Maika'i Maui | Dispatch 2

Today I got to visit some of my favorite places in Maui. For example, I stopped by a great boutique in Wailuku, Maui Thing. Their slogan is "stuck on good" and with all their great local design, organic t-shirts, and calls to action, I'm totally addicted. This year I got a 'Pono Power' T. Afterward, I walked down to Gilbert's Formal Wear to see if they had any more palaka shirts. I did get two shirts (apparently the last shirts the Maui) but also discovered that Gilbert's will be closing after 59 years! That's right, owner Susanne Hotta is closing her doors. Read more in this Maui News article: Wailuku landmark goes out of fashion. We had a great conversation, as always, so its quite sad to know that Gilbert's will soon be gone.

After Gilbert's we stopped in to Cafe O'lei where I had both the best Mahi sandwich AND Mai Tai I've ever had in Maui. Very affordable, very good, lots of local options...yumm!!!

And what would a day in Kahului/Wailuku be without a visit to Savers (aka Value Village to some of us). I purchased some Aloha shirts, Ts, and some Hawaiian textiles for the big Ballard Luau coming up when I get back to Seattle.

I ended the night by watching the Hula show at Whaler's Village next door to where I'm staying. Its one of the best hula shows I've seen (perhaps because it has dancers ranging from children to adults) and its FREE! I'll be stopping by the other shows on Wednesday and Saturday for sure.