movie

Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Connecticut

Dining Outside the Home: Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Connecticut! Step through the doors of the main street pizza parlor that made Julia Roberts famous in 1988. Mystic Pizza is the real deal. Visitors flock here to grab “a taste of heaven” firsthand, and also to snap a photo standing under the sign to prove it. The entire restaurant is filled with memorabilia as well as continuously running a flick of the film itself on flatscreen TVs. The pizza is pretty darn good, too. The House Special has mile high meats and veggies piled on. As long as you’re going all the way, add the extra cheese. You know you want it. If you haven’t seen the movie, spend an hour and a half watching it before you go. It’ll make the experience absolutely unforgettable.

Manchester-by-the-Sea is a Charmer

You probably know the Massachusetts village by an Oscar-winning film of the same name that awakened the rest of the world to this sleepy little fishing community. But Manchester-by-the-Sea has been around since 1645. Located along the north shore of Massachusetts Bay, where quaint summer cottages become the coveted home-away-from-home for a season, history is still being made. Such notables include a poet, author, actor, politician, comedian, professional golfer, radio talk show host, and more. The town has several points of interest, like Singing Beach, that adds enough allure to keep people flocking back. Unless of course, you’re one of the fortunate ones who get to live there. 

Take a Walk on Hanalei Pier

The scenic view on the North Shore of Kauai is right out of a Hollywood movie. And that film is the 1957 Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, “South Pacific”. The Hanalei Pier was originally built in 1892, when it was used to transport taro and rice to Honolulu. Made of wood at that time, it became too difficult to maintain the pier in a tropical climate. Thus, it was replaced with a concrete finger deck and a framed shed roof in the 1940s until Hurricane Iniki damaged the 340-foot pier beyond use in 1992. Today, the local history and its iconic charm continue to lure curiosity seekers as well as vacationers and beach lovers. Hanalei Bay is the largest on the island of Kauai with its 2-mile long crescent moon and white sandy beach. Known to natives as Black Pot Beach, it can be seen littered with avid fisherman, energetic surfers, carefree picnickers, and leisurely landlubbers. We mustn’t forget the romantic lovebirds who stroll to the end of the pier, gaze into each other’s eyes, share a wet kiss, and then snap a Selfie against the opulent aqua-blue waters. Hanalei Pier does Hollywood proud. 

Movie on the Lawn Under the Stars

Grab a lawn chair, cuddle under a beach towel, or dip your toes in the sand….as long as you stick around when the sun begins to set below the Kauaiian sunset. The Marriott Beach Resort at Kalapaki Bay offers ocean-front seating for an outdoor movie presentation that is sure to entertain. Watch the original 1961 release of “Blue Hawaii”, starring the heartthrob, Elvis Presley and sexy Joan Blackman. You’ll, no doubt, recognize the Coco Palms Resort Hotel on the east coast of Kauai as well as Lydgate Park. Absorb the romance, snap your fingers to the music, clap with the sounds of the waves on the seashore. This is what vacations are made of. Aloha, Kauai!

Lights. Camera. Action!

A grey-striped cat, feral in nature, viciously chewed on the corner of a rolled up newspaper bundle laying on the ground next to a fishing pole. A pair of agitated red-combed roosters strutted back and forth awaiting their turn should the feline get discouraged or frightened and dart off. The seasoned fisherman on the wooden pier had his sun-burned face focused elsewhere with two lines already submerged in the sea water below. Ahukini Landing seems to be a hidden gem from the visiting tourists. Unless…you meet an islander who shares the secrets of its allure. At first glance it appears to be just another scenic spot to gaze upon the powerful aquamarine waves as they splash against the jagged shore. This is Hanama’ula Bay where disciplined fishermen and women understand the fierce strength by standing safely beyond the ocean’s mighty grasp while reeling in the catch of the day. Warning signs are clearly posted along the short breakwater drawing attention to High Surf, Slippery Rocks, Sudden Drop Off, and Waves Break on Ledge. Glancing toward the massive concrete and broken beamed structure draws the attention of something magnificent now abandoned in a graveyard of ruins. The architectural skeleton, home for a band of scurrying crabs, tells no tales. It seems, once upon a time in 1920, this extinct dinosaur became the first port where inter-island boats and freighters could tie up directly. It was the beating heart of the island for supplies and visiting tourists. Eventually bigger ships needed more room, thus Nawiliwili Harbor was built down the coast near the lighthouse. Things were dismantled down to bare bones leaving the dilapidated overgrown site a secret hideaway for avid fishermen, adventurous divers, and an occasional film director.*
* “Donovan’s Reef”, starring John Wayne, was filmed on this pier at Ahukini Landing.  

Dustin Hoffman Was Here

“We closed at 5:00,” said the slender guy operating the outrigger canoe hut on the secluded bank of the Wailua River. He and his two buddies were already swigging back a couple of cold brews in the vacant dirt parking lot. “Do you mind if we look around?”, Gerald asked. “Sure, as long as it’s right in this area”, he responded as he swirled his arm in a circular motion. I walked up to the thatch-roofed hut to snap a shot of the resident cat stretched out on the steps. About that time, a frisky rooster crowed and began chasing a hen in hot pursuit before giving up and heading for an easier target. The off-duty guide came over and began to explain about these ancient cultural grounds known as Kamokila Hawaiian Village. “The natural habitat reflected island lifestyles from centuries ago.” He coaxed us beyond the bamboo fence topped with several pairs of walking shoes, pointing out the primitive structures on the horizon. Two flamboyant peacocks strutted across the grassy area while we were told, “This is where the film, ‘Outbreak’ was shot. Dustin Hoffman starred in it.” “I remember that movie”, I said with enthusiasm. “A lot of movies have been made on Kauai.” He went on to say, “In my younger years, I was an extra in ‘Jurassic Park’. I played one of the soldiers who crouched during the scene where the actors were running from the dinosaurs.” “Younger years?” I marveled then teased, “You aren’t allowed to say that when you’re not over the age of 30”. He blushed and admitted he was 34 years old, but it seemed a lifetime ago when he was only 16 living up the mountain in the Wailua homestead. On impulse, he graciously took us over to the river where its indescribable beauty reflected like an artist’s rendering of a priceless masterpiece. Not wishing to intrude any longer, we expressed our thanks for the private tour, got back in the car, and headed out. Wanderlust is a key element in the quest for adventure. One never knows what opportunities lie in the next turn in the road. Or who you will meet and the stories they will share. Mahalo.