We took things easy on our seventh day in Maui, because we were still pretty exhausted from the Road to Hana the day before, and because my brother Ted needed to get dropped off at the airport to fly home in the evening. We decided to just drive around and leisurely explore, hitting a couple food places we wanted to eat. One place we wanted to try together before Ted left was Geste Shrimp Truck!

The Yokoyama siblings at Geste Shrimp Truck
Geste Shrimp Truck in Kahului.

 

Geste Shrimp Truck
Putting our orders in.

 

Waiting for our shrimp!
Waiting for our shrimp!

 

One of the foods I’ve been dreaming of having again since our trip two years ago to Oahu was garlic shrimp from a shrimp truck. The shrimp at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck in Kahuku had been pretty amazing, and I was eager to find out how Geste measured up, as the two are often compared to each other.

My shrimp scampi
I got the shrimp scampi, loaded with garlic – yum!

 

Miwa's lemon pepper shrimp
Miwa’s lemon pepper shrimp

 

Dan's hot shrimp!
Dan got the hot, spicy shrimp… of course.

 

The verdict? Geste Shrimp was pretty good… but Dan and I agreed that Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck in Oahu is better, especially with their garlic shrimp and the garlic rice that accompanies it. In terms of their variety, though, Geste has a better selection of flavors to choose from.

After stuffing ourselves with shrimp, we drove over to Leilani Farm Sanctuary in Haiku for a Mio-friendly attraction — with goats, rabbits, donkeys, cats, peahens, pigs, tortoises, ducks, chickens, and deer residing at this animal farm, it’s known as “a paradise for rescued animals.”

 

The Leilani Farm Sanctuary

 

Tortoise at Leilani Farm Sanctuary
Tortoise at Leilani Farm Sanctuary

 

"Pigs are friends, not food."
“Pigs are friends, not food.” Hmm… I’d have to disagree; they still make pretty good food.

 

Deer at Leilani Farm Sanctuary
A deer at the farm sanctuary.

 

Under the giant leaves at Leilani Farm Sanctuary
Dan, Mio, and I under some giant leaves at the farm.

 

Mio loved seeing the animals, but after she grew tired of it, we headed back along the coast and stopped at Paia Bay (I think) to admire the views of the ocean.

 

Auntie Miwa and Mio
Miwa and Mio by the ocean.

 

They both look pretty tan!
Mio loves Auntie Miwa! She takes such good care of Mio.

 

Hanging out by the beach
Relaxing in the shade, with the ocean behind us.

 

Mio putting her arm around me.
Mio putting her arm around me… so sweet!

 

We stopped in Kahului to check out Tasaka Guri Guri, which is known for their frozen desserts.

Tasaka Guri Guri Shop in Kahului

 

Enjoying a frozen treat from Tasaka Guri Guri
Ted, Miwa, and I with our frozen treats.

 

They serve just two flavors — strawberry and pineapple, and it’s like a hybrid of sherbet and ice cream… sort of like sherbet with condensed milk? It’s hard to describe…

Mio got to try a few bites, too.
Mio got to try a few bites, too.

 

Shopping for T-shirts
Ted and Miwa shopping for T-shirts at a nearby store.

 

Showing Mio a Rilakkuma backpack.
Meanwhile, I entertained Mio…

 

Playing with Rilakkuma
She loved playing with Rilakkuma!

 

We then headed back to the cottage to squeeze in a couple rounds of board games before Ted had to catch his flight back home. It was great having everyone together. Dan, Mio, and I still had two full days left in Maui. 🙂

Playing board games before Ted left.