Trouble in paradise: Cash-strapped tourists avoid Hawaii – USATODAY.com
LAHAINA, Maui — Every winter, scores of humpback whales trade the Gulf of Alaska for a few months of breeding, birthing and basking in Hawaii — a follow-the-sun migration that fuels much of the tourism industry in this former 19th-century whaling town.
But while the marine giants are returning right on schedule this year, their cash-strapped human admirers are not. And the effect of that absence is, “in a four-letter word, ugly,” says Bill Seidl, a boat captain who peddles whale-watch trips on the Lahaina waterfront.
We seem to have fallen into a fair deal at our condo in the Poipu Beach area, and there are certainly empty storefronts in tourist-ready towns like Hanapepe, the “home of Lilo and Stitch.” We went there to do a little geocaching today and have lunch after browsing the galleries. The business loop that goes through “Historic Hanapepe” had a distinctly sad air, although there were some wonderful things to see and buy in a number of charming galleries. We were greeted by owners warmly, if rather wistfully; one thing we haven’t seen is a lot of tour buses full of retirees and travelers from Japan and other countries. We’ve seen a couple of small vans, but that’s about it.
It seems like Hanapepe would be an ideal place for a bus tour to stop for lunch; we had delicious sandwiches at the Hanapepe Cafe’ and Bakery, a lovely large lunchroom that had local art and crafts for sale, a small stage for the occasional musical performance, and really nice ambiance. The owner there also spoke warmly to us and I hope that she and her staff continue to do well feeding tasty, healthy food to travelers. They seemed to be doing a pretty good business when we left. The waiter, on seeing how much we liked the hibiscus herbal iced tea, put some in “to-go” cups for us unasked, which was wonderful to have along as we went to the geocache site near the Swinging Bridge, though not so wonderful to try to hang on to while crossing said bridge. Still, it was a short but hot hike to the spot, as the red dirt of the trail seems to really hang on to heat and pump it out as you walk along.
Time to figure out something to eat. More, much more, later.
