Locally grown crops have played an important part in Hawaii’s growth and economy for decades. Fields of pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coffee are seen on many of our North Shore and Circle Island Tours, and our Big Island Volcano Tour.

A closer look at local food production:

Pineapple – It is unknown when the pineapple was introduced into Hawaiian culture; however, large scale planting of the fruit began around 1850. James Dole established a plantation near Wahiawa on Oahu around 1900 and production escalated and eventually spread to other islands. Today, the remaining pineapple producers in Hawaii are Dole and Maui Land and Pineapple Company.

North Shore Pineapple Field

Coffee – First introduced to the islands through King Kamehameha’s Spanish Advisor in 1813, coffee remains a very big part of Hawaii’s exports. Unique soil and weather patterns combine to make Kona Coffee some of the most sought after coffee in the world. Hawaii is the sole U.S. provider of coffee in the world and most of the coffee comes from a 20 mile stretch of over 700 small coffee farms along the Kona coast of the Big Island on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa, though there are small quantities produced on the islands of Kauai and Maui.

Taro – No other form of food may represent Hawaii more than the taro plant. Though it is grown in many tropical climates worldwide it is most widely used in Hawaii and early Hawaiians were known to consume large quantities of taro that had been ground into a paste known as Poi. When raw, the plant is inedible and considered toxic, but when cooked or steeped in water, the root is harmless after it has been cooked.

Coffee Tree in Kona

Macadamia Nuts – Introduced to Hawaii from Australia in 1882, the macadamia nut tree was originally raised because of its beauty. A very versatile nut in cooking, there are over 700 farms and 8 processing plants, mostly on Hawaii’s Big Island, that is responsible for 90% of the world’s supply. Used in many foods including candies, breads, coffee, spreads, and cooking oil, macadamia nuts contain a high level of good fats and have been found to reduce cholesterol.

Sugarcane – Though it is not as big in Hawaiian agriculture as it once was, sugar continues to grow in Hawaii. As early as 1802, people on the island of Lanai were using stone rollers to crush the sweet juice from the sugarcane in 1834, the first sugar plantation went up on Kauai after King Kamehameha granted the use of 980 acres to Ladd & Company for growing and harvesting. The booming industry once employed 1 in 12 people and brought in about $150 million each year, but has since seen its prevalence fall as Hawaii has since concentrated its economic ventures elsewhere.

Our Guide Sharing the Aloha Spirit on Tour

Staying in touch with old friends and classmates grows increasingly difficult as the years progress. Innovations such as Facebook have made finding old acquaintances, former teammates, and others from our past somewhat easy. Starting with an idea in a Harvard dorm room back in 2003, Facebook is the fastest growing social networking site we have ever seen hit the internet and companies have taken notice. Not only is the site used for individuals hoping to keep contact, it is also heavily used by businesses looking to grow their name. With over 500 million active profiles, there may not be a simpler way to find prospective clients, partners, and consumers. This boom has not gone unnoticed at Discover Hawaii Tours. We have found that using Facebook is a great way to reach travel enthusiasts and those seeking the all around best tours for their vacation to the lovely Hawaiian Islands. Keeping with the Aloha Spirit, there are many great deals and features that we offer through our Facebook page. Before you book your tour online, become our friend and keep an eye out for specials on different tours. We look forward to seeing you on tour and becoming our friend soon!

*For the entire history and compelling story behind the creation of Facebook, be sure to check out the upcoming move “The Social Network”, due out October 1, 2010.

Scenic View from above Pali Lookout

The Pali is famous for the strong trade winds that blow through the pass, seemingly at all times. Coupled with the tunnels of the highway, it forms a natural wind tunnel of sorts.

There are many legends and beliefs surrounding this fabled overpass and its surrounding mountains. Two large stones near the back of Nu’uanu valley are said to represent a pair of goddesses who were guardians of the passage. Travelers have been know to leave offerings of flowers or bark cloth to ensure a safe trip. Many parents have been known to bury the umbilical cords of newborns under the stones, as a protection against evil. It is also widely believed that pork should never be carried over Nu’uanu Pali. Many motorists have reported their cars mysteriously stopping and not starting again until the pork was removed from the car. This is the responsibility of Pele and her contest with Kamapua’a, a half man, half hog God that is forbidden from passing to her side of the island in his hog form.

The Nu’uanu Pali was also the site of the Battle of Nu’uanu, one of the bloodiest battles in Hawaiian History. During this battle, King Kamehameha I conquered the island of Oahu, bringing it under his rule. The battle took place in 1795 after Kamehameha conquered the islands of Maui and Molokai. Along with an army of 10,000 soldiers, Kamehameha forced the defenders of Nu’uanu Valley up the mountain and trapped more than 400 soldiers. The defenders were driven off the cliff to their deaths 1,000 feet below. When the first road was built over the mountain range, workers came across more than 800 skulls, believed to be the remains of the warriors that fell to their deaths during the battle.

For the best chance to see the Pali Lookout and many of the other scenic and historic landmarks on Oahu, join us on a Circle Island Tour today.

The Mighty Mo and all Her Glory

On the heels of a major preservation effort, the proud Missouri is still going strong and attracting an average of about 1400 visitors each day. The memorial recently announced that, in order to keep up with the demands of visitors, they will be extending its hours by 90 minutes each day. New opening time will be 7:30am and closing at 5:00pm, with the operating hours remaining in effect until Labor Day at the least.
With the busy summer season, we have seen a great increase in visitors to the islands and Pearl Harbor remains as a top attraction. Book your tour today for your chance to see the USS Missouri, the USS Arizona Memorial, or any other attractions that Pearl Harbor or Oahu has to offer. See you on tour!

Born in Tahiti, her family consisted of six sisters and seven brothers born to Haumea, an ancient Earth goddess, and Kane Milohai, who was the creator of the sky, Earth, and upper Heavens. Though there are many variations of her legend and arrival to Hawaii, the most common is told that she was exiled by her father because of her temper and her most recent fight with her elder water-goddess sister Na-maka-o-Kaha’i, whose husband Pele seduced. Traveling with her brothers in a great canoe, with her angry sister in pursuit, Pele eventually landed in Hawaii.

Painting Depicting Pele and her volcanic home

When first arriving to Hawaii, Pele landed on Kauai and used her Pa’oa, commonly known as a digging stick, to strike deep into the Earth, until she was found and attacked by her betrayed sister. Pele left her mark on the island of Molokai before traveling further southeast to Maui and creating the Haleakala Volcano. By this time, Na-maka-o-Kaha’i, realized that she was still alive and she also went to Maui, in order to battle her sister. The epic battle ended near Hana, where Pele was defeated and torn apart by her sister, her bones left on a hill called, Ka-iwi-o-Pele (The Bones of Pele). Pele recovered and fled to Oahu where she dug several fire pits, including what is now Diamond Head. Following her death, Pele became a Goddess and found a home on Big Island at Mauna Kea.

Here Pele dug her final fire pit, the Hale’Mau’Mau Crater, where she would remain for eternity. Located at the summit of the Kilauea Volcano, Pele is said to remain there to this day and is believed to be happy at this location because it was the Ka Piko o ka Honua (Navel of the Earth), where the Gods began creation.
Perhaps the most notorious legend of Pele is the curse placed on those disturbing or stealing from her home.

Many have made the decision to take a lava rock from Kilauea, and though some say that this myth was made up by a park ranger on Big Island trying to discourage visitors from taking the sacred rocks from the park, each and every year thousands of packages containing lava rocks are mailed back to Hawaii by the guilty from around the world that have had a string of bad luck since taking the sacred rocks from Pele’s home and are forced to ask her for her forgiveness.

Discover Hawaii Tours has trips to the Big Island available from Hilo, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. With increased lava flow from Kilauea, the sights and opportunities to see Pele’s home are better than ever. We look forward to seeing you on tour and sharing more of Pele’s story with you!

Aerial View of Road to Hana

Lost on most that visit Maui is the original use for the highway and the town of Hana. Around 1850, George Wilfong started the first sugar can mill in Hana near the Ka-’uiki Hill. This began the sugar plantation boom on Maui and over the next 30 years, six separate plantations would open and operate. The large number of plantations called for a need of a road for workers to travel to and from their work days. This need was realized in 1926 when the Hana Highway was completed, making it possible for cars and trucks to travel from Hana to Kahului. By 1940, Hana was a bustling town with a population of over 3,500 residents. Life was good both in town and at the sugar plantations. However, in 1946, the last of the plantations near Hana closed and many families were unable to find work and moved to the other side of the island, where new plantations had began to open.

The Road to Hana was built by hand with picks and shovels. Volcanic rock crushed into a fine mixture was used as the road’s first surface material, and the road wasn’t fully paved until 1982. The road was eventually widened and resurfaced in the 1990s to better suit the many cars and buses that travel over the road daily. In August of 2000, as part of the country wide Millennium Legacy Trails campaign, the highway circling Maui was selected from nominations by Governors of states as one of fifty-two roads located throughout the country that reflect the unique spirit of the areas they represent.

While traveling along the Road to Hana, there are plenty of opportunities for pictures, visiting black sand beaches,and visiting authentic Hawaiian vendors. Join Discover Hawaii Tours on a trip to Maui and a drive around the beautiful Road to Hana. We look forward to seeing you on tour!

The show will star Alex O’Loughlin as Steve McGarrett and “Lost” cast member Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly. The pilot was shot in early March at many locations around the island including Punchbowl Cemetery and at many locations in Downtown Honolulu. Filming has since resumed and many of our tours have witnessed the sets and glimpses of the actors.
The original show was filmed in a studio built in Diamond Head, with on-location filming taking place at sights such as Iolani Palace and Waikiki Beach. Starring Jack Lord and James MacArthur, the showed used many locals as extras due to the lack of a film industry in Hawaii at the time. Though Jack Lord’s character Steve McGarrett was the protagonist and his character was the lead of the show, his catch phrase “Book ‘em Dan-O” is what has long been remembered as time has gone on.

This new version of the cop-drama will be filming throughout the summer on Oahu and there will be opportunities to see many of the locations used in this, and many other shows and movies, by joining us on one of our circle island tours. These tours also feature many famous locations for surfing, historical sights, and beautiful views.