Olowalu--Most people drive right by Olowalu, on the Honoapiilani Highway 5 miles south of Lahaina; there's little to mark the spot but a small general store and Chez Paul, an expensive, but excellent, French restaurant. Olowalu ("many hills") was the scene of a bloody massacre in 1790. The Hawaiians, fascinated with iron nails and fittings, stole a skiff from the U.S.S. Eleanora, took it back to shore here, and burned it for the iron parts. The captain of the ship, Simon Metcalf, was furious and tricked the Hawaiians into sailing out in their canoes to trade with the ship. As the canoes approached, he mowed them down with his cannons, killing 100 people and wounding many others.
Olowalu has great snorkeling around mile marker 14, where there is a turtle-cleaning station about 50 to 75 yards out from shore. Turtles line up here to have cleaner wrasses (small bony fish) pick off small parasites.
Historic Lahaina--Located between the West Maui Mountains and the deep azure ocean offshore, Lahaina stands out as one of the few places in Hawaii that has managed to preserve its 19th-century heritage while still accommodating 21st-century guests.
In ancient times, powerful chiefs and kings ruled this hot, dry ocean-side village. At the turn of the 19th century, after King Kamehameha united the Hawaiian Islands, he made Lahaina the royal capital -- which it remained until 1845, when Kamehameha III moved the capital to the larger port of Honolulu.
In the 1840s, the whaling industry was at its peak: Hundreds of ships called into Lahaina every year. The streets were filled with sailors 24 hours a day. Even Herman Melville, who later wrote Moby-Dick, was among the throngs of whalers in Lahaina.
Just 20 years later, the whaling industry was waning, and sugar had taken over the town. The Pioneer Sugar Mill Co., which still stands but no longer operates today, reigned over Lahaina for the next 100 years.
Today the drunken and derelict whalers who wandered through Lahaina's streets in search of bars, dance halls, and brothels have been replaced by hordes of tourists crowding into the small mile-long main section of town in search of boutiques, art galleries, and chic gourmet eateries. Lahaina's colorful past continues to have a profound influence today. This is no quiet seaside village, but a vibrant, cutting-edge kind of place, filled with a sense of history -- but definitely with its mind on the future.
Day Trips to Molokai--It's possible to visit Molokai's famous leper colony (officially known as Kalaupapa National Historic Park) as a day trip from Maui. You won't be able to squeeze in the exhilarating mule ride down the 1,600-foot cliffs (they start at 8am), but you didn't want to sit on your own ass all day long anyway, now did you? (Sorry, bad pun.) Pacific Wings (tel. 808/873-0877; www.pacificwings.com) offers daily scheduled flights to Kalaupapa from Honolulu for $163 roundtrip or check out Paragon Air (tel. 808/244-3356; www.paragon-air.com), which offers a $210 package deal that includes round-trip airfare from Kahului Airport to Molokai's Kalaupapa airport, a 4-hour tour, lunch, and drinks. All visitors must be at least 16 years old. Or you can take a ferry ride over to Molokai and then hike down to Kalaupapa and tour the legendary peninsula on the Molokai Princess (tel. 800/275-6969 or 808/667-6165 or www.mauiprincess.com) for $215 per person, including lunch.
A Whale of a Place in Kaanapali--Heading north from Lahaina, the next resort area you'll come to is Kaanapali, which boasts a gorgeous stretch of beach. If you haven't seen a real whale yet, go to Whalers Village, 2435 Kaanapali Pkwy., a shopping center that has adopted the whale as its mascot. You can't miss it: A huge, almost life-size metal sculpture of a mother whale and two nursing calves greets you. A few more steps, and you're met by the looming, bleached-white bony skeleton of a 40-foot sperm whale; it's pretty impressive.
On the second floor of the mall is the Whale Center of the Pacific (tel. 808/661-5992), a museum celebrating the "Golden Era of Whaling" (1825-60). Harpoons and scrimshaw are on display; the museum has even re-created the cramped quarters of a whaler's seagoing vessel. Open during mall hours, daily from 9:30am to 10pm; admission is free.
Where to Park for Free -- or Next to Free -- in Lahaina--Lahaina is the worst place on Maui for parking. The town was created and filled with shops, restaurants, and historic sites before the throngs of tourists (and their cars) invaded. Street parking is hit-or-miss. You can either drive around the block for hours looking for a free place to park on the street or park in one of the nearly 20 parking lots. We've divided the lots into four classes: free; free for customers; discount with validation; and pay.
Free: Of the free lots, the best is the public lot on the south side of Prison Street, between Front and Luakini streets (the lot across the street is pay), which offers 3 hours of free parking. Another free lot is on the corner of Front and Shaw streets, for the users of Maluuluolele Park.
Free for Customers: The three lots on Papalaua Street are all free for customers. The largest is the Lahaina Shopping Center lot, with 2 free hours. Next in size is the Lahaina Center, across the street (which allows 4 hr. free, but you must get validation from a store in the Lahaina Center); the smallest is the Lahaina Square lot on Papalaua and Wainee streets, which offers 2 free hours for customers.
Discount with Validation: Customers of the Wharf Cinema Center, located on Front Street, can get a discount by parking at either of the theater's two lots: one on Wainee Street, between Dickenson and Prison streets; and the other on Luakini Street, between Dickenson and Prison streets.
Pay: Lahaina is filled with pay lots ranging from 50¢ for a half hour to all-day parking for $8 to $10. Pay lots on Front Street are located between Papalaua and Lahainaluna streets, on the corner of Dickenson Street, and underground at the 505 Front Street shopping center. Pay lots on Luakini Street are located near the Prison Street intersection and near the Lahainaluna Road intersection. Lahainaluna Road has several pay lots between Wainee and Front streets. Dickenson Street has three pay lots between Wainee and Luakini streets.
