It’s Christmas Once Again in San Francisco

From my happiest place on Earth, Mau`i, to my next favorite time of the year, the holidays, time has just flown by.  For almost the past 20 years, I have kicked off the holiday season the Friday before Thanksgiving with KOIT flipping the switch to Christmas music and the SF Embarcadero Building Lighting and Winter Carnival and this year was no exception. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the past 15 years, my Black Friday shopping consisted of buying and decorating my Christmas tree but this year I took it a step further.  Since fresh trees became available the week before, I took advantage of it during the previous wet weekend freeing up the weekend right after Thanksgiving to take the REI challenge and opted to get outside and down to the Central Coast where I got to swim in November and watch the sunset over Pismo Beach followed by oceanfront dining at the Oyster Loft as if I was still in Mau`i. 

 

 

 

 

 

My third Apple Farm Christmas experience http://cookwithzee.blogspot.com/2014/12/apple-farm-you-had-me-at-pie.html is always a great seasonal appropriate reminder of what I love about this time of year and one I hope will continue to be an annual tradition. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the 25 Days of Christmas Countdown begins, it is a perfect time to pledge to make it a "Bright and Merry" one and if you need some inspiration before it is too late, http://cookwithzee.blogspot.com/2015/12/may-your-christmas-be-bright-and-merry.html

Maui Fair

I admit that I rarely go to the County or State Fairs in California but will always make an effort for the Mau`i Fair if I am on island.  Formerly known as the Maui County Fair that is generally kicked off with a parade on Thursday evening and spans the first weekend in October, the island is gearing up for its 94^th annual fair at the War Memorial October 6-9.  Last year it was a week earlier than normal giving me a chance to finally experience a Sunday at the fair, when I would normally be leaving the islands and this year it is a week later than normal, missing it by 4 days. 

Rides, food booths that are fundraisers, contests, produce and services tent, livestock, arts and crafts, and first rate entertainment makes this a great local experience that brings the community together for this annual event. 

 

 

The main initial draw for us was originally the entertainment as they always had first rate Hawaiian musicians performing and if we are lucky, in the audience. 

 

 

 

The Makaha Sons, Ekolu, and Mark Yamanaka who braved the tropical storm on a flight from Hilo last year to perform for us are just a sample of the talent we were treated to in the past years. 

 

 

 

After the entertainment, the ono grindz for a good cause comes in a close second.  Poi mochi and Hawaiian plates are my must have with the poi mochi line boasting one of the longest lines, so go during peak lunch/dinner time when most people are buying their other food. 

 

 

There are free shuttles from a few satellite parking lots in Wailuku and the Queen K Center but check shuttle hours as they do not necessarily run until the end of the fair especially on Sundays which we discovered last year so we parked closer to the War Memorial for $5. 

Pre-sale tickets are $5, $7 at the door Th-Sat and Discount Sunday with $5 admission and rides for about 3 tickets or less. 

 

Check back on their website for updates on vendors and entertainment - https://www.mauifair.com/.  If rumors are true, you may be lucky enough to hear the sounds of Keali`i Reichel, making me wish I was lucky enough to live Hawai`i. 

Maui Marathon and Half Marathon

We are almost always on island the weekend of the Mau`i Marathon/Half Marathon and have always had such admiration for the participants.  Never in a million years thinking I would ever be one of them since running for long periods is hard on my knees.  One year, friends we have met over the years signed up for it, with one mentioning he was walking it.  What?  Walk a half marathon?  You can do that?  Ding, there goes the light bulb moment giving me that “bright idea” that I was going to walk one. 

Fast forward a year later to 2013 and what better place for my first Half Marathon than where the idea started.  After months building up my endurance and speed by literally walking around in circles at the nearby Marina Park with the Bay View, I was speed walking for 3+ hours along one of the most scenic routes with an ocean view. 

 

 

The full marathon starts in Kahului and ends at Whaler’s Village while the half starts and ends at the Whaler’s Village on Sunday while the 5K, 10K, and Front Street Mile is the day before on Saturday.  For the ambitious, the Warrior Challege of a full marathon + 10K + front street mile or half marathon + 5K + front street mile will really test your endurance - http://mauimarathonhawaii.com/

Although I arrived about a week before to acclimate to the weather as tropical conditions can vary greatly from what you are use to training in, it was still a challenge once the sun came out.  However, I am grateful to have completed it the year I did since the last two years sported unusual conditions, the lack of tradewinds last year and record breaking temperatures the year before that presenting an additional challenge even for the winners.  Hope this year the weather God’s will be on the side of the participants as I go back to cheering from the sidelines and/or my lanai next door this weekend!! 

 

Festivals of Aloha Maui Nui

The Aloha Festival has been celebrated all around Hawai`i for years with events planned among the islands and usually kicked off with an introduction of the Royal Court.  I first discovered it in September of 2004, during my 4<sup>th</sup> Mau`i visit and the same year I committed to coming back to the islands for 2 weeks a year.  Although not as extensive as the O`ahu celebrations, I loved the community feel of the Mau`i one right at the Banyan Tree Park where keiki greeted their neighbors “Uncle” and “Auntie” as everyone is treated like ohana.  Although tempted to join in and buy a bouquet of proteas to present to the Royal Court myself, I still felt like a malihini at that point so just sat back and observed for fear of inadvertently doing anything that could be construed as disrespectful. 

 

Twelve years later, that day is still memorable, not only because this girl who never wins anything actually won a 1 night stay at the Aston Waikiki and a dashboard hula doll from just spinning a wheel, but because my love for the islands were solidified as the entertainment gave me chicken skin.  Over time, the official events have been limited more to the island of O`ahu of which I was lucky enough to squeeze in an overnight stay in O`ahu to experience the Ho`olaulea in Waikiki before my 2 weeks in Mau`i one year.  However, it was the Mau`i one that I miss and yearn for.  Just when I thought it had met the same fate as the Taste of Lahaina and the Pineapple Festival, Mau`i came back with their own set of events, Festivals of Aloha Maui Nui style, including the long running Richard Ho`opi`i Falsetto contest which had remained a staple. 

 

Although it is no longer as extensive to include a Royal Court like in 2004, the return of the Ho`olaulea under the Banyan Tree often with the falsetto winners and at least one member of the Ho`opi`i ohana,

 

 

 

even if it meant Uncle Richard’s son had to fly back from the Big Island to represent,

 

 

the entertainment is top-notch.  Unlike some of the previous years’, this year’s Ho`olaulea is this weekend and therefore will be before the falsetto contest - http://www.festivalsofaloha.com/2016-schedule-of-events/ but it looks like the Ho`opi`i ohana will still be putting on a show this Saturday scheduled for 11:45AM and if the rumors are true, an appearance from the legendary Makaha Sons at 1PM, guaranteed to give you chicken skin. 

 

Saguaro National Park

Although we had only a couple of days in Arizona, I really wanted to make my dad’s first trip to Arizona an authentic one.  Our first meal straight from the airport was for Fry Bread Indian Tacos at the Fry Bread House

 

 

 

 

and ironically the reason why we were originally planned on venturing down to Southern Arizona was in hopes of trying a lunch place by the O`odham Reservation with a side stop to the Saguaro National Park.  However after over 10 hours of driving just the day before for the Grand Canyon and the possibly inconsistent hours of that lunch place, we decided to save the additional couple of hours detour and just visit Saguaro as When in Arizona…

 

Arizona seems synonymous with cactus so it seemed fitting that we would bring my dad to a park in the middle of the Sonoran Desert with cacti as far as the eye can see.  There are 2 sides to this park so we decided that the West is the place to be.  With no attendant at the entrance of this park, it can be confusing trying to figure out where to go.  We literally entered and exited the other side of the park off Picture Rock Road without seeing anyone, only to discover that we should have stayed on Sandario connecting to Kinney Road which will bring you to the Visitor Center where you check in and pay your $10 per car fee or complimentary with the senior pass that have been getting a workout this year. 

 

Mainly here for scenery and pictures, we traversed around the paved trails for up close and personal pictures including the prickly pear cactus

 

 

which we had eaten in fry form just the night before in Sedona

 

 

and then drove the scenic Bajada Loop Drive which is a dirt road but one that can be maneuvered without 4 wheel drive.  As I said, When in Arizona...