A Beer and a Nap, Troy & Heather arrive

Wednesday July 12th
Today is pickup day for Troy, Heather and the grandkids their flight doesn’t arrive into Kahului until around 5.30pm so plenty of time to take in some more sights before we head over there to greet them. The wind is blowing hard off the ocean this morning but the temperature is forecast around 30c again today. After breakfast we take a drive down to Whalers village a small outdoor shopping mall right on the beach. While we are there we browse the shops and then walk along the beach front to the Westin were we have booked to take all of the grandkids to a luau after the wedding. The wind has magically died down leaving a pleasantly warm day for the throngs of beach goers along this part of the shoreline. 

We receive a message from Troy, they are grounded in LAX a mechanical problem with their aircraft has them delayed by 3 hours. We decide then to go on to the Maui Brewing company for lunch, Matt has discovered some microbrews by this company and is keen to try one or two. The small brewery is tucked away in yet another shopping complex, a little further north along Honoapiilani Hwy. after a little difficulty we locate the brewery tucked away in a corner location. As we walk inside brewery vats sit behind glass to our right and above on a mezzanine floor. The decor is warehouse meets sports bar meets brewery. Small aluminium beer kegs converted to light fittings shine down from the high open warehouse ceiling over wooden tables, benches and chairs set on a dark grey concrete floor. Flat screen TV’s dot the walls showing various sporting events.

A colourful chalkboard spells out the various available beers. 

We are shown to our table. Given some menus then soon served by a waitress to take our drinks orders. Matt & I go for a Lorenzini with the bitter taste of blood oranges not realising the alcohol content is 7.6%. Amanda opts for a Bikini blond lager at 5.1% it still packs a punch.

The food is very beer orientated as one would expect, small share plates, sliders, burgers and sandwiches dominate but there are salads. Matt goes the cheese burger, Amanda the Rueben sandwich, that takes her immediately back to her roots, while I have the fish burger, all served with a generous serving of fries of course. 

Well satisfied we take off back to the Honua Kai to wait out the few hours before we need to leave to pickup Troy and the gang from Kahului airport. I begin to write this blog but a beer induced stupor comes over me, one glass of that beer I swear, and I fall asleep on the couch.
I awake about ninety minutes later feeling groggy, Amanda has befallen the same fate on the bed while reading her book. I realise a coffee fix would do me good and head down to the lobby floor where an adjacent market is situated, they make good coffee although on this occasion it is super hot. Troy keeps us updated at regular intervals, finally a message comes through, the flight from LAX is now due at 8.08pm. Low clouds have occasionally crept down from the hills behind us leaving little sprinkles of rain and at times spectacular rainbows signifying our good fortune. 

While on the oceanside a catamaran lazily traverses our view framed by swaying palm trees.

The sun however is never too far away, by the time  we leave to go to the airport it has travelled a good way towards the western horizon, we drop Matt off at Lahaina just in time for him to see the sunset and enjoy some of the Lahaina night time buzz. We make good time to Kahului airport, park the car before buying floral leis for the girls and Koa nut leis for the boys. They soon arrive in the baggage area where we are waiting for them, looking weary after a long day complicated by the exhaustive layover in LAX. We welcome them all, placing the traditional colourful floral leis around their necks and wishing them aloha! The party of two tired adults and five weary children pick up their car rental, as we make our way back to our car with enough suitcases to allow them a little more room in their vehicle. 

Again we make good time to Lahaina and their hotel where we see them to their rooms and wish them a good night. Matt is waiting for us on Front St., we pick him up and return to the Honua Kai ready for another restful recharge in preparation for events as they slowly build towards Troy & Heathers wedding on Tuesday.