Charles Lindberg's Grave

[Geico266]

While in Hana, Maui we decided to make the "out of the way" trip to see Charles Lindberg's grave. As a young boy growing up CL was a hero among mere mortals, but lead a controversial life in many ways. His contributions to aviation, and the war effort of WWII are undeniable.

A very small church yard cemetery. It was a very cool peaceful final resting place, near a horse pasture where offspring of horses he rode still live today. I even fed one of them. Legion has it he is buried standing up facing the ocean, like deserving Hawaiian warriors of old. The locals, his island friends in his later years bestowed this rare honor to him after he died.

The words on his grave stone are interesting to me as I love flying and the ocean.

 

[Geico266]

It is amazing to me to think of the courage he had to climb in an airplane over loaded with fuel, with very little equipment, fly out to sea, and across the Atlantic non stop.

Simply amazing courage we rarely see today. He still is an inspiration to me.


Another item off the bucket list.

 

[ClimbnSink]

I like the old school way of putting snippets of poetry on headstones

 

[Sac Arrow]

I have stopped by there as well when I was in Maui.

 

[Geico266]

I have stopped by there as well when I was in Maui.

An amazingly somber and inner-reflective place.

 

[Hawker800]

He led a secretive life. Had three families.

 

[asgcpa]

On the road "back" from Hana...right if I remember? Did you drive yourself or take a tour? Going back to Maui for my honeymoon.

 

[Becky]

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea ...

That line is from Psalm 139.9, King James version, and should have been attributed as such on the grave marker, not as a quote from Lindbergh.

I admire his courage, too. His wife wrote prodigiously, and often autobiographically, so we know a lot more about his life than would have been the case otherwise.

 

[Jimmy cooper]

Also amazing what he felt necessary to take with him. No gps. Ipad, little or nothing. List is in his book he wrote called "WE" very few aids compared to today when some fly 50 miles for a cheeseburger.

 

[Everskyward]

I wasn't aware the gravesite was open to the public.

 

[Gadgetman]

Maui is one of my favorite island. Next time I'm there, I'll visit his grave. Thanks for posting.

 

[Steve Job]

I also made a point to visit his gravesite, and was struck by the beauty of the place. We were the only ones there, which added to that beauty. We decided to drive back from Hana the "other" way, using the road which was forbidden by the rental car company. I'm glad we did. We drove from a lush rain forest to a barren desert and back again over the course of maybe 30 miles. One of the highlights of the trip. And the road wasn't that bad.

 

[ScottM]

I also made a point to visit his gravesite, and was struck by the beauty of the place. We were the only ones there, which added to that beauty. We decided to drive back from Hana the "other" way, using the road which was forbidden by the rental car company. I'm glad we did. We drove from a lush rain forest to a barren desert and back again over the course of maybe 30 miles. One of the highlights of the trip. And the road wasn't that bad.

Yeah, I have made the trip on the road from Hana that you did. It was great!

 

[Geico266]

On the road "back" from Hana...right if I remember? Did you drive yourself or take a tour? Going back to Maui for my honeymoon.

We took a tour. You can certainly drive it your self, but we like the locals and the "views" they bring to the trip.

 

[Geico266]

Yeah, I have made the trip on the road from Hana that you did. It was great!

Its a little bumpy, but certainly doable. We will drive it next time.

I think the grave site is after Hana a short ways. If you are on the road it is a great stop IMHO.

 

[Geico266]

He led a secretive life. Had three families.

A true aviator!

 

[Ghery]

Here's an aerial view of the church where he is buried. My wife took the picture while I was doing the PIC thing.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Bill Bryson's recent book, One Summer: America 1927 is largely about Lindbergh. A very good read, and he wasn't the big deal some folks made him out to be. For instance, he was on pretty good terms with the Nazis before WWII and even after it started he was against it. He had anti-Semite leanings as well. He had come home to a hero's welcome after his trans-Atlantic flight, and towns named a whole lot of streets and other places after him, and then took his name off those after the war started and he wasn't so politically correct anymore.

Being famous has its pitfalls.

Read the reviews: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17262366-one-summer

Dan

 

[comanchepilot]

There is no reason to go 'back' to Hana any longer - there is about a 100 yard wide stretch of road that is a drainage ditch that is now concrete and is usually passable by a rental car. If the water is really flowing you will need to turn around . . .

If you get that far, you might as well go all the way around the south side of the island - once past that one spot where the road is just a concrete drainage ditch its all paved road to Kaupo and the Kaupo store -

Darn I like the south side of Maui . . . its so peaceful and open.

 

[Geico266]

Here is a video I put together. It is really poor quality, but you get the idea of where it is. Video editing is not my thing.


http://youtu.be/DYNX0684M_I

 

[Geico266]

There is no reason to go 'back' to Hana any longer - there is about a 100 yard wide stretch of road that is a drainage ditch that is now concrete and is usually passable by a rental car. If the water is really flowing you will need to turn around . . .

If you get that far, you might as well go all the way around the south side of the island - once past that one spot where the road is just a concrete drainage ditch its all paved road to Kaupo and the Kaupo store -

Darn I like the south side of Maui . . . its so peaceful and open.

That part of the road was closed due to flooding when we started out, but by the time we got there it was open. They had to clear mud and rocks from the roadway with a skidloader.

 

[wsuffa]

If you go to Honolulu, this is worth visiting, too:

 

[catmandu]

I came upon that grave while seeking out the church, having asked a concierge for a nice drive for a day trip. Wondered aloud "Do you suppose he's any relation?" having no clue it was there, and not quick enough to do the timeline in my head.