LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Kamehameha knew a good thing when he saw it. After prevailing in a bloodthirsty battle to conquer the island of Maui, Hawaii's greatest king chose Lahaina, on the island's northwest side, as his base of operations.
HONOLULU -- It is the iconic image of the island of Oahu, perhaps of Hawaii itself: Diamond Head jutting majestically from the eastern curve of Waikiki Beach, like the prow of a clipper ship, rising above a swath of white sand and a forest of high-rises. Cameras frame this romantic scene from hotel balconies and unfurled beach mats, and the postcard racks are positively festooned with it.
LANAI CITY, Hawaii -- The old barge still perches forlornly on the reef, rusted to a hulk and assaulted by waves that send great plumes of froth up its prow. On a four-mile, round-trip hike along aptly named Shipwreck Beach to see it, we encountered all of six other people.
