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Central Oahu – Dole, Schofield, Kukaniloko, Manulele

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Central Oahu is the area of the island with the Wai’anae range to the west and Honolulu and the Ko’olau range to the east. This area is most noteworthy for military and agricultural uses. But it is also noteworthy as the birthplace of many ali’i, the royalty of Hawaii.Central Oahu things to do on Oahu include Dole Plantation, Kukaniloko royal birthing site, Schofield Barracks, and Manulele Distillers, home of Ko Hana rum.

Attractions

Kūkaniloko birthing stones

Kūkaniloko birthing stones is a very sacred area for the Hawaiian people. This historic site may be 700 years old. A child born here to the ali’i (royalty) was destined for great things. 36 priests would observe and assist the mother during the birth. It is a beautiful central Oahu spot to visit and you can feel the mana (power) there.birthing-stones-grove

This spot is tucked into surrounding pineapple and sugarcane fields and has a fantastic view of the Wai’anae range. On a clear day you can see the pass where the Zero planes flew in to attack Wheeler Field and Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Be very respectful when you visit and don’t touch the petroglyphs on some of the stones. I like to bring lei to leave as a tribute. Be aware that the parking driveway only accommodates 3 or 4 cars. Subsequently, if a tour bus is there, you may want to go do something else and come back. Be prepared to walk through a muddy path.

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Dole Plantation

Dole Plantation began as a roadside fruit stand for Dole products in 1950 and is now a major tourist attraction. The central Oahu plantation is surrounded by fields of pineapple, coffee, cocoa, fruit trees, and garden plants. A visit to Dole includes a huge gift shop with different vendors and the Pineapple Express train tour through the fields. In addition, there is a pineapple garden with an amazing variety of pineapple species, a garden tour, and the world’s largest maze. The large store carries so many things you might like to take home from Hawaii. For example, they have lots of food products, including candy and barbecue sauces. Also, there are home goods such as quilts, aprons, and potholders. They’ve got T shirts and baby clothes. And you can even find golf accessories with the Dole logo.dole-plantation

James Dole established the Hawaiian Pineapple Company in the early 1900s. The choice of the large yellow fruit we are used to (“smooth cayenne”) resulted from experimentation with different species of pineapple. This variety worked well in the canning process. Canning was once a major industry on Oahu. The old Dole Cannery is now a shopping mall on the Ewa side of downtown Honolulu.

Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield

Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield have served the US military goals in the Pacific for over a hundred years. Both facilities were attacked during the Pearl Harbor attack. Schofield Barracks is the prominent location in the film From Here to Eternity. These bases are on the west side of Wahiawa town in central Oahu. The Tropic Lightning Museum’s phone number is (808) 655-0438. Call ahead to make sure you can visit. Enter at the Lyman Gate on Kunia Road and be sure to bring ID and rental car information.schofield-gate

Manulele Distillers

Manulele Distillers is between Wahiawa and Waipahu on Kunia Road. The owners have been searching the islands for heirloom varieties of sugarcane, brought over by the Polynesians about a thousand years ago. They are then are using old Del Monte fields in central Oahu to grow varietals of sugarcane they’ve found. They have built the distillery to produce Kō Hana agricole rum, each one featuring the taste of heirloom sugarcane. The rum is “rested” in oak barrels.

Several progressive bartenders around the island feature Kō Hana in their drinks program, but you can also visit Manulele to tour the fields or the tasting room. Be sure to call or go online to check for openings for these tours. The Gardener and I especially loved our visit there. The still is a thing of beauty and I loved poking around the grounds to find the many colors of the cane. I liked sipping the rum (agricole is a fresher taste than aged rum), but I also enjoyed it mixed with lilikoi (passion fruit) soda!

kohana-sugar-cane

Many colors of sugarcane varieties

Be sure to check out Pearl Harbor and Moanalua Gardens in central Oahu also!

Central Oahu map

Grabbing a bite

Dole Plantation has a café. For more food options, check Yelp, Urbanspoon, or your favorite app for Wahiawa (famous Shige’s Saimin Stand!) or Waipahu (Highway Inn, Elena’s).

Getting there

From Waikiki, take Ala Wai Boulevard to McCully Street. Follow the signs to H1 going west (Ewa). As you approach Pearl City, watch carefully for the exit for H2. At mile marker 8 in Wahiawa, take the exit to route 80 going north, Kamehameha Highway. After passing through Wahiawa, start watching on the left after you cross the bridge. There is a light at the intersection with route 804, and the small driveway for the birthing stones is on the left (there is a small Hawaii historic marker.)birthing-stones-marker

Continue north on route 80 to merge into route 99 headed north. The entrance to the Dole Plantation parking lot will be on your right.

To head to Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Air Field, take a left out of Dole onto route 99. Stay on 99 until route 803, Wilikina Drive. Go to the left, south. Make a right on route 750, Kunia Road. Follow the signs for Lyman Gate.

Next, to visit Manulele Distillers, home of Kō Hana rum, continue south on route 750. Watch carefully on the right for the Kunia Camp agricultural village and post office. Manulele is on the left as you enter Kunia Drive.

If using The Bus, Route 52 goes to Wahiawa.

Resource links for Central Oahu

I’ll be looking for comments below, or contact me at lisa [at] thecasabouquet[dot]com.horizontal bar with plumeria

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Pearl Harbor Historic Sites, Moanalua Gardens – Oahu

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Pearl Harbor is often number 1 on Oahu visitors’ must-see list. Pearl Harbor is a historic bay to the leeward side of Honolulu. Along with visiting Pearl Harbor historic sites, I suggest a peaceful time at Moanalua Gardens.Things to do on Oahu include Pearl Harbor Historic Sites and Moanaulua Gardens in Central Oahu. Arizona and Missouri memorials, Pacific Aviation Museum, Bowfin submarine.

Attractions

Pearl Harbor Historic Sites are along the harbor and Ford Island. Pearl Harbor is still an active US Navy facility including Headquarters of the Pacific Fleet. The main visitor sites are the USS Arizona memorial (part of the National Park Service World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument), USS Missouri memorial, USS Bowfin submarine, and the Pacific Aviation Museum. It takes 8 or more hours to tour all of these attractions.

The USS Arizona and its crew were casualties of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The memorial consists of a museum and the chapel-like memorial floating over the submerged ship. Start with the 23-minute documentary film in the museum theater, then spend time in the two galleries that tell the story of the attack from both the US and Japan point of view. You will take a boat ride out to the memorial and will have about 10 minutes to pay your respects. Plan to spend about an hour and a half at this site.arizona-memorial

The Battleship Missouri Memorial is also known as the Mighty Mo. She was built in Brooklyn and was commissioned in the US Navy in 1944. Representatives of the Allied and Axis powers met on her deck for the surrender ceremony ending World War II. She went on to serve in the Korean War and Operation Desert Storm. The ship became part of this memorial in 1999. The memorial has a general admission ticket that takes you on the main deck with a tour guide and includes the historic surrender site from September 1945. The Heart of the Missouri tour is for folks who can easily navigate steep ship stairs and gets you into the inner workings of the ship. You will ride a bus from the visitor center to the ship’s Ford Island mooring.

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USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park has a memorial park, missiles, and the USS Bowfin. The submarine began service in 1942 and she saw much action in the Pacific during the war. You can tour the submarine, the museum, and the park waterfront memorial. You can walk to the memorial from the visitor center.

The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor documents the planes of the Pearl Harbor attack. Two hangars and the Ford Island control tower make up the site. A general admission ticket gets you an audio tour of Hangar 37 with its excellent museum exhibits. The Aviator’s Tour takes you with a guide through Hangar 37 and 79 where aircraft are restored. You may also buy a ticket for the Guadalcanal flight simulator. Seeing the aircraft and dioramas of island life is very inspiring. You will ride a bus from the visitor center to Hangar 37 on Ford Island.

The historic sites bookstore has a large excellent collection with some gifts. The tour of the Arizona memorial is free but a ticket is needed. They are issued on a first-come first-served basis. The Missouri has 2 types of tours each day and you should purchase your tickets ahead of time. The Bowfin charges for admission. Pacific Aviation Museum tour tickets can be purchased in advance online. You can also buy tour tickets that will take you to Pearl Harbor and provide audio narrated tours. No bags are allowed within the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. It will help to wear something with pockets so you can carry your phone, keys, etc. If you don’t want to lock your things in your trunk, a baggage storage facility (fee) is on site.

If you drive to Pearl Harbor, the parking lot can get very full. The first Arizona tour begins at 8 am, so I suggest you arrive before 8 am, or around 9:30 when the first tour is finishing.

Moanalua Gardens is the site of Prince Lot’s home. It’s a big grassy lawn with some magnificent trees. There are a few flowers, a small taro field, a koi pond, Prince Lot’s house, Chinese Hall, and a hula mound. There is also a very nice gift shop. Moanalua is a very peaceful place to take a breath and relax.

In the center of the lawn is a fantastic monkeypod tree. Known throughout Japan as the Hitachi tree (kono ki nanno ki), it has been used as a corporate symbol since the 1970s.moanalua-hitachi-tree

Prince Lot Kapuaiwa became King Kamehameha V in 1863. He built his home here in the 1850s and it is a charming cottage style with covered porches connecting the sections. It is being renovated and I can just imagine some very lovely events happening there. The yearly July hula festival is named for Prince Lot and the dancers use the hula mound there. There is a small fee to visit the gardens.moanalua-hula-mound

Aloha Stadium Swap Meet happens three days a week at the famous Aloha Stadium. There are so many stands! It’s a good place to look for economical aloha wear, foods, and gift items.

Next time I’d like to visit the Keaiwa Heiau and spend more time at the Pacific Aviation Museum.

Central Oahu map – Pearl Harbor and Moanalua Gardens

Grabbing a bite

Dixie Grill is a little taste of southern barbecue with a heavily military clientele. They serve sweet tea! They smoke meats daily: pork, brisket, turkey, and pastrami. Chicken fried steak, shrimp and grits, and catfish are also on the menu. I love the caddy on your table with 6 sauces representing barbecue classics: Hawaii, eastern North Carolina, Memphis, Texas, Kansas, and Savannah. The restaurant is located on Kamehameha Highway just a few minutes from the Pearl Harbor visitor center. This is a must-stop for us when we are near Aiea.

For more food options, Sam Choy’s Island Style Seafood Grill is on Hickam Beach on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (you will need to call (808) 449-0865 to see if you qualify for a visitor’s pass to the base). Or you may want to drive into Honolulu and stop at La Mariana on the way back to Waikiki. Or use your favorite app to search the Aiea area.

Getting there

From Waikiki, take Ala Wai Boulevard to McCully Street. Get up on the H1 highway westbound (Ewa, towards airport and Pearl Harbor). After about 8 miles, take the exit onto Route 99 Kamehameha Highway. Watch for the Pearl Harbor visitor center entrance on your left. The Aloha Stadium will be on your right.

To continue on to Moanalua Gardens, take H201 highway eastbound. Take exit 3 Pu’uloa Road towards Tripler Army Medical Center. Carefully follow the signs to the gardens (you will be looping around and under the exit, left on Mahiole Street then along the creek into the parking lot for the gardens).

If using The Bus, for Pearl Harbor, take the #20 Westbound or #42 Westbound and get off at the USS Arizona Memorial. For Moanalua Gardens take the #19 or #20 to Alakea and King. On Hotel Street, take the #3 bus to the Buckner Gate of Fort Shafter.

Resource links for Pearl Harbor & Moanalua Gardens

Let’s talk story

Most folks make a point to visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona memorial on their first trip to Oahu. Remembering their sacrifice is important. When you visit Oahu, I hope you’ll visit the Punchbowl memorial cemetery. I find the beauty and peacefulness of the Punchbowl draws me back many times and feels like a sacred space to give honor to those who have served.horizontal bar with plumeria

Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.