goats make good cheese

there's even more to love about upcountry maui with the award winning goat cheese from surfing goat dairy where owners thomas & eva-marie kafsack have been whipping up a mouth watering variety of cheeses since setting up shop a few years ago.

serious foodies will want to add the shark bite line, which features gourmet ingredients like truffles and gold flakes, to their wish list while cheese lovers on a budget can savor aloha chèvre cheeses enhanced with maui lavender, mangos & more.

if you want to learn more about the cheese making process, check out one of the many tours available where you can try your hand at herding or milking the goats that make all this cheesy goodness possible.

shark dive maui

the following adventure is for those of you who were not scarred for life by watching jaws as an impressionable youngster. and you also need to be a certified scuba diver (15 years + up). if you meet those requirements and have always wanted to swim with the sharks (by choice, not chance), you will definitely want to add a visit to the maui ocean center to your "to do" list.

$199 gets you into the shark tank so you can check out the sharks up close and personal. the price may sound steep but, on the flip side, you are practically guaranteed to get out of the tank in one piece. a nice bonus, don't you think?

shark dive maui is only available on mondays, wednesdays & fridays and is limited to 4 divers per day. and you can't just walk in with your scuba gear so don't forget to make a reservation before you arrive.

hotel hana-maui

if i had a million dollars, i probably still couldn't buy the hotel hana-maui but at least i could go on holiday there like the few lucky souls who have vacationed at the intimate resort for generations. this is the hawaiian hideaway for travelers who yearn for the bygone era of the early 20th century and its gracious island style.

those who can afford the splurge will unwind in one of the 66 coveted bungalows steps from the sea and savor the privacy that only a property situated on 67 acres of former ranch land can offer. ready to getaway? a $200 resort credit is all yours if you can book by may 31st and vacation during the month of june.

may day is lei day in hawai'i

one of my favorite online flower shops is anuhea flowers located in makawao, maui. tropical flowers don't always survive the voyage up to the mainland but the protea flowers that anuhea grows is very resilient and their blooms will brighten your home for at least a few weeks.

anuhea's coconut basket would be a cute gift for mother's day, but remember to plan ahead and give yourself a few days lead time when ordering since weekend shipping costs extra. and if you ever find yourself in upcountry maui don't forget to make a reservation for anuhea's farm tour.

maui hands

next time you have an urge to check out the hawaii art scene all you need to do is click your mouse. my mom took me to maui hands years ago and their website has a nice mix of local artists online. i really like melinda morey's paintings (watching ka'anapali shown above) which i find to be very evocative of old hawai'i.

you'll have lots of fun clicking around and checking out the glassworks, ceramics and other artwork including lauhala baskets & bracelets by susan jenson and pratima design's modern interpretation of maile jewelry.