The Storied Places of West Maui

Book excerpt: Soon after moving to Maui in 1983, Michelle Anderson met Maui County historian Inez Ashdown, who was then 83 years old. They hit it off immediately and Michelle became Mrs. Ashdown's close companion for the remainder of her life. She took Mrs. Ashdown holo-holo all across Maui and escorted her to many events and to her weekly show at the old Kapalua Bay Hotel. Michelle developed a deep appreciation for the wahi pana (storied places) of Maui during these outings with Mrs. Ashdown, who regaled her with stories of the distant past in every district they visited. Michelle came to realize that many of her Hawaiian friends had never heard these stories, so she promised Mrs. Ashdown that one day she would write about Maui's wahi pana to safeguard it for future generations.