Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Who would guess that Honokaʻa was once the third-largest town across Hawaii, after
Honolulu and Hilo? Yet it was once the hub for both the powerful cattle and sugar indus-
tries. When those industries crashed, the town was forced to reinvent itself, and has hap-
pily succeeded.
Having diversified their crops, today's farms in upcountry Paʻauilo and Ahualoa pro-
duce the tomatoes, mushrooms and other goodies whipped up by gourmet chefs seeking
the finest, freshest local ingredients. In particular, organic farming - from goat cheese to
green tea and honey - is booming.
Meanwhile, the downtown has turned to tourism. Honaka'a has become a great place
for browsing chockablock antique stores and lunching on a grass-fed beef burger before
heading to Waipiʻo Valley - although watching the world go by might tempt you to stay
awhile. If so, there are some fine places to lay your head.
Sights
NHERC Heritage Center
MUSEUM
(
775-8890;
http://hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/nherc/heritagecenter.php
; 45-539 Plumeria St;
9am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat)
Honaka'a will make a lot more sense if you stop
by this new museum. Sponsored by the Northern Hawai'i Education and Research
Center, it's mainly a large photo collection documenting the plantation era and its de-
mise, but each picture speaks a thousand words. Volunteers provide further background.
At the main intersection downtown, follow Plumeria St uphill, right on Lehua St.
Tours
The Honaka'a area is the locus of interesting agri-tours. The following farms are located
in
Paʻauilo
and
Ahualoa
, on the
mauka
(inland) side of the highway.
Volcano Island Honey Company
FARM
(
888-663-6639, 775-1000;
www.volcanoislandhoney.com
; Ahualoa; 90min farm tour, min 4
people, per adult/child under 16 $35/15; 9-11:30am & 1:30-4pm Mon-Thu)
In the
mid-1970s, former Washington DC lawyer and self-described 'good hippie' Richard
Spiegel began working with bees to capture the sweet nectar of kiawe flowers. Today his
thriving business boasts a startling honey - imagine a pearlescent butter. You'll see the
farm, don a bee suit and sample the delicous wares on this far-more-than-average agri-
tour.
