The day before our flight to Hawaii I was in D.C. having dinner at Nando’s in Chinatown. My friend Sharlene asked for Dole whip and I knew then that this trip to Hawaii was going to be amazing. I mean we were about to board a 13 hour flight to Hawaii AND visit the Dole Plantation itself! I needed someone to pinch me … it was all coming together.
Dole plantation is located in Wahiawa, Hawaii and is comprised of a full plantation experience: the world’s largest maze, two plantation tours, and a shopping experience unlike any other.
Dress: Shein (c/0), Shoes: Converse, similar here, Bracelets: Zara, Sunglasses: Primark, Watch: Fitbit
Discount code: cocktail20
THE PLANTATION TOURS
There are two plantation tours that one can take when at Dole: the plantation garden tour and the pineapple express train tour. We only took the pineapple express train tour – because see what had happened was we spent a good chunk of our day snorkeling and beach bummin’ at Hanauma Bay – and by the time we got to the plantation, we only had time to shop and take the train tour. I really needed one or two more days in Hawaii y’all! So we got on the train and started our tour of the plantation.
The pineapple express tour was a narrated tour of the history of the plantation. The very old timey train provided full view of the entire property and the narration combined with punctuated Hawaiian tunes evoked a very deliberate feeling of immersion into the farm life that has been going on since 1900.
PLANTATION SHOPPING
My favorite plantation stop was the plantation mall. Ok – so we all know that any and all shopportunities must be seized and we definitely shopped! Instead of me going on about it … enjoy these images and keep going until you hit the doggie treats … yes folks, doggie treats.
DOLE WHIP
So … we came for the whip! Or at least I came for the whip and boy was it worth the trip! The flavor was so rich and the texture so smooth … the fragrance was heavenly and yes – I devoured this entire cup! You must add Dole whips to your must eat foods list if you have one!
I absolutely enjoyed my time on the plantation and fell in love with the history and products they create. The fact that this plantation has been feeding nations since the 1900s to me is a testament of how important it is to have a vision coupled with the right leadership. Additionally, the importance of innovating with the changing times and embracing technology to enhance production and to meet demand were major takeaways from this plantation visit.
Have you been to the Dole Plantation before? Follow along my Instagram for road trip stories and plantation highlights.
