Captain James Cook (1728-1779) was arguably the greatest explorer of all time. In his failed attempts to find Antarctica and the Northwest Passage, he “discovered” the Hawaiian Islands, the east coast of Australia, and circumnavigated New Zealand.
If you’re a Cook fan or just a history buff, these spots in Hawaii are definitely worth checking out.
1. Cook Landing Site (Kauai) (see lede photo). This spot in southern Kauai was where Cook first set foot on the Hawaiian/Sandwich Islands in January 1778. I took this photo from Russian Fort Elizabeth at the town of Waimea. The landing site is on the other side of the Waimea River, at Lucy Wright Park. The island in the background is Niihau.
2. Captain Cook Statue (Kauai). And while you’re in quaint Waimea, take a gander at the Cook statue along the main street (Kaumuali’i Highway) on the mauka (inland) side.
3. Cook’s Murder Scene (Big Island). A spat over a few pilfered items led to Cook’s demise via a blow to the head and a number of stab wounds. The tiny white object on the far shore in the picture above is an obelisk erected to commemorate Cook and to mark where he died. The small plot of land surrounding the obelisk at Kealakekua Bay is supposedly British territory. You can access it by hiking down from Highway 11 along the aptly named Captain Cook Monument Trail (my flip flops couldn’t handle it) or kayaking to it from Manini Beach (no upper arm strength or stamina) or taking a snorkeling trip (I only know how to doggy paddle).
4. The Town of Captain Cook (Big Island). This is more a collection of buildings than a proper town. It’s named after the Captain and it’s our favorite place to stay when we go to the Big Island. It’s on the Kona (west) side of the island. A string of coffee farms dot the area and there’s a cool breakfast place that is infested (in a good way) with cute green lizards. We always stay at Hotel Manago, a cheap and clean spot that originally catered to traveling salesmen. It has, without a doubt, the best pork chops around.
Images source: Maxichamp
