march • 2012 keiki cover model

Aloha to this month’s keiki cover family! We want to introduce you to six-year-old Devyn Gruber of Napili.

Mom is Corrin Gruber who works as a concierge at Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas on the westside and dad is Max Gruber who works as a bartender at Humuhumunukunukuapua‘a at Grand Wailea Resort and Spa.

Devyn attends Maui Preparatory Academy in Napili and her favorite subjects are technology and reading. She enjoys playing with her friends at school and keeps active after school with ballet, gymnastics, swimming and soccer! Her dad is teaching her to surf and she really loves it.

Mom shares, “Devyn is outgoing and has an adventurous spirit. She will light up any room with her wit and sense of humor. One of the best joys for me is watching the excitement she gets when she succeeds at trying something new whether it be learning to read a new word, doing a back bend or catching a wave with her dad.”

hiking moloka`i’s halawa valley: a glimpse into an ancient civilization – rediscovering moloka`i part 2 of 3

As we wait at the threshold of Halawa Valley on Moloka‘i’s remote east end, Anakala (Uncle) Pilipo Solatorio blows the pu four times: first facing east; then west, north, and south. Its rich, haunting sound resonates throughout the valley, providing a bona fide chicken-skin moment. Accompanying me is Julie-Ann Bicoy, director of the Moloka‘i Visitors Association. Together we stand quietly and respectfully, while Julie holds a ti-wrapped parcel representing a traditional offering presented by visiting Native Hawaiians to their host and placed on an altar.

kapalua spa: did someone say ahhhhhhh?

“Poor you.” That’s the response I received from most of my friends and co-workers when I announced I’d drawn an assignment to experience Kapalua Spa. But what they didn’t know is that I was a total spa novice.

Sure, I’ve had plenty of massages, manicures, and pedicures in my lifetime, but never had I experienced the ultimate luxury indulgence of spending an afternoon at a spa. So I invited the perfect person to accompany me: My gal pal Janet, who is a genuine spa aficionado. She would show me the ropes!

trilogy’s new aloha friday sunset sail: “sail away, sail away, sail away…”

Here in the Islands, Aloha Friday isn’t just a day on the calendar—it’s that carefree, laid-back feeling you get when the work week is all pau, and the next forty-eight hours or so are all yours. Back in 1982, musician Paul Natto even wrote a popular song about it (“It’s Aloha Friday, no work ‘til Monday…”), and hopping aboard Trilogy Excursions’ Aloha Friday Sunset Sail is just the ticket to get you in a weekend-kine state of mind.