Even tourist traps are more fun in paradise. That’s why we pulled of the Kamehameha Highway in Oahu, to make a stop at the Dole Plantation. At this road stop, you can shop for pineapple-shaped souvenirs, ride the Pineapple Express, and visit the Pineapple Maze. We only had time for the world’s largest maze.
To complete the maze you have to find the eight stations hidden inside, trace the symbol you find at each station, and do it all in record time. The time to beat was impossibly set at less than 5 minutes. If you do possess the superpower to find your way through labyrinths at record speeds, then you get your time posted at the entrance.
We were not feeling like The Flash that day, but still managed to complete the maze in less than 30 minutes. We didn’t actually have much of a choice, since we arrived at the plantation 30 minutes before closing time. I would have preferred to take a leisurely stroll through the 2.46 miles of hibiscus paths, but it was more like a frantic run, accompanied with a lot of good-natured yelling. That’s what all of my family outings are usually like anyway.
My son absolutely loved the Pineapple Maze. I enjoyed celebrating our completion of this tropical labyrinth with a Dole Whip. This pineapple-flavored ice cream has a special place in my heart. As long as that magical soft-serve machine is working, I’ll go back to the Dole Plantation any day. Oh, and I still want to beat our record time of 25 minutes and 33 seconds.
If we make it to Hawaii this year, you bet that I’m going to find the Dole Whip soft serve machine!
That ice cream sounds like it’s to die for! We love maple cremees (as they’re called in Vermont) in my family, but I have a feeling those cones would be a hit too.
Those mazes crack me up. We did a corn one this fall and couldn’t find our way out – the kids got bored and we had to get the guy in the middle to come and lead us out!
Lorraine I hope you make it there this year. I hope I make it there this year. And Mara, I need to go to Vermont to sample these maple cremees you speak of. And we did the corn maze thing too, and my son wasn’t as into that one. I think because he didn’t have to hunt for those little stations.