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I started chipping away at all that tropical fruit on Saturday morning with an impromptu yogurt parfait made with the flavors of Maui. The challenge: find a way to use the tart and intense yellow passion fruit. It was too much to eat on it’s own. And, to use up the rest of the yellow…

Outside the gates to Ioa Valley State Park is a fun free park that celebrates Hawaii’s diverse emigrant cultures.  Even the Korean statues are fun at Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens. If you’ve read Sarah Vowell’s Unfamiliar Fishes or other books on Hawaiian history – you know that modern Hawaiian culture is a melting pot that starts…

We took the day off from the beach and headed to the hills for a short hike around Maui’s Ioa Valley State Park. The entrance to the park (with a $5 fee for parking) looks straight out of Jurassic Park, with a dramatic waterfall and misty tropical forest. A paved trail inside the park takes…

How well do you know your tropical produce? Can you identify all 13 of these fresh fruits and vegetables from the local produce market in Maui? Leave your guesses in the comments below. I had a fun excursion to the farmer’s market stand in Kihei this morning. Regular produce at the grocery stores here can…

I cut up my toes on a rock while snorkeling at the beach today, so instead of our usual badminton match at sunset I made a fancy dinner.  The local market had freshly caught opah, or moonfish, belly for sale. That is one cheery looking fish! The opah steak was too good to broil, so…

Jean, Trent, Everett, Mom and Dad left for California this morning. The house seems so quiet without them, especially without the baby’s constant chatter. We’re here for another week! After everyone set off for the airport, Rob and I got permission from Haley to take her inflatable kayak out for a spin. We drove down…

Happy New Year from Hawaii! Not pictured in this photo, panic exclamations of “Ouch! I think an ember went down my shirt. There’s a spark on my foot!” Remember to stage your picturesque, Pinterest-ready New Year’s photo standing upwind from the sparklers. 2013 was full of a lot of travel: Whistler, London & Edinburgh, Tahoe, Hetch…

Isn’t it nice to find a hidden gem? We stumbled across the Sea House Restaurant on the beach in Napili on Maui and were impressed.  We were seated right away at a table overlooking the beach. Our nice waitress has worked at the restaurant for 30 years. With the elegant dining room, it looked like…

Rob and Trent left for their bike adventure early this morning. The rest of us had a lazy morning at home before taking the car out to explore the north shore of Maui.  First stop, Ka’anapali Alii beach. We saw a Red-Crested Cardinal hopping along the sand: This spot on the island was originally an…

I love the patina and mixed message on this sign from the beach in Kihei: