Lahaina & West Maui

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 excellent French restaurant. Olowalu (many hills) was the scene of a bloody massacre in 1790. The Hawaiians stole a skiff from the USS Eleanora, took it back to shore here, and burned it for its 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 150 to 225 feet 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, visited 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drunken and derelict whalers who wandered through Lahaina's streets in search of bars, dance halls, and brothels have been replaced by hordes of tourists crowding into the small mile-long main section of town in search of boutiques, art galleries, and chic gourmet eateries.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.

Ho'omana'o: Step Back in Time to Old Hawaii -- As soon as the low wail from the Hawaiian conch shell fills the air, you know that you have entered another time. Ho'omana'o means to remember, and this 3-hour feast and immersion into ancient Hawaii is something you will remember long after your tan has faded.

Brought to you by the same innovative team that stages the Old Lahaina Luau, the Ho'omana'o is located in the same oceanfront setting, surrounded by tropical native plants. The feast begins with a breakfast buffet ranging from island stuffed French toast to kalua pork with lomi salmon to haupia (coconut) oatmeal. Hula dancers and chanters entertain, the sun sparkles off the calm ocean water, and a salty breeze is in the air; this is Hawaii at its finest.

Then the fun begins. You get to experience (not just look and listen but hands-on experience) three aspects of Hawaii: hula, warfare, and ancient Hawaiian life.

At the hula kulana (ancient dances), you learn a few hula steps and how to play the traditional hula implements; at the warfare kulana you will try your hand at tossing a spear, or, perhaps, put on a temporary washable tattoo of a Hawaiian warrior; and at the ancient-life station sample freshly made poi and poke (small pieces of raw fish, salt, seaweed, and kukui nut), or practice throwing a fishnet.

Ho'omana'o, in the Old Lahaina Luau grounds, 1251 Front St., Lahaina (tel. 800/248-5828; www.oldlahainaluau.com), takes place from 8:30 to 11:30am; tickets are $69 for adults and $49 for children 12 and under. Don't miss it.

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. I've divided the lots into three classes: free for customers, discount with validation, and pay.

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 at Wainee Street, 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 -- both are between Dickenson and Prison streets, but one is on Wainee Street and the other on Luakini Street.

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 St. 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.

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.