Front Street in Lahaina

As my feet touch the pavement, I can already feel the excitement in the air. All around me people are walking around, shopping or just plain browsing. It’s the peak of tourist season on Front Street in Lahaina town and the masses of people never seem to come to an end. As far as you can look down the road all you can see are people walking, riding bikes or driving. The feel in the air is carefree, full of excitement and completely contagious. I can’t help but notice the spring that has come to my step, as I remember coming to this very place as a child, then as a teenager, now as an adult. I remember living one block away while I was growing up, and my friends and I would always walk to Front Street, just hang out and get into trouble. This is a place full of excitement and extremely special to me.

First, I cross the street so I can go see the Banyan Tree, which is rumored to be the biggest and oldest banyan tree in the world. It has an enormous trunk that covers a very large space, not to mention its gigantic branches that spread enough to cover nearly half a block. This very tree is what Lahaina is known for and what makes it famous to people from all over the world. People like to hang onto its branches and swing down from its vines. Apparently nobody is allowed to swing from the tree anymore and they have started cutting the branches and vines, in an effort to keep people from making it a recreational playground.

As I turn around to leave the Banyan Tree, there is a man standing in the front, with a guitar around his neck, holding a Bible in his hands screaming out religious verses and scriptures to the people passing by. A whole mob of people have congregated in front of this man, some deeply e...

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...laring loud music continues to pass by and everyone turns to look, as the teenagers in their newly acquired car pass playing their favorite music. The energy is contagious and I find myself reminiscing of a time when I was as carefree and unattached as most of the faces I see. As I continue along, I pass various shops of all different types. One shop sells surf clothing, with a young surfer dude manning the register, while another sells any and all types of jewelry at ridiculously hiked up prices. No matter what your taste may be you can always find something on Front Street.

Regardless of how long I’ve been away, not much has changed. There is still that same unique feel that can only be found on Front Street. There’s always something for people of all ages to do, and if for some reason all else fails, I can always hit the beach to go swimming, or catch a suntan.