The rich history of Wailuku, Maui...Surprises in a small town...

The old Wailuku Courthouse, built in 1907, is located on the US National Register of Historic Buildings.

To visit the city of Wailuku required taking a turn down a road we'd yet to visit. Little did we know what a quaint and charming little village lay ahead as we made our way through the narrow streets.

Wailuku Union Church, built in 1911.

Although it was raining during our entire visit we still had an opportunity to see what little treasures this tiny town had to offer even with its low population from the 2010 census of 15,313. Wailuku is the county seat of Maui county which makes an excellent representation of with its historical buildings and small town feel.

The Bailey House Museum is also listed on the US National Register of Historic Buildings. (Not our photo).

There are only a few low key hotels in Wailuku that laid back tourists may enjoy. The popularity of nearby Kaanapali Beach and its row of luxury and mid range hotels, draws many tourists from the area. However, a visit to Wailuku would certainly be a memorable experience for the tourist with transportation and a little time to wander.

Kaahumanu Church, another building on the US National Register of Historic Buildings

"Historic sites in the town include Kaʻahumanu Church (named after one of Hawaiʻi's great monarchs, Queen Kaʻahumanu) which dates to 1876, the Wailuku Civic Center Historic District, the site of the Chee Kung Tong Society Building, and the Bailey House, a 19th-century former seminary and home that houses a history museum and the Maui Historical Society."

On the return drive to Maalaea Beach, the rain stopped and the sky cleared to this bright blue. No more than 10 minutes after we returned we were outside enjoying the sun, sea and surf for another fabulous day in the Hawaiian islands.

To have the opportunity for an unplanned breeze through Wailuku on a rainy day and to discover all of these treasures was definitely awe inspiring. With the return of the laptop, the re-doing of the car rental contract, the purchase of a new piece of luggage at Costco (more on why tomorrow) and the visit to Wailuku, it was definitely a good day.

This common sandpiper stopped running long enough for us to take her photo.

Two weeks from today, we're leaving Maui. How the time has flown!
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Photo from one year ago today, November 17, 2013:

Ironically, a year ago today, we booked the hotel with our cruise ending in Boston, with the intent of visiting my father's grave site and seeing family. This is my parent's wedding photo we posted one year ago on this date. For details of that date, please click here.