Learning Adventures

History and Culture in Hamakua

Lauphahoehoe Train at the Train Museum. Courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Laupahoehoe Train Museum: Documents and honors the old Hawaii Consolidated Railway that hauled goods and passengers up and down the Hamakua Coast during the 19th century. Highway 19 near mile marker 25, Laupahoehoe. (808) 962-6300 www.thetrainmuseum.com

Waipio Valley: It’s clear why this dramatic valley was so important to the ancient Hawaiians. Its stunning landscape of impossibly steep walls, numerous waterfalls, black sand beach, and mana (spiritual power) tell some of the story. Its fertile soil tells another: Waipio’s kalo (taro), bananas, coconuts and pigs use to sustain the island during periods of drought and famine.

Waipio Valley. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

King Kamehameha the Great was hidden in this Garden of Eden during infancy to protect him from the Big Island chief who wanted to prevent his rule. You can see the valley from above at the the lookout, or, if you have a 4WD vehicle and good driving skills on a narrow, winding very steep road, you can drive down yourself and explore on foot. Better yet, consider a guided tour by van, horseback or even horse-drawn carriage.