Beachin’ and Bakin’ With Lulu’s Loaves on Maui
One of the first things I always think about on a beach trip is getting my toes in the sand and listening to the calming sound of the ocean waves rolling in. On my recent travels to Maui I spent quite a bit of time beachin’ and bakin’! Turned out to be great combination of beach fun and having the pleasure of watching Lulu, my oldest daughter bake.
So here’s the story. During Covid I’ve heard of many people, men and women, turning to baking to pass the time and possibly learn something new. You may be one of them! Lulu lives on Maui and in the wake of Covid19 she became caught up in the baking frenzy. Sourdough boules, banana bread, peanut butter cookies, rye loaves, and pepperoni rolls to name a few edibles she played around with.
Originally my trip to Maui was scheduled for 2020 but….Coronavirus! Fast forward to January 2021 and I was able to book a trip. I might have attempted to go sooner but Maui virtually shut down to prevent the spread of this virus. Beaches closed – no thanks. Why would anyone travel to Maui knowing that they couldn’t relax on the beach? I wouldn’t and so I didn’t. In fall of 2020 Maui began to open up for tourists to return to the island and I began to watch the process. Slowly it began to look like they were having success with the re-opening and I booked in mid-October when I found a very affordable fare.
Timing is everything! Had I traveled sooner I would’ve missed seeing LuLu in action with her new business. Only a few months into the baking business she was filling orders for quite a few clients when I visited. Sourdough is her speciality and the most ordered at this time. Lulu, as she was called as a little girl, has mastered the art of starters, bulk fermentation, rising, folding, shaping, making leaven, autolyse, using proofing baskets, baking in cast iron and using a lame to score the top of the bread. In short – she’s nailing it! Did I mention she also makes edible doggie treats? Oh yeah!! Your dog will dig all the peanut buttery goodness!
I can’t yet explain the method by which she turns out these beautiful, delicious loaves of bread but what I can tell you about is the mandatory process to travel to Hawaii without the need to quarantine. Admitably I was a bit nervous of the required steps but as it turned out it was simple. First one must have proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of their final departure time. Tricky, as there are no nonstop flights from my home state of North Carolina to Kahului Airport. My flight departed from Raleigh (RDU) with a layover in Dallas at DFW. DFW was the time zone I needed to use to determine the timing of the crucial 72 hour window. I live in the EST zone, Dallas is in the CST zone, so one hour earlier. My flight left DFW at 11:55a.m. So here’s how the math played out. My test needed to be done after 12:55 p.m. EST to put me in the zone, if you will.
State of Hawaii – Safe Travels is the website you need to keep on your computer, phone, laptop or pad for all instructions and to keep your forms handy. The most important part besides having negative results is finding an approved facility who can do a rapid test. There are two types of rapid tests and only one is acceptable by Hawaii. I found the location, one hour away from home by contacting the State of Hawaii. I encourage you to verify with them your desired facility and location. Had I not verified the exact location of the clinic I used I would’ve ended up in a clinic that didn’t perform the approved rapid test. The best part for me is I walked in, no appointment necessary, and about 15 minutes later walked out with my negative results in hand!
After receiving your negative test you will need to upload it to the website I shared with you as well as have a paper copy in hand while traveling. 24 hours before you depart there is a short questionnaire to fill out. Upon receipt of your uploaded test results you will be given a QR code to download on your smart phone AND be sure to also print a copy just in case you know, your phone dies or is lost.
Upon arrival at DFW the gate agents announced that everyone should have the QR code as well as the app “Aloha Safe Alert”. This is an app you must download to your phone prior to travel. If you wait and try to do it once you’ve arrived in Hawaii they may refuse you entry. Basically the app tracks you to see if you’ve been around any Covid positive person. A little cray cray but necessary to travel to the islands. When you step into the terminal in Maui they ask to see your QR code and direct you to a line where you’ll be given the stamp of approval to stay without quarantine. Provided of course you have all the correct paperwork and code – specifically negative test results. This entire process took around 15 minutes and I was free to exit to baggage and step out into the lovely, fragrant island air!
Beachin’ and bakin’, not a bad way to relax and enjoy paradise. I ate my share of fresh baked bread, spent numerous hours with LuLu, met various friends of my daughter, chowed down on fresh fish daily, sipped on a few Mai Tai’s and spent countless hours with my toes in the sand. In my upcoming posts I’ll share with you where I found the best Mai Tai on the island, my fav dive bar, my fav fancy bar, which restaurants served the best food, and which beaches I frequented along with more island info.
Now go check out Lulu’s Loaves Maui. If you’re a local, order bread, order peanut butter cookies because they are the bomb and flourless!! If you live on the mainland she’s happy to ship to you too, so order today!! Here is the link to her website – Lulu’s Loaves.
You will find every possible way to contact her on that site and you can find out a bit more about her too!
“With a piece of bread in your hand you’ll find paradise under a pine tree.” Russian Proverb or in this case a palm tree!
