BY CLAY
LARROY
Do you feel like it is time for a short vacation? Once you decide to travel, how good you plan the trip will help you feel comfortable and be comfortable at your destination. Not only will you feel less anxiety before the trip, but you can rest assured that once you arrive where you're going you will have a good understanding of what's going on there. When you need to plan a vacation contact me!
Maui – “The Valley Isle”
About Maui
Stand above a sea of clouds high atop Haleakala. Watch
a 45-foot whale breach off the coast of Lahaina.
Lose count of the waterfalls along the road as you maneuver the hairpin
turns of the Hana highway. One visit and it’s easy to
see why Maui is called “The Valley Isle.”
The second largest Hawaiian island has
a smaller population than you’d expect, making Maui popular with visitors who
are looking for sophisticated diversions and amenities in the small towns and
airy resorts spread throughout the island.
From the scenic
slopes of fertile Upcountry
Maui to beaches that have
repeatedly been voted among the best in the world, a visit to the Valley Isle
recharges the senses. But like every good magic trick, you’ll have to see it
for yourself to believe it.
Maui History
Legends say the demigod Maui pulled
the Hawaiian Islands from the sea and lassoed the sun atop Haleakala, the
island’s highest peak. The island of Maui was named after this mythological
being, perhaps because the shape of the island is said to resemble his head and
body.
King Piilani was the first ruler to
unite all of Maui under a single family of alii (royalty) in the early 15th
century. In 1790, King Kamehameha I defeated Kahekili, Maui’s last king,
after a fierce battle in the iconic Iao Valley. Kamehameha took control of Maui and
made Lahaina the new capital of the unified Hawaiian Kingdom. For nearly five
decades, Lahaina served as the center of government for
Hawaii. Simultaneously, the town experienced a surge in its whaling industry.
At the height of the whaling era (1840-1865) as many as 500 ships anchored in
Lahaina’s port.
Maui’s first sugar mill began
operations in 1828. As the sugar industry in the islands grew, an influx of
plantation workers from China, Japan, Puerto Rico, Korea, the Philippines,
Portugal and Europe arrived in Hawaii. These immigrants became the foundation
of the multi-ethnic culture of Hawaii today. You can experience these
influences at places like the Lahaina Jodo Mission and in the fusion of flavors
found in Hawaii Regional Cuisine.
The Lahaina Historic Trail and other
notable attractions allow you to explore Maui’s rich past today, adding a
fascinating new dimension to your visit.
Featured Sites and
Attractions
Haleakala National
Park, a scenic national park on the island of Maui and home to Maui’s highest
peak.
Central Maui's Iao
Valley State Park features one of Maui’s most recognizable landmarks, the
1,200-foot Iao Needle.
Lahaina is a town of
major historical significance. Once the first capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii,
a busy whaling port and a plantation settlement, you can follow the Lahaina
Historic Trail (Ala Moolelo O Lahaina) to walk in the footsteps of Lahaina’s past
today.
Travel just north up
Lahaina's Front Street and you'll discover the Lahaina Jodo Mission.
REFERENCE SITES:
There is a quiet place in Hawaii
where, for over thirty years, I've gone to draw inspiration and write many of
my books.
Robert H. Schuller
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