct categories – the therapeutic horseback riding and the small pet therapy/learning program. On horseback you’ll find children and adults of all ages and disabilities participating in learning games – from eye-hand coordination of ring toss to mentally challenging color and shape-based puzzles. Each rider has an instructor that tailors the activities to the level and development of the rider as well as two walkers for their safety and one walker responsible for the horse. The idea is to allow the rider as much comfort as required for him or her to stretch themselves, both emotionally and physically. The smiles on the riders are all the payment these volunteers need. It’s contagious and when you look around the arena, the pride on every volunteer’s face states the obvious – the benefits for the riders by far exceeds the time commitment required by the volunteers.

The small animal center is, in itself, another rewarding place to visit. There are approx. 67 animals here that clients can cuddle and pet and benefit from their unique personalities. There are rabbits, guinea pigs, ducks, dogs, chickens and roosters to stimulate the auditory, visual and tactition senses.  I hadn’t realized that nontraditional animals, such as roosters, ducks and chics, could be used as emotional support animals… but then Shannon and Chrissy introduced me to Mufasa.  Mufasa is a rooster with a HUGE personality. He likes to be in the middle of every conversation and every photo opp. He’s loving and gentle and I doubt he knows he’s a rooster.

Most of these animals are rescue animals and depend on volunteers for the added attention and nurturing that they in turn are able to give to the clients. These animals go on dozens of site visits each month to rehabilitation, convalescent, assisted-care, pediatric, adult-day care and Alzheimer facilities, visiting more than 400 clients. Their calm and consoling nature comes from consistent and repetitious nurturing – from pettings to feedings, these animals have built up a trust with their caretakers and are eager to “go to work” on their site visits. As is not hard to do around these little guys, I developed my favorites fairly quickly – there’s no doubt that Mufasa is my favorite rooster, but Fuzz, a silky,  is a close second with his nonstop crowing for attention. I met a rex rabbit names Ikuma that I had a hard time putting down – I was transfixed by his softer-than-silk coat. Then of course there’s the tabletop rabbits – weighing in at about 18 pounds each! Definitely not lap-rabbits!  If you’d like to see them yourselves, you can pre-arrange tours or educational talks for your classes and groups.

I hope that you will find a way to spread the word about this hidden gem in Makawao. The services they offer for free for all their clients is a real representation of true Aloha. Mahalo!

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If The Shoe Fits, Wailuku

The name, If The Shoe Fits, struck me as cute at first glance and within the first 5 minutes with shop owner, Teri Edmonds, the name became cleverly appropriate.

Teri is one of those owners that greets each customer with the compassion of a long lost friend... Her warm aloha and bubbly personality resonate within If The Shoe Fits and you can't help but smile. When asked how her dream came to be, she answers with a broad smile and a short tale. She began her designing career with the goal of providing stylish shoes for hard-to-fit customers. If you've ever been into a shoe store and had your heart set on a particular pair, just to find that your feet were too long, too wide, too narrow or the calf-high boots were obviously designed for someone else’s calves.... Then you have found the right place! Welcome home to your new closet of shoes. In here, it's all about you!

Your ability to finally own that perfect fitting shoe didn't just come overnight. Teri opened her store 11 years ago spending much of her time repairing other people's designs... While there's definitely a need for that, Teri's inspirations for her own designs made her reach for her dream. That dream required her to reach all the way to China to get her new design line manufactured. And 9 years ago that's exactly what she did - welcome into your closet, "Hot Biskit"!

As with all dreams and visions, the closer she got to fulfilling hers, the broader the vision became. Teri believes in community and preservation. Her desire is to buy local resources and products, use local labor and above all - be earth friendly, or green. With that being said, 2 years ago she began the hard push to become 100% local. I asked her how close she is to reaching that 100% goal and through thoughtful eyes she looked around at all she's built and answered, "A year. Within a year I want to be there." An amazing goal if you ask me! Just imagine all that our island could produce if more people thought like Teri.

Buy local. Shop local. Create local.... As much as possible anyway.

Teri may be focused on footwear, but her philosophy is definitely transferable. Here's the excerpt from her Green Footprint Program: "to develop a sustainable shoe manufacturing industry using locally produced, environmentally friendly, raw, & recycled materials." Can you imagine all the industries that also could do this and the benefits to our island?

We talk as I stroll around her compact yet intriguing store. Up front are a blend of her brand, Hot Biskit, and her other brands she enjoys carrying... The walls are covered in articles and notes of appreciation from every genre of life. In the back you'll find her workshop next to rows shoe horns where she teaches classes on creating your own handbag, sandals, moccasins and accessories. Her class schedule and info are on her website.

Two things catch my eye and throughout the explanations, I feel that powerful feeling of fascination as I learn something amazing. There against the wall sit pairs of getas and moccasins.  A geta is a wooden platform shoe worn in the traditional Japanese culture. Teri beautifully handcrafts each pair specifically for the individual customer out of Maui reclaimed wood. Local products, local resources, less waste!

The moccasins... Light tan, soft, waterproof... Deer skin. Now, before Teri explained about the deer skin, I pictured Bambi and wasn't too keen on the idea; however, Teri was quick to educate me.

You see, back in 1959 axis deer (also called chital in their native India) were introduced to Maui as a game species. What was not expected was for this species to reproduce exponentially and begin causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in environment and property damage as well as insurmountable crop destruction. Without natural predators here, the axis deer species on the islands is growing 20-30% per year. Because this could become a catastrophic problem, it became necessary to eradicate, or mass slaughter, these axis deer.

Following Teri's earth friendly philosophy, she buys the brain-tanned hides of these axis deer and uses them for shoe leather and class materials rather than having all those carcasses rotting in the landfills. Hunters are working to get the meat approved by the government and quite possibly these Eco-friendly business owners will be able to find uses for much of the slaughtered animals.

Folks like Teri Edmonds that not only create Eco-friendly philosophies, but also strive to live by them get applauded in my book. Her store, If The Shoe Fits, is a definite stop on our tour of hidden gems. Stop in and tell her how you heard about her. Try out a class or take a stroll in some of her trendy Hot Biskits! Mahalo!

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Maui Specialty Chocolates

Nestled in an out-of-the-way location is a real local gem called Maui Specialty Chocolates. You would be most likely to discover them as custom made chocolate treats for local hotels and vacation condo complexes; but thankfully you needn’t have to stay in one of these establishments to enjoy the rich, deliciousness they offer. In their store here on East Wakea Avenue, you can select the chocolate treats that most appeal to you without the cost of a night in the client hotel.

After 22 years in business, the family continues to work together to make their dream happen. Owner Tony Jones and his wife Valerie still have the pleasure of Grandma helping behind the counter to prepare orders and wait on store customers.  I asked Tony how Maui Specialty Chocolates came to be and he jokingly answered that he didn’t want to get a real job. Obviously Tony and his wife put years of dedication and many more hours than a “real job” would have consumed into making their business a success.

What is the secret behind the wonderful chocolate? One can only assume it is the magic Valerie puts into each piece. After attending the Culinary Institute of America, Valerie worked as a baker for Marriott. Each Christmas she would prepare chocolates for friends and family. She would continually get requests to make more for other occasions. Seeing an opportunity here, Valerie and Tony opened Maui Specialty Chocolates and the rest, as they say, is history.

The most requested treat in the store is their peanut butter and chocolate mochi (a Japanese rice cake). Their mochi is made fresh daily and sells out fast so if you’re looking to pick up some for your next party, call ahead or be there when the store opens at 10:00!

If you’re headed into Kahalui for a Costco or Walmart run, detour through the back roads and pick up some mochi on your way home! Make sure you say hi to Tony! Mahalo!

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Native Intelligence, Wailuku

Among our Wailuku stops was an interesting visit with Jenny Molitau, owner of Native Intelligence. Go ahead and let the name intrigue you – it’s a fantastic place. Plan to spend enough time to really enjoy everything the shop has to offer.

Native Intelligence has been in business for 4 years but last May they moved into their new location. As you drive by you can see authentic pieces of art lining the walls and display cases. This isn’t a museum but the cultural history that’s for sale here can enhance any home décor – on island or the mainland. Roughly 95% of the store’s collection is made by artists here in Hawaii. The other 5% is made up of jewelry from Tahiti and some examples of weaving from Fiji to display the differences in techniques between the islands.

Jenny was kind enough to give us a historical tour around her store. Her knowledge is incredible and the passion she shares with her husband, Kapono’ai Molitau, is obvious as she explains how their shop opened and the cultural activities their family is involved in. Kapono’ai is a Cultural Specialist and teaches hula at Na Hanona Kulike ‘O Pi’ilani (rough translation – the determined one that stands magestically in the Pi’ilani Mountains).

What makes this store stand out from the other Hawaiian art collection boutiques is that not only can you buy these works of art, but also for many of the techniques, you can purchase the necessary mediums and tools to try your own hand at creating them! Jenny explains to us how the Cupa design is created and the many meanings behind the subtle differences in the characters. Traditional Hawaiians would etch the desired meaning patterns onto bamboo and use that as a stamp. They’d stamp the designs on bark using mulberry as the ink. You can buy these bamboo blanks at Native Intelligence and try carving your own meaningful stamp. Or if you’re really feeling creative, purchase a kuka'a lauha roll and stripper tool and weave your own baskets.

Among my favorites for sale were the accessories for hula including the various drums and some coconut palms growing right out of the coconut shells. These plants use the coconut shell as its pot. They’re functional, interesting and affordable! Stop by Native Intelligence and feel comfortable shopping for traditional Hawaiian treasures and they’ll help you make the arrangements to get them home! Mahalo!

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Manoli’s Pizza – Grand Opening week in Wailea

Nestled above the 15th hole of the Wailea Blue, one might feel that you're looking out onto a park and pond (as a few young ones mistakenly did), but in actuality you're enjoying one of the three beautiful golf courses that Wailea offers.

While customers are spoiled with top-notch service by staff, the owner, Aaron Placoirakis, makes his way around the room, pacifying eager children with cheese pizza slices and making sure adults feel welcomed. His top notch attention to even the youngest diners might stem from his passion for family and passing those values from his own father, “ Big Manoli”, through himself and on to his young son, Manoli.

 
Aaron must have seen what we had all missed - the need for a restaurant here in Wailea with good food, good service and a relaxed atmosphere that can accommodate even a 7 year old's birthday dinner.  Stop by and experience a completely different atmosphere - a perfect blend between the service at a white linen eatery and the made-at-home feeling of your local pizzeria. Tamera took care of us tonight and she made sure everything we needed arrived within moments and to our liking! Thanks Tamera!

They are quick to explain that they focus on fresh, organic, sustainable products and make every effort to get as many of these ingredients as possible from local farmers, including a fantastic salad of greens fresh from Kula.  This is really important to us, and we're glad Aaron feels the same way.  The white balsamic –Ali’I  lavender vinaigrette dressing on the house salad was just the right amount of sweet and sour so don't hesitate - support our Kula farmers and eat up!

Next up is a create-your-own, any-way pizza... Split it & combine it, or take their suggestions... Either way, it's yummy! My personal favorite is the Hawaiian Honey... Yes, even in Hawaii they call it a Hawaiian Pizza, complete with toasted macadamia nuts and caramelized Maui onions!

Finish the night off with tiki torches burning next to the lanai, delicious banana crème pie and a spectacular Maui Sunset.

Well done, Manoli's! Pizza with style!

Exploring Wailuku, Part III

Next stop on our tour of Wailuku included a visit to the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens.

There’s no entrance fee to wander around the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens which makes it an even better tour stop!  It’s a nice place to spend a pleasant afternoon with your kids or just to take a walk and have lunch. Conveniently located near the Harbor, it’s easy to find on Kanaloa Ave with parking on the side street. Maui Nui Botanical Gardens is a non-profit organization that relies on its volunteers to keep the gardens green. There are picnic tables and covered areas for large groups as well as a playground and ample lawn space for families and get-togethers.

Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays there are tours of the gardens at 10:00am where the volunteer docent will explain what you are seeing and the history behind each plant and tree (a $5 donation per person is appreciated). Special tours can be pre-arranged for your group by calling the Gardens ahead of time. If you are exploring on your own, they offer a full color Virtual Walking Tour map for $4.

We met an amazing worker there named Gloria Adlawan.  Since we had missed the tour, Gloria explained about some of the plants and trees that had specifically caught my eye. Among my favorites is a tree called the Hala tree. This tree is amazing… it’s in the pine family and the female Hala tree produces a fruit that looks very much like a pineapple. The individual sections that make up this pineapple-looking fruit can be eaten or dried. When it’s dried, the section separates into fine “hairs” that traditional Hawaiians would use as paint brushes. The lau (leaf) was woven to make floor mats or sails for canoes.

If you’re looking for something quick, fun and FREE to do, please stop by the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. Take a walk, have a picnic and remember to give Gloria a warm howdy and if you can spare a few bucks, share those too! Mahalo!