Goodbye Islands as I Once Knew You

Today was the last day of business for the Islands Restaurant at my hotel as I new it. The Hanalei is undergoing extensive remodel in the next 6 months and the first stage is the remodel of the hotel's signature restaurant. This waterfall is one of the victims of the remodel. It has been there for decades along with priceless tiki artifacts as well as Monkeypod tables (which is a now endangered wood native to the South Pacific). The tables are supposed to return, since they truly are priceless at this point, but the fate of many of the artifacts is in question. Most are supposed to return, maybe not to the restaurant, but around the property. But there has been rumour that they may not return and simply be liquidated at bulk to some collector. There are also many pieces and furnishings from the long defunct Luau restaurant. I will miss many of these things and hope they make a return when the restaurant reopens. But sadly 2-3 of the popular waterfalls on property will meet their demise with this remodel as well as tons and tons of lava rock, imported to San Diego when the restaurant was built. To see old pictures of the Luau and the Islands (and actually other parts of the Hanalei Hotel) you can find them in the Book of Tiki. I will probably post a few more pictures of the restaurant in the next few days or I might save them and then do a compare and contrast with the restaurant when it reopens.