Follow the Pineapple Road

Much like the yellow-brick road to Oz, the rolling fields of pineapple lead adventure-seekers to Oahu’s fabled North Shore surf community. It’s among the most notable features at the freeway’s end that lets you know you’re almost there!

Rows and rows of the tiny tropical fruit dot the countryside landscape along Kamehameha Highway. Descending into the town below, an expanse of blue paints the road ahead, where ocean meets sky. Every surfer knows that the more white wash down on the shoreline, the better. That means the surf is up!

I believe all of the pineapple crops belong to Dole Plantation; it’s that big yellow building at the start of your descent into the surf town, a popular attraction for tourists. Dole offers train tours of the crops and gardens, as well as tasty pineapple-flavored treats. Of course, there’s the pineapples themselves; to-go boxes make it easy for visitors to take the sweet treat on the road. If you’re in town, you might want to check out Dole Cannery, too.

While it’s tempting to pull over and pick a pineapple from the fields, not many people realize that it’s also illegal. Instead, stop by Dole Plantation or one of the local markets for a taste of the succulent yellow fruit. Pulling over to take pictures of the fields is totally fine, though, so go ahead and indulge in those!

The hillside of pineapples has become more than a notable landmark on the trek to the North Shore; it’s also a footnote to the story of our island’s history. From those very crops comes treasures of Hawaii to be shared with the rest of the world.

Posted by: Bruce Fisher on May 8, 2013