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Lanai Hawaii
Lanai is very small - only 140 square miles- and quiet island. The population of Lanai is 3,000 people. Lanai has one airport (Lanai airport) and only three hotels, two of them are luxury resorts.
As a legend says, Lanai was an evil place, overrun with demons. Perhaps, the small island, that lacked the resources other islands had, was perceived as inhospitable and evil place. For nearly 1,000 years after Polynesians settled Hawaii, Lanai remained uninhabited. Then, according to the legend, the demons were driven out by Kaulalaau (exiled son of a West Maui king), and Hawaiians finally came to live on Lanai.
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Over the years, Lanai has gone through different stages of
development. The island was used for sugarcane raising and cattle
grazing. In 1922 it was purchased by a pineapple company and
developed as a pineapple-growing center. Nowadays pineapple is no
longer grown here commercially, but the nickname of Lanai -the
Pineapple Isle- still remains.
Two popular places on Lanai, Hawaii are the Garden of the Gods and
Shipwreck Beach.
Gardens of God
Garden of the Gods is a windswept plateau area at the west end of
Lanai. The relentless winds have been weathered queer forms of cliff
sides. The exposed hillsides and rock formations reveal the very
earthy tones of red, rust, russet, yellow and brown. This lunar-like
landscape is especially impressive in the early morning or late
afternoon sunlight.
Shipwreck beach
Shipwreck beach is a 8-mile -long stretch of white sand on the north
of Lanai. The beach was named for the rusting World War II Liberty
ship that lists off its shore. It can be dangerous to swim here, as
the undercurrents are often strong, and there are no lifeguards. But
beachcombers love this place, because everything from Nautilus
shells to timbers to old wooden riggers wash ashore. In the winter
and early spring this beach is one of Lanai's best whale-watching
spots.
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