Maui bound, any train must see displays?

If I were you, I sure would want to hook up with Scale Rail Don who moved to Maui last year. He is a wealth of train info and a really nice guy. He currently has a video running on the Forum about a CZ excursion train.

Happy Anniversary to you and your wife. I could not think of a better place to spend it. Maui is one of my favorite places.

Not a thing to do on Maui, other than relaxing on the beach in the warm sun, swimming with the dolphins, whale tour where you actually get to see humpbacks, sleeping in - hopefully with someone cozy, snorkeling in an extinct underwater volcano with fishes every color of the rainbow coming up to eat out of your hand, spectacular golf, great food in Kaanapali, coastal drive to Hana with incredible scenery, deep sea fishing, helicopter tour into the rainforest....

And you want to go to a train store??? You're kidding, right? If you want to have a 6th anniversary, my advice would be to forget about the trains for a week.

Just thinking of the rainy day backup plans off the water.  But you hit the nail on the head of everything else we'll be doing.

Not Train related by I cannot recommend highly enough Warren & Annabel's. It's a Dinner and magic show (over 21 only) that is actually clean.  Alcohol and dinner is served before the show and Annabel (who is a ghost) plays the piano and takes requests.  Warren is one of the funniest guys you will ever see and his show is amazing.  Make sure if they ask to tell them it's your first time there and you get to sit up front.  It is located in Kaanapali.

There is also a really good pizza joint up in the hill area although I can't remember the town name.  The have an excellent goat cheese pizza with goat cheese made locally.

The Sugar Cane train is entertaining, especially if the conductor is a older gentleman named Uncle Terry who knows quite a bit of interesting Hawaiian history.

The Sugar Cane Train is very cool in Maui. 

My advice would be to take a break from model trains while on your vacation!  Enjoy the weather, the outdoor activities, and being with you wife.

My personal experience is that Hawaiians are among the most friendly folks I have every met, so get out there and have fun!

Jim

Stop it, Don!  Yer killin' me with those photos of Paradise!

Thank you everybody.  Gained more valuable advice then I ever dreamed.  More excited to go now than ever, maybe even more later after we get snow tonight.  While I don't live in a tropical environment, I am only 5 minutes away from the York fairgrounds.  If anyone needs guidance from my end of the world just ask.  Thanks again.

Amen to that advice. The wife and I went there last year for 9 days to celibrate our 25th and my "to do" wish list got slowly erased as I began to prefer doing absolutely nothing or snorkeling!

Marty, here's a video of the Sugar Train Cane. Don

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...zMi4Qi_9DUB_vs5FpHKA

The Sugar cane Train is a fun ride. I really enjoyed it more than the road to Hana. enjoy the islands.

Ya gotta ride the train.  Our Hotel room had a view of the train and the ocean.

2 years ago my wife and I were in Maui for a week, we stayed 3 days at Hana. The beach was 50' from our room.  If you plan to ride the train be sure to take cushions and ear plugs!  The coaches are all steel, I never rode a train that was that noisy or rough riding. But it did look good.

There are two roads to Hana...I took the paved one over there and the unpaved one

back.  This second road may be closed off, but somebody ahead of me had opened

the gate.  Both drives very scenic, and second you may have all to yourself but is narrow and high above the sea.  This road begins at a winery in the Hana area and passes a large abandoned chapel, heiaus (native ceremonial platforms..spooky at

night), is natural and undeveloped and, best of all, untouristed!

Kauai has volcanic lava tubes, other volcanic phenomena, and Lappert's (world's best ice cream) although I am told it is on Oahu, too.

Hawaii, "the big island", is our favorite because of the space, the town of Hilo, and

Mauna Loa, active, with lava flowing into the sea, and a fantastic sight at night!

As others have said, ride the L,K&P, but I saw little else remaining of the sugar

cane trains. There is much else to see and do on all the islands. I even blundered into a wedding in a grotto up a lagoon on one of the islands. (skip the poi, it

is an acquired taste)

The "back road" to Hana is always open now and somewhat improved. If you go to Hana visit Charles Lindbergh's grave. He loved Maui and wanted to die here. Also a wonderful walk is the bamboo forest. It's huge. Don