cane & canoe: new chef, new vision

I absolutely adore Kapalua. My love affair with this remotest of resort areas on Maui’s west side began in the 1980s on my first trip to Hawai‘i. My husband and I had booked our accommodations at Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club in Ka‘anapali. When we arrived, we were informed the Marriott was overbooked, but that they’d placed us at what was then the relatively new Kapalua Bay Hotel. To put it simply, we were completely blown away by the property.

Back then, the Kapalua Bay Hotel was the place to stay on Maui, known for its understated elegance and superb location. We even saw Wayne Newton and his entourage one day at the swimming pool! I was heartbroken when the hotel was razed in 2006 to make way for luxury condominiums. After some turbulent times and ownership changes, the property was rebranded the Montage Kapalua Bay in 2014. Lucky for me, the property has retained its immense appeal, and still puts me under its spell every time I’m fortunate enough to pay a visit.

Montage Kapalua Bay’s signature restaurant, Cane & Canoe, has recently undergone a change as well, in the form of new Executive Chef David Viviano. Chef David most recently worked at the St. Regis Aspen Resort & Spa in Colorado, where he held the unique title of “CheF&B”—performing double duty as both executive chef and food & beverage director.

burn ‘n love & fleetwood’s on front st.: all shook up in lahaina

Elvis Presley fell in love with Hawai‘i. (Who could blame him?) His first visit to the Islands was in November of 1957, and his last was in March of 1977. Hawai‘i had become Elvis’s favorite vacation destination, and over those 20 years he visited often. In addition to several live performances—the most well known being “Elvis, Aloha from Hawai‘i,” which was telecasted worldwide on January 14, 1973—he also made three movies here: “Blue Hawai‘i,” “Girls! Girls! Girls!” and “Paradise, Hawaiian Style.”

Elvis tribute artist Darren Lee also fell in love with Hawai‘i—specifically Maui. “I came to Maui in 2007, attended a lu‘au, and vowed that some day I would be in a show here,” he says. In December of 2013, “Burn’n Love,” a live production celebrating Elvis’s life, music, and movies, premiered at the Maui Theatre in Lahaina. Two years later, Burn’n Love is rated the #1 Theater & Performance experience on Maui on TripAdvisor, wowing audiences four nights a week.

Allyson and I are making it a complete evening by taking advantage of Burn’n Love’s dining partnership with Fleetwood’s on Front St. Guests who purchase Gold-, Platinum-, or Diamond-level tickets to the show may also add on a dinner certificate ($50 per person) for a special pre-show, three-course, prix-fixe meal at the restaurant.

snorkeling honolua bay on ocean spirit: pacific whale foundation’s adventure

Recently on a mid-week school holiday, I had the chance to grab my daughter Maile and “play hooky” aboard the Ocean Spirit, Pacific Whale Foundation’s newest custom designed 65’ luxury sailing catamaran to experience their adventure along the coast to Honolua Bay.

We arrived to check in about 6:15am at the Pacific Whale Foundation store at 612 Front Street right in the heart of Lahaina Town. We strolled through Banyan Tree park and at this early hour, Lahaina was such a calm, cool, quiet place. The heat had not started to rear it’s head quite yet!

We were invited aboard Ocean Spirit by the friendly Captain and crew and a yummy breakfast spread was ready and available with fresh bagels, croissants, fresh tropical fruits and hot coffee, tea and fruit juice. While we are noshing, the Captain gives a quick and thorough briefing about the boat and soon we are off, heading up the coast towards Ka‘anapali Resort.

2016 hyundai tournament of champions

KAPALUA, MAUI, HI – JANUARY 10: A course scenic shot of the 18th hole during the second round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 10, 2015 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

The Hyundai Tournament of Champions returns to Maui and the legendary Plantation Course in Kapalua Resort next month from January 6 through 10, 2016.

This gathering of the best PGA golfers is a unique tournament in that its qualified field features a winner-only format. Only champions from the previous PGA TOUR season are eligible to compete.

Since moving to Kapalua in 1999, the tournament’s host organizations have contributed over $5 million to local Maui charities. The designated local charities for this year are: Boy Scouts of America, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, Hale Makua Health Services, J. Walter Cameron Center, Ka Lima O Maui, Lahainaluna High School Foundation.