Maui Friends of The Library Used Book Store

To experience a little piece of Maui history combined with the best bargain on the Island my vote goes to the Maui Friends of the Library Used Books. On this excursion getting there is half the fun as you wind your way past the old, now abandoned plantation village of Puunene and the present day working HC&S Sugar Mill.

Bumping along the red dirt road you follow the signs that lead to the quaint structure that is the MFOL bookstore. Once you get there, look around at the giant Monkeypod trees and the outbuildings and try to imagine what the place looked like many years ago when it was a flourishing plantation town. The library used to be part of the old Puunene School which is still standing, even though the Plantation camps have long since disappeared. The bookstore itself is not that large but trust me, here size doesn't matter!
Crammed floor to ceiling with books, books and more books, the place is a reader's paradise. There is no discrimination here...all the books, hard cover, trade paper, pocket novels, journals and sheets of music are all a whopping 10 cents. For the same price you can also pick up DVDs, CDs, books on CD and magazines. We were lucky enough to get there on a sale day and got in on the incredible bargain of 15 books for only $1.00!!! The idea is that people buy books and bring books. Bring the books you just bought and read, pick up a few more and let the process begin again. Once one of Maui’s best kept secrets, the MFOL Used Books is now frequented by locals and tourists alike. Folks visiting Maui often load up with books for their holiday reading, and when they leave they donate the books back to the book store.

It is a terrific system if you ask me. All of the money generated by the MFOL book store is allocated as grants to assist the 8 libraries in Maui County. Recent grants have funded projects such as painting the Lahaina library, fixing the Maui Bookmobile and supplying new chairs for the Lanai library. We couldn’t help but think what a worthwhile endeavor this is, especially in these days of cut backs and restraints.

MFOL is run exclusively by volunteers and they are constantly seeking for people to help operate the book store. Chores include sorting and shelving books, assisting patrons and operating the cash register.We discovered during our visit that the MFOL was founded way back in 1912 for the purpose of helping to maintain the Maui county public libraries. Somehow I think that those people with a vision way back then would be proud to see that the organization they started is still going strong.

On our visit we met John, who happens to be the volunteer coordinator for MFOL. Anyone interested in donating some of their time to this worthy cause can call him at: 808-268-2976 For more details about MFOL and directions to the book store visit the Maui Friends of the Library Website.

Many thanks to my great friend Pat who co-wrote this article with me after our visit to the MFOL.

She says that she enjoyed her stay in The Maui Garden House.

West Maui Oceanfront Vacation Rentals

Imagine sitting on your own private oceanfront lanai and being able to throw a rock into the ocean because you are so close. Imagine having a front row seat for whale watching when the humpbacks come down from Alaska to mate and have their babies (Nov thru April). Imagine having unobstructed views of the neighboring islands of Molokai and Lanai. Imagine sipping a cool drink and enjoying a glorious Maui sunset.
You can have all this and more just by renting a West Maui oceanfront condo directly from an owner. West Maui has a lot to offer because you will be close to shops, farmer's markets, world class golf, beautiful beaches, fantastic snorkeling and diving, whale watching tours, great restaurants and unsurpassed entertainment.

You will find that staying in a condo is much more affordable than a hotel room for many reasons. You have the option of cooking your own meals either in the kitchen or at the poolside BBQ. Also you can rent a 2 or 3 bedroom condo and share expenses with your family and friends. Most condo owners include many extras for your use, like beach towels and chairs, snorkeling equipment, sand toys, books, videos, CDs and more. You will also receive free wireless internet at most West maui condos. The oceanfront condos dotted along Maui's west side offer everything you need to make your Maui vacation a memorable one.
Check out these two great West Maui oceanfront condos.

Maui Sands One Bedroom Condo

Hololani Two Bedroom Oceanfront

For more Maui vacation rentals click here

Kihei - Our Favourite Maui Place

My friend Pua from Best Hawaii Vacation Blog has written a great article about Kihei, and why it is a good place for a Maui vacation. has written a great article about Kihei, and why it is a good place for a Maui vacation. I couldn't agree with her reasons more!!! We own a condo in Kihei and spend 6 months of every year there so we can escape the winters of Canada. I would like to add one more thing to Pua's list and that is the Kihei Community Pool. Many people don't realize that the county of Maui offers free use of the community pools, and certain classes like water aerobics. For those who like to keep in shape on their vacation, water aerobics gives you fantastic exercise. The class is free but donations are welcome. See photo.

Also read Best Maui Water Aerobics at Kihei Aquatic Center

Here is some of what Pua has written and then you can follow the link to her blog to read the rest.

"Three Best Reasons why Kihei is a good place for Maui vacation

1. Kihei Maui has a beach for everyone

North Kihei offers great surfing beaches for wind- and kite surfers because of frequent wind activity. Wailea / Kahena area in South Kihei invites snorkelers and scuba-divers for some great ocean adventures. And all of the Kamaole Beaches, I, II, II together with Charlie Young Beach are 'displaying' Hawaii the way the Mainlander is dreaming of when he thinks of a Hawaii vacation: soft white sand beaches, blue skies and swaying palm trees.

2. Kihei has a condo for everybody + every budget

Naturally, when we searched for the, our, best place to stay in Kihei Maui, we cruised hundreds of websites and Kihei condo listings allowed for vacation rentals. Decision making was tough! You can choose from high end ocean front condos like Kauhale Makai, the more medium priced ocean view condos of Kihei Kai Nani or the more affordable vacation condos at Kihei Garden Estates, which we loved for its mellow Hawaiian ambience with its 2-story buildings in a tropical garden setting.

Be aware that you will always pay extra, double or triple, for ocean front or ocean view condos but again, there is a Kihei condo for everybody. Make sure that your Kihei vacation rental condo complex has a decent size pool for those days when the huge winter surf waves hit the Hawaiian Islands + Kihei during the winter months."

Read more reasons to stay in Kihei on Pua's Blog

For a lovely affordable Kihei condo stay in the Maui Garden House

Maui Kihei Vacation Rental

I'd like to share this video of The Maui Garden House, a lovely two bedroom vacation rental condo in Kihei. Also go to their website and inquire about Summer/Fall specials.

The Road to Hana in 45 Seconds

Kris Nelson, a Maui photographer, had the idea of making 450 photos of a trip to Hana, into a 45 second slide show. Perhaps if you have never been there you need to look at each photo for a longer time, but for me it just brought back the great memories of our many trips to that magical place. Below is the link to his blog post.

http://www.kaanapalidreamin.com/blog/2009/07/road-to-hana-in-45-seconds.html

Incidently, Hana is a much nicer experience if you stay in a Hana Vacation Home for a night or 2. That way you can relax and enjoy the surrounding country.

Maui Short Sales

Now is a great time to buy property in Maui if you happen to have some spare cash, or not. There are so many short sales happening now that it is possible to get unbelievable deals on vacation condos as long as you have the patience to wait. It might even be worth it to carry a mortgage and use it as an investment property. Even though tourism in Maui is in a bit of a slump, it is still possible to bring in enough revenue to cover costs, especially if you are renting in the high season. The great thing is that you can claim all your expenses, including the interest paid on a mortgage. If you are not familiar with the term "short sale" you may want to have a look at the following article that I came across today.

Maui Short Sales

Night Blooming Cirrus in Maui

Just wanted to share some photos of night blooming cirrus that we saw in Maui. If you have never caught this wonderful flower in bloom, it is well worth a trip at night to see. First you need to know where it is located. The ones in these photos are along the lower Honoapiilani Rd. between Kahana and Napili on the Makai side of the road. Our friend had tipped us of that the buds were ready to pop, so we left the house around 9:30 that night and the photos tell the rest of the story. They only bloom once a year so we were thrilled that we could witness this special event. If you look closely at the hedge there is no mistaking that this flower is related to the cactus family. The foliage always reminds me of the Christmas cactus that we used to grow indoors back in Canada.

If you know of any other locations on Maui where there are night blooming cirrus, please leave a comment.
For Maui vacation rentals near this hedge try West Maui Vacation Rentals