Fires on Maui and in Lahaina

[Ken555]

none of us are from Maui, or live there or have lived there, or have family there, or own property there, or are Hawaiian?

Eh, those who have valid concerns are those who lived in Lahaina until a few days ago, IMHO. Obviously there are many interested groups in what happens next.

But you didn’t want a serious answer, did you? You just wanted to point out the failure of my post not being all encompassing.


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[JIMinNC]

Eh, those who have valid concerns are those who lived in Lahaina until a few days ago, IMHO. Obviously there are many interested groups in what happens next.

That is exactly what we all need to remember. The people of Lahaina need to decide what's next for Lahaina. Not the people in Kahului, or Honolulu, or the Mainland.

I would add, however, it's not just the people who "lived" in Lahaina, but also the people and companies who owned and operated businesses there. They must have a voice too.

 

[letsgobobby]

You just wanted to point out the failure of my post not being all encompassing.


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it turns out complex problems rarely have simple solutions. a lot of people will and should have a voice in the rebuilding of Maui and imposing artificial constraints on these voices, especially if you yourself have relatively little at stake, smacks of paternalism and even colonialism.

 

[WalnutBaron]

I was on Maui less than a month ago and stayed in Kapalua. As many times as we have visited Hawaii, we have never been to a luau. We attended the Old Lahaina Luau and I'm so grateful that we had that opportunity.

However, as a tourist, I will say that Lahaina Front Street area was not good for tourists, either. It was overcrowded and overrun without sufficient infrastructure to support the number of visitors. I thought it was just a harborfront block of tourist shops, with crowds of sunburned people wandering around buying drinks in pineapples and taking their photos with abused parrots. It felt like a cruise port in the Caribbean on the day a boat docked, not like Hawaii.

I wasn't even aware there was a cultural museum we could have visited... and now it's gone.

So I hope the local politics and sentiment will eventually coalesce into some sort of design plan that improves the functionality and balance of the area, and hopefully restores some of the "Hawaii" that was crowded out by swarms of tourists. And I agree, there's no way that can be done by outsiders.

Very thoughtful and articulate post. Thank you.

 

[JIMinNC]

I was on Maui less than a month ago and stayed in Kapalua. As many times as we have visited Hawaii, we have never been to a luau. We attended the Old Lahaina Luau and I'm so grateful that we had that opportunity.

However, as a tourist, I will say that Lahaina Front Street area was not good for tourists, either. It was overcrowded and overrun without sufficient infrastructure to support the number of visitors. I thought it was just a harborfront block of tourist shops, with crowds of sunburned people wandering around buying drinks in pineapples and taking their photos with abused parrots. It felt like a cruise port in the Caribbean on the day a boat docked, not like Hawaii.

I wasn't even aware there was a cultural museum we could have visited... and now it's gone.

So I hope the local politics and sentiment will eventually coalesce into some sort of design plan that improves the functionality and balance of the area, and hopefully restores some of the "Hawaii" that was crowded out by swarms of tourists. And I agree, there's no way that can be done by outsiders.

Well written, and I agree that the people and businesses of Lahaina are the ones who need to decide what the "new" Lahaina will be. Not visitors.

Having said that, as a visitor, I will miss the old Lahaina. We loved it's funky, touristy vibe, and to us, that WAS a big part of Hawaii. You didn't say specifically what Hawaii feels like to you, but for us, the big appeals of Maui were the humpback whales and Lahaina. We will miss Lahaina.

Just out of curiosity, for you, what was the "Hawaii that was crowded out" by the old Lahaina?

 

[ScoopKona]

Having said that, as a visitor, I will miss the old Lahaina. We loved it's funky, touristy vibe, and to us, that WAS a big part of Hawaii.

Wow do we see the same area through difference lenses. "Funky" is just about the last word I would have used to describe the waterfront area.

Maui was instantly removed from contention in our "where should we move" because of the west coast of West Maui. That's a place that's made for visiting, not for living. More "art" galleries (quotes intentional) than hardware stores, dentist offices and similar. Great for Wyland, I'm sure.

 

[Ken555]

it turns out complex problems rarely have simple solutions. a lot of people will and should have a voice in the rebuilding of Maui and imposing artificial constraints on these voices, especially if you yourself have relatively little at stake, smacks of paternalism and even colonialism.

A member of my extended family and her family lost their house and their business. I suspect that offers me at least some insight into the issue from a local perspective.

I’m also a realist about this issue, and know it’s going to be a total cluster.


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[Ken555]

That is exactly what we all need to remember. The people of Lahaina need to decide what's next for Lahaina. Not the people in Kahului, or Honolulu, or the Mainland.

I would add, however, it's not just the people who "lived" in Lahaina, but also the people and companies who owned and operated businesses there. They must have a voice too.

Yes, of course.


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[JIMinNC]

Wow do we see the same area through difference lenses. "Funky" is just about the last word I would have used to describe the waterfront area.

Maui was instantly removed from contention in our "where should we move" because of the west coast of West Maui. That's a place that's made for visiting, not for living. More "art" galleries (quotes intentional) than hardware stores, dentist offices and similar. Great for Wyland, I'm sure.

Yep we do see things through different lenses. When you live in a modern suburban single family subdivision on the outskirts of a large mainland city as we do, Lahaina is indeed "funky." You would probably think that every one of the 300+ houses in our subdivision looks identical. They aren't, but they are the same style. We like that and love our subdivision and wouldn't live anywhere else, but to visit, we loved the old Lahaina, too.

I wouldn't have wanted to live in Lahaina either. But I loved to visit there and we loved the art galleries too. We found out about Wyland there, and now own two of his limited edition prints at our main home and two more at our Hilton Head condo. Without Lahaina, we would have never discovered his artwork, but we did in 1992.

I want hardware stores and dentist offices at home, not in a vacation destination, and yes, Lahaina was a vacation destination. Nothing wrong with that. I suppose Lahaina did have some hardware stores and I assume dentist offices, they just weren't on Front Street.

 

[cooley]

Consider making a donation through a reputable agency to help support those devastated by the fire. Even small amounts add up.

 

[PDX Matthew]

Why would Westin or United cancel your trip?

Are any TUGgers on Maui currently?

We have friends on the Big Island. I hope they are okay. They are at Kona Coast.

I wonder if our trip to Maui next week will get cancelled by Westin and United Airlines.

We received an email from II on Wednesday telling us that Westin Ka’anapali Ocean View would not be available for our trip next week, and we’re advised to contact II for an E*trade or make a claim on the insurance we bought. We got a full refund from Alaska Airlines, and were able to cancel the rental car with no penalty. The insurance benefit for cancellation is $746, which is nowhere near the value of a week in a one bedroom condo at that resort. An E*trade was not possible for us as because we’d have to travel by 10/11/23, which isn’t possible for us.

United and other airlines have been cancelling their Maui bound flights, flying the airplanes empty to bring back evacuees.

My understanding is that the Acting Governor and Maui Mayor have said not to travel to Maui until further notice. Many of the resorts may not have electricity or running water. There may not be enough food available in Lahaina for residents and tourists.

Unless you are traveling to Maui as a humanitarian worker on an official mission, you are not wanted in Maui. Please wait until the situation improves before traveling to Maui. In all likelihood, Hawaii will pull out all the stops to get back in business as soon as possible.

 

[StaceyM]

Just out of curiosity, for you, what was the "Hawaii that was crowded out" by the old Lahaina?

It just feels like I interact more with Hawaiians versus fellow tourists in other parts of Hawaii. For example, there was a man with about 10 scraggly parrots (which are an invasive species to Hawaii) standing on a street corner in Lahaina and people were lined up to take photos with the birds... I've seen that in tons of places, from Pier 49 in San Francisco, to Mexican resorts, to a temple in Bali. There's nothing Hawaiian about a souvenir photo of a South American parrot on your shoulder; the Lahaina waterfront wasn't even in the photos. It's just a tourist trap cliche.

Probably the most "authentic" Hawaiian thing I've done is visit Molokai, where I got to see the sunrise ceremony to launch the Na Wahine O Ke Kai because I had a friend paddling in one of the boats. That was an amazing experience, but it's not one that could be scaled to mass tourism without ruining it. I don't know what is the answer.

 

[tha]

I would say chances of your trip being cancelled are pretty good. Even if Westin and UA don't notify you of a cancellation you might want to think hard if you want to go. The governor is asking tourists not to come, and that's for the entire island

 

[MikeinSoCal]

I see and hear all these reports of people that have friends and family in Lahaina. How are you communicating with them? My family lost 3 homes and everything else. We know they are safe and found temporary shelter. Phones, internet and electricity are still out. We can barely get ahold of anyone. Communication is very spotty. They are not thinking about rebuilding right now. They are only trying to survive and taking one day at a time. Where are they going to stay tomorrow? Where is their next meal going to come from?

 

[gwenkl]

Are any TUGgers on Maui currently?

We have friends on the Big Island. I hope they are okay. They are at Kona Coast.

I wonder if our trip to Maui next week will get cancelled by Westin and United Airlines.

If they don't, you should!

 

[dms111]

We have reservations arriving mid-Oct. So many people saying to cancel, but I'm wondering if we should go. We are not typical tourists, have been to the islands many times, will be respectful of the challenges, and hope to help the efforts while we're there. Will need to decide in the next few days to cancel or not, and I don't think there will be any official statement by then. The "don't come" message doesn't give a timeframe because they don't know one yet, but they'll still need tourist dollars to help sustain the businesses that did survive.

Although Lahaina is pretty much gone, it appears that much of the rest of the island is doing OK. Merriman's is still open as is Mama's Fish House, two of the better restaurants on the island. So there are still places to go and things to do there and, as I and others have stated, anything we can do to help Maui recover is worth doing.

 

[Kapolei]

There are many Lahaina timeshare weeks now appearing on II. Most of these are out of the fire zone and would be useful to local residents as long as they are open.

I don’t want to volunteer anyone to do anything. But if there was a way to donate weeks, it would useful to connect owners with those in need.

 

[ScoopKona]

I want hardware stores and dentist offices at home, not in a vacation destination, and yes, Lahaina was a vacation destination. Nothing wrong with that. I suppose Lahaina did have some hardware stores and I assume dentist offices, they just weren't on Front Street.

No, there's nothing wrong with that. But when I talk to the old aunties who have watched nearly a century unfold, they're unequivocal -- things were better decades ago when locals could afford the payments, see a doctor, live in the town they also worked in. That isn't happening today. Where I live, people are commuting the length of the island because they can't afford to live where the jobs are. If I had to make that commute every day, I'd buy a plane. That's nuts that people are forced to drive 150 miles daily -- on an island where gas is $5.50 a gallon.

The high-density tourist-everything is good for Wyland (I have nothing against him, I've known him since my Key West days). But it isn't good for residents. People who live across the state have been making their feelings known for years. (And I truly don't want to hear about the poor filipino housekeepers who will be out of a job if we reduce tourist numbers -- what a crock. There's more work than there are people to do it. That's part of the problem.) The pendulum has swung way too far in the direction of mass tourism. And if residents want to throttle it back, I don't blame them one bit. We can find a happy medium between 5 cruise ships and 300 airplanes each day, and the island of Niihau. Anyone who says otherwise is guilty of binary thinking.

 

[Luanne]

Although Lahaina is pretty much gone, it appears that much of the rest of the island is doing OK. Merriman's is still open as is Mama's Fish House, two of the better restaurants on the island. So there are still places to go and things to do there and, as I and others have stated, anything we can do to help Maui recover is worth doing.

The governor has issued a proclamation that is urging ALL non-essential travel to Maui be cancelled. It goes through August 31, but can be extended. I've attached it here.

https://governor.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/4th-EP-on-Wildfires.pdf#new_tab

And here is what had come out from the Department of Tourism.

Hawaii Asks All Visitors To Leave Maui (Updated) - Beat of Hawaii

To let Maui heal and and care for those impacted by the fire, visitors are now asked to depart.

beatofhawaii.com

 

[Luanne]

There are many Lahaina timeshare weeks now appearing on II. Most of these are out of the fire zone and would be useful to local residents as long as they are open.

I don’t want to volunteer anyone to do anything. But if there was a way to donate weeks, it would useful to connect owners with those in need.

Do you have weeks available on Maui? I know that at our timeshare Maui Hill owners have been giving their weeks, and even those who have traded in have given up their weeks. I would have gladly given ours, fixed dates of August 26 to September 2, but I banked this year's two years ago and I'm sure it went with a trade.

 

[StaceyM]

I see and hear all these reports of people that have friends and family in Lahaina. How are you communicating with them? My family lost 3 homes and everything else. We know they are safe and found temporary shelter. Phones, internet and electricity are still out. We can barely get ahold of anyone. Communication is very spotty. They are not thinking about rebuilding right now. They are only trying to survive and taking one day at a time. Where are they going to stay tomorrow? Where is their next meal going to come from?

Thank you for redirecting this thread to more meaningful discussions. I'm glad your family is safe for now.

There are Maui weeks available in August, available on Interval with free week certificates. I have four expiring in November that I can donate to anyone who needs them. I can probably help a bit on the fees (I think it's about $300 per week) if needed. If you are in communication with someone who can use the weeks, please let me know.

I wonder if Interval would waive the exchange fees for weeks donated for local Maui residents?



ETA: It was too long to screenshot, but there are more weeks available for early September, so people could potentially string together a few weeks in a single location.

Here is the link for Soleil Management's update, they manage a lot of these properties: https://www.soleilmanagement.com/alert-wildfires.aspx

 

[jabberwocky]

It just feels like I interact more with Hawaiians versus fellow tourists in other parts of Hawaii. For example, there was a man with about 10 scraggly parrots (which are an invasive species to Hawaii) standing on a street corner in Lahaina and people were lined up to take photos with the birds... I've seen that in tons of places, from Pier 49 in San Francisco, to Mexican resorts, to a temple in Bali. There's nothing Hawaiian about a souvenir photo of a South American parrot on your shoulder; the Lahaina waterfront wasn't even in the photos. It's just a tourist trap cliche.

Probably the most "authentic" Hawaiian thing I've done is visit Molokai, where I got to see the sunrise ceremony to launch the Na Wahine O Ke Kai because I had a friend paddling in one of the boats. That was an amazing experience, but it's not one that could be scaled to mass tourism without ruining it. I don't know what is the answer.

Like you we did the Old Lahaina Luau last month with our whole family and are so glad we did it. We shouldn’t judge a whole community by what a few entrepreneurs are doing?

While it’s definitely not my cup of tea, Lahaina had many gems. How many of us hired a local to take them out on a sports fishing or snorkeling expedition that took off from the dock?

The historical museum was quite interesting. All of this was readily accessible- just takes a bit of time to wander through.

And why do we hate art galleries? There are some nice ones there, and the Lahaina Arts Society operated a gallery featuring local artists. Last year I bought one directly from an artist named Kirk Boes who was working the gallery that day. Nice chap who moved to Lahaina to pursue his passion nearly 50 years ago (I hope he is okay). Great piece that I enjoy looking at in my office.

Maybe by accident of where he was born he isn’t considered “Hawaiian”, but he was welcoming and definitely had the Aloha spirit. I’m sure there are many other entrepreneurs, artists and others who are hurting now. They need our support not condemnation.

The best way to get Lahaina back on its feet will be to support those who can help rebuild.

 

[Kapolei]

Thank you for redirecting this thread to more meaningful discussions. I'm glad your family is safe for now.

There are Maui weeks available in August, available on Interval with free week certificates. I have four expiring in November that I can donate to anyone who needs them. I can probably help a bit on the fees (I think it's about $300 per week) if needed. If you are in communication with someone who can use the weeks, please let me know.

I wonder if Interval would waive the exchange fees for weeks donated for local Maui residents?

View attachment 80149

ETA: It was too long to screenshot, but there are more weeks available for early September, so people could potentially string together a few weeks in a single location.

Here is the link for Soleil Management's update, they manage a lot of these properties: https://www.soleilmanagement.com/alert-wildfires.aspx

I reached out to a person whose family is in need as one of their family’s homes was burned in the fire. I made them aware of this discussion. I don’t have a Maui timeshare myself. And my free certificates don’t access Maui.

 

[StaceyM]

...

 

[StaceyM]

And my free certificates don’t access Maui.

My "randomly deposited free week" doesn't pull Maui, but my "Interval always gives me a free week when I deposit" does.