•
WAIMEA AND KOHALA
Waimea is the country where the paniolo, Hawaiian cowboys,
rule cattle and ranch land. From Waimea, you can travel
to and from the village of Hawi
on Hwy 250 or explore Mauna Kea’s high country on
the Saddle Road, which goes on to Hilo.
Waimea is about 2,500 feet above sea
level. The main visitor attraction is the landscape
itself–the rail-fenced pastures, big skies, cool
air, wind-breaking stands of trees, grazing cattle, and
riding cowboys.
Waimea is constructed around
Parker Ranch. Its Visitor Center and Museum,
on Highway 19, features a multimedia presentation about
the history of the ranch. Parker Ranch also has accommodations
that look onto a meadow and the green Kohala Mountains.
Kamuela Museum, at the intersection of Highways 19
and 250, has a collection of Hawaiian memorabilia.
Waimea is also the center
for high-altitude exploring and star-gazing with Mauna
Kea Summit Adventures, and skiing on Mauna Kea with
Ski Guides Hawai‘i, who offer beginner, intermediate
and expert runs from November into July, weather permitting.
Another hilly area to visit is the Kohala Mountain Range
on Highway 250, the highest peak being
5,505 ft. The North Kohala District is the
northernmost section of the Big Island and home to cattle
ranches in the uplands. The main town is Hawi,
some 20 miles from Waimea. Take a right in Hawi to Kapa‘au
and the original statue of King Kamehameha I. Farther
along the road is the tiny town of Niuli‘i and
below it, Keokea Beach Park, the only coastal park
in the area with picnicking and restrooms.
At the end of the road is
Pololu Valley Lookout. The valley was once entirely
covered with taro terraces and several fishponds. Back in
Hawi, you can descend to ‘Upolu Point and its small
airfield for a look across ‘Alenuihaha Channel to
Maui. Nearby is Kamehameha I's birthplace, marked
by a stone, and Mo‘okini Heiau, where Hawaiians offered
sacrifices to the gods.
|
