FRIDAY THE 13TH IN LAHAINA, MAUI

The ship arrival at Lahaina was 7:15am on Friday, October 13^th.  Due to the shallow waters of Lahaina, we anchored off the coast and were tendered into town.  

Explorer of the Seas anchored off coast of Lahaina, Maui

Te first tenders were available for guests that had purchased shore excursions from the ship.  Tenders for independent guests did not begin until 9:30am. 

Tender into Lahaina

I proceeded down to Deck 1, mid ship at 10:00am to board one of the 7 tenders that were operating. A tender was departing about every 20 minutes.  Seating capacity for each tender is listed at 120 but they only loaded about 95 per tender. Total time from ship to shore, including the waiting time on board, was less than 30 minutes.   Last tender back to the ship was scheduled to depart from Lahaina at 6:15pm.

The day was a mix of sun and clouds and a beautiful 87 degrees.  Lahaina was the first capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1820-1845 and was also a major whaling village.  Haleakala Crater provides a stunning backdrop, rising 10,023 feet above sea level.  I have visited Maui many times before, covering all the sights of the island so my visit today was concentrated on Lahaina only.  

The entire population of Lahaina is just under 12,000 with a fairly even split between male and female and a median age of 37.   During peak tourist months, the population will swell to upward of 40,000.   If you are thinking about moving to Maui you might want to check out real estate prices first as Maui has some of the most expensive real estate in Hawaii.  You can probably pick up a 2BDRM/2BATH condo under 1,000SF for $700,000 but $1-$2 Million is more common.   

The focus of any visit to Lahaina will be along Front Street which dates back to the 1820’s.  You will find it lined with stores, restaurants and specialty shops with the Banyon Court Park, on the corner of Front Street and Canal, being a focal point and popular meeting spot.  The tree was planted by William Owen Smith on April 24, 1873 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the arrival of Christian Missionaries.  The tree is now the largest in Hawaii and one of the largest in the United States with a root system that covers .66 acres.

Banyon Tree

Banyon Tree

The park now occupies the site of the Old Lahaina Fort, originally built in 1831. The fort was constructed from coral blocks with walls approximately 15–20 feet high topped with 47 cannons.  The fort stored quantities of gunpowder, guns, rifles, and swords, and was used as a prison.  You will see remaining ruins of the old Fort as you walk through the park.  

Remnants of Old Lahaina Fort

Entrance to the Courthouse - FREE admission

I can recommend that you take a historical walk around the town.  The short walk will take 30-45 minutes and the long walk will take you about 90 minutes. This will give you opportunity to visit 24 sights including the old Courthouse.   In all my previous trips to Lahaina I had never made a stop at the Courthouse so found it very interesting on this visit. 

Courtroom Display

Display inside the Courthouse

Display inside the courthouse

At lunch time I decided to make a stop at the Dirty Monkey Restaurant which is located right on Main Street. I can’t comment on the food but I can comment on the horrible service.  Open seating was quite abundant but after 20 minutes of waiting for someone to take my order I finally left.   Not even the courtesy of someone coming over with a glass of water saying they would be right with me.

Lunch this day would be at Cheeseburger in Paradise, where Marci and I met up with new friends Dan and Kathy from Texas.  The place was crowded with a waiting line but seating and service was quick with wonderful food and drink, especially the 20 oz. beers.

Friends Dan and Kathy at Cheeseburger in Paradise, Lahaina Maui

 After lunch it was a leisurely stroll back to the dock,  boarding the 4:45pm tender back to the ship.  

Next stop, after 7 sea days, will be Lautoka, Fiji.