As I’ve made clear in previous posts, I’m not the biggest fan of Maui.

Let’s put that statement in perspective, though. Aside from Washington, and certain parts of California, Hawaii is by far my favorite place in the U.S. to visit.

So Maui, being part of Hawaii, is included in that mix. It’s just that when it comes to Hawaii itself, Maui ranks down on my list of top spots in the islands. In fact, here are the six islands that I have visited in order of preference:

1. The Big Island: The island that carries the whole state’s name, Hawaii has a little of everything. You can visit rain forests, black (and white) sand beaches, fields of volcanic rock, the seasonal snow-covered slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the city crush of Kona, the old-Hawaii feel of Hilo, the grandeur of Volcanoes National Park, a choice of the island’s some 800 coffee farms … and much, much more.

2. Oahu: This island is what most everyone thinks of the islands, especially those whose only familiarity with anything remotely Hawaiian come from the series (old and new) “Hawaii Five-O.” (In Hawaiian, Oahu means “the Gathering Place”). The hub of Hawaii’s state government, and the island boasting the biggest population (953,207), Oahu holds special memories for me – mainly of my high school years at Ewa Beach’s James Campbell High School (go Sabers!).

3. Molokai: The closest thing to old Hawaii that you’re apt to find, a place featuring a single stop light and no speed limit higher than 40, Molokai is a great place to … simply … relax. And visiting Kalaupapa National Historical Park, which is known for its famous leper colony, is a must.

4. Kauai: This would rank higher on almost anyone else’s list. I’ve only visited it once, so I haven’t experienced everything. It’s a hiker’s paradise, with a series of trails running all through Waimea Canyon State Park. My wife and I splurged and took a helicopter ride during our stay and, the day being cloudless, managed to see the island’s high point that – during the rainy season – averages 450 inches of rain annually.

5. Maui: More on this below.

6. Lanai: With 98 percent of the island owned by Larry Ellison (the founder of the software company Oracle), there’s not much to see here for the budget-conscious. When we visited, in 2020, there were three places to stay, only one of which we could afford, the Hotel Lanai (and it wasn’t cheap). Otherwise you have the pricey Four Seasons Resort or the even more pricey Sensei Lanai. We stayed a couple of days and, having rented a four-wheel-drive Jeep, were able to easily explore the whole island (which once was one giant pineapple farm). Our favorite spot: the Lanai Cat Sanctuary. A day trip from Maui would suffice for the curious.

Now back to Maui. In my previous post, I took us through the first couple of days of our most recent visit. Maybe because of the shift to daylight savings time – which Hawaii doesn’t observe – or maybe not, we got off to a late start on our third day.

Once up and out, we headed south from our rented Kihei-area condo to play the Blue Course of the Wailea Golf Club (the least fancy of the three, others being Gold and Emerald). Although our green fees were maybe two-and-a-half times what we usually pay at Spokane city courses, it was worth it to play at least once.

For one thing, other than one other lone golfer, we saw nobody else — just the way we like it. For another, the course was in good shape. And, finally, the folks in the clubhouse were good-natured and seemingly happy to see us – which isn’t always the case at the more exclusive courses here and elsewhere (not with my raggedy bag).

After we finished our round (we don’t keep score, so don’t ask), we looked for a poke place to eat. Poke (pronounced POH-keh), if you don’t know, refers to “cubes of marinated sushi grade fish which is then tossed over rice and topped with Asian- inspired sauces.” On our last trip to the North Shore of Oahu, my daughter and her family sought out poke in, of all places, a temporary stand set up behind an Ewa Beach 7-Eleven. They weren’t disappointed in the slightest.

Our first choice was Maui Poke, a spot with a high recommendation – despite being set in a strip mall – that Mary Pat found online. Sadly for us, though, it was closed, even though the place’s website claimed it wasn’t. So much for the Internet.

So we the headed to our second choice, a place in Kihei called Tamura’s Fine Wine & Liquor. And at first sight, I was underwhelmed. The place is a warehouse kind of building with a vast selection of wines — and at a far end, a deli section with four different poke choices.

But the woman behind the counter was friendly enough, even if I had trouble understanding what she was saying (I’ve long lost my ability to handle Hawaiian pidgin). I opted for a bowl featuring two types of ahi (one with Tamura’s special marinade, one spicy), while for Mary Pat I ordered a blend of Kalua pork and non-spicy ahi. Both came with rice, and I asked for some seaweed to be added to mine.

There was nowhere to eat on the premises, so we took our Styrofoam-packaged food back to our condo where we still had some left-over Longboard Island Lager in the refrigerator. We ended up sitting on our rented lanai and eating as we watched the sun sink below the ocean waves.

To cap the evening off, we watched first two episodes of the new “Shogun” series on Hulu. Arigato and sayonara.

Next up: More Maui adventures, including Makena State Park, Haleakalá and Peruvian food in Paia.