Hawaii's Dole Plantation: For the Freshest Fruit

When my family first moved to Hawaii, I had rarely (if ever) eaten pineapple, but I wasn't terribly surprised to discover that pineapple is definitely a staple fruit here in the islands. It's easy to find fresh pineapple at the farmer's markets or at Aloha Stadium's Swap Meet, but when my in-laws came to visit me last week, I took them to the Dole Plantation for the very freshest pineapples on the island.

The Dole Plantation is located just north of Wahiawa, and is an ideal place to stop while driving up to the North Shore for some afternoon surfing. We went early in the morning, when Dole first opened, but I was delighted to find that there were plenty of parking spaces and that parking is free.

My mother in law, Eileen, loves fresh fruits and exploring new places, so I knew she'd love the gift shop at Dole. The first thing we noticed about the gift shops is that we were greeted immediately by a friendly woman who offered us the chance to pick an oyster and find a fresh pearl inside. Once inside the gift shop, there were several sales-ladies who were more than happy to help us find anything we needed or wanted. The store held everything we could possibly hope for - Hawaiian-style aprons and quilts, chocolates and coffees, clothes and hats, and of course, pineapple.

There is a small area in the gift shop where we could even buy pineapple ice cream! We tried it, and were delighted with the taste. While we ate our ice cream, we watched a demonstration on pineapple carving and learned some of the proper techniques. I had no idea that carving a pineapple took so much effort and skill, and I gained a lot of respect for those who regularly incorporate pineapple into their meals.