Touring the Dole Plantation via the Pineapple Express Train

Nestled in the middle of the island of Oahu, with the breathtaking mountains in the background, is a reminder of an industry that was once a major provider of pineapples to the world. The Dole Plantation, is located about 40 minutes outside of Waikiki at 64-1550 Kamehameha Highway. We had two main goals when visiting the Dole Plantation, ride the Pineapple Express train and eat Dole Whip.

The first thing we did, due to the time of the day and our impending hunger, was to get some Dole Whip. The frozen dessert, made from pineapple juice, is delectable, especially amidst the heat. Our time enjoying the treats though was short lived as the boys were really excited to head to the train.

Per the summary board, the Pineapple Express Train Tour is explained as follows:

This two-mile, 20-minute, fully narrated train tour is educational and informative. Along the route, you’ll learn about the history of pineapple and hear the story of James Dole, who pioneered the pineapple industry in Hawaii. You’ll travel through a working pineapple plantation, and see a variety of other crops, often including plants in early stages of growth and fields under preparation for planting. Enjoy scenic views of the Tanada reservoir and the Waianae mountain range, while being serenaded by local Hawaii musicians. The audio narration is available in English, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin.

After purchasing our tickets, we had a little bit of time to wait until boarding the train, and walked around the gardens. Pineapple plants and other tropical foliage are beautifully presented in the gardens.

The Pineapple Variety Garden was excellent for viewing varieties of pineapples up close. “Varieties such as Ruby, Queen, Pernambuco, Malaya, Philippines, Pakse, and Sugarloaf are used for commercial planting in other parts of the world. However, in Hawaii, Smooth Cayenne and its clones are the only variety used for commercial planting. Other varieties, though not used commercially, are important to plant breeding, landscaping, and ornamental planting.”

Before long, it was our turn to make our way towards the Pineapple Express train. The 24: gauge, diesel trains can accommodate 84 adults and up to 28 kids with her four coaches. The ride is along relatively flat contours. Just in case anything falls off the train, there are markers along the track. Remember what number your item (or child) fell off the train, and an employee with retrieve them for you. We were fortunate that both our kids stayed seated and did not de-board the train.

The train ride was an informative and entertaining journey through the Dole plantation. Listening back at the video, below, I have to laugh because you can hear Lan-Shark (1) singing choo-choo almost the entire time. The sound quality on the video did not turn out as good as I would have liked due to the wind, but you can still hear most of the narration, history, and enjoy the gorgeous scenery.

I love the red soil of Wahiawa, which is caused by decomposing volcanic ash that fills the soil with oxidized iron. Pineapples thrive in the soil, and respond by growing big and sweet.

The Dole Plantation also features a garden walking tour and pineapple maze, both of which we did not do.

The gift shop sells a wide assortment of everything imaginable with pineapple. We might have considered purchasing something, but I believe the airline industry is slowly killing the tourism industry by charging for luggage. While I can not find any hard statistics supporting my theory, and paired with the poor economy, I would bet purchases from places such as the Dole Plantation have declined due to having little place in luggage to bring it home.

Regardless, with our boys content with their train experience, my father-in-law and I returned for a second round of Dole Whip before venturing on our way. Mmm, belly fully of Dole Whip.

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