On their latest journey to Maui, Ray and Traci had no new adventures to report. The Grand Wailea had no new additions, and in fact, gave them the same (or a very similar room) to the 2004 Maui trip. For this blog entry, they report about the food they ate on Maui.
The night after arriving, Ray and Traci ate at a popular Hawaiian chain – Sansei Restaurant. This is a chain of sushi bar/asian food which is found both on Maui as well as Oahu. Traci had the Sansei special roll (sushi) and a bowl of udon while Ray satisfied his post flight appetite with a bowl of rice, and two appetizers (or Hawaiians call them Pupus) – beef teriyaki and shrimp tempura. Sansei is located in Kihei (Next to Foodland) and has special discounts (25% off most days if you order before 6pm, 50% off after 10pm) Check out the website for details: http://www.sanseihawaii.com/
On Sunday, the travelers ate at Matteo’s Pizza located one block up the hill from The Shops at Wailea. If you are looking for a pizzeria with a view to kill for – this is your place. You get in line, order your food and fill your drinks and they deliver pasta and pizza to your table which likely has an incredible sunset view. What is even more shocking is the prices are cheaper than what you would find at chains like Pizza Hut. Traci had a ½ order of the house special pasta and shared Ray’s Italian sausage/ham pizza. Traci actually felt the house pasta was the best meal of the trip! Especially considering the view and the price, Matteo’s is not to be missed! They offer carry out pizza as well for travelers who wish to skip the million dollar views.
On Monday, Ray and Traci ventured into the Grand Wailea’s new Japanese Buffet at Kincha restaurant. Kincha used to operate as a regular Japanese restaurant, but was converted into a daily buffet with two slightly different menus. You will find the typical buffet fare including miso soup, different kinds of tempura, salads, California rolls and other sushi, as well as either Kobe Beef or Rib Eye Steak. On the Monday menu, Kincha also had a stir fried lobster dish which was quite tasty. Overall, Traci thought the food quality was not as good as the other Japanese buffet found in the Maui Prince Hotel (Hakone) but Ray would not pass up all you can eat steak and lobster. The buffet was a little pricey at $54 per person, and Kincha has a sushi bar for those who wish to pass up the buffet (but $54 goes really fast at a Sushi bar in the Grand Wailea).
Tuesday started with a late breakfast at Stella Blues, which is a nice American/Hawaiian café located in Kihei at the intersection of Piikea and South Kihei road. Stella Blues is what Denny’s would be if it was based in Hawaii and had better food. Ray enjoyed a traditional 2 egg/toast/hash brown with a taste of Hawaii – Portuguese sausage, while Traci had passion fruit iced tea, papaya with cottage cheese and whole wheat toast. Stella charges a little more than Denny’s ($20 total) but you’ll enjoy it more! For dinner, Ray and Traci went to Joe’s Restaurant which is located on the top floor of the Wailea Tennis club (a few blocks from Matteo’s Pizza). If you order before 6:30pm, the entrees are 2 for 1, so eat early! Ray had the Prime Rib, which was surprisingly tasty – the dish was prepared well with a lean portion of meat, but the quality of the meat wasn’t up to Seattle’s best. Traci had a rack of Baby Back Ribs, which again were good but not quite the tender, “falling off the bone” meat that mark the best dishes. Considering the whole meal including tip (automatically added to the bill), a salad and a coke was $62 it is hard to complain! Make sure you make reservations, even during the off season, as the place fills up quick!
Wednesday dinner was spent at a South Maui institution, “Da Kitchen.” It is located on South Kihei road, close to Wailea (First Kihei exit off the Piilani highway) in a strip mall. Da Kitchen serves Hawaiian Plate Lunches (generous portioned entrée, rice and salad – macaroni, potato, or green). Traci had the special Pork and Tofu plate while Ray had the Maui favorite Kalbi Ribs. Despite the availability of Kalbi ribs in Seattle at multiple places (including two at Seattle’s Uwajimaya – Shillas and Aloha Plates), Kalbi ribs on Maui are just better. Da Kitchen serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and makes their plates for a large appetite – so bring one! $24 bought the two plates and a large drink. After Da Kitchen, Ray and Traci went to “WOW” – Wednesdays at Wailea – On Wednesday at the Shops at Wailea Mall, live music is performed and many of the art galleries open up and invite patrons to gaze upon their works. The invited band was quite good – played adult/contemporary music including hits from Stevie Wonder, Michael Buble and Kermit the Frog (Rainbow Connection). Among the many galleries showing Hawaiian themed art, included was one called “Celebrity Fine Art Gallery” which has several notable artists and their works along with lots of rock n’ roll memorabilia. To complete the night, enjoy ice cream at Lappert’s – Haagan Dazs meets Hawaii. Many tropical flavors can be found here in very heavy, rich and expensive ice cream - $4 per cone.
On Thursday, Traci started the day in the Grand Wailea Spa. One tip for spa goers – Costco periodically sells SpaFinder gift certificates ($79.99 for $100 certificates) which are accepted at the Grand Wailea giving you an effective 20% off! After a rigorous morning at the Spa, Traci rejoined Ray for a lunch at a restaurant at the Shops at Wailea called Cheeseburgers in Paradise. This burger palace is a tropical themed Red Robin in an open air setting. Ray had a so-so bacon cheeseburger while Traci had a Chinese Chicken Salad. A $24 tab for lunch was reasonable by Wailea standards but the food was unremarkable. Later on in the evening, dinner was found at a hangout for the locals – Hanafuda Saimin. This noodle and plate lunch place is found next to Stella Blues on Piikea road in Kihei. Ray and Traci had a light $15.65 saimin dinner (ramen type noodles) – Traci added a California Roll and Ray had two pieces of shrimp tempera.
Ray and Traci spent Friday sampling the cuisine at the Grand Wailea, starting with the morning “Grand Buffet.” Traci had the continental buffet (without meat) while Ray enjoyed the whole spread. The buffet has the usual mix expected food including fruit, cereal, various breads, waffles and orange/guava juice. Ray went to the omelet bar for a boring ham and cheese and also had the chef make some fried rice using bacon and mushrooms. The Grand Wailea buffet has good quality food but it is expensive ($28 per person) and had a pretty unremarkable selection. On Sunday, the hotel has a more substantial meal at a higher price ($48) which we did not sample. For dinner, Ray and Traci ate at the poolside restaurant, Bistro Molokini. Patrons get to enjoy a good meal while watching a tropical sunset. Traci enjoyed her penne pasta dish while Ray, still stuffed from the morning buffet, had a good (but unremarkable) chicken Caesar salad.
Before leaving Maui on Saturday, Ray and Traci enjoyed one last meal at Stella Blues (the only repeat visit during this trip). Stella’s had a wonderful country fried steak special which Ray highly recommends. Traci’s last meal was the egg and ham late breakfast special. After a week filled with great weather and excellent food, the trip concluded with a flight back to a much colder (and wetter) Seattle.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Ray and Traci’s Mostly Excellent California Adventure
Before the long awaited summer season arrived, Ray and Traci decided to escape the gloomy drizzle of Seattle and travel to the area both previously called home – Los Angeles. Traci has a brother and sister in LA and hoped to combine a family visit with some sunshine. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.
The nonstop flight to John Wayne Airport from Seattle on Alaska Airlines was on time and pleasant despite being filled to capacity – the airline even substituted a good warm cookie for the usual bag of pretzels. John Wayne airport has a very slow baggage carousel – the bags come out one every 10 seconds or so one at a time. The rental cars are found within the garage of the airport directly across the street so picking up the car was fast and easy. Armed with Mapquest directions, the car ride to the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland took less than half an hour. Disneyland is well labeled on highway signs but finding the Grand Californian is more difficult since signage is poor.
Disney did an excellent job with the Grand Californian – the exterior suggests a mountain ski lodge but the interiors are quite luxurious complete with relatively spacious rooms with refrigerators, plasma TVs and DVD players. Although the ambient noise level is high for a luxury hotel, it is probably unavoidable in a resort that caters to families. The lobby level gives the “lodge” feel with many sofas and chairs, a bar area, a fireplace – many places to lounge around. Disney’s Brother Bear character roams around and scares young children. The hotel is quite long rather than high and finding your room can be a challenge. Located adjacent to the California Adventure Park, the hotel contains a special entrance gate. Other parts of the Disney complex – Disneyland and Downtown Disney are within easy walking distance of the Grand Californian.
On Friday morning, disappointing rain greeted Ray and Traci – they started by having breakfast at a nearby Coco’s restaurant since the character buffet at the hotel had a long line. They met Traci’s sister Kristi and daughter Maya and headed to a rain drenched Disneyland – not always the happiest place on earth. Thanks to Mickey Mouse rain ponchos Traci and Kristi stayed somewhat comfortable. Ray had a complete REI gortex rain suit on so he was fine. Maya refused to wear her poncho and became quite soaked. The journey began at “Small World” followed by “Dumbo”, “King Arthur’s Carrousel” and Peter Pan’s Flight. A much drier and more comfortable Ray left the group to see relatively new attractions – Space Mountain with music by the Hot Chili Peppers, Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure. Space Mountain which previously seemed like a rather pedestrian roller coaster indoors, was immensely better when set to better light effects and the Red Hot Chili Peppers Music. This quite dated attraction was so much more enjoyable with the upgrades although it really doesn’t qualify with today’s “thrill” rides. Indiana Jones is an attraction not to be missed – like most good Disney features, the experience begins in line with the décor and atmosphere. Artifacts and signs warning patrons of things not to do (or face a lifetime of blight and desperation) resulted in, of course, people doing the exact opposite. The ride can best be described as a 2007 version (with a much higher thrill factor) of the Haunted Mansion. Patrons ride around in jeep like vehicles thru various Indiana Jones type scenes including one where the huge boulder comes right toward your vehicle. The ride is somewhat rough and quite spooky in places but one not to be missed. The biggest surprise of the day was the (relatively) long lines – For a weekday immediately after Spring Break with the most rain, perhaps for the entire year, the 35-45 minutes at Disney’s most popular features was quite surprising. From their last experience at Orlando, where weekday visits at all of the parks immediately after winter break found virtually no line more than 5 minutes, Ray and Traci were surprised at the wait at Disneyland. Perhaps the 13 million citizens surrounding Disneyland, the fact that only 2 parks are operating and the relatively cheap annual passes available to Southern California residents all contribute to the lines-even on a post spring break rainy weekday. Perhaps the powers at Disney will start throwing in “Fastpasses” with hotel packages as one has to question how much of Disneyland can be enjoyed by a regular tourist visiting during peak traffic days.
Ray met up with Traci, Kristi and Maya at the California adventure park. Maya was now thoroughly soaked so Kristi headed home. The rains that made the morning so miserable largely subsided so Ray and Traci waited in a 35 minute line for the best Disney feature – California Screamin! Like Space Mountain, Screamin was set to music from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The relatively new roller coaster features silky smooth steel construction, a complete 360 loop, and an exhilarating launch up the first hill from an impressive electrical propulsion system. Riders begin at a dead stop followed by an incredible multi-G climb directly up a huge hill. Of the coasters Ray and Traci have ridden, only the Rock n Roll Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith (at Disney-MGM Studios) can compare and that particular indoor experience is less thrilling. If you like coasters you will love Screamin!
Ray and Traci picked up some fastpasses for repeat visits and then went to ride the Sun Wheel – a huge Ferris wheel which is OK for photos of the coaster but otherwise a waste of time and then the Soarin’ Over California Adventure. Soarin’ is the second don’t miss attraction in California Adventure – it combines beautiful Imax photography of California with a Disney ride complete with special wind & scent special effects to give you the sensation of flying over the Golden State. After Soarin, Traci went back to the hotel and Ray decided to partake in a few more adventures. The Tower of Terror (previously ridden at Disney-MGM studios) is the third can’t miss attraction in California Adventure. Great features provide thrill by incredible anxiety provoking visuals like speed, huge drops, upside down loops or by making riders fear the unknown. Tower of Terror takes a relatively common drop ride to a whole new level with the Rod Serling Twilight Zone theme and doing much of it in the dark with unexpected and seemingly unending motion. Ray finished his California adventure by riding the unremarkable water raft ride (in his gortex suit) and then using both fast passes for the Screamin rollercoaster – riding twice in 15 minutes is a good way to lose one’s appetite. Ray returned to the room to get Traci and both headed back to Disneyland to see the amazing “Dreams” Fireworks show. Disney puts on a fireworks extravaganza like none other – great pyrotechnics, wonderful choreography, music, an aerial “Tinkerbell” and laser lights all add up to one amazing show – don’t miss it! Now, completely exhausted, Ray and Traci went to the ESPN zone to find out how much the Seattle Mariners lost by and enjoy two quite surprisingly good salads – a Shrimp Caesar and a Southwest Cajun Chicken Salad.
The nonstop flight to John Wayne Airport from Seattle on Alaska Airlines was on time and pleasant despite being filled to capacity – the airline even substituted a good warm cookie for the usual bag of pretzels. John Wayne airport has a very slow baggage carousel – the bags come out one every 10 seconds or so one at a time. The rental cars are found within the garage of the airport directly across the street so picking up the car was fast and easy. Armed with Mapquest directions, the car ride to the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland took less than half an hour. Disneyland is well labeled on highway signs but finding the Grand Californian is more difficult since signage is poor.
Disney did an excellent job with the Grand Californian – the exterior suggests a mountain ski lodge but the interiors are quite luxurious complete with relatively spacious rooms with refrigerators, plasma TVs and DVD players. Although the ambient noise level is high for a luxury hotel, it is probably unavoidable in a resort that caters to families. The lobby level gives the “lodge” feel with many sofas and chairs, a bar area, a fireplace – many places to lounge around. Disney’s Brother Bear character roams around and scares young children. The hotel is quite long rather than high and finding your room can be a challenge. Located adjacent to the California Adventure Park, the hotel contains a special entrance gate. Other parts of the Disney complex – Disneyland and Downtown Disney are within easy walking distance of the Grand Californian.
On Friday morning, disappointing rain greeted Ray and Traci – they started by having breakfast at a nearby Coco’s restaurant since the character buffet at the hotel had a long line. They met Traci’s sister Kristi and daughter Maya and headed to a rain drenched Disneyland – not always the happiest place on earth. Thanks to Mickey Mouse rain ponchos Traci and Kristi stayed somewhat comfortable. Ray had a complete REI gortex rain suit on so he was fine. Maya refused to wear her poncho and became quite soaked. The journey began at “Small World” followed by “Dumbo”, “King Arthur’s Carrousel” and Peter Pan’s Flight. A much drier and more comfortable Ray left the group to see relatively new attractions – Space Mountain with music by the Hot Chili Peppers, Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure. Space Mountain which previously seemed like a rather pedestrian roller coaster indoors, was immensely better when set to better light effects and the Red Hot Chili Peppers Music. This quite dated attraction was so much more enjoyable with the upgrades although it really doesn’t qualify with today’s “thrill” rides. Indiana Jones is an attraction not to be missed – like most good Disney features, the experience begins in line with the décor and atmosphere. Artifacts and signs warning patrons of things not to do (or face a lifetime of blight and desperation) resulted in, of course, people doing the exact opposite. The ride can best be described as a 2007 version (with a much higher thrill factor) of the Haunted Mansion. Patrons ride around in jeep like vehicles thru various Indiana Jones type scenes including one where the huge boulder comes right toward your vehicle. The ride is somewhat rough and quite spooky in places but one not to be missed. The biggest surprise of the day was the (relatively) long lines – For a weekday immediately after Spring Break with the most rain, perhaps for the entire year, the 35-45 minutes at Disney’s most popular features was quite surprising. From their last experience at Orlando, where weekday visits at all of the parks immediately after winter break found virtually no line more than 5 minutes, Ray and Traci were surprised at the wait at Disneyland. Perhaps the 13 million citizens surrounding Disneyland, the fact that only 2 parks are operating and the relatively cheap annual passes available to Southern California residents all contribute to the lines-even on a post spring break rainy weekday. Perhaps the powers at Disney will start throwing in “Fastpasses” with hotel packages as one has to question how much of Disneyland can be enjoyed by a regular tourist visiting during peak traffic days.Ray met up with Traci, Kristi and Maya at the California adventure park. Maya was now thoroughly soaked so Kristi headed home. The rains that made the morning so miserable largely subsided so Ray and Traci waited in a 35 minute line for the best Disney feature – California Screamin! Like Space Mountain, Screamin was set to music from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The relatively new roller coaster features silky smooth steel construction, a complete 360 loop, and an exhilarating launch up the first hill from an impressive electrical propulsion system. Riders begin at a dead stop followed by an incredible multi-G climb directly up a huge hill. Of the coasters Ray and Traci have ridden, only the Rock n Roll Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith (at Disney-MGM Studios) can compare and that particular indoor experience is less thrilling. If you like coasters you will love Screamin!
Ray and Traci picked up some fastpasses for repeat visits and then went to ride the Sun Wheel – a huge Ferris wheel which is OK for photos of the coaster but otherwise a waste of time and then the Soarin’ Over California Adventure. Soarin’ is the second don’t miss attraction in California Adventure – it combines beautiful Imax photography of California with a Disney ride complete with special wind & scent special effects to give you the sensation of flying over the Golden State. After Soarin, Traci went back to the hotel and Ray decided to partake in a few more adventures. The Tower of Terror (previously ridden at Disney-MGM studios) is the third can’t miss attraction in California Adventure. Great features provide thrill by incredible anxiety provoking visuals like speed, huge drops, upside down loops or by making riders fear the unknown. Tower of Terror takes a relatively common drop ride to a whole new level with the Rod Serling Twilight Zone theme and doing much of it in the dark with unexpected and seemingly unending motion. Ray finished his California adventure by riding the unremarkable water raft ride (in his gortex suit) and then using both fast passes for the Screamin rollercoaster – riding twice in 15 minutes is a good way to lose one’s appetite. Ray returned to the room to get Traci and both headed back to Disneyland to see the amazing “Dreams” Fireworks show. Disney puts on a fireworks extravaganza like none other – great pyrotechnics, wonderful choreography, music, an aerial “Tinkerbell” and laser lights all add up to one amazing show – don’t miss it! Now, completely exhausted, Ray and Traci went to the ESPN zone to find out how much the Seattle Mariners lost by and enjoy two quite surprisingly good salads – a Shrimp Caesar and a Southwest Cajun Chicken Salad.
Saturday was the LA adventure day. It started by Ray and Traci both remembering why they no longer live in Los Angeles – weekend driving took over an hour and a half to go from Anaheim to Santa Monica. Fortunately, the weather was better with more sunshine. They parked (for free!) in the Santa Monica 3rd street garage and wandered down the famous promenade. National chain stores mixed with local restaurants, theatres and street artists (some were quite good). A Frank Sinatra sound a like showed talent but probably would be better advised to move to Las Vegas. Ray and Traci had lunch at the Santa Monica Mall Food Court – California Crisp enjoying salads and sandwiches. They then went down to the Santa Monica Pier to meet the Pacific Ocean, take some pictures and listen to more street artists. An Elvis singer who somehow got on the Jimmy Kimmel show made listeners long for William Hung’s American Idol performances. Two brothers provided much more entertainment with a smashing rendition of “Stand By Me” – perhaps Simon Cowell should visit the pier when looking for the next American Idol.
After leaving the pier, Ray and Traci went to the UCLA campus where Ray negotiated with an “unofficial” merchant to get a deal on a Bruin Sweatshirt. They then walked up campus, saw the new (but not opened) Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and went into the UCLA bookstore for some “official” memorabilia. Traci got some cookies at “Diddy Riese” – unfortunately it was nearing the dinner hour or both would have gotten the $1.25 ice cream sandwiches. If you want a cheap lunch complete with dessert – go no farther than Diddy Riese. After leaving Westwood, Ray and Traci traveled to meet Kristi, her husband Dil and their kids Jay and Maya. The whole party went to the Topanga Mall for dinner at The Farm. Before dinner, Traci marveled at the amazing Nordstrom store. Jay and Maya got to ride the double high merry go round inside the mall before the whole group sat down for dinner. Ray and Traci both enjoyed their chicken dishes (Ray had the fried chicken, Traci had the baked). The night ended with a somewhat less frustrating drive back to Anaheim.
On Sunday, Ray and Traci picked up breakfast from La Brea Bakery Café supplemented with beignets from Jazz Kitchen – both in Downtown Disney adjacent to the Grand Californian. Ray previously purchased tickets for the Seattle Mariners game against the Angels and Traci’s brother Kevin brought Kristi’s son Jay to join Ray and Traci. Obviously pessimistic from a 5 game losing streak, Ray had little patience with the Mariners poor performance, eventually losing 6-1.
Anaheim has a well decorated although somewhat dated stadium complete with something Seattle doesn’t have in their $525 million playpen: a World Series Trophy.
After the 7th inning stretch, the four baseball fans left to go back to Disneyland for some games at the ESPN zone. With some mini-bowling and air hockey entertainment completed, Kevin took Jay back home while Ray and Traci satisfied a Pizza craving at Mama Cozza’s (an Italian restaurant located about 3 miles from Disneyland. The pizza (a “Hawaiian”) was quite good, the menu was complete with many Italian and sandwich dishes, and the prices couldn’t be beaten. Ray and Traci returned to the Grand Californian with appetites cured of pizza cravings.
Monday was getaway day, and we planned on going to the South Coast Mall in the OC (Orange County) before returning home. The weather dramatically improved and California’s famous sunshine appeared. After checking out from the Grand Californian, they headed toward the mall which has a wide range of stores – from Sears Auto Shop to Tiffany’s. Also, an unusually large number of security guards wandered the halls for an obviously sparse Monday morning crowd. Ray and Traci had lunch at Traci’s favorite out of town lunch chain – The Corner Bakery. (Should the Corner Bakery come to downtown Seattle they will have at least one regular client). Traci enjoyed some oatmeal and Ray had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. During the window shopping, Ray found a Haagan Daaz and enjoyed a vanilla chocolate chip ice cream treat. Traci was impressed with the very successful Nordstrom location. A short drive later, the travelers boarded an Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle and completed another adventure.
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