# Kihei and Poipu Trip



## artringwald (Aug 1, 2021)

When we took our last trip to Hawaii, we arrived home on March 1, 2020, shortly before the pandemic lockdown. This is the first time we’ve left the Twin Cities since then. We didn’t want to go anywhere until we were both fully vaccinated. We had to postpone our Hawaii trip and an Alaskan cruise several times, so we were really looking forward to Hawaii, but were wondering how much the pandemic would affect everything. I thought our experiences might help those planning a trip.

*CLEAR Health Pass for Hawaii* (not recommended)
Before we went to the MSP airport, I registered both of us for a free 2 month trial of CLEAR Health Pass. With it you can store your COVID testing and vaccine information. Several partners, including Hawaii, accept CLEAR Health Pass to prove vaccination. After you register, you have to go to the airport to collect your biometrics. What a joke! It should only take a couple of minutes to scan your eyes, face, and fingerprints. Their scanners were either out of order or couldn’t get consistent results. After 20 minutes and several personal trying to help, they finally got us scanned and verified. I’ll cancel my membership as soon as we get home.

*Safe Travels for Hawaii* (works great)
FYI, it’s not an app, it’s all through a web site. With Safe Travels, you apply for a quarantine exception by uploading your vaccination card ahead of time and enter your flight info. Within 24 hours of your flight, they’ll email a heath questionnaire. Along with questions about how you’re currently feeling, they want to know when you got your last flu shot. Since we were in Seattle by then we had to guess. Fill it out, submit it, and they’ll email a QR code. When you check in for the flight going to Hawaii, the agent scans the QR code, and puts a colored plastic band on your wrist. When you arrive in Hawaii, hold up your wrist with the band, and they let you through without any hassle. The rental car agency may have looked at the band too, because they didn’t ask for and COVID information. Just make sure you read all the information on their web site and in their emails.

*Baggage Carousels*
My Hawaiian Airlines app said our luggage would be at carousel 3. The sign in baggage claim said it would be in carousel 1. I found it in carousel 2. It’s not the first time this has happened. If there’s luggage coming down any of the carousels, go look to see if yours is there.

*Rental Cars in Maui* (piece of cake)
TIP: book it early and keep checking for lower prices. I was nervous because of some horror stories about people not getting their reserved car or having a long wait. It couldn’t have been easier. Last time we were in Maui, the Kahului Airport was still under construction. It’s finished and they did a nice job accommodating rental cars. All the major companies are in a single building inside a large parking ramp. A tram runs continuously from the baggage claims to the rental cars vendors. I reserved through National and paid a little extra for a car in the Emerald Isle. The keys were in the cars and I could choose from a wide variety of makes and models. I chose a small SUV by Ford, hopped in, and checked out at the gate.

So we’re staying at Wailea Ekahi Village on the south end of Kihei. It looks like it will be sunny, very warm, and humid all week. As we drove through Kihei on Friday, the car said it was 100 degrees. Fortunately, the condo’s AC works well. I’ll report later on Maui restaurants and attractions.


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## slip (Aug 1, 2021)

Enjoy you time. I hope it’s a great trip for you!


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## artringwald (Aug 1, 2021)

Here's some picture of the grounds at Wailea Ekahi Village.


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## Luanne (Aug 2, 2021)

@artringwald  Have you had your first cinnamon roll yet?


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 2, 2021)

artringwald said:


> *Safe Travels for Hawaii* (works great)
> FYI, it’s not an app, it’s all through a web site. With Safe Travels, you apply for a quarantine exception by uploading your vaccination card ahead of time and enter your flight info. Within 24 hours of your flight, they’ll email a heath questionnaire. Along with questions about how you’re currently feeling, they want to know when you got your last flu shot. Since we were in Seattle by then we had to guess. Fill it out, submit it, and they’ll email a QR code. When you check in for the flight going to Hawaii, the agent scans the QR code, and puts a colored plastic band on your wrist. When you arrive in Hawaii, hold up your wrist with the band, and they let you through without any hassle. The rental car agency may have looked at the band too, because they didn’t ask for and COVID information. Just make sure you read all the information on their web site and in their emails.


From our experience yesterday flying SEA-LIH.

This is exactly right, with a couple of added caveats.  

We created the Safe Travels account a couple of weeks before the flight and uploaded our vaccination info.  When you arrive at the airport, and you are flying Alaska Airlines, you then have an option of going to a Hawaii clear area for flight checkin.  You will check your bags there, they scan the QR code you receive from HI after completing the health questionnaire, and when all checks out they give you the wristband.  If you have the wristband you just walk right out the airport after you get off the plane.

When you arrive at the airport, you can also do a conventional check-in, or if you aren't checking bags you can go straight to the gate. Also, if you haven't created a Safe Travels account you will go to the gate.  In that case, you will need to be present proof of vaccination or acceptable COVID test at the gate.  This turned into a huge line.  On arrival in Hawaii, because those people didn't have the wristbands, they then had to go through intake protocols at LIH.  I don't know how long that took, as we were at the front of the plane and out the door before before there was any chance for lines to build up. 

If you are in the Safe Travels, there is one thing to be aware of.  After you get cleared (i.e., after the QR code you get from the state is scanned), your trip info on your Safe Travels account is updated to show that you have been screened and cleared. When we went to pick up our car, the rental agency said they couldn't accept the wrist band or the QR Code - I had to show them the updated trip info in my Safe Travels account.  

I didn't learn that until I was at the very front of the line.  Since I had done all of that work on a home computer, I didn't have the SafeTravels set up on my phone. So I had to step back from the line while I navigated to the web site on my phone.  And it didn't accept the password I thought I had set up for the account, so then I had to make a password reset request.  And by the time I got done with all of that there were now 15 people in line As another two busses had discharged customers.

One added suggestion at the airport - only send one person to get the rental car.  The shuttle buses still maintain distancing on the bus.  So if you are a group of three or four people and want to get on a shuttle, the driver won't take you if  there isn't appropriate space.  But the driver will take solo people to fill the single seats.


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## artringwald (Aug 2, 2021)

Luanne said:


> @artringwald  Have you had your first cinnamon roll yet?


On our first morning I was there at 6 AM to get it. I was disappointed. The new owners must be skimping on butter and sugar. They were dry and didn't have as much glaze on top. The place has lost some of it's charm. The former owners were so entertaining. The staff there didn't even smile (behind the mask). Of course, I'll give it another try.


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## Luanne (Aug 2, 2021)

artringwald said:


> On our first morning I was there at 6 AM to get it. I was disappointed. The new owners must be skimping on butter and sugar. They were dry and didn't have as much glaze on top. The place has lost some of it's charm. The former owners were so entertaining. The staff there didn't even smile (behind the mask). Of course, I'll give it another try.


That's too bad.  We won't be back on Maui until March 2022.  I wonder what changes we will notice.  Did you notice if the little coffee building, kind of in front of Cafe O' Lei is still there?


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## artringwald (Aug 2, 2021)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> One added suggestion at the airport - only send one person to get the rental car. The shuttle buses still maintain distancing on the bus. So if you are a group of three or four people and want to get on a shuttle, the driver won't take you if there isn't appropriate space. But the driver will take solo people to fill the single seats.


I started doing this a couple of years ago, just to save our backs from schlepping luggage on and off the shuttle. DW finds a shady place to wait with the luggage at the terminal, and I pick up the car. So much easier.

Thanks for the tip. Rental cars in LIH might be following different rules. I'll have my QR codes ready.


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## artringwald (Aug 2, 2021)

Luanne said:


> That's too bad.  We won't be back on Maui until March 2022.  I wonder what changes we will notice.  Did you notice if the little coffee building, kind of in front of Cafe O' Lei is still there?


If you're talking about this one, it's still there and very busy.




We ate at Cafe O' Lei last night and the Cajun mahi mahi was delicious.


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## Luanne (Aug 2, 2021)

artringwald said:


> If you're talking about this one, it's still there and very busy.
> View attachment 38133
> 
> We ate at Cafe O' Lei last night and the Cajun mahi mahi was delicious.


Yes, that's the place.  We are there just about every morning.  The only mornings we don't walk down there are the ones where we go on a sunrise whale watch.


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## Luanne (Aug 2, 2021)

@artringwald  Cafe O'Lei is usually one of our first stops for dinner when we get to Maui.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 2, 2021)

artringwald said:


> I started doing this a couple of years ago, just to save our backs from schlepping luggage on and off the shuttle. DW finds a shady place to wait with the luggage at the terminal, and I pick up the car. So much easier.


We've been doing that for years now also.  Much easier and less stressful. But with the pandemic protocols it's even more helpful. 

We do the same thing on departure.  I drop off DW with the luggage near the gate.  Then I drop off the car and take the shuttle back.  Saves struggling with the luggage on the rental shuttle both directions.


artringwald said:


> Thanks for the tip. Rental cars in LIH might be following different rules. I'll have my QR codes ready.


Just to be clear.  At the rental car counter the QR code is meaningless. Doesn't get you anything.  That was my mistake.  I thought the QR code would work at the rental car counter also, so I was prepared to show them that.

The only thing that matters is having your Safe Travels account on a device at the car rental counter, where they can see that your QR code has been screened and accepted.

When we got to the Point, they said having the wristband was good enough.  I don't know why that wasn't good enough for Alamo.


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## Luanne (Aug 2, 2021)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> We've been doing that for years now also.  Much easier and less stressful. But with the pandemic protocols it's even more helpful.
> 
> We do the same thing on departure.  I drop off DW with the luggage near the gate.  Then I drop off the car and take the shuttle back.  Saves struggling with the luggage on the rental shuttle both directions.


We do this as well.  Although there have been a couple of times that I've gotten the luggage before dh boarded the tram to get the rental car.


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## artringwald (Aug 2, 2021)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Just to be clear. At the rental car counter the QR code is meaningless. Doesn't get you anything. That was my mistake. I thought the QR code would work at the rental car counter also, so I was prepared to show them that.


I'm glad you made that clear! We're also renting from Alamo. So this is what they wanted to see from the web site?


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## youppi (Aug 2, 2021)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> The only thing that matters is having your Safe Travels account on a device at the car rental counter, where they can see that your QR code has been screened and accepted.


They asked us to show our at the rental car, The Point at Poipu and also at Ka'anapali Beach Club because as fully vaccinated Canadian we are considered at the same level of unvaccinated American (PCR test mandatory, no bracelet).
I took a picture of the sign at KBC about the info they looking for


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## artringwald (Aug 2, 2021)

Keawakapu Beach


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## Luanne (Aug 2, 2021)

artringwald said:


> Keawakapu Beach
> 
> View attachment 38146
> 
> ...


Do you ever go to Maluaka Beach?  We've been going there for years, well before there was a hotel there.


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## artringwald (Aug 2, 2021)

Luanne said:


> Do you ever go to Maluaka Beach? We've been going there for years, well before there was a hotel there.


We've driven past it but didn't stop. We'll have to check it out. Thanks!


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## Luanne (Aug 2, 2021)

artringwald said:


> We've driven past it but didn't stop. We'll have to check it out. Thanks!


There are two places you can park.  One is a lot across the street from the church.  The other is down past the beach, and kind of hard to find the access the first time.  We like the end towards the church as it's usually less crowded, but a couple of years when we've been there that part of the beach has been kind of washed away.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 3, 2021)

youppi said:


> They asked us to show our at the rental car, The Point at Poipu and also at Ka'anapali Beach Club because as fully vaccinated Canadian we are considered at the same level of unvaccinated American (PCR test mandatory, no bracelet).
> I took a picture of the sign at KBC about the info they looking for
> View attachment 38141


Correct.  Would have been good if I had seen something such as that before we left. 

*Highly recommended if you have a Safe Travels account:  *after your QR code is scanned, go to your Safe Travels account on a device and take a screen shot of what is shown in step 4. Then keep that screen grab at finger touch on your mobile device. That way, if you are at a location where you don't have good web access, you can call up the image.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 3, 2021)

artringwald said:


> I'm glad you made that clear! We're also renting from Alamo. So this is what they wanted to see from the web site?
> View attachment 38140


Exactly!!!!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 3, 2021)

Life is good at the Point.  We are here for two weeks. Just DW and I for the entire time - like things were 20 years ago, when we were thinking about how nice it would be if we could have multi-generation family vacations at the Point.  

That dream came true, but this year it's just the two of us.  I'm not sure what to think about think about that - it's good in the sense that we can just drill in on what we want. For me it's kind of nice to have a trip that isn't quite so daily activity filled. But it's wistful at the same time, to not have family members here.


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## artringwald (Aug 3, 2021)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Life is good at the Point. We are here for two weeks. Just DW and I for the entire time


Same way for us. We have fun when siblings or our son's family come with us, but the older we get, the harder it is to keep up with running around all the time. Getting bored this trip sounds attractive. We haven't missed a year since our first purchase in 2004, so we've done just about everything on Kauai we wanted to. The only place I really want to visit this trip is this monument. Even with the hints you gave, I had a heck of a time finding it.


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## artringwald (Aug 3, 2021)

*Hunting and Foraging for Food in Kihei*
Restaurants are still under capacity restrictions, and staffing increases haven’t matched the surge in tourism, so finding food in Kihei can be challenging. The first night here we were too tired to go out, so we tried to order delivery. First we went to the website for That's A Wrap Café, filled out our order, our delivery information, and clicked the button. We got a “can’t deliver at this time” message. Then we went to the website for Manoli's Pizza Company. Again, we filled out our order, our delivery information, and clicked the button. We got a “can’t deliver at this time” message. Why couldn’t they tell us that before we filled out all the forms??? I already had a DoorDash account, so I looked to see what else might be available. L&L Hawai’ian Barbecue caught my eye, we placed the order, and it was delivered in ½ the promised time. The food was great!

Saturday afternoon I went shopping at Safeway. TIP: If you don’t have one, sign up for their loyalty card and you’ll save a bunch. While I was there, I picked up Subway sandwiches for dinner.
Sunday night I called Southshore Grindz to see if they’d take reservations. They didn’t, but they said they usually had seating available. Unfortunately, Google Maps is broken. We couldn’t find it where Google Maps said it was. Fortunately, when I went to the 2nd floor to ask for help, the hostess at Cafe O'Lei Kihei said she didn’t know where it was, but they could seat us. The Cajun mahi mahi was awesome! Walking back to the car we went to the other side of the building and found Southshore Grindz. It was nearly empty so it couldn’t have been that good. I’m glad Google Maps didn’t know exactly where it was.

Yesterday, we decided to go out for lunch at Manoli's Pizza Company. OpenTable allowed us to book a reservation for noon. When we showed up, the sign said “seat yourself”. Did OpenTable know that? So the waitress came, handed us menus, and said they don’t start making pizza until 3. A pizza place that is open for lunch that doesn’t start pizzas until 3? The Jaxson Burger and Mahi Mahi sandwich were both excellent so we weren’t disappointed.

Tonight’s dinner will be on the Trilogy Sunset Sail, and we have reservations for Gannon’s on Thursday. The rest of the time we’ll  eat in the condo. I share all this not to complain, just to request that you need to be patient… we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. Coconut's Fish Café was in the news because tourists were being so rude to the overworked staff. Let’s all preserve the Aloha spirit.


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## BJRSanDiego (Aug 3, 2021)

I'm in the process of booking a bunch of reservations for dinner.  I've found that sometimes on OpenTable that either it says that they don't go out that far into the future or say no tables are available.  I've found two things:  (1) If I skip the Google "Make Reservation" (Right side of screen at the top when I do a search by restaurant name), and instead go to the website of the restaurant, that their reservation button shows openings that I didn't find earlier.  (2) I found in a couple of cases that I couldn't find an available reservation but when I called the restaurant they didn't have any problem giving me a res.  I think that they probably only put some of their available times on OpenTable - - perhaps because of the commission that they have to pay.  I have also found that sometimes OpenTable wouldn't show any availability but then a couple hours later it seemed "wide open".


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## Luanne (Aug 3, 2021)

artringwald said:


> *Hunting and Foraging for Food in Kihei*
> Restaurants are still under capacity restrictions, and staffing increases haven’t matched the surge in tourism, so finding food in Kihei can be challenging. The first night here we were too tired to go out, so we tried to order delivery. First we went to the website for That's A Wrap Café, filled out our order, our delivery information, and clicked the button. We got a “can’t deliver at this time” message. Then we went to the website for Manoli's Pizza Company. Again, we filled out our order, our delivery information, and clicked the button. We got a “can’t deliver at this time” message. Why couldn’t they tell us that before we filled out all the forms??? I already had a DoorDash account, so I looked to see what else might be available. L&L Hawai’ian Barbecue caught my eye, we placed the order, and it was delivered in ½ the promised time. The food was great!
> 
> Saturday afternoon I went shopping at Safeway. TIP: If you don’t have one, sign up for their loyalty card and you’ll save a bunch. While I was there, I picked up Subway sandwiches for dinner.
> ...


Thanks for the report.  Hope more is open, or at least has more information available, when we are there.  Have you tried Maui Brewing Company (loud, but good pizza), Monkeypod, Fabiani's (two locations, one in the Wailea Center where Monkeypod is, the other in Kihei) or Sensei?


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## zentraveler (Aug 3, 2021)

artringwald said:


> Saturday afternoon I went shopping at Safeway. TIP: If you don’t have one, sign up for their loyalty card and you’ll save a bunch.



We have shopped for groceries all over the place and at all of the stores that have "loyalty cards" if you don't have one, but say you want one, they will either just scan your groceries or have you fill out a 1 minute form with name and phone number. Even local places like Foodland in Princeville seem to have others of those, and if you just use the same phone number you can put it into most groceries and drugstores (if you don't mind selling them all of you preference data  - they are not doing this for nothing).


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## artringwald (Aug 4, 2021)

So I went snorkeling today and entered the water away from the rocks on a sandy stretch of Keawakapu Beach. As soon as I put on my mask and put my head in the water, I saw a 4-5 foot Blacktip Reef Shark cruising along the bottom about 20 feet in front of me. He totally ignored me and kept swimming past me. I didn't worry about it because a guide had once told us they were harmless. He had warned us because he knew we might see them at the place he was taking us snorkeling. We did see one then and it swam right under us. Today I went ahead and did some snorkeling, but kept l looking around just in case he came back. Later after Googling, I found that people have been bitten by that species. I called Maui Ocean Safety to find out if I needed to report the sighting. They said not to worry unless the shark is larger than 8' or is acting aggressively. Hawaiian waters have some 20 species of sharks, but people usually can't see that they're there. Most of them don't like people because they don't taste like fish.








						Blacktip Reef Shark
					

Take a journey of discovery through the world’s largest ocean at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California.



					www.aquariumofpacific.org


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## artringwald (Aug 4, 2021)

I took a walk along the Wailea Beach Path yesterday.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 4, 2021)

artringwald said:


> I'm glad you made that clear! We're also renting from Alamo. So this is what they wanted to see from the web site?
> View attachment 38140


Art - 

It just dawned on me that you will be arriving at LIH interisland and not from the mainland.  What I said above is for mainland arrivals.  Procedures are different for interisland.


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## Luanne (Aug 4, 2021)

artringwald said:


> I took a walk along the Wailea Beach Path yesterday.
> 
> View attachment 38220
> 
> ...


You're making me homesick.


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## artringwald (Aug 4, 2021)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Art -
> 
> It just dawned on me that you will be arriving at LIH interisland and not from the mainland.  What I said above is for mainland arrivals.  Procedures are different for interisland.


I know inter-island travelers no longer need to take a pre-travel test, show proof of vaccination or quarantine, but I'll be ready for whatever Alamo might want.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 4, 2021)

artringwald said:


> I know inter-island travelers no longer need to take a pre-travel test, show proof of vaccination or quarantine, but I'll be ready for whatever Alamo might want.


I think that if you have the Safe Travels screen with the two green check marks, you should be ready for anything that might take place.  If it's good enough for travel from the mainland, it ought to be good enough for interisland.


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## artringwald (Aug 4, 2021)

artringwald said:


> On our first morning I was there at 6 AM to get it. I was disappointed. The new owners must be skimping on butter and sugar. They were dry and didn't have as much glaze on top. The place has lost some of it's charm. The former owners were so entertaining. The staff there didn't even smile (behind the mask). Of course, I'll give it another try.


I gave it another try, this time at 9 AM. Of course, I had to wait in line for 15 minutes, which was normal before COVID. I'm happy to report that the cinnamon roll tasted as good as it has in the past, nice and gooey. The Spam Head sandwich was even better. Before, maybe I arrived too soon after opening and got a day old bun.


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## artringwald (Aug 5, 2021)

Sunset sail on the Trinity Catamaran.


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## slip (Aug 5, 2021)

Looks like a great trip Art!!


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## artringwald (Aug 5, 2021)

For $1.6M you can buy an empty lot and build your house right across the street from Makena Landing Park.




View from the empty lot.




Keawala'i Congregational Church




Maluaka Beach


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## Luanne (Aug 5, 2021)

artringwald said:


> For $1.6M you can buy an empty lot and build your house right across the street from Makena Landing Park.
> View attachment 38262
> 
> View from the empty lot.
> ...



That's our beach!


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## slip (Aug 5, 2021)

artringwald said:


> For $1.6M you can buy an empty lot and build your house right across the street from Makena Landing Park.
> View attachment 38262
> 
> View from the empty lot.
> ...



I bet they will take $1.59 million.


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## artringwald (Aug 5, 2021)

Luanne said:


> That's our beach!


Does it look like there's been erosion since you were last there?


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## Luanne (Aug 5, 2021)

artringwald said:


> Does it look like there's been erosion since you were last there?


Yes.  Although I do remember there being quite a bit when we were there early last year.  The beach has never been extremely wide.


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## artringwald (Aug 6, 2021)

Last night we had a delicious, but expensive dinner at Gannon's. We got to watch a wedding ceremony from our table.


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## Luanne (Aug 6, 2021)

artringwald said:


> Last night we had a delicious, but expensive dinner at Gannon's. We got to watch a wedding ceremony from our table.
> 
> View attachment 38283


With all of these photos of our favorite places you really are making me homesick.  Only a little more than 7 months until we're there!  We have celebrated several of our anniversaries at Gannon's as we are usually on Maui during that time.


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## artringwald (Aug 6, 2021)

Luanne said:


> With all of these photos of our favorite places you really are making me homesick.  Only a little more than 7 months until we're there!  We have celebrated several of our anniversaries at Gannon's as we are usually on Maui during that time.


I'd hate to make you homesick. Maybe I should stop posting pictures. Just kidding, I can't help myself.


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## Luanne (Aug 6, 2021)

artringwald said:


> I'd hate to make you homesick. Maybe I should stop posting pictures. Just kidding, I can't help myself.


No, no, no!  Keep posting.  It just reinforces that we need to go back.


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## artringwald (Aug 6, 2021)

*Kamaole Beaches*
Which is your favorite?

Kam I




Kam II




Kam III


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## artringwald (Aug 7, 2021)

Last pictures from Wailea Ekahi Village. Tomorrow we're headed to Poipu.


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## Luanne (Aug 7, 2021)

artringwald said:


> Last pictures from Wailea Ekahi Village. Tomorrow we're headed to Poipu.
> 
> View attachment 38324
> 
> View attachment 38325


We've never been to any of the Kam beaches.  Only admired them from the road (or on our walk back after getting coffee).

I'll be sad that you won't be posting any more pictures of Maui. 

I do have one question.  Is the place you stay a rental?  Do you have a part ownership?  It's not a timeshare.


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## artringwald (Aug 7, 2021)

Luanne said:


> We've never been to any of the Kam beaches.  Only admired them from the road (or on our walk back after getting coffee).
> 
> I'll be sad that you won't be posting any more pictures of Maui.
> 
> I do have one question.  Is the place you stay a rental?  Do you have a part ownership?  It's not a timeshare.



We rented a condo at Wailea Ekahi Village. We've stayed here several times at different units because it's hard to book them. Even though it's not cheap, we love the beautiful landscaping they've done, they have a nice pool area, and the pool is right next to Keawakapu Beach, our favorite beach in Hawaii. It's good for swimming, snorkeling, or dog walking.


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## artringwald (Aug 9, 2021)

*Interisland Flights*

Yesterday we flew from Maui to Kauai. Here's how it went.

The day before our flight, Hawaiian Air told us that because of TSA delays we should arrive at the airport 3 hours ahead of time. I ignored their advice. TSA delays weren't that bad. We had TSA Precheck, but even without that the TSA lines weren't that long. It took us less than 30 minutes to get from the ticket counter to the gate for an 11:15 AM flight on a Saturday.
On arrival the sign pointing to baggage claim told travels with wristbands or from interisland flights to go one way. They just asked us if we were from an interisland flight, and didn't ask for any verification. Have your boarding pass ready if they do ask. I assume all the others had to go through a more significant delay.
The shuttles to Alamo can only be half full, but they run frequently. National and Alamo are sharing shuttles. National customers pick up their cars at the Alamo lot.
The Alamo lot has signs saying you have to be logged into the Safe Travels web site to prove they've accepted you Vax status or COVID test. I had it ready, but all they wanted was my boarding pass to prove I was coming from an interisland flight.
The Point at Poipu asked to see the status from the Safe Travels web site for both of us. DW wasn't with me and I couldn't remember her Safe Travels password. Fortunately, she showed up and showed them on her phone.
*Restuarants*
After dropping of our luggage at the Point at Poipu, we headed to Poipu Shopping Village for lunch. When we were here last February, we loved going to Pietro’s Pizza. When we got there, we discovered that they don't open until 4. Instead we had Papalani Gelato for lunch. Dinner was the delicious burgers from the Point at Poipu pool bar and grill.

Today we tried Pietro’s Pizza for dinner. We should have checked, they're closed on Sundays. We headed to the Shops at Kukui‘ula. Bubba Burgers is also closed on Sundays. We checked with The Dolphin, booked until 8:30. Roy's Eating House 1849 was booked solid. We gave up an headed back to the Point at Poipu pool bar and grill for some nice Asian salad with chicken.

Next time we go out to eat, we'll try and do a better job checking what's open. You can't always trust Google either. They said Bubba Burgers only had a short wait. 24 hours is not short.  

*Visitors on the lanai*
While we were sitting on the lanai, two Hawaiian cardinals came to visit. They left when they figured out they weren't getting any handouts.


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## artringwald (Aug 12, 2021)

If you're interested in renting a bike while in Poipu, I'd suggest using SpinLister.com, a web site for bike sharing. Several different individuals in the Poipu area share their bikes, and there are several types of bikes to choose from.

This flyby video created by the Relive app shows how many pictures I was able to take in a short period of time.









						Relive 'Poipu Kauai'
					

View my activity: Poipu Kauai




					www.relive.cc


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## artringwald (Aug 13, 2021)

I parked the car behind the CJM Stables property and took a 1.4 mile hike to visit some places on my bucket list.

View from Punahoa Point




Gillin's Beach House




Makauwahi Cave Reserve tortoise




Makauwahi Cave entrance to the sinkhole




View from the Makauwahi Cave Reserve Trail


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## artringwald (Aug 13, 2021)

Maybe we won't go to Lydgate Park for awhile.









						Baby shark remains inside Lydgate Park large pond - The Garden Island
					

WAILUA — Lifeguards at the Lydgate Park tower confirmed the presence of a baby shark Thursday morning.




					www.thegardenisland.com


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## artringwald (Aug 24, 2021)

We're back in Minnesota now, so I'll give an update for the rest of our trip.

*Restaurants*
Restaurants are still at limited capacity and are having trouble hiring. Some have closed permanently. Before you go, check the hours in Google Maps. They usually are up to date. Here’s some comments on the places where we ate.

*The Right Slice* – Open and the pies are still the best. My favorite is the blueberry piña colada pie.
*Jack In The Box* – Drive up or take out only. No dine in.
*Merriman's *– Dining there was always superb… until the pandemic. Not many choices on the menu, the server seemed inexperienced, and the food was disappointing.
*Tidepools *– Unlike Merriman's, everything was perfect! Great service, selection, and quality. Even the fish in the koi pond next to our table were entertaining. Highly recommended.
*Pietro Pizza* – Not open on Sunday or for lunch, but we love their pizza. We ate there twice.
*Point at Poipu Bar and Grill* – We tried breakfast, lunch, and dinners there when we were too lazy to cook or go out. The menu choices are limited, but the food is certainly above average for a pool bar. Zada, Michael, and Karen have worked there for years, and we were glad to see they were back again.
*Little Fish* – There bagel sandwiches are great, but the word is out. You may have to wait in line.
*Puka Dog* – Speaking of lines, they were usually too long for me to wait in the sun and heat. They moved from the Poipu Shopping Center to Brennecke's Deli.
*Roy’s Eating House 1849, The Dolphin and Dukes* – Didn’t try soon enough to book them. Couldn’t get in.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 24, 2021)

artringwald said:


> Makauwahi Cave Reserve


Hi Art. As we discussed in the adult spa at the Point, how amazing that for both of  us, in all the years we have been going to Poipu, neither of us had visited the Makauwahi Cave Reserve!!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 24, 2021)

artringwald said:


> View from Punahoa Point


And here's a view from the far side toward your vantage point -----


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## artringwald (Aug 24, 2021)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> Hi Art. As we discussed in the adult spa at the Point, how amazing that for both of  us, in all the years we have been going to Poipu, neither of us had visited the Makauwahi Cave Reserve!!


It was fun to meet you at the hot tub. I was relieved to find out you look nothing like your profile picture. Makauwahi Cave Reserve is an amazing place and I'm glad I finally got a chance to go there. It's a long hike from the Point at Poipu, but if you have a 4-wheel drive, it's easy to start from behind the stables.

BTW, thanks for the leftover food when you checked out a week before we did. We enjoyed it.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 25, 2021)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> And here's a view from the far side toward your vantage point -----
> 
> View attachment 39180


Actually, that's not quite looking toward  your vantage point, because Gillin's Beach House (visible in your photo) is on the other side of the dunes in my shot.  So your shot shows the east side of the point beyond Gillin's' my shot is the west side of that same point.  

When we did our hike to the area, we parked near CJM, and then walked as far as the tip of the point beyond Gillin's; i.e., the point on the left side of my photo, right side of yours.


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## artringwald (Aug 25, 2021)

I have been down that way twice before, in 2013 and 2014, but I didn't hike. I just didn't know how to find the house, cave, and tortoises.


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## zentraveler (Aug 25, 2021)

artringwald said:


> When we took our last trip to Hawaii, we arrived home on March 1, 2020, shortly before the pandemic lockdown. This is the first time we’ve left the Twin Cities since then. We didn’t want to go anywhere until we were both fully vaccinated. We had to postpone our Hawaii trip and an Alaskan cruise several times, so we were really looking forward to Hawaii, but were wondering how much the pandemic would affect everything. I thought our experiences might help those planning a trip.
> 
> *CLEAR Health Pass for Hawaii* (not recommended)
> Before we went to the MSP airport, I registered both of us for a free 2 month trial of CLEAR Health Pass. With it you can store your COVID testing and vaccine information. Several partners, including Hawaii, accept CLEAR Health Pass to prove vaccination. After you register, you have to go to the airport to collect your biometrics. What a joke! It should only take a couple of minutes to scan your eyes, face, and fingerprints. Their scanners were either out of order or couldn’t get consistent results. After 20 minutes and several personal trying to help, they finally got us scanned and verified. I’ll cancel my membership as soon as we get home.
> ...



The luggage carousel situation at OGG is a complete and utter joke. It is like the Abbott and Costello, "whose on first" skit (yes, am dating myself).  Irritating after a long flight, unnecessary, and can't possibly be too hard to fix. 

At least have the board light up which of the five flights' listed bags (at each one) are being unloaded. Then as one is running around to check each carousel it would at least be possible to get a little information more easily than grabbing people who have picked up bags to see what flight they were on.


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## Luanne (Aug 25, 2021)

zentraveler said:


> The luggage carousel situation at OGG is a complete and utter joke. It is like the Abbott and Costello, "whose on first" skit (yes, am dating myself).  Irritating after a long flight, unnecessary, and can't possibly be too hard to fix.
> 
> At least have the board light up which of the five flights' listed bags (at each one) are being unloaded. Then as one is running around to check each carousel it would at least be possible to get a little information more easily than grabbing people who have picked up bags to see what flight they were on.


It never used to be an issue.  I wonder if you arrived on an off day, or if things have changed.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2021)

Luanne said:


> It never used to be an issue.  I wonder if you arrived on an off day, or if things have changed.



The last two times I was there, there was only one carousel running so it wasn't an issue. I never had issues before either.


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## Luanne (Aug 25, 2021)

slip said:


> The last two times I was there, there was only one carousel running so it wasn't an issue. I never had issues before either.


Actually the last time we were there, which was early 2020, they were so efficient that I got the luggage before Steve caught the shuttle to go get the rental car.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2021)

Luanne said:


> Actually the last time we were there, which was early 2020, they were so efficient that I got the luggage before Steve caught the shuttle to go get the rental car.



I was there in April of this year and just last week. Maybe he caught an off day.


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## artringwald (Aug 25, 2021)

Luanne said:


> It never used to be an issue.  I wonder if you arrived on an off day, or if things have changed.


Several years ago, they sent our luggage to Kauai instead of OGG. They found it and delivered it to our condo about 11 PM. I didn't mind waiting because I went down to the beach to get my toes in the water and watch the stars.


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## Luanne (Aug 25, 2021)

artringwald said:


> Several years ago, they sent our luggage to Kauai instead of OGG. They found it and delivered it to our condo about 11 PM. I didn't mind waiting because I went down to the beach to get my toes in the water and watch the stars.


Many years ago, before they remodeled the Maui airport and when everything was outdoors, my now ex-husband and I flew from Los Angeles to Maui, stopping in Honolulu.  At that time there was no direct flight.  My best friend was going to meet us, she was flying from San Francisco to Honolulu, then we'd all fly on to Maui.  Her flight was delayed and we opted to wait for her in Honolulu rather than going on to Maui.  Back then, no cell phones and I'm not even sure if, or how, we were able to get a message to her.  We all finally caught the last flight from Honolulu to Maui.  We found our luggage waiting in Maui, just kind of out in the middle of the baggage claim area.  I'm surprised someone didn't just walk off with it.


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## zentraveler (Aug 25, 2021)

zentraveler said:


> The luggage carousel situation at OGG is a complete and utter joke. It is like the Abbott and Costello, "whose on first" skit (yes, am dating myself).  Irritating after a long flight, unnecessary, and can't possibly be too hard to fix.
> 
> At least have the board light up which of the five flights' listed bags (at each one) are being unloaded. Then as one is running around to check each carousel it would at least be possible to get a little information more easily than grabbing people who have picked up bags to see what flight they were on.



Must be me! We came is January and it was the same mess. This time there were only two carousels open, each showing 5 flights from all airlines and the flights shifted from one to the other. Glad to know it is usually not like this. I know everyone is short staffed so my SOP these days is to take a deep breath and be grateful I am here. If my biggest gripe is that it takes a while to find my luggage at OGG, just off a great flight from SFO, I am too lucky to complain. About most anything.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 25, 2021)

artringwald said:


> Several years ago, they sent our luggage to Kauai instead of OGG. They found it and delivered it to our condo about 11 PM. I didn't mind waiting because I went down to the beach to get my toes in the water and watch the stars.


Several years ago DS and DDIL were flying on Spirit from Houston to San Diego.  Spirit sent DDIL's luggage to San Salvador (SAL) instead of San Diego (SAN). It was a four day trip for them.  DDIL's luggage was located in San Salvador in the morning of day 3, was routed back to Houston and then forwarded to San Diego.  Her luggage finally arrived in San Diego on the morning of day 4, and delivered to her about about noon, fortunately before they left for the airport in San Diego to return to Houston.


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## Fisch (Sep 1, 2021)

artringwald said:


> *Point at Poipu Bar and Grill* – We tried breakfast, lunch, and dinners there when we were too lazy to cook or go out. The menu choices are limited, but the food is certainly above average for a pool bar. Zada, Michael, and Karen have worked there for years, and we were glad to see they were back again



Great to hear they are all still at The Point@Poipu.  We are flying over in mid October.


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