Just Horsin' Around

So, one thing I always try to do when I travel is take a tour of the land via horseback.  I had a horse and two ponies growing up, yes I was a spoiled only child, and I kind of miss being around horses.  However I don't have the time or the ability to commit right now, so on vacation is where I get my equine fix.

Last time I was in Maui I took a ride down into Haleakala Crater.  It was a a fun ride and the scenery was amazing.  But it was really long and a bit grueling.  There was a 5000 foot elevation change from the top of the crater to the bottom.  So, we decided to take a much different ride this time.

We decided that Ironwood Ranch looked interesting and was very near our condo.  When we finally got there we were informed that we were going to get our own private ride as the others from our party left a little earlier on their ride.  We then got to meet our horses Stephen Tyler (Eric's) and Jet Li (mine).
 

So, Eric hasn't really ridden much before, so he got the VERY tall, but very gentle Stephen.  Jet on the other hand, we were informed, was a little temperamental.  But I was just supposed to "show him who is boss."  I didn't mind cause I think having a bit of a challenge is kind of fun.  

The trails we took led us through acres and acres of ranch land and was definitely a much different type of ground than we were used to seeing down by the beaches.  Note that Jet has his ears turned back listening to me taking photos.  At this point I think we were probably still figuring out the "who's boss" aspect of the ride.  He's a champion grazer and that's a definite "no no" for the horses as they aren't supposed to have items other than their food provided by the ranch and there are a few plants along the way that aren't good for them.  

After we travelled through this gorgeous country and Jet and I took a minor detour through the brush because he didn't want to get his feet wet (who's boss apparently doesn't extend to the getting feet wet part of the journey) our guide informed us that the horse in the movie "Tangled" was based off of my horse, Jet.  Now, I've never seen the movie, but I hear that the horse is a very funny and quirky and definitely has a mind of his own.  That would be Jet. :)

After our ride we headed over to the ranch house to say goodbye and happened upon the ranch spider, Marvin.  Now, Marvin looked big and scary and like I would probably wet myself if he happened upon me.  They then informed me that Marvin was just a baby and would be getting much bigger.  Note to self.....avoid Marvin and his friends  

One of the added benefits of the Ironwood Ranch is that it's directly across from Maui Tacos.  Maui Tacos is an amazing "quick and fresh" little taco place in a strip mall that we discovered earlier in the week.  In our two visits we sampled the fish tacos, bbq pork tacos and the shredded beef burritos.  The best part of this place is the fresh salsa bar.  My favorites were the pineapple salsa and fresh corn salsa.  Eric preferred the super spicy chipotle salsa.

Such a yummy way to end a beautiful day!

Duke's Beach House

So, once again, I've been very lazy with my postings.  This is mainly because I'm so busy and haven't really had a whole lot of time to do anything crafty or try new recipes.  Part of the "too busy" was going on vacation with my hubby to Maui for Christmas and New Year.  We had an amazing time and already have plans to return next year.

So, I decided to add a new facet to my blog to include travel reviews.  I love, love, love travelling and always find something fun and unique to do everywhere I go.  So, I figured why not share this love and my experiences. 

So, here goes.....the first review is for Duke's Beach House Restaurant on Maui.  I wanted to find a yummy and fun place for New Year's Eve dinner.  I'd read a bunch of reviews and combed through menus and thought Duke's sounded amazing.  It's only been open for 2 years, but it's owner has several other restaurants that are highly rated as well.  Then I happened to run into someone who'd been there recently and gave rave reviews.  So, that was what pushed me over the edge.  I always like getting a recommendation from someone I know.  And a bonus was that I was able to make a reservation online using Open Table, so I didn't even have to call the restaurant.

So, after a long day in the sun snorkeling with sea turtles we headed over to the beach front restaurant that was only about 2 minutes from our beach front condo.  I know, talk about paradise, right?

We did have a little difficulty finding the place at first as it's not super clear that you actually have to park at a resort and walk through the resort to get to the restaurant on the beach.  The plus side to this is that you don't have to worry about finding parking as there is plenty.  Parking is usually at a premium in Lahaina around dinnertime. 

They had our reservation (yay Open Table) and we were seated right away.  The restaurant was beautiful with lots of cool design touches that Eric, especially, appreciates.  He noticed that our table was made out of one specific tree instead of a bunch of random pieces glued together.  The sun had set so the dining area was lit with tiki torches and super soft lighting.  The whole place is open-air, so the breezy is coming in off the ocean and you can hear the waves.  This mixed with the live musicians playing made for a super relaxing and beautiful dinner. 

We decided to start off with two appetizers.  Our friend, Andy, who's originally from Hawaii had told Eric that he needed to try the Ahi Poke (raw Ahi) as he would love it.  We'd been trying Ahi Poke and Lomi Lomi salmon at different places around the island, so, the Ahi Poke rolls were a natural choice.  Calamari always seems to be good so we decided to go with that as our "backup" appetizer just in case the Ahi wasn't as great as we thought it would be.  We didn't need a backup as they were both fabulous!  Tender, delicious, wonderfully seasoned and beautifully presented.

POKE ROLLS

Hawaii’s favorite pupu! Raw Ahi, Maui onions, seared in rice paper

 

PANKO CRUSTED CALAMARI

Guava cocktail sauce, Meyer lemon remoulade

Next we had to try to make a decision about our main dishes.  Just the night before we'd had fresh Mahi Mahi from our deep sea fishing adventure, so neither one of us really wanted fish.  We both ended up wanting the same thing.  I felt like we should try something separate, but our waiter informed us that we wouldn't regret it, that it would be amazing.  So, we both decided on the pork shank.  Now, this is something that's not normally on the menu and only served on the holidays.  It's braised for 24 hours and served with a Kona coffee glaze, bacon brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes.  It was ridiculously good.  The meat literally fell off the bone.  The only complaint was that there was so much food we really should have shared a main dish. 

And, last but not least, you can't go to Duke's without having Hula Pie for dessert, at least according to our server and a ridiculous amount of reviewers on Trip Advisor.  So, the Hula Pie it was (to share) for dessert.

This picture does not do it justice.  It's ridiculously rich and creamy and chocolately and nutty goodness.  We were both so full, but could not stop eating it. 

KIMO’S ORIGINAL HULA PIE

This is what the sailors swam to shore for in Lahaina Oreo cookie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, hot fudge & whipped cream

Two very happy, but ridiculously full diners!

Happy New Year, Everyone!!!