Friday, August 19, 2016

Paia, Maui and my New Sign

This summer, we took the family to Maui. On our last day, we'd checked out of the hotel, but our flight wasn't until evening! How do you kill time and not get entirely dirty when you can't shower and all your clothes are in the back of the rental car? Well there are ways. We were able to hang by the pool of a nearby hotel for a few hours. We also drove up toward the north end of the island and explored the quaint, artsy town of Paia. Never been there before on previous trips, but it was thoroughly enjoyable, especially being an artist myself.

This town has a mix of both hippie and hip. It showcased gorgeous glass and art galleries, gelato shops, great restaurants, candles, soaps and sundries that my girls enjoyed sniffing (thankful for coffee beans), ultimate surfer gear, swimwear galore, (mostly in extra teenie weenie sizes), jewelry (of course my fav), and clothing boutiques with some really high end items. (I had to put down the super, funky, cool Italian leather and metal sandals with the wooden heels when I saw the prices were close to $600.) Yep-at that point, our budget was for ice cream and taxi tips only.

Another find was the local grocery store, Mana Foods. From the outside, you might think it was a touch run down, all boarded up and about to be demolished. But then you notice the locals using the single side door on the left hand side of the store. In you go and behold....it's Whole Foods and Trader Joe's combined, only for a fraction of the cost. Oh, it would have been fun to shop there, but alas, we were only looking for water and snacks. So be sure and hit that place up if you need something completely organic and INEXPENSIVE. They are the only store like that in the world. (I asked)

But my favorite find, was a sign I saw high on a wall in a boutique. I came home and had Darcie from Darcies Deals make it for me in colors to match my home decor.
Perfect, isn't it? Anyway, vacation with family is all about those special memories.

'Til next time...Aloha!

No comments: