Maui Real Estate - Lisa B. Miller R(S)

The 87th annual Maui County Fair is going this weekend, October 1-4, at the War Memorial Complex in Wailuku! This a community tradition and an event everyone looks forward to.

Enjoy the various fun rides, wonderful food, great entertainment, and fun exhibits. The fair begins with a parade on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 4:30 pm, which begins at the front entrance of Maui Community College on Ka'ahumanu Ave and ends at the entrance of Maehara Baseball Stadium.

Fair hours are:

Thursday: 5 pm to 11 pm

Friday: 5 pm to Midnight

Saturday: 10 am to Midnight

Sunday: 10 am to 11 pm

Admission

Adults: $5.00

Keiki (Children): $2.00 (5-11 yrs)

Children 4 & under: Free

Discount Ride Day & Fun Factory Day at the Fair: On Sunday, the first 2,000 people get in FREE! Also on Sunday, all 5 and 6-coupon rides rides are reduced to 4-coupons, and all 4-coupon rides are reduced to 3-coupon. Each coupon costs $1.

For more information, visit the Maui County Fair website

Hope to see you there!

Photo is of 'Dragon Coaster' from the Maui County Fair website.

I love eating out, scoping out new restaurants, and if I find some great place, I like to tell everyone about it. So, I have to tell everyone about cafe @ la plage, located at the Dolphin Plaza in Kihei.

It's a very cute sandwich, espresso, Internet cafe (as their sign says) that serves up bagels, sandwiches, paninis, salads, soup, smoothies, and espresso drinks. My family and I stopped in for lunch the other day and I had their recommended Mediterranean Melt Panini, which is essentially a tuna melt with Swiss cheese and tomato on sourdough bread.

It was SOOO good! I was hungry and the sandwich was bigger than I expected and I wasn't sure if I could finish it, but I scarfed it down! I also appreciated the fact that the sandwich came with a side salad - not a small bag of potato chips, typical of some sandwich places.

It was a simple salad, but the dressing made it fantastic! One of the owners is French and the french vinaigrette dressing is freshly made from a family recipe. For a $7.99 sandwich, especially on Maui, this is a GREAT value!

All their prices are very affordable. I didn't see anything over $10 when I was there, with most of the items well below it, too.

The decor of the cafe is cozy and very inviting with its warm, bright colors, ample seating, and quirky french embellishments. There is even a comfy sofa on one side of the seating area to encourage relaxation and the enjoyment of food and company. If you feel like it, you can even pick up a book to read or a board game to play from their shelves.

They also offer free Wi-Fi and the use of their 2 computers for a reasonable fee.

Another thing worth mentioning, is that the owners, are extremely friendly! Customer service was fantastic.

They don't have a website yet, but they are located in Kihei on South Kihei Road at the Dolphin Plaza (across from Kama'ole Beach I). Their hours are:

Monday - Saturday: 6:30 am to 5:00 pm
Sundays: 6:30am to 3:00 pm
Phone: 808-875-7668

Try it - you won't be disappointed!

Looking for a place to live in South Maui where you can also enjoy the convenience of a having home-based business with a professional location? Kai Ani Village is one of Kihei's newest condo complexes which is based on the live/work lifestyle.

Located on South Kihei Road at the corner of Lipoa, Kai Ani Village features 20 live/work residences and 79 home-style condos. There are 7 different floor plans from 2 bedroom/2 bath units to 3 bedroom/2 bath units.

All units include a wide range of wonderful features including granite counter tops and tile floors in both kitchen and bathrooms, separate laundry room or area, air conditioning, low energy windows, insulated walls to reduce noise, and private finished garages.

The live/work units offer a first-floor work area with a restroom and customer parking. This is a great option for the entrepreneur who prefers to work from home, but seeks a professional environment form which to do so.

The complex also offers a recreational area with a community infinity pool, BBQ area, poolside cabanas, and hammocks to relax after a long day at work.

Another great feature of this complex is it's that it is being built with environmentally friendly products, such as STC-34 rated windows to reduce outside noise in certain areas, energy star appliances, native plants used in the landscaping which require less water, sound dampening products for the comfort of the home, and a saline pool which does not require use of chlorine.

Nearby are wonderful restaurants and shopping areas, Kalama Beach Park, golf courses, and of course, the many beautiful beaches Maui has to offer!

The construction is still in process, but a model home is ready for viewing! Prices range from $379,900 to $799,900.

Please contact me today for more information, or to take a tour!

Man, I'm sore! This past Saturday I ran in the Maui Tacos 5k Run in Ka'anapali, and it kicked my butt!

It was my first time running it and my first 5k run. I usually sign up for 10k runs because I'm too wimpy to train for a half-marathon or a full marathon, and since there was no 10k run option for the Maui Marathon weekend, I reluctantly signed up for the 5k.

I say reluctantly because I run about that distance 2 or 3 days a week (well, not ALL of it - I do like to walk now and then) and it wouldn't be a challenge for me and, therefore, definitely not worth the registration cost. But, organized runs are fun, and how can you turn down a race day t-shirt?

So, I signed up and appeared at the start line on Saturday, ready and eager to go. I told myself that if I felt good, I would run it twice to get my 10k in - no problem.

The run started at 8am from the Whalers Village and the course involved a few switch-backs along the resort area, which I had anticipated beforehand after viewing the course map.

What I didn't anticipate though, was a GIGANTIC hill at the half-way point! As I mentioned before, I am a wimpy runner. I don't like long distances or the slightest inclines, but this was a HUGE hill! When I first saw it ahead of me, I thought "you've got to be kidding me!"

But, I was determined to run the whole thing - no stopping. I just kept focused as I climbed it. And I did it! I ran up that hill and I eagerly ran back down it. I was very proud of myself!

Now, I won't say if I ran non-stop the rest of the way. The 5k was a lot longer than I had anticipated and the hill certainly was exhausting, but I did finish and did NOT even think about running it twice :).

I was done. That hill did me in.

But, I had fun - AND I got a Maui Tacos 5k Run t- shirt!

Now all I need is a good massage...

The Maui News has tallied the results of their readers for the Best of Maui 2009. I mentioned the results of the best restaurants in a previous blog. The other categories are for activities such as best luau, golf course, spa, etc. There is so much to see and do here on Maui, and it's helpful to know how others rate certain activities when planning your vacation, or a day off.

Here are the results for the best activities on the island:

Best Air Activity: Blue Hawaiian Helicopter (Kahului)
Honorable Mention: Air Maui Helicopter Tours (Kahului) and UFO Parasailing (Lahaina)

Best Land Activity: Maui Ocean Center (Maalaea)
Honorable Mention: Hike Maui (Kahului) and Kapalua Adventures Zipline (Kapalua)

Best Sea Activity: Trilogy Excursions (Lahaina)
Honorable Mention: Pacific Whale Foundation (Maalaea) and Outrigger Canoe Experience - Makena Club Maui (Makena)

Best Golf Course: Kapalua Plantation (Kapalua)
Honorable Mention: Makena Golf Course (Makena) and Kahili Golf Course (Wailuku)

Best Eco Friendly: Hike Maui (Kahului)
Honorable Mention: Pacific Whale Foundation (Maalaea) and Kapalua Adventures Zipline (Kapalua)

Best Luau: Old Lahaina Lu'au (Lahaina)
Honorable Mention: The Feast at Lele (Lahaina) and Drums of the Pacific at Hyatt Regency Maui (Kaanapali)

Best Spa: Grand Wailea Spa Grande (Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa)
Honorable Mention: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and Heavenly Spa by Westin (Lahaina)

Best Art Gallery: Maui Hands (Lahaina, Kaanapali, and Paia)
Honorable Mention: Viewpoints (Makawao) and Lahaina Galleries (Lahaina)

Best Stage Production: 'Ulalena (Old Lahaina Center)
Honorable Mention: Maui Onstage (Wailuku) and Cirque Polynesia (Kaanapali)

Best Cultural Program: Maui Arts & Cultural Center (Kahului)
Honorable Mention: Old Lahaina Luau (Lahaina) and 'Ulalena (Old Lahaina Center)

Best Men's Island Wear: Tommy Bahama (The Shops at Wailea and Whaler's Village, Kaanapali)
Honorable Mention: Honolua Surf Co (various locations) and Maui Tropix (Kahului)

Women's Boutique: Mahina (Paia, Kihei, and Lahaina)
Honorable Mention: Billie J Boutique (Kahului) and Chico's (The Shops at Wailea)

Best Resort: Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa (Wailea)
Honorable Mention: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and The Ritz-Carlton (Kapalua)

Best Wine Store/Gourmet Market: Wailea Wine (Wailea)
Honorable Mention: Lahaina Farms (Lahaina) and Hawaii Liquor Superstore (Kahului)

Best Happy Hour: Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe (The Shops at Wailea)
Honorable Mention: Lulu's (Kihei and Lahaina) and Moose McGillycuddy's (Lahaina and Kihei)

Best Sports Bar: Ale House Restaurants & Sports Bar (Kahului)
Honorable Mention: Sports Page & Grill (Kihei) and Maui Brewing Company (Lahaina)

Best Nightlife Spot: Lulu's (Kihei and Lahaina)
Honorable Mention: Ocean's Beach Bar & Grill (Kihei) and Casanova Restaurant & Deli (Makawao) and Tiki Lounge (Kihei)