The Pineapple Fields

One thing I miss most about Hawai’i is driving through the Wahiawa pineapple fields on the way out the the North Shore. I will never forget those leisurely days with the windows down, breeze blowin’ in my hair, and Soldiers of Jah Army cruisin’ through the speakers.

If you are so inclined, there is a tourist attraction among these very fields! Once a pineapple plantation and cannery Dole Plantation opened to the public as Hawaii’s “Pineapple Experience” in 1989. Today, Dole Plantation is one of Oahu’s most popular tourist attractions and welcomes more than one million visitors a year.  The pineapple experience includes the worlds largest maze, a multitude of tastes to enjoy ;), a garden tour, and a train called the “Pineapple Express”.

Waimea Beach

Waimea Beach is located on the North Shore. It is a splendidly large, white sanded beach that hosts a humongous rock where the ocean meets the sands. The beach is known for this rock and everyone has a great time jumping from it’s heights into the blue below.

Waimea Bay has an excellent shore-break for skim boarding and body boarding. It also receives an epic right point break that starts at 3ft-5ft and holds up to 16 ft and over. Surf crowd is few on the week-days and over-loaded on the weekends. Be wary of the undertow and localism. [surf information from www.wannasurf.com]

Rob Bain surfing Waimea waves.

Sharks Cove

Located on the North Shore, Sharks Cove is the home of a fabulous sum of marine life. It is a wonderful beach for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving; however be warned there is not a lot of room for tanning and playing on the sand.

There really are no pictures that capture the surreal majesty one finds beneath the waves, and among the fish. Be sure to visit between March and October, as the ocean becomes to unruly for swimming November through February. Do not forget a snorkel! If you so happen to there is a grocery store called “Foodland” across the street that carries them.

Do not miss this experience.

Polynesian Cultural Center

Located in La’ie; the Polynesian Cultural Center keeps eight island cultures alive with recreational villages representing Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, Aotearoa-Maori, Marquesas, Figi, Hawaii, and a Hawaiian Mission Settlement.

The PCC also has a variety of activities and shows, including

a mobile dance pageant aboard canoes,

a very authentic Lu’au,

and a magnificent night show.

I myself have been to the Polynesian Cultural Center on one occasion and had an absolutely wonderful time. I would recommend the PCC to kama’aina and tourists alike for a fun, cultural experience.