The Battle of Kepaniwai.

‘Īao Valley State Monument, Maui, Hawaii.

This morning, we bid farewell to The Big Island. One might think that organizing 30 people’s check-in for their flight, checking baggage, and receiving seat assignments and boarding passes would be a Herculean task.

Our group leader, Susan, made it look easy. She divided the group into subgroups and designated a “leader“ for each group of six. The group leaders each had one reservation with the other five members of the group confirmed under that reservation number. It all worked seamlessly.

The flight was on time and in less than 45 minutes we were touching down on the island of Maui. Before proceeding with our tour for the day and subsequent arrival at the hotel, we enjoyed an ice cream style treat and lunch on our own.

First impressions: Maui seems more developed and tourist friendly than the Big Island.

It is also the site of an immense tragedy. It is on this island that fires ravaged the community of Lahaina in August 2023. At least 102 people perished in the fire, two are still missing, and property losses we’re over $5.5 billion. 17,000 acres were burned, destroying over 2200 buildings.

Later this week, we will visit the scene of that devastation and have lunch at the first restaurant to open after the fire.

As a travel day, there was not an abundance of time for sightseeing. Nevertheless, we were able to visit the site of one of the most consequential and bloody battles in native Island history.

In a most peaceful and garden like setting is the Monument to the 1790 Battle of Kepaniwai. This battle was the start of Kamehameha I’s campaign to unify the Hawaiian islands under one rule.

Kamehameha was described by Captain James Cook as “a brute of a man”. He was considered iron-tough, unyielding, and peerless as a warrior in battle. He was also considered a brilliant tactician, and savvy politician.

I will allow my pictures to tell the rest of the story and convey impressions of the beauty of this area:

A little after 3 PM we arrived at our hotel, The Outrigger Kā’anapali Beach Resort. We were greeted by music and dance.

A small army of bellmen took over our luggage which later magically appeared in the proper rooms. This is a place worthy of a visit in anyone’s vacation itinerary!

There is a brewery restaurant on the grounds, an amazing beach, swimming pool, and of course the room is without fault.

Our group shared dinner at the Maui Brewing Company Restaurant. We are really looking forward to the next four nights here!

There is a presentation and sightseeing tomorrow morning. Many people in the group are going whale watching in the afternoon. Christine and I plan to take advantage of the beach and pool and perhaps get some laundry done in the free time.

Peace Everyone. Pete