Not-so-Great Cancellation on Friendly Isle

Obviously, FH is making a judgment concerning something he knows nothing about. The Wine and Spirits store also has specialty meats and cheeses and canned items. We were there a total of 51 days during which we entertained friends visiting and those we were fortunate to get to know. We don’t drink hard liquor only wine and if you aren’t familiar with that you won’t know that it’s expensive. Maybe it’s news to you that the Lodge also had quality food and we always tipped 20%. Before passing judgment on people you don’t know its best you educate yourself first.

The point of my letter was not to show how much money we spent while on Molokai but to show that we supported many of the local businesses. If tourism were to slow down to the point where everyone suffers we would think that is not what the people of Molokai want. How many businesses depend on tourism on Molokai or will be affected by a dramatic drop in tourism spending? We spent money with grocery stores, the gas station, car rental, Molokai Hotel, Paddlers Inn, Molokai Wines and sure we spent money with the lodge also as it was close to where our condo was located.

We would like to think we are in touch with the people of Molokai because we too appreciate the lack of traffic jams, a golf course and beaches that are not overcrowded. While we don't want Molokai to develop the way other islands have we do want the people of Molokai to enjoy a good wage to support their families. Tourism is a clean and renewable commerce as we live in a town that is now largely tourism because of the wine industry. To say we are not in touch with the people of Molokai would be missing the reason we are writing. We do care what happens to the people and the island.

Last year we had 2 other couples join us on Molokai for the first time. This year we had 4 couples and maybe more that wanted to visit because we told them how wonderful the people and the island were. Unfortunately we are all going to another island next year because of all the closures.

Julie, I hope this gives you a better understanding of where we were coming from.

We are sadden by the recent news of what has been happening lately and hope that everyone comes out of this on top. We have been coming to Molokai for the past 5 years since discovering the friendly isle...

We did not come for the Ranch activites but the solitude and beauty of the island. We did enjoy the music at the Lodge and I must say I was happy to hear that some of the great music is now at the Coffee Plantation and other places on the Island, I hope this is a new beginning of a Molikai tradition.

We will be back this October and plan to enjoy the solitude and beauty that is Molokai and hope that we are as welcome as we have been made to feel in the past. We love the little things that make Molokai special to us.

Aloha

Suzi and Howard Law

We have been visiting Moloka'i every couple of years for the last several years and had been debating whether to go again this year, but when we heard about the Ranch closing, instead of staying away, we decided that it was important to come to our favorite island and support the local economy. We'll be making a short trip in a few weeks after attending a family wedding in Honolulu, and if we can manage a longer trip at the end of the summer, we'll be back. We also put in an order for some Moloka'i coffee and Keli'i Mawae's new CD.

On our first visit several years ago, we stayed at a condo in Kaluakoi, and the beach house was shut down and the golf course overgrown, but we enjoyed the eerie quiet and didn't mind having to skim the pool, if we were the first ones to use it that day. It even added to a feeling of community among the visitors, which I think of as part of a Moloka'i-style vacation.

We don't golf much anyway, and golf courses often need chemical fertilizers and pesticides to maintain their appearance, and use valuable water resources that could better be used elsewhere on the island. They've got plenty of nice golf courses on Lana'i and the other islands for people who like to golf.

The restaurant at the Ranch was okay, but we have lots of fancy restaurants at home. We go to Moloka'i for Oviedo's, the Cookhouse, the Coffee Plantation, the mahi platter at Mana'e Goods & Grinds, local produce from the market on Saturdays, Purdy's macadamia nuts, Moloka'i purple sweet potatoes, and fresh local beef and fish on the grill with our friends at the Wavecrest.

We come to Moloka'i for the relaxed non-commercial atmosphere, friendly people, beautiful landscape, historical and sacred sites, great music, hula, and the things that are unique to Moloka'i.

Keep Moloka'i Moloka'i, and we'll keep coming back.

David Goldfarb
From a little island, smaller than Moloka'i,
off the East coast of the mainland

It is interesting to me to read all of the things that are going on on the island. I have never been there although I have been to all the other islands except Lanai. I am looking forward to having a wonderful vacation. I am booked to arrive the day after Christmas and will be staying on the now closed golfcourse. I don't think anyone can close the ocean, the sky or attitude of people who don't want to change. I am a little curious about what will or won't be open. I hear there is another golfcourse but not yet sure if they are renting clubs yet. I expect to fish and relax and enjoy the people ( I am a people person) but I would love any input that anyone may have regarding restaraunts etc. Thanks

Aloha, Jackson's
If you love our island and its people it sounds to me that you are not in touch with the people of Molokai, if you have to tell all of us how much money you spend on this island. You are not in touch with the culture of its people or this beautiful Hawaiian island, that it is not over developed, no traffic jams and no overcrowed golf coarse and beautiful beaches.
The lodge does not and will not be a representative of this island. You are living in a small world if that is all you know about Molokai is the Ranch.
As an American I do not like a foreign company holding Americans hostage and telling us it our way or NO way. George Washington and our fore fathers where ACTIVISTS THEY FOUGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS FROM ENGLAND.