Wow, busy in downtown Kaunakakai

Very busy Saturday on Molokai. Farmer%26#39;s Market was packed. Bought some jewlery from the bead lady. She had some very sweet necklaces for my grandaughter. Then bought fruit from ';little fruit lady'; who is also very sweet. Onto Misaki%26#39;s and Friendly Market for groceries. The aisles were mobbed in both stores, so it appears that that there are a lot of visitors here. Good for the economy!

Wow, busy in downtown Kaunakakai

Dolphindoodle - are you still there? You lucky gal!

So glad to hear that things are picking up there. Sounds like a lovely way to spend a Saturday.

I really need to pick your brain on Molokai.

Wow, busy in downtown Kaunakakai

Yep, still here LesRose. We were in Gig Harbor for an afternoon just before we came over here. Had stopped for a few days to visit our kids on Fox Island on the way over. Your little village is so nice, I just love all the shops. Fell in love with a place called Seasons and bought a lot of stuff for the kids there. As far as picking my brains about Molokai, pick away!

I am happy you were able to get back here before you headed to Molokai - also glad you missed the storm (we did too, we were hiding on Maui). Seasons is a very nice shop, drove by there today - my personal favorite it the Beehive followed by the Treasure Shop - but I am an antique freak. All the little places here are struggling as well as on the islands, but there were folks about.

So the picking will now begin - we are scheduled to head back to Maui in May and with general budget concerns would like to expand our horizons. So we are considering heading over to Molokai and Lanai for a few days. I have perused lodgings and am curious about which side of the island? Finding places on the east and west sides. We are very quiet folks and our favorite past time for anything is to chill out so I have no doubt we would enjoy it there. You know where I am coming from - so All info and tips are greatly appreciated.

Aloha LesRose,

How wonderful that you are coming back in May! I believe that your best bet would be the west end of the island for your trip. I say this because you are looking for peace and quiet and most probably wonderful sunsets to relax by. We are mid island and by the time we leave in April the sun is moving to the right and we do not see it set. But on the west end it should be outstanding. I know there are a lot of rentals up there, have seen a lot on vrbo, which I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ve already researched. As you%26#39;ve probably read, the ranch closed down last year so there are no restaurants left up there and it is very quiet. We went up there last week and went to a lovely little swimming beach called Dixie Maru. There was only one lady and her child on the whole beach. Also went to Make Horse beach and there were only a few people, so it may still be quiet when you get here. If you are flying in I suggest you get car rental at the airport. They have Dollar and Budget there. I have found the best deals through Budget. Also I suggest that you go dowtown to Kaunakakai and pick up groceries before heading to your destination. There are two main groccery stores, Misaki%26#39;s and Friendly Market, and also Mango Mart which carries bulk items from Costco. Enough info for now, any questions, I%26#39;d be more than happy to help out.

Jeannie

Dolphindoodle,

My wife and I are planning a trip to molokai but not til Jan or Feb. 2010. I have been to several of the more traveled islands many times but have never been to molokai. I am not much of a people person( makes me sound like scrooge huh) My wife loves scuba diving. We always rent a beachhouse when we go and love being on the beach. If you get a chance Could you reply and tell me the best weather spots that time of year? best scuba spots etc. Just general info. Hope you are having a wonderful time. I%26#39;m jealous. Thanks in advance.

Aloha,

Thanks for the well wishes and yes, we are having a good time.

You guys will fit right in nicely on Molokai, it%26#39;s very quiet and peaceful, so if you are not a ';people person'; and like solitude, this will be a great vacation for you.

January and February are winter months here and the sea can get mighty rough. The beaches down on the West End are beautiful but only one, in my opinion, is swimmable during the winter.....Dixie Maru. It is a somewhat protected cove with excellent snorkeling. We just returned from a drive down to Halawa Valley on the East End. A breathtaking place to say the least, but the surf was huge. There are places to rent on the East End also and the beaches are lovely. As far as scuba diving goes, definietly contact Tim at Molokai Fish and Dive. He takes people out to scuba dive on a regular basis. I don%26#39;t scuba dive (my husband used to) so I can%26#39;t really give you info on this, or how Molokai Fish and Dive excursions are.

I wish you happy planning!

Jeannie

thnks for taking the time to reply. Any insight is appreciated. Where,in your opinion, would be the best place to stay?. east side,west side, north,south? Does one side have more rain than others? (not that it%26#39;s a problem,I live in western Oregon. 40 inches a year.) Any area you like best and would recomend?Sorry for all the questions. just looking to make the right decisions.

Thanks again

Dan

Aloha Dan,

Not a problem, ask away, I%26#39;m very happy to help. Definetly not the North Shore, as there is nothing there but the tallest seacliffs in the world, or is the US, can%26#39;t remember. The East End is the rainest, stayed there for awhile four winters ago, as I said the weather can be iffy and the seas rough in the winter, but after all it is winter. If you%26#39;re looking for the least rain the West End is probably your best bet. We stay mid island on the south shore, but there is a 26 mile reef that runs along the south shore, so therefore swimming is at a minimal.

All in all, Molokai is a truly wonderful island to visit. It is devoid of all the hustle and bustle of the other islands and one you can really really relax on. Any other questions you may have, please let me know. As I said, only more than happy to help, as when we first came here four years ago we were totaly in the dark. We had been to all the other islands and this one was definitely new for us and we didn%26#39;t know what to expect or how remote it was. We found it delightful and just what we needed to relax from the mainland!

Aloha,

Jeannie

Dolphin, glad you are enjoying your stay in Moloka%26#39;i. (You must be the one stirring up all the trouble, sista LOL)

I heard you had fried rooster last night. Was the meat tough? LOL.....Caddy

Oh yea Caddy, the old rooster was tougher than an old boot, ha-ha. Picking feathers out of my teeth was no fun either! And no, I wasn%26#39;t stirring the pot around here......my crockpot yes.....trouble making pot, nah. I%26#39;m too layed back to bother!