Travel Log: Maui (The Gazebo)

The morning after we arrived in Maui, we had breakfast at The Gazebo at the Napili Shores resort.
Neither of us had heard anything about this place before our Yelp search. They had us at  macadamia nut/pineapple/banana pancakes and coconut syrup. Though I'm not a huge pancake fan, I ❤ anything coconut.

A quick drive from the resort, when we arrived, it was pouring rain. I've decided that I need  to carry a lightweight rain jacket with a hood on vacations. SO much more practical than carrying an umbrella.

Anyhoo, there isn't much parking, but we lucked up on a spot without waiting too long. You have to walk a little way to get o the Gazebo. When we arrived, despite the rain, there was a line. The line was about 15 people deep - all under umbrellas supplied by the restaurant. The family in front of us said that the food was definitely worth the wait. They gave us great information on dining on Maui.

 We waited about 40 minutes. Yep, 40 minutes. The great thing is the view was spectacular. The rain finally stopped and I decided to see what was just on the other side of the pool area. Mind you, the pool area wasn't anything to write home about, but the view - OMG!

The black rock against the crystal blue water was stunning. This - this is what I envisioned.

We were finally seating in a spot with a great view. The Gazebo is just what it name says - a gazebo. It's an open air restaurant. The staff  makes you feel like a regular. The smiles at this place abound.


On to the food! SPAM is a huge hit in Hawaii. I'm probably dating myself, but I remember my mama frying up SPAM and scrambling eggs when I was a little girl. I just thought it was the worst thing ever - sans liver. We ordered the fried rice (seems to be a staple for breakfast on Maui) which had just about everything a good stir fry had in it. Yes, there were cubes of SPAM mixed in. What the heck, Imma give it a try. It was simply delicious. I'm not saying I'll be frying up a slab of SPAM anytime soon, but the next time I'm in Hawaii......

This small plate of fried rice with two scrambled eggs on time was more than enough to serve two.
Still we HAD to order the macadamia nut/pineapple/banana pancakes with COCONUT syrup. OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious. Like I said I am not a huge pancake fan, but these were out of this world delicious (did I already say that? 😍).  Has big as the pancakes were, they were fluffy and full of banana goodness. Add the coconut syrup on top and you have a bit of heaven.

I am not sure if Guy Fieri  from Triple D has been to The Gazebo or not, but he should definitely feature them on his show.


Aloha!

Stylin' Saturday - Island Vibes

Photo Credit: Tyjuana Hill-Smith Photography

Photo Credit: Tyjuana Hill-Smith Photography

If you are anything like me, you buy a lot of souvenirs when you travel. I mean A LOT.

I always buy fun t-shirts or island specific items for my family when we travel. Of course, if I buy one for them then I must buy one for me - right?

My favorites are island shell rings, sterling silver rings with the Larimar stone (more on this later) , anything made of coconut.



The problem was that I would buy the items and I'd love and wear them during our vacation, but then they sat in my jewelry drawer until the next vacation. Do you do that?

Well, this year I have decided that I am going to wear my island goodies during the spring/summer months, too.

The gorgeous cross body bag featured will be adorable with white linen pants and a fun colorful top. Not only is it adorable, it's a great conversation piece. I purchased this from a local vendor in Antigua. I also purchased an absolutely gorgeous small clutch made from coconut shells.


 I promised to tell you a little about the Larimar stone. The very first time I was in the Caribbean was on a RCCl cruise. There was a jewelry store on the ship that had the stone in rings, pendants, bracelets. It was simply beautiful. The color of the Caribbean ocean this stone is offered as a local Caribbean specialty. It's typically set in sterling silver, but she high grade pieces are often set in gold.

I purchased the piece in this picture while in Punta Cana a year ago. It's a huge stone, but was relatively inexpensive. I actually think this is my only piece of Larimar. I was always looking for the perfect setting - finally found it last year. You truly have to see the stone in person to appreciate the color.

What souvenirs to you busy when you go on vacation? Do you use them other than when on vacation?
I'd love to hear!

Photo Credit: Tyjuana Hill-Smith Photography

Photo Credit: Tyjuana Hill-Smith Photography