Advertisement
Published: November 4th 2018
Edit Blog Post
Dateline: October 31, 2018, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
Halloween Parade, Thai Noodles and a Movie
Originally, we were going to rent a car and see some of the island but… we just found our that they will be closing down streets in Lahaina about 2pm for the Halloween Parade. So…we opt to just walk around Lahaina for the day. Today is the hottest we’ve been on this trip, about 82 degrees with 90% humidity. 100 of us sweating passengers with frizzy hair, are tendered into shore on each boat, arriving 20 minutes later right at Banyan Park. Banyan Park is unbelievably beautiful with one very old Banyan tree reaching out it it’s ropy tentacles from large branches to make more Banyan trees, all interconnected.
There are a lot of cute shops and restaurants but we opt to see some of the old missionary buildings with their historic plaques and learn more about the history of whaling. Something about the quaintness of the old whaling village of Lahaina appeals to us. We decide to walk along Front Street and the ocean to the nearest beach, about a mile away, to pick up sand. We ask directions a couple of times
as the beach is down an unmarked, dead-end street. Finally, we reach a very pretty beach with sea grapes all along the shore and lots of local families camped out for the day. Collecting our greyish sand, we decide its time to cool off and have lunch. Star Noodle Company which has been featured on Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives is our choice for today. Back out on Front Street we text for a Lyft driver and 5 minutes later Ruben is there. Glad we didn’t try to walk in this heat as Star Noodle is another 2 miles away in an industrial section of town. Unfortunately, it is closed when we arrive and a gentleman there tells us that there are a number of restaurants that are closed, it is a holiday today. A holiday? Ah… Halloween ?. We’re getting the impression that Halloween is a pretty big deal in Lahaina. Ruben tells us, no problem he will take us to his personal favorite, a Thai noodle place back in town. Great by us, so we head back into Lahaina.
Ruben is a native and has a 3-year-old daughter and… he just happens to have some pictures ?.
She is adorable as only a 3-year-old can be. He tells us that he drives full time and the locals use him to go to work in the mornings. They usually find a friend to ride home with in the afternoons. Somehow the cruise ship passengers don’t think to use Lyft on the island. He’s happy to have us. 10 minutes later we arrive at a shopping center with Foodland and Starbucks and Ruben stops at Thai Noodle Bar PHO. Small place, extremely nice, cool and a Thai owner that is very gracious. The food is wonderful and we get in a little chopstick practice.
It is now about 1 in the afternoon and we opt to do something extremely normal… we go to the movies. There is a Regal Cinema right at the tender dock and Hunter Killer (think Hunt for Red October) is showing at 1:15. Comfortable seats and air conditioning. We spend the next two hours cool, comfortable and stressed to the max…great movie ?
When the show is over we find stores closing and everyone lined up with their chairs waiting for the Halloween Parade to start along Front Street. We find
a shady place in the park and watch all the local people with their great costumes. Jean talked to a couple of guys dressed as Oregon Ducks fans who say they come here every year for 3 weeks and come just for the Halloween Parade. One family is dressed as Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, there are purple balloons around some folks as they are a “bunch of grapes”. Tiny little batman and angels, fairies and even a Gnome family. Everyone is in such a great mood. The parade starts with the mayor in a convertible, then fire trucks with their horns and sirens blaring, the firemen are throwing candy to the children. Then the Shriners with their tiny cars and the hit of the parade the gigantic Lahaina High School Band playing Sweet Caroline. It was so fun that we’re thinking we should come back next Halloween ?.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.294s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 11; qc: 50; dbt: 0.106s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb