Food, Fun, Friends, & Sailing – The Canadian Edition

It hardly seems possible that the time is here to write the Canadian side of my first blog, but here it is. The start of the Victoria, B.C. – Maui yacht race has kicked off, and I was there. Being my first trip to Victoria, it was very similar to life on Maui, albeit a little cooler.

As a big tourist destination, the locals are used to guests from around the globe. I witnessed the biggest smiles when the “Where are you from” question was answered with a “Lahaina, Maui.” Canadians love Hawai’i!

One of our favorite spots to eat was 10 Acres Bistro/Kitchen/Commons/Farm where many, many oysters were consumed and perhaps a couple of cocktails. The waiter there one night responded to my Maui answer with, “I don’t know much about Hawai’i, but have you ever heard of a show called Hawai’i Life?” Yes, I have! It always seems the best places have the most incredible food and experiences. Maui also has a big farm to table revolution in dining and I loved experiencing it in Victoria, from the Blue Fox Café to the Steamship Grill & Taproom, eating out was divine!

The many participants of the Vic-Maui race, celebrating its 50th anniversary, continue to be enthusiastic with this event and beautiful Lahaina destination. Even the Royal Canadian Naval ship “HMCS Oriole” supports this tremendous race, hosting several Lahaina Yacht Club members (so lucky to be married to the current Commodore) to meals and sails in Victoria’s harbor.

As I write this, several boats have already arrived in Lahaina with “Valkyrie” beating all previous records and arriving first with an unofficial time of 8D 10H 15M OS! Victoria was a beautiful city filled with gracious locals and fellow travelers (it’s true what they say about Canadians being so polite!), but I got the chance to see what Maui means to others.

The Valley Isle truly is a paradise, and like Victoria, is gorgeous from the water; however, on Maui you can skip the jacket when you go sailing, it’s as warm as a hug!