Faces Of Maui

It’s a personal goal of mine to photograph more people during my travels.  Sometimes I’m good at it and sometimes I don’t have the gumption to ask.  On this trip to Maui I’m off to a decent start and hoping this posting will grow.  I will add to it as new pictures are taken, hopefully nightly, but not always as one morning I have to rise at 2am to catch the sunrise.  Photos are of the people I meet that live and work on Maui.

Chris is the VP and Managing Partner for the Pineapple Grill, which, in its short time on the island, has already garnered a plethora of awards for their fine, yet casual, dining experience.  Chris is born and raised on the island, moving to the mainland for just 12 years.  Long enough for him to miss island life and return to the lifestyle he loves.

Craig is the head chef at the Sea Horse Restaurant at Napili Kai Beach Resort, my last stop on this Hawaii trip.  If you wind him up by asking where he sources his ingredients from and how important is the local food scene to him, sit back and watch out because he can talk your ear off in a good way.  He moved to the island eight years ago and has a knack for adapting his menu to what the island has to offer, including seasonal fish catches.

Moss moved to Maui four months ago and is trying something I have often thought of giving a whirl, WWOOFing.  If you’re not familiar with WWOOF, check them out at WWOOF.org.  She’s volunteering at the organic Hana Farms and I met her when she tempted me with chocolate banana bread at the farm’s roadside stand.  I have since purchased and devoured a loaf of said bread.  She’s evil that way, watch out.

Elanor was another guest at The Old Wailuku Inn At Ulupono, spending time at the house that she used to play around when she was a child. Taking up work at NASA and other entrepreneurial endeavors (as well as skiing) have her living on the mainland. She returns often to visit family and was in town for a high school reunion.

Janice runs The Old Wailuku Inn At Ulupono with her husband Tom with a passion for the islands and their culture that flows from her with ease. And she never stops smiling….it becomes infectious!

Tom was born and raised in Hawaii, returning to Maui after spending some time on the mainland. He and his wife Janice opened The Old Wailuku Inn At Ulupono, once voted a top ten B&B by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

Harry works at Makawao Sushi & Deli having moved to Hawaii in the 60’s. His plan was to stay for one year, but he never left. He’s been on Maui for 35 years and cuts some mean sushi (they have ice cream there too!).

Frenchie (also not his real name) is a guide with Piiholo Ranch on the flanks of Haleakala. Formerly a jockey, he suffered a crash that left him in a body cast and swore off horses. But his wife kept encouraging him to take them up again and he soon found himself living on Maui, looking for a horsing job. He now works full time for the ranch and is quite fun to have as a guide.

Matthew is a staff photographer with the Maui News who is currently putting on an exhibit at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, chronicling his last 30 years on the job. Personable and friendly, John’s has hopes to take his large slice of Maui’s history on the road to help others see what life is really like on the island.

Rachelle moved to the island to take up duty with a youth conservation corps, landing her ideal assignment in the Iao Valley with the Hawaiian Nature Center. No longer an intern, she now spends her days leading groups through the gorgeous valley explaining the difference between invasive and native plants, with sprinkles of history and botany thrown in.

Lesley is fairly new to the island, moving from Ketchikan, Alaska. She’s another person in love with the water and dives and surfs often, living meters from the beach. She also laughs at my jokes.

John is a transplant from Portland, OR who fell in love with the islands. He worked for a time helping install some of the longest zipline in Hawaii before joining the family at Ka’anapali Beach Hotel.

Malihini is a life long resident of Maui and performs a number of duties at Ka’anapali Beach Hotel. When we met her she explained much of the the Hawaiian history of fishing, respect for the land and how to treat common ills with local plants. She also forced us to get on stage and learn to hula in front of the dinner crowd.

Nani is a ball of information about Maui’s only winery at Ulupalakua Ranch.

James is a National Park Ranger stationed at Haleakala National Park, Maui’s highest mountain. He was present to lend comic relief and information as the sun was about to rise; an event many people drive to the top of the mountain to witness.

Sheldon is the head chef at Star Noodle in Lahaina.  Born on The Big Island, he spent some time on the mainland before marrying a Maui girl, moving to the island soon after. Star Noodle opened in February of this year after the entire kitchen crew spent weeks ‘researching’ noodle shops all over New York to find the flavor they wanted to present.

Annie is a ‘local’ from the Puget Sound. A lover of marine biology and all things fishy, she just moved to Maui after accepting a job with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Like me, she enjoyed a visit to Colorado but realized she missed the big water too much.

Captain Tiffany was a spark of good humor to what might seem like a droll job; porting vacationers out to the same reef to see the same dolphins and ask the same different groups of tourists to have a seat so we make sure we didn’t leave anyone behind. She made the trip enjoyable. Skipper for Pacific Whale Foundation.

Tyler moved to the island from New Hampshire for the reasons a lot of people visit: great hiking, surfing, diving, mountain biking and, of course, beautiful women.

Gina, ummm…well, I didn’t talk with Gina a lot but she did point out of a lot of interesting coral and fish on the snorkel today.

Jaclyn was our informative naturalist on the boat and a wealth of knowledge about Hawaii, biology and how to board the Pacific Whale Foundation boat.

Ali’i is the owner of Ali’i Kula Lavender Farms in the Maui Upcountry.  A very charismatic gentleman with a long and interesting story to tell.  Much of his life has been spent in the fields, following his passion for growing crops.

Ancil is a farm help at O’o Farms in the Kula region on Maui.  A farmer most all his life, his knowledge of crops and growing methods is impressive.  He has an easy demeanor and dirt on his hands from starting a new planting of 1300 coffee starts.

Cliff was an interesting character I found hanging out on the beachfront in Lahaina.  He had many a story to tell, some of which might have been true.  He smoked bent up, scavenged cigarettes and told me of his father’s health woes from working with too much lead paint.