Enlarge Photo

The second largest of the Hawaiian islands, Maui is nicknamed the Valley Isle, a moniker that turns out to be somewhat tame considering its gorgeous vistas, silky white sand beaches and incredible sunrises, which Mark Twain was said to be enthralled by. I first visited Maui in the 1970s and was so taken by its combination of beauty and laissez-faire atmosphere that I wound up staying for three months, in the fishing village of Lahaina. At that time the community was a trendy up-and-comer popular with a jet-set crowd and serious athletes, who came for the water sports. Throughout the ’70s, growth on the island was rampant. Even when Hawaii suffered economic setbacks as a result of hurricanes or wars, Maui continued to draw record numbers of tourists. During a recent visit to Lahaina, I was shocked by the masses of time-share hawkers filling the main street, where my friends and I once roamed without being besieged. But there are plenty of good changes too. Hotels in Wailea, in south Maui, nonexistent thirty years ago, are grand and lavish affairs catering to discerning travelers. And just as many dedicated athletes still stay for months on end to windsurf and dive. And some things, fortunately, haven’t changed at all. Hiking the Haleakala crater is exciting as ever, and the east side of the island remains a remote wilderness. With more than two million visitors every year, Maui will be hard put to tread the line between overdevelopment and maintaining its old exuberance. I, for one, am hoping for the best.