Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
adventurous, a switchback trail leads to a secluded black-sand beach at the
mouth of a wild valley once planted in taro; bring water and bug spray.
At the end of Hwy. 270, Makapala.
WAIMEA (KAMUELA)
Parker Ranch All ages. The paniolo (cowboy) tradition began here in
1809, when John Parker, a 19-year-old New England sailor, jumped ship and
rounded up wild cows for King Kamehameha. There's some evidence that Hawai-
ian cowboys were the first to be taught by the great Spanish horsemen, the vaque-
ros; they were cowboying 40 years before their counterparts in California, Texas,
and the Pacific Northwest. The Parker Ranch, after six generations of cowboys,
is smaller today than in its glory, but it still is a working ranch. Some 12 cow-
boys work 250 horses and 30,000 to 35,000 head of cattle on 200,000 acres.
The Visitor Center, located at the Parker Ranch Shopping Center on High-
way 190 ( & 808/885-7655 ), is open daily from 9am to 5pm and houses the
Parker Ranch Museum, which displays items that have been used throughout
the ranch's history, dating from 1847, and illustrates six generations of Parker
family history. An interesting video takes you inside the ranch and captures the
essence of day-to-day life when it was a working ranch. Allow an hour or so to
really see the museum.
You can also tour two historic homes on the ranch. In 1989, the late Richard
Smart—the sixth-generation heir who sought a career on Broadway—opened
his 8,000-square-foot yellow Victorian home, Puuopelu, to art lovers. The
French Regency gallery here includes original works by Renoir, Degas, Dufy,
Corot, Utrillo, and Pissarro. Next door is Mana Hale, a little New England salt-
box built from koa wood 140 years ago.
If you want to get out and see the ranch itself, a 45-minute narrated Kohala
Carriage Tour (Tues-Sat) takes place in an old-fashioned wagon—pulled by
two large Belgian draft horses—with seating for 20, roll-down protection from
the elements, and warm blankets for the upcountry temperatures. The tour rolls
past ancient Hawaiian artifacts, 19th-century stone corrals (still in use), and
miles of vast rolling hills; it stops at a working cowboy station, where visitors can
get out, take photos, and stretch their legs.
Parker Ranch Center, Waimea. & 808/885-7655 for Visitor Center. www.parkerranch.com. Admission to
museum only: $6.50 adults, $4.50 children under 12; tour of ranch homes $8.50 adults, $6 children; carriage
tour $15 adults, $12 children. Visitor Center and museum 9am-5pm. If you're seeing the museum only, you
can arrive as late as 4pm; the last museum/ranch homes tickets are sold at 4pm. The final museum/carriage
tour tickets are sold at 2pm. Allow about 1 1 2 hr. to see everything.
MAUNA KEA
If you have a teenager, plan to tour Mauna Kea's summit, the tallest mountain
(when measured from its base) in the world and also the best place on earth for
astronomical observations. (The skies are clear and pollution-free, and nights are
pitch-black with no urban light to interfere.) That's why Mauna Kea is home to
the world's largest telescope. Needless to say, the stargazing from here is fantas-
tic, even with the naked eye. Allow about 6 hours to drive to the summit and
time to get out and see the stars.
SETTING OUT You'll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to climb to the peak,
Observatory Hill. A standard car will get you as far as the visitor center, but
check your rental agreement before you go; some agencies prohibit you from
taking your car on the Saddle Road, which is narrow and rutted, and has a soft
shoulder.
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