You’ll note that the menu above says, “Favorite Places”, not “Favorite Flying Places”. Yes, there’s an airport not far from Ka’anapali, JLM – Kapalua – but it’s usually windier than hell there, you need to be flying under Part 121 or 135 and may only land with prior approval … oh, and they hate general aviation airplanes.
On the other hand, you can fly into Kahului, OGG, Maui’s air carrier airport, rent a car to drive to West Maui and fall in love with a beach, a view, a people. My wife, Laurel, and I had taken a vacay to Maui in 2012 and spent nearly a week at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel. It’s an older place, one of the first built on this stretch of sand, but it prides itself on being Maui’s most Hawai’ian hotel – even the gardeners wish you “Aloha”.
Aloha
This was a morning rainbow that greeted us as we looked west. Moloka’i is out of the frame, just north – Lana’i is just south. Each island is about 10 miles away. Is this a favorite place? You betcha.
Dale Simonson is the chief bartender in the Tiki Bar at the hotel. He’s worked there for pushing 40 years and he’s made close to a half million Mai Tai’s – and every one is hand built. Oh, and they ain’t your Aunt Tilly’s Mai Tai’s: take two and call a cab, or a lawyer. Tell him I say, “Aloha. And maybe just the one more.”
“Mahalo”
Sunset that same day. Mahalo.