While visiting Grandma and Grandpa, we all went to Maui over Labor Day weekend.  We stayed in the Ka'anapali/Lahina area, in a nice resort on the beach.   On the day we arrived, they had re-opened the only road from Kahului Airport to Lahina; it had been closed due to the fact that a large brush fire had 'jumped the highway.'  Driving over, we saw the helicopters dumping water on the fire that had creeped up the mountainside. 

We went to Kihei on the first night for dinner and ended up at a Bon Dance that was taking place in a parking lot across the street from where we ate dinner.  Also known as Bon Odori (literally Bon Dance in Japanese) it is a festival held during Obon to celebrate one's ancestors.

The next day we went to the beach where Alex discovered sand.  He loved playing in the sand and going in the ocean.  We then drove up to Kula (which is on the side of Mt. Haleakala ("house of the sun") to visit Ka'iulani, Auntie Cecilia and Uncle Mikey.  They took us to the Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm, which was very pretty.  And of course I couldn't leave without buying something from the store!

On the first day we arrived I heard that the family-owned Shishido Monju had closed down after 55 years of being in business.  Although it had been a couple of years since they closed, I was still surprised.  They were known throughout the islands for their monju (a Japanese pastry with sweet bean paste filling) and mochi (Japanese sweet pounded rice).  People would bring back those yummy treats for friends and family after visiting Maui, wrapped neatly in pink bakery boxes.

However, there is another local bakery: Home Maid Bakery.  They sell their products out of their bakery stores and deliver to nearby grocery stores. 

The last day we were there we ran around the island looking for Home Maid Bakery mochi with azuki bean filling and monju.  Since it was a holiday and there were no deliveries, most stores were sold-out.  Luckily we did find a couple of items and took them home with us.