Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

     Our destination today was the old whaling village of Lahaina.  First, however, Connie and I wanted to go back to an overlook on the bluffs that we visited on Monday in hopes that a woman who makes jewelry from sea shells and stones of Hawaii was there today.  We lucked out and both of us bought pendants which include green sea turtles.  A beautiful and fun souvenir.

    Then we headed to the nearby town of Lahaina. In 1802, King Kamehameha made Lahaina the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He built a brick palace there and other royal buildings.  Lahaina served as the center of the Hawaiian government for over 50 years, until it was relocated to Honolulu for its harbor. 

    Lahaina was a major whaling port and fishing town in the 1800s due to its prime location on whale migration routes, calm ocean conditions and days of sunshine. As many as 400 ships at a time docked in the harbor.  When Kamehameha II gave permission for missionaries to begin settling in the islands, they too were attracted to the weather and soon were at odds with the hard partying sailors. The missionaries created many new island customs, including the first high school, first printing press, new way of dressing and introduction of the written form of the Hawaiian language.

     We went to Lahaina Courthouse Square also called Banyan Tree Park. This park is at the site of the Old Lahaina Fort built in 1831 to protect the town from riotous sailors when Lahaina was used as a port for the North Pacific Whaling fleet.   After the fort was demolished in 1854, a courthouse was built on the site.  We toured the old courthouse which has the Visitors Center, an art gallery, and a brief history of the town. 

     In 1873 Sheriff William Smith planted an India Banyan tree in the courtyard.  The banyan tree has grown to be the largest banyan in Hawaii and one of the largest banyan trees in the United States. Its extensive trunk and root system now covers 2/3 of an acre. It is simply amazing.

    We shopped a bit and found t-shirts for the guys and a quilt store for the ladies.  Then we made the traditional Hawaii souvenir stop at Hilo Hatties.  I bought a pineapple and some Hawaiian honey to make grilled pineapple for dinner.  

     During lunch on the lanai we saw several more sea turtles feeding on seaweed on the rocks just past the sea wall.  After our afternoon naps we went out to join them.  Rick and Terry joined me in the ocean today.  It is a great little beach that is well protected from the waves by a natural rock breakwater.  Now we're all pooped from the waves and the sun.