Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7.
Waimea
From the gorgeous greens of Waipo, backtrack to Rte. 19 and head inland past sweeping
high-country pastures and, to the south, 13,796-foot-tall Mauna Kea. Measured from its
baseonthefloorofthesea,thisdormantvolcano,atsome32,000feet,ranksastheworld's
highest peak. Because it is surrounded by ocean, Mauna Kea is blessed with pollution-free
air so crystal-clear that its summit is the best spot on Earth for stargazing. (No fewer than
13 observatories crown the peak's summit.)
As the drive heads west to Waimea, you might find it hard to believe you're still in the
tropics. In far-off meadows fringed by hardwood trees, colorful Hawaiian cowpokes called
paniolotendgrazingcattle. PaniolocanbeseenatrodeosheldinWaimea allsummerlong.
Did you know…
Throughout the year, black-tipped reef sharks can be seen swimming just a
couple hundred feet from the shore at Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site.
The best time to see them is just after sunrise.
8.
Lapakahi State Historical Park
This 260-acre park chronicles early Hawaiian village life through reenactments of daily
activities. Paths wander past the stone walls and foundations of a partially restored
600-year-oldcoastalsettlementwherepeoplelivedofftheland,thesea,andtheirownwits.
Some of the plants they depended on—hau wood for canoes, hala leaves for woven bas-
kets, and medicinal noni fruits—still flourish here.
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