Lahaina is one of the most fascinating historic towns in Hawaii.  It was the capital of the Hawaiian kingdom ruled by Kamehameha in the early 1800s.  In the mid-1800s, the area became a favored port for Yankee whaling fleets,  and harbored as many as 400 ships, and often more than 1,500 sailors, at a time.  As depicted in the movies, most of the sailors of this time period lived pretty recklessly, claiming there was no God where they were, and therefore living as though the laws of civilization no longer applied. 

New England Puritan missionaries arrived soon after, and quickly broke up the party in an attempt to bring religion back into the sailor’s lives.  The missionaries built a high school, set up a printing press, and generally set out to civilize the area and the sailors that inhabited it, one of whom was author Herman Melville, who later wrote of his experiences as a sailor. 

Today, the area has many National Historical Landmarks, including the Baldwin Mission House,  the old courthouse and jail, the Masters and Mates Reading Room, and the Seamen’s Hospital.   All of the sites are clearly marked, and tour maps are available at any of the hotels or restaurants.  Many of the original buildings are still intact and now contain a wide array of gift shops, art galleries, and restaurants.