Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [438]
Titus Kinimaka Kai Kane Quiksilver Hanalei (826-5594; 5-5088 Kuhio Hwy; 9am-9pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun) This surf shop has a distinct Hawaiian and Polynesian style. It carries paddling gear and surfboards, along with some of the coolest aloha shirts around.
Hula Moon & Gifts (826-9965; Ching Young Village; 10am-6pm) Woodwork, great gift ideas and jewelry make this a fun spot to peruse on a rainy day.
Getting There & Around
Parking can be a headache, and absent-minded pedestrians even more so. So do as the locals do and hop on a bike. For bicycle rentals, try Pedal & Paddle (826-9069; www.pedalnpaddle.com; Ching Young Village; 9am-6pm) for cruisers (per day/week $10/30) and mountain bikes ($20/80). Kayak Kaua′i (826-9844; www.kayakkauai.com; Kuhio Hwy; 8am-5pm) also has cruisers ($15/60).
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AROUND HANALEI
Lumaha′i Beach
Movie tours may claim that Lumaha′i Beach is where Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr kissed in that scene in From Here to Eternity, but it’s not (the scene was shot at Halona Cove on O′ahu). Lumaha′i enjoys a rather more infamous status as one of the most dangerous on-island spots, as many have drowned here.
Rather than a swim, we recommend a safe-but-still-scenic stroll (which still requires water savvy). There are two ways onto Lumaha′i Beach. The first and more scenic is a three-minute walk that begins at the parking area 0.75 miles past the 4-mile marker on the Kuhio Hwy. The trail slopes to the left at the end of the retaining wall. On the beach, the lava-rock ledges are popular for sunbathing and photo ops, but beware: bystanders have been washed away by high surf and rogue waves.
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TAHITI NUI’S GLORY DAYS
The Tahiti Nui (826-6277; Tahiti Nui Bldg, Kuhio Hwy; 2pm-2am) has changed hands and menus, and seen its fair share of dated hairdos, barflies and beer bellies. But there’s a part of ‘the Nui’ that always seems to remain the same. It’s the liveliest spot in little Hanalei, and, though certainly a dive, it remains the North Shore joint par excellence for regulars and visitors alike.
In 1964 a Tahitian woman named Louise Hauata and her husband Bruce Marston, founded the now iconic Tahiti Nui, a classic South Seas–style restaurant and bar. Its popularity grew and so did its draw – luring such names as Jacqueline Kennedy, who legendarily arrived unexpectedly, preceded by secret service agents. Yet despite the fact that it’s seen its share of A-listers, you’d never guess it at first glance.
Bruce died in 1975, but Louise continued the spot’s luau tradition, augmenting it with renditions of Tahitian songs in English, French or their original language. She was also well known for giving much aloha to her community in times of need.
Louise died in 2003, and Tahiti Nui is now run by her son, Christian Marston, her nephew, William Marston, and the president and CEO, John Austin, who is married to celebrated singer Amy Hanaiali′i Gilliom.
The Nui remains a lively, loud hangout long after its happy hours (from 4pm to 6pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday) and police regularly set up shop outside its doors around 2am to ensure no one’s drinking and driving.
Though this crowded shacklike bar is divey, the staff are some of the most down-to-earth bartenders on the island. In a way, this gnarly, well-loved and well-worn hot spot is much like a favourite old running shoe that just keeps on going.
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MANO A MANO
No doubt being attacked by a mano (shark) could be deadly: precautions, such as avoiding swimming in murky, post-rain waters, should be taken to avoid them. Statistically speaking, you’re more likely to die from a bee sting than a shark attack, and you should be more concerned about contracting leptospirosis or staphylococcius in those infamous muddy waters than becoming a midday snack.
Rather than letting any hard-wired phobia of large predators get you down, try considering the creature from an another perspective while in Hawaii: the mano