Maui - Hawaii with Kids - page 303

works. The Kaahumanu Center, in neighboring Kahului, is becoming more
fashionable by the month.
Lahaina & West Maui
As with any popular visitor destination, you'll have to wade through bad art and
mountains of trinkets, particularly in Lahaina, where touristy boutiques line the
streets between rare pockets of treasures. If you shop in west Maui, expect to pay
resort prices, clear down to a bottle of Evian or sunscreen.
Kihei & Wailea
Kihei can be a glut of one minimall after another, with a few finds hidden in the
urban blight. Down the street from Kihei, The Shops at Wailea recently opened
in south Maui, featuring an upscale shopping and restaurant complex. The
16.4-acre complex features more than 50 shops and five restaurants, everything
from Louis Vuitton to Gap. This is resort shopping much in the vein of Whalers
Village in Kaanapali, where shopping and restaurant activity is concentrated in
a single oceanfront complex, livening up what was an arid retail landscape. The
Shops at Wailea signals a repositioning of the resort as a place of heightened
commercial activity.
Upcountry Maui & Hana
Upcountry, Makawao's boutiques are worth seeking out, despite some attitude
and high prices. The charm of shopping on Maui has always rested in the small,
independent shops and galleries that crop up in surprising places. Out in Hana
there are a couple of tiny roadside places and a terrific gallery, but that's about it
for shopping.
SHOPPING A TO Z
ARTS & CRAFTS
Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center Besides being a shopper's paradise, this two-
story, 1917 Mediterranean-style stucco home on a sprawling 9 acres also houses
the premier art center on Maui. Visiting artists offer lectures, classes, and
demonstrations, all at reasonable prices, in basketry, jewelry making, ceramics,
painting, and other media. Classes on Hawaiian art, culture, and history are also
available. The exhibits here are drawn from a wide range of disciplines and mul-
ticultural sources. The gift shop, featuring many one-of-a-kind works by local
artists and artisans, is worth a stop. 2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao. & 808/572-6560.
Maui Crafts Guild Housing crafts of high quality and in all price ranges,
from pit-fired raku to bowls of Norfolk pine and other Maui woods, fashioned
by Maui hands, this artist-owned and -operated guild features works ranging
from basketry, hand-painted fabrics, jewelry, beadwork, traditional Hawaiian
stone work, copper sculpture, and pottery of all styles. Upstairs, sculptor Arthur
Dennis Williams displays his breathtaking work in wood, bronze, and stone.
Everything can be shipped. Aloha Bead Co. ( & 808/579-9709 ), in the back of
the gallery, is a treasure trove for beadworkers. 43 Hana Hwy., Paia & 808/579-9697.
Maui Hands Maui hands have made 90% of the items in this shop/gallery.
Because it's a consignment shop, you'll find Hawaii-made handicrafts and prices
that aren't inflated. The selection includes paintings, prints, jewelry, glass mar-
bles, native-wood bowls, and tchotchkes for every budget. This is an ideal stop
for made-on-Maui products and crafts of good quality. The original Maui
Hands is in Makawao at the Courtyard, 3620 Baldwin Ave. ( & 808/572-
5194 ); another Maui Hands can be found in Paia, at 84 Hana Hwy. ( & 808/
579-9245 ). In Kaahumanu Center, Kahiluku. & 808/877-0368.