Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii (Helicopter Ride), United States of America

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 1 – our helicopter’s approach to the island of Molokai was from the southeast (from the west end of Maui)

This blog is a continuation of our previous blog post, https://richedwardsimagery.wordpress.com/2024/12/07/maui-hawaii-united-states-of-america/

We continued our flight with the Maverick Helicopter Chief Pilot, Jake, flying four of us for several hours on a three-island tour – Maui, Molokai and Lanai.  As noted previously, Maui is the second most populated Hawaiian Island and is affectionately known as the “Valley Isle” due to the great valley that lies between its two major volcanoes, Haleakala and Mauna Kahalawai. 

Molokai – the “Friendly Island” and known as the most Hawaiian island — to the northwest of Maui, is “Hawaii’s fifth largest island — only 38 miles long and 10 miles across at its widest point.  [It] is home to the highest sea cliffs in the world and the longest continuous fringing reef.  Molokaʻi remains true to its island roots, with a high percentage of its population (of about 7,000) being of Native Hawaiian ancestry who continue to preserve their rural lifestyle thanks to their love of the land.” – www.gohawaii.com   On the island’s northern Kalaupapa Peninsula is a steep path leading to Kalaupapa National Historical Park, an isolated former leper colony below towering cliffs.

Lainai, historically known as the pineapple island (because Dole owned the island and had a huge pineapple plantation – fields — there), is 98% privately owned today by the American technology leader (and the world’s 4^th richest person), Larry Ellison.  Today it is mainly known for its hilltop and seaside Four Seasons Hotels, with 2,000 of the island’s 3,000 population working for Ellison.  Lanai is the sixth largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the smallest publicly accessible inhabited island in the archipelago.

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 2 – a meadow (it almost looks like it could be part of a golf course) and hills on a parcel near the Molokai Forest Reserve that is privately owned (we saw the owners’ home nearby)

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 3 – sheer cliffs, about 3,500 feet [1,067 meters] vertical, on the north shore of Molokai were formed when, millions of years ago, a large portion of the northern part of the island broke off and fell into the ocean; these are the highest sea cliffs in the world

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 4 – a lush valley in the Molokai Forest Reserve

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 5 – ridges and valleys on Molokai, looking to the eastern shore (with Maui in the distance [not pictured])

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 6 – centuries ago, the native Hawaiians built the visible barriers to create fishponds so that strong waves would wash over the top of the walls to deposit fish in the ponds, where the native Hawaiians could easily catch the trapped fish (Molokai Island)

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 7 – shallow reefs fringe the eastern shore of Molokai; this is the longest continuous fringing reef in the world

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 8 – a dry section of the northern shore of Lanai; the sea-level Four Seasons Hotel is on the opposite shore of the island

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 9 – the southern shoreline of Maui, on the western side of the island; Lahaina (buildings and red-brown dirt exposed after the 2023 devastating fire burned hundreds of homes and all of the historic wooden buildings in the main shopping district, along the shoreline) is in the left foreground of the photograph

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 10 – the foreground (red-brown dirt) shows the devastation of the 2023 fire that leveled a large portion of the historic whaling town of Lahaina; this was a really sad moment for us (having visited Lahaina over 20 times), but an important image to share

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 11 – flying from the south of the island, this valley leads over the mountain (volcano) top with the Ĩao Valley on the other side

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 12 – looking down the Īao Vally towards Kahului where our ship was docked, and the island’s International Airport is located

Ĩao Valley is a lush, stream-cut valley in West Maui, Hawaii, located 3.1 miles [5 kilometers] west of Wailuku.  Because of its natural environment and history, it has become a tourist location.  It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972.  “Towering emerald peaks guard the lush valley floor of ʻĪao Valley State Park.  This peaceful 4,000-acre, 10-mile [16 kilometers] long park is home to one of Maui’s most recognizable landmarks, the 1,200-foot [366 meters] ʻĪao Needle. 

“Aside from its natural tropical beauty, sacred ʻĪao Valley has great historical significance. It was here in 1790 at the Battle of Kepaniwai that King Kamehameha I clashed with Maui’s army in his quest to unite the islands.  Even with ʻĪao Needle serving as a lookout point, Kamehameha defeated Maui’s forces in a ferocious battle that ultimately changed the course of Hawaiian history.” — www.gohawaii.com

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 13 – flying east from the Īao Valley towards Haleakalā, crossing the “valley” of Maui that lies between the island’s two dominating volcanoes

Molokai, Lanai and Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 14 – growing citrus has replaced the historic sugar cane plants and refinement into sugar on Maui – shown here are lime tree fields (they also grow lemons) that are the new cash crop for the island

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2024 by Richard C. Edwards.  All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, U.S.A.

Lahaina is a historic town that has been transformed into a Maui hotspot; it was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the early nineteenth century and also a historic whaling village; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

“Once known as Lele, which means “relentless sun” in Hawaiian, Lahaina is a historic town that has been transformed into a Maui hotspot with dozens of art galleries and a variety of unique shops and restaurants.  Once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the early nineteenth century [1820 – 1845], Lahaina was also a historic whaling village during the whaling boom of the mid-1800s. Up to 1,500 sailors from as many as 400 ships took leave in Lahaina, including Herman Melville, who immortalized the era in his classic novel Moby Dick.  Today, Lahaina is on the National Register of Historic Places. You can still get a feel for old Lahaina as you stroll down lively Front Street, ranked one of the “Top Ten Greatest Streets” by the American Planning Association. Visit historic stops like the U.S. Seamen’s Hospital, Hale Paahao (Lahaina Prison), the Pioneer Inn, Maui’s oldest living banyan tree and other sites on the Lahaina Historic Trail. Approximately 55 acres of old Lahaina have been set aside as historic districts.” — www.gohawaii.com/islands/maui/regions/west-maui/Lahaina

While Lahaina itself has a population of only 12,000, it hosts about 2 million visitors a year; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Lahaina has over a thousand years of rich history.  While Lahaina itself has a population of only 12,000 (and Maui has a population of 111,000), it hosts about 2 million visitors a year (80% of the tourists who come to Maui).  Lahaina’s popularity as a tropical getaway has made its real estate some of the most expensive in Hawaii; many houses and condominiums sell for more than US$5 million, according to Wikipedia.

The old Pioneer Inn sits in the center of town, adjacent to the Lahaina Pier (where out tender boats dropped us off) and adjacent to Lahaina’s famous giant banyan tree, Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Lahaina’s banyan tree, planted in 1873, is not only the largest in the state but also in the United States; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

“The banyan tree in Lahaina, in Maui, Hawaii, United States, was planted on April 24, 1873, in Lahaina to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of first American Protestant mission. The banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) (known in Hawaiian as paniana, located in the Courthouse Square, which was renamed Banyan Tree Park covering 1.94 acres, is not only the largest in the state but also in the United States. The tree was a gift from missionaries in India. A mere 8 feet (2.4 meters) when planted, it has grown to a height of about 60 feet (18 meters) and has rooted into 16 major trunks, apart from the main trunk, with the canopy spread over an area of about 0.66 acres (0.27 ha).” — Wikipedia

Lahaina’s banyan tree has grown to a height of about 60 feet (18 meters) and has rooted into 16 major trunks, apart from the main trunk; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Air roots of the Lahaina banyan tree; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

The reconstructed ruins of Lahaina Fort are on the southeast corner of Banyan Tree Park with the old Lahaina Court House in the background; the fort was originally built in 1832; Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

The old Lahaina Court House now is home to the local artists’ gallery and the tourist visitors’ center, Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

King Kamehameha conquered all the Hawaiian islands and established his kingdom of Hawai’i in 1810.  He located the capital of his kingdom in Lahaina, a central location to oversee the activities of the islands. In 1819 – the year of his death – the first whaling ships began arriving in Lahaina; and in 1845 the capital of Hawaii was relocated to Honolulu.

Lively Front Street, ranked one of the “Top Ten Greatest Streets” by the American Planning Association, Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Visible from Lahaina is the beautiful island of Lanai – known for decades, after the first pineapple was planted there in 1921, as the “pineapple” island, due to the large pineapple plantations that exported tons of fruit annually; Hawai’i, USA

“In 1921, Charles Gay planted the first pineapple plant on Lanai.  The population had decreased again — to 150 — most of whom were the descendants of the traditional families of the island.  A year later, James Dole, the president of Hawaiian Pineapple Company (later renamed Dole Food Company), bought the island and developed a large portion of it into the world’s largest pineapple plantation.  Upon Hawaii statehood in 1959, Lanai became part of the Maui County.  In 1985, Lanai passed into the control of David H. Murdock as a result of his purchase of Castle & Cook, which was then the owner of Dole.  High labor- and land costs led to a decline in Hawaii pineapple production in the 1980s, and Dole phased out its pineapple operations on Lanai in 1992. In June 2012, Larry Ellison, then CEO of Oracle Corporation, purchased Castle & Cooke’s 98 percent share of the island for $300 million. The state and individual homeowners own the remaining 2 percent, which includes the harbor and the private homes where the 3,000 inhabitants live.” — Wikipedia

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2022 by Richard C. Edwards.  All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.