Kauai Island

Kauai’s King Kaumualii was the last independent monarch in Kauai, and Hawaii’s King Kamehameha I is similarly revered as the ruler who eventually managed to unite Kauai with the other islands under his rule without bloodshed. Captain James Cook landed at Waimea in 1778, the first landing by the famous explorer in Hawaii. Two of the major Sugar plantations were owned by the McKee and McBride families, and those names are still common throughout Kauai. Another major plantation, still open today, is Gay & Robinson, and the Robinson family is extremely active in Kauai. Bruce and Keith Robinson own the nearby private island of Nihau, known for its unique shell jewelry.