Those crazy Hawaiians

January 21, 2009

KAPALUA, Maui, Hawaii - There are signs all over the island of Maui warning folks they can get a $92 dollar (real money) ticket for failing to wear a seat belt. But then a visitor in a car with a resident notices a bunch of kids riding in the back of a pickup truck on the highway, their black hair blowing in the breeze and big smiles on their faces.

What's up with that, he asks.

"Yeah, I know," the resident replies. "You can ride in the back of a pickup truck if you're over 13. And there are obviously no seat belts back there."

Go figure.

By the way, the group spotted on Tuesday were at the exact spot on the highway where British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell got pulled over a few years ago after allegedly weaving his car about on the way back to the Napili Kai Beach Resort (it was built by a Canadian from Vancouver and there's still a Canadian flag flying from the flagpole in front of the restaurant) from a nice dinner elsewhere on the island. Just thought you'd like to know.

STICK TO THE RUM

The Napili Kai restaurant and bar has one of the best views in the world. It's right on Napili beach, which has been rated one of the top in the world for its 300-yard, curving length, sheltered areas at either end and body surfing (usually in winter) in the middle. You often can see whales and there are great views of the islands of Lanai and Molokai, with dynamite sunsets. Anyway, it's a great place but DO NOT ORDER A MARGARITA.

California does margaritas. Florida does margaritas. And Mexico, of course. But this stuff tasted like pre-mixed stuff out of a can. Ugh. The bartender was happy to replace it with a mai tai, which was much better.

The research a travel writer has to do; I tell ya.

Posted by Jim Byers at 03:24:05 AM in Food and Drink, hotels, The beach, tourism, Travel, united states

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Travel Blog by Jim Byers

Jim Byers is the Star's Travel Editor. He has been writing travel stories for more than a decade, covered five Olympic Games and spent years covering the Blue Jays, the Toronto Raptors and the PGA Tour. He's been everywhere from Bonavista to Vancouver Island, as well as China, Hong Kong, Australia, the Caribbean, Thailand, Mexico, Tahiti, New Zealand, Vietnam, a dozen countries in Europe and just about every major city in the U.S. Okay, he was only in Liechtenstein for a couple hours in a rental car and his only visit to New Orleans was when he was 12, but you get the picture.

January 21, 2009