With the majestic West Maui Mountains in the near distance, HI 30 will soon lead you into the colorful seaport town of Lahaina, a National Historic Landmark.  The town's name translates to "cruel sun" and you'll notice the temperature has indeed become hotter and dryer as you headed further into the tropical west. After King Kamehameha the Great conquered and united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810, Lahaina became the capital of the new kingdom.  It remained so until Honolulu overtook it in stature and King Kamehameha III moved the capital to the island of Oahu in the mid-1800s.