My earliest trip to Lahaina was in 1998, on our first trip to Maui with our young family. The colorful, tropical vibe brought an immediate smile. There were bustling sidewalks, antique wooden buildings with their date of establishment over their doors (mostly early 1900s), the ocean lapping a seawall, exotic birds posing on kids’ shoulders, and quirky characters mixed in with museums and galleries. It was a wonderland, a happy place like nowhere I’d ever been. I fell in love, and from then on, I would say it was my favorite town in the world.

We’ve been back once or twice a year since then with kids and teens, best friends, and family. We’ve celebrated birthdays and anniversaries at Kimos and been to performances at Warren & Annabelle’s, Ulalena, Fleetwoods, Cheeseburger in Paradise, The Old Lahaina Luau, and the Feast at Lele. We had our traditional “must eat” meals at Aloha Mixed Plate and our post-dive shave ice at Ululani’s.

All great, but not what I treasure most.

I treasure the memories the kids made in that town. They had favorite shops through the years – like Lahaina Scrimshaw and the Pearl Factory (I can hear them laugh when their oyster was pried open and the bell was rung). We loved seeing the giant shark’s jaw at Whaler’s Locker (the owner, a diving legend we called Bob of the Sea, became a friend, and his shop was chock full of cool relics). The kids played dozens of rounds of Glow Putt Mini Golf and took surf lessons from Outrageous Surf. They posed on the limbs of the Banyan tree, and we ate countless meals at Bubba Gump’s, trying to get the answers right in the trivia quiz. They visited the Brig Carthaginian before it was sunk and rode the Reef Dancer sub, experiencing the wonders of the sea.

On every single trip, we made a point to visit Dan’s Greenhouse, regardless of its location. The kids fed the piglets bottles of milk and held exotic birds. There was a Palm Cockatoo there, Prince Ele Ele, who remembered my husband Mark year after year and would give him gentle cuddles and kisses. Thank God Prince Ele Ele was sold before the fire. We can’t bear to think of what happened to the other birds.

After the kids were grown, our trips to Lahaina changed focus, and more precious memories were made. I collected books on Hawaiian history and walked the town with the Restoration Society map, marveling at the preserved buildings and the fascinating stories. There were tales of whalers and missionaries, Alii (royalty), and tradition. I visited graveyards, the prison, the fort, and the missionary house. For a time, there was a cultural workshop I attended in the morning. Lahaina had been the capital of the islands from 1820 to 1845. One of my favorite parts of Lahaina was how history was preserved right there, along with all the modern stuff. You could walk through it. Those buildings are all gone now.

I loved going into town early, by myself, to watch it wake up before the crowds arrived. I saw the crossing guard give high-fives to every child in the crosswalk heading to the elementary school, waitstaff setting up with windows thrown open, and a round table full of aunties making leis on the front lawn at the Baldwin house. There was always a fine cast of characters under the Banyan tree, a mix of guys selling weed, homeless persons, tourists, and, in recent years, a bunch of chickens. We had other favorite characters we loved to see, like Keith, who rode his bike through town with a parrot on the handlebars for many, many years. We considered a Keith sighting a good luck charm.

I loved going into the Old Courthouse. The gallery of art by locals downstairs was full of beautiful pieces, and upstairs were interesting exhibits and a window looking down over the Banyan tree – a great bird’s eye view of life going on under that spectacular tree. I’ve never seen a tree like it and probably never will again. I hope it survives.

We walked through galleries on Front St. with friends over the years, something we never do at home. We watched our best friends fall in love with a particular artist and collect their very first piece of his work. We’ve sung on rooftops, marveled at sunset along the seawall, and taken laughing photos together on the street.

I loved discovering with my sister that the Pioneer Inn served some of the best fish tacos on the island under the watchful eye of Alex, the African Grey parrot (he survived the fire). And that the butterscotch pots de creme at Honu Oceanside were life-changing. I had a blast eating at the original Star Noodle after we fell in love with local Chef Sheldon on Top Chef.

One favorite secret spot was the patio on the ocean side of the Crazy Shirts store, which had a rusting anchor and some old whaling ship statues that were amazing relics. It was a great place to watch the sunset with a shave ice in hand.

Down at the waterfront, there were fishermen, divers, excited tourists lining up to go on adventures, and surfers watching the break just outside the harbor. One day, when the swell was big, some local kids were getting ready to head out and excitedly told me, “Kai Lenny is out there! He’s the best surfer on the island!” This was just a few feet from the Hauola stone, a birthing stone used by royalty, sitting just slightly submerged in the water. That was Lahaina for you.

I got my first tattoo in Lahaina, at Skin Deep. I chose Lahaina for the occasion intentionally, part of the symbolism of my tattoo, because it was my favorite place. I got my second tattoo there as well. And my most recent, along with my sister, representing our love of traveling together, was also done in Lahaina on purpose – at Mid Pacific Tattoo.

But the memory that came to me first, so precious and something we’ve done so many times, is this. My husband Mark and I dive together; it’s our date time. We’ve been diving with Lahaina Divers since 2011. Most of our dives started with a very early morning check-in. We’d park behind the Master’s Reading room (built in the 1830s), check in at the dive shop, and then walk to the harbor. Along the way, we’d pass chickens and chicks, cross a lawn next to the Baldwin house, say good morning to a homeless person or two, then cross under the incredible banyan tree. The harbor would be starting to bustle, tanks being loaded onto the two dive boats, pickups pulling in and out, surfers heading out, and a few fishermen on the breakwall. We’d get on the boat and head to the upper deck.

It was always a little cool, the sunlight just breaking over the top of the west Maui mountains and rays beaming through the clouds. Birds chirped, and there were usually kids laughing and playing in the elementary school yard right there next to the dock. I’ve tried to capture that scene with my camera dozens of times, but I could never do it justice.

After some fun banter with the captains and crew of the two dive boats, we’d pull away slowly, quieting down with a recording of Captain Buzzy (he’s gone now, but was a lot of fun) introducing Auntie Kathy, who did a Hawaiian chant asking for permission to enter the sea. After her chant, Buzzy would run us through the particulars of the boat, including my favorite tips for sea sickness – “Don’t go into the head. The devil lives in the head,” and “If you’re going to lose the battle, press your okole up against the glass and shoot for distance.” This whole ritual, the sights, the chant, the cool fresh air heading out to sea as we pulled away from Lahaina harbor, feels like peace and joy to me.

Lahaina town itself felt like peace and joy to me. And history, art, beautiful humanity, and precious memories. I hope it will again.

Every time we arrive on Maui, our drive to our condo on Kaanapali Beach includes a detour down Front Street to get a first look at my favorite town. The last time we did that was Monday, August 7, the day before the fire. Lahaina looked perfectly normal and was a joy to see.