Wailea

The local mall (or at least what’s left of the “local mall” these days) can be an indicator of the culture it supplies. The “local mall” for our vacation was The Shops at Wailea. The upscale outdoor mall has over 120 shops/restaurants and is tucked about a mile from Wailea Beach. Not knowing much about The Shops at Wailea, we made lunch reservations at Tommy Bahama and planned on getting a meal and walking around one afternoon. We were initially intimidated when we saw storefronts for Gucci, Tiffany, Prada, and Louis Vuitton, but were reassured when we realized smaller shops like Whalers General Store and ABC Stores also occupied some space in the directory. Our meal at Tommy Bahama hit the spot. Selecting a chain did feel a bit like cheating, but we figured that its island-life ambience matched well the spirit of our Hawaiian vacation. We probably didn’t need the reservation as it was a weekday and we arrived right as they opened. We were seated on the expansive covered balcony. We ordered a drink, an appetizer, and a light meal. The service was extremely friendly. While the crowd was light during our lunch, I got the idea that the real crowd came once the dinner bell rang. After lunch, we walked around and checked out the stores. It’s always fun to window shop what you can’t afford (insert Prada, Gucci), but also dive into the seemingly truest form of a surf brand store like Quicksilver or Rip Curl. We spent the majority of our time in the Whalers General Store and ABC Stores on site and found most of our quality souvenirs there. The short trip to The Shops at Wailea was perfect for an afternoon getaway. A change in environment is always welcomed on a vacation, and, while we loved life at our beachside resort, the visit was a nice slice of civilization and relaxation inland. It’s nice to feel a bit like a local while on vacation.