Tourists On Vacation

I tried to think of a more original post title, but that pretty much sums it up, so I'll leave it at that.  I never spend much time in Kihei around sunset as I'm usually at home by then, but I was visiting my sister today and thought it was a great time to get some shots of the beach and S. Kihei Rd.  Tourists galore!

After a bit of walking around, I realized that Kihei in general is what I believe visitors expect when then come to Maui.  Hey, if I was on vacation, I would probably think so too - full of sunsets, beaches, cuddling, ice cream, and posing for photos.

If you care about these kinds of things, all shots were taken with a 35mm prime lens (52mm equivalent on a full-frame camera) with a Nikon D90 shot wide-open at f1.8.

God Forbid I See You In These

Yes, I understand you are on vacation and you left your brains at home.  Yes, you need affordable, economical transportation.  Yes, when traveling to a new place you think you can invent a new persona because it's endlessly entertaining and chances are you will never see the people you meet again.

Please, rent a car or just walk.  If I ever see any of you in these things, I will personally kick your ass.

What's up with the wheel lock?  Who would want to steal this martian trike bike, LSD dropping, beaten stepchild of a contraption?  Do you think you will score with the ladies?

I've seen people cruise down S. Kihei Rd. in these monstrosities and I just want to pop my truck into 4-wheel low and run them over like Bigfoot.  Instead, how about renting a real scooter from Kamaina Scooters?

Remember, I will KICK YOUR ASS!

Shave Ice

In addition to Guri Guri, another more widespread local ice cream representation of Hawaii, known as shave ice, is found throughout Maui.  Basically the Hawaiian version of the Sno-Cone, shave ice is exactly that - machine chopped ice flakes, and in the case of the kind served at Local Boy Snack Shop, paired with a scoop of ice cream at the bottom of the cup.  The entire ball is then coated in your choice of various flavorings and served with a spoon.  Refreshing, simple, and sure to bring a smile to your face.

Here's Kori shaping a Papa Nui shave ice, their largest size.  

Local Boy Snack Shop is located in Kihei in the shopping pavilion across from Kalama Park.

Hoku and Kori serving it up, thanks!

Kihei Fat Boy

Sometimes, there's nothing better than a plump juicy burger.  To satisfy those cravings, there's a new burger joint in Kihei called Fat Boy Burger.  Located in the old fish and chips place next to Starbucks in the Kukui Mall on South Kihei Rd, FBB is the offspring of Fat Daddy's Smokehouse and BBQ, also in Kihei.

Anxiously awaiting indulging my taste buds, I ordered a regular Fat Boy with Fries.  As you can see, there are enough fries for two and the actual burger patty itself is made from a secret recipe that I swore I wouldn't divulge, even here on Maui Observer.  Sorry, but the results were all there nonetheless - wonderful meaty goodness that I seriously gulped down in less than a minute.  I eat fast anyways, but this Fat Boy just begged to be devoured.

I must have looked like some kind of maniacal pig man to the tourists sitting next to me as they watched me gobble down a beef sandwich with all that wonderful rainbow-colored sauce smeared all over my fingers and lips; basically the entire bottom half of my face.  I didn't actually wipe until the deed was done and I got up to get a napkin.  Devoured in record time!  The pink colored sauce is chipotle which I used as a fry bath and an additional coat of burger drizzle.  I couldn't eat all the fries, so I took the remainder home.

The burger cost $8 and the fries $4.  I just realized though that according to the banner in the pic,  Fat Boys are $5 from 2-5pm.  I ate at 2:45pm?

Here's Nick, the guy that cooked my burger and actually brought it out to me!

Juliane Darty of Haiku takes a burger order from Mike Ross of Kihei