Up until a year ago, I didn’t know I had relatives buried at Kalaupapa, nor would I have guessed I’d be walking the Papaloa Cemetery on the

The high points where land and sea meet provide dramatic vistas of craggy shorelines and pounding oceans.

Een unieke en historische plek op Hawaï vertelt een verhaal van vooroordelen, weerbaarheid - en aloha.

For four years, ever since I read the historical novel Molokai by Alan Brennert, I've wanted to visit Kalaupapa for myself. I couldn't believe I had never heard of this leper colony. I couldn't believe people still got leprosy as recently as 150 years ago. I couldn't believe people still get leprosy. Hawaii has fascinated me for years, but I'd never heard of Kalaupapa or the leprosy colony there.

As we viewed Molokai's empty beaches from above, it provided a glimpse into what we were about to experience on this unique Hawaiian island.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the north side of Molokaʻi was the site of forced isolation for patients with leprosy.

The Mysterious Part Of This National Park You're Not Allowed To See

People often talk about how moving the shore is—a place that relaxes, awakens, and recharges. Then there are those whom, well, it literally moves: "Our family loved going to the beach so much that we spontaneously picked up and moved our family of six there! No job, no plan, no idea whether we'd truly like it or not.... We just did it," says Mike Ragsdale, formerly of Birmingham, AL, now of Santa Rosa Beach, FL. "That was almost four years ago, and we all agree it was the best thing we ever did as a family." What is it about ocean shorelines that has such power? They touch every sense: the redolence of fresh sea breeze, the sand underfoot, the sparkling sunsets, and the white noise of crashing waves. Whether you're reclining on windswept sands or trekking across dizzying bluffs, the ebb and flow of the water is hypnotic, and its sheer expanse grounding. Something as vast as the ocean just puts all of life's little worries into perspective. "For me, it's the freedom that comes with a coastal visit that's particularly appealing," says Jeanna Zelin, founder of Retreats by the Sea, which organizes luxury wellness getaways to such beachside destinations as Portland, ME; Santa Barbara, CA; and Chatham, MA. "You're on vacation, so there's no work to be done. Plus, the textures and scents and sounds of the surf carry your mind away—you turn off your left brain and just start feeling." Zelin's lifelong affinity for the beach stems from childhood summers on North Carolina's Outer Banks, where wild ponies roam on certain shores. Those on Shackleford Banks have a special story, says Zelin: "The origin of the Shackleford horses, according to my relatives in North Carolina, is a mystery—with the most common legend telling the story of Spanish mustangs swimming ashore from a wrecked ship." Camping next to meandering horses, especially ones with such a backstory, makes for the most romantic and rustic of beach scenes. Treasures can be found along all of the United States' coasts, 95 thousand miles of eastern, western, northern, and southern shoreline that exemplify the diversity our country has to offer. Rent a convertible, crank up some Beach Boys, and cruise down the glittery glam beaches that line California's Pacific Coast Highway. Or, for a more isolated drive, try winding in and out of the majestic fjords draping southeast Alaska's forested border, a haven for bald eagles and humpback whales. So whether you crave a bracing hike along blustery seaside cliffs or a relaxed afternoon under the fiery sun, the U.S. has a shore to match your every mood—and views that will blow you away.

On Oct. 11, Father Damien de Veuster will become Hawaii’s first canonized saint.The Catholic Church will officially recognize Hawaii’s beloved

Full color puzzle featuring the Sinclair Service Station in Dalhart, TX comes in 30, 110, 252, 500, and 1000-piece variations. This series of puzzles features some of my favorite vintage gas stations! From the Crazy Cabin Inn of rural Missouri to the Kalaupapa Station that has served its community for 90 years in Hawaii, this puzzle series will take you to stations across the country as you move through the year. Each puzzle is labelled with the station name, if available, and the location and is colorized from vintage photo negatives. Made with high-quality chipboard pieces, our puzzles come in 30, 110, 252, 500, and 1000-piece variations. The 252 and 500-piece puzzles are ideal for children from the age of 9, while the 1000-piece puzzle is great for adults. Ships in gift-ready metal box featuring the finished puzzle on the front. .: Pre-diecut chipboard with a satin finish .: 30, 110, 252, 500 or 1000 precise interlocking pieces .: White metal tin box with finished image on the cover

Explore Steven W Lum's 7126 photos on Flickr!

Molokai is one of Hawaii's most amazing islands, and hiking to Kalaupapa - with its interesting, dark past - makes for an even more memorable adventure.

The Mysterious Part Of This National Park You're Not Allowed To See

Explore jshyun's 22023 photos on Flickr!

Full color puzzle featuring the Consumers Oil Co in Butte, MT comes in 30, 110, 252, 500, and 1000-piece variations. This series of puzzles features some of my favorite vintage gas stations! From the Crazy Cabin Inn of rural Missouri to the Kalaupapa Station that has served its community for 90 years in Hawaii, this puzzle series will take you to stations across the country as you move through the year. Each puzzle is labelled with the station name, if available, and the location and is colorized from vintage photo negatives. Made with high-quality chipboard pieces, our puzzles come in 30, 110, 252, 500, and 1000-piece variations. The 252 and 500-piece puzzles are ideal for children from the age of 9, while the 1000-piece puzzle is great for adults. Ships in gift-ready metal box featuring the finished puzzle on the front. .: Pre-diecut chipboard with a satin finish .: 30, 110, 252, 500 or 1000 precise interlocking pieces .: White metal tin box with finished image on the cover

A photography exhibit detailing life at a former settlement for Hansen’s disease (leprosy) patients at the Kalaupapa Peninsula of Molokai, is now on

Molokai is one of Hawaii's most amazing islands, and hiking to Kalaupapa - with its interesting, dark past - makes for an even more memorable adventure.

Here the 10 most incredible sea cliffs in the world. The impressive cliffs rise 120 meters (394 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean and reach a maximum height of 214 meters (702 ft).

These photographs, taken in the late 1800s and early 1900s, give us a glimpse into life before Hawaii became an American State.

14 Spectacular Cliffs Around the World: Explore these beautiful magical views on your next trip.

This gallery is comprised of photographs that echo the old world charm that pervades the culture and landscape of Molokai.

The primary story being told at Kalaupapa National Historical Park is the forced isolation from 1866 until 1969 of people from Hawai'i afflicted with Hansen's disease (leprosy) to the remote northern Kalaupapa peninsula on the island of Molokai. Kalaupapa National Historical Park, established in 1980, preserves the physical settings for these stories. Within its boundaries are the historic Hansen's disease settlements of Kalawao andKalaupapa. The community of Kalaupapa, on the leeward side of Kalaupapa Peninsula, is still home for a few elderly surviving former Hansen's disease-scarred patients, whose memories and experiences of their ordeals with surviving the disease are cherished. In Kalawao on the windward side of the peninsula are the churches of Siloama, established in 1866, and Saint Philomena, associated with the work of St. Father Damien.

I think it’s ironic that when you live in an area, you have all these things that you ‘will do’ and never get around to it. In California, I had all these plans for a winter Yose…

We share our first impressions of Molokai, a lesser known Hawaiian Island that is proudly labeled as The Most Hawaiian Island"

Here|!!| we’ve selected images from renowned photographer Wayne Levin|!!| who took the following photographs in Kalaupapa|!!| Molokai. All were taken between 1984 and 1987.

I think it’s ironic that when you live in an area, you have all these things that you ‘will do’ and never get around to it. In California, I had all these plans for a winter Yose…

Check out the world’s most awe-inspiring, vertigo-inducing cliffs, from Pakistan’s Trango Towers to Norway’s Preikestolen.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park in Hawaii is full of history and beauty but it is one place you may never see in person.

Kalaupapa, on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, has housed more than 8,000 sufferers since it opened in 1866. With its future uncertain, the last 17 lepers banished there have told how they want to stay there.

The Mysterious Part Of This National Park You're Not Allowed To See

I often get asked what the most memorable trip I've ever taken was. Without hesitation, I tell them that it was the Molokai Leper colony tour in Hawaii.

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