Maui 2011 (Part 2)

Spent a day exploring Lahaina since our condo was just about 10 minutes outside of town. I'd heard conflicting descriptions from people about the town: "It's a party town and really fun" or "It's super touristy and disgusting". I'll say now that both are true.

There's about a billion tours that leave from the pier in town and so did our submarine tour. What I didn't expect was that a Princess Cruise was just off shore and had unloaded their passengers just as we got there. Ugh, hundreds of tourists in over-sized Bermuda shorts or moo-moos and flowered print shirts, slogging cameras in and out of every trinket shop imaginable. I forgive folks for having to make a living, but this really wasn't my scene.

We also ventured into Lahaina for dinner one night and found the "party" atmosphere to be a bit Spring Break mixed with NASCAR. Again, not really my scene and we steered clear of it for the duration of the trip.

In this pic, you can see the cruise ship just off shore. Kind of like an obese neighbor ruining an otherwise lovely view.


The Banyan tree in the middle of Lahaina was wonderful. The vine looking things hanging from the branches actually made new roots. So what you see is one big frakin' tree. Fascinating.


Working in the craft trade must be a double-edged sword. You want to carry on local tradition but you want to sell stuff to pay the bills. The Yummy Brown Boy gladly posed for a picture.


Our submarine ride started with a boat ride to the actual sub. Great way to see the island shoreline.


A goofy narrator was actually a terrific guide to all things under the sea. It was fun and incredibly informative. I'll be honest, I don't remember most of what he said (Hey, I'm on vacation!), but the fish-viewing at a depth of 127 feet was a hoot. Check out this school.


I hope not to come across as pretentious about tourists as I understand the souvenir buying frenzy. Hell, I bought one of these Obama bobbleheads. The shirtless Hang-Ten President of the Free World was irresistible!