Day 4 in Maui – Hawaii (Part 2)

Saturday April 14, 2012

After spending the afternoon in Ka’anapali – Whale Watching (if you missed part 1 click here) Bryan and I decided to check out the local brewery here in Maui.

Maui Brewing Company which is located in Lahaina.  Bryan and I love going to breweries – so we were very pleased to find one in Maui.  Since it was our first time (and it won’t be our last) visiting the MBC we tried multiple beers to figure out which one(s) we liked best.

List of MBC Beers We Tried:

- Coconut Porter (which was more like a dessert beer – NOT my thing)
- Bikini Blonde (which in my opinion was a little hoppy)
- Pueo Pale Ale
- Par Four (which was the lightest of all the beers)
- Barefoot Brew (My favorite)
- Big Swell IPA (Bry’s Favorite)

Have you been to Maui Brewing Company?

What was your experience like? What beers did they have available?  What is your favorite MBC Beer?
Please comment below and share your experience in Maui and at the Brewing Company!

The locals in Maui are EXTREMELY  friendly and very helpful.  Our bartender bought us a round of drinks.
Not likely to happen many other places (unless you know someone)!

Maui Brewing Company Day 4

Here is a little more information on Maui Brewing Company and why they use cans vs bottles:

Maui Brewing Co. microbrews are packaged in cans. Yes! Cans, not bottles!

The Hawaiian Islands host millions of tourists annually. The tourism industry is significant in keeping our state economically healthy. For this reason, as well as for the cleanliness of our environment and safety of all, cans make the most sense!

For one, cans don’t break like glass bottles do and it is particularly important for us to do whatever we can to keep our 120 miles of coastline, 30 miles of beaches, and other public areas free of broken glass! Cans can be recycled, are virtually unbreakable, and are lighter to carry and easier to chill than bottles. Also, key to the purity of our beers: cans eliminate light damage and the risk of oxidation. This will ensure that our canned microbrews will be flavorful, brisk, and satisfying.

The Myth of the Metallic Taste:
Bottles have long been considered the best packaging for good beer. This is no longer the case with modern aluminum cans because they are lined with an internal coating. This lining prevents the beer from ever making contact with the aluminum and ensures no metallic aftertaste.

Their beer right out of the can is VERY refreshing – I must say!

Front Street – Lahaina

We ended our day by hitting up front street in Lahaina (which is a must for shoppers).

We were in search of a Wyland Gallery and it lead us to front street (we were getting there close to dusk so I recommend going during the day).
We check out the gallery (and of course I fell madly in love with many of his pieces).  If you do not know who Wyland is and what he does – read below for more information!

Renowned marine life artist Wyland changed the way people think about our environment when he started painting life-size whales on the sides of buildings in the 1980s. Wyland always thought big. And he never stopped.

Today, the Wyland name has become synonymous with the new generation of awareness about environmental conservation. Through his unique marine life paintings, sculptures, and photography, Wyland has inspired a generation about the importance of marine life conservation. His life – like his art – can find him anywhere around the world, at any time, from the Antarctic ice shelf on a photo expedition to document climate change to a grassroots journey down the Mississippi River on a mission of conservation.

The multi-faceted artist, scuba diver, educator, and explorer has hosted several television programs, including, “Wyland’s Ocean World” series on the Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet Network, “Wyland: A Brush With Giants” and “Wyland’s Art Studio,” a series for national public television. His mission of engaging people through nature-themed art and a more environmentally friendly lifestyle has led to strategic alliances with such notable organizations as the United States Olympic Team, United Nation Environment Program, and Walt Disney Studios, to name a few.

Wyland’s 100th and final Monumental Marine Life Mural, Hands Across the Oceans, a 24,000-square-foot, half-mile-long series of canvas murals with student artists from 110 countries, was displayed in October 2008 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and honored by the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. In May 2010, the United Nations released six Wyland images for an international stamp issue celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Since 1993, the non-profit Wyland Foundation has set the standard for environmental outreach. In partnership with the United States Forest Service and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Wyland is actively engaged in teaching millions of students around the world to become caring, informed stewards of our ocean, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and wetlands.

The enormous extent of Wyland public artworks (it is estimated that his murals are viewed by more than a billion people every year), his award-winning art galleries, and community service projects have made him one of the most recognized and beloved artists in the nation.He is considered one of the most influential artists of the 21st Century, with artwork in museums, corporate collections, and private homes in more than one hundred countries.

After about an hour of enjoying the Wyland Gallery we headed over to the Peter Lik Gallery.  I have been in both galleries in California but I like to see if there are any different pieces – and there are original pieces in each gallery which is awesome.  I get to enjoy more art work and if you didn’t know, I really enjoy going into all different kinds of art galleries.

Here is some more information on Peter Lik:

Peter Lik stands at the summit of landscape photography. World-renowned, highly awarded, and boasting a huge international following, Lik’s journey had humble origins. Born in Melbourne, Australia, to Czech immigrants, it was his parents’ gift of a Kodak Brownie camera on his eighth birthday that set young Peter’s course.

Entirely self-taught, Lik worked hard at his craft before making a life-changing decision: to come to the United States in 1984. A defining moment in Lik’s life came when he was introduced to the medium format panoramic camera. This larger-than-life camera compelled Peter to rise to its challenge to “Go big or go home.”

Lik did both. He returned to Australia to photograph the vastness of the Great South Land. Peter then went on to open his own fine art publishing company as well as his first gallery in his adopted hometown of Cairns.

He returned to the States in 1989 for another jaunt before undertaking a mammoth trip early in the new millennium to photograph landscapes of all 50 states. Fifty thousand miles and 1,000 rolls of film later, the “biggest challenge of my life” was completed. Highlights of Peter’s American odyssey can be found in his book “Spirit of America.”

Peter Lik Holloways Sunrise Courtesy of Lik.com

Lik’s stature as a photographer has been indisputably confirmed with his receipt of the award of Master Photographer from both

the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). He has also been awarded fellowships by the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP) and The Royal Photographic Society (RPS).

He has sold hundreds of millions of dollars of his artwork, has 13 galleries of his own and counts presidents and celebrities among his many collectors. Exposure from his NBC produced TV series, “From the Edge with Peter Lik”, has established Lik as a household name.

Two more landmarks for Lik were the world record sale of his photograph “One,” for $1 million and the exhibition of two of his iconic images, “Ghost” and “Inner Peace,” in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.

Lik’s masterworks include “Ancient Spirit,” “Sacred Sunrise,” “Angel’s Heart,” “Tree of Life” and the highly acclaimed “Ghost.” Each Limited Edition release is greeted with great enthusiasm by collectors and this has been reflected in recent record-breaking sales.

Now at the top of his game, Peter Lik is “loving it!” at full throttle and the animated Aussie is showing no signs of slowing down

Being in Maui really changes my mind set and pulls me back to the person that I know I have always been.  It’s like discovering myself and what I want out of life.

Do you own a piece of work from Wyland or Peter Lik?

If so – which one?  Do you have a favorite piece?  Comment below and share your art gallery stories.
Is there an art gallery you think that I MUST check out?

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Tomorrows Trip is to what’s known here in Maui as “UpCountry”.