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Haleiwa located just
28 miles from Waikiki (aka: "town"), is the capital of the North Shore
and big wave surfing. This beach
paradise really comes alive in winter, when waves rise up, then, it seems,
every surfer in the world is here to pay a visit.  Haleiwa
was founded in 1899 by sugar baron Benjamin Dillingham, who built a 30-mile
railroad to link his Honolulu and North Shore
plantations. He opened a Victorian hotel overlooking Kaiaka Bay
and named it Haleiwa for a tropical bird often seen here. The
charge to take the railroad and stay overnight at the hotel back then was just $10.
The hotel and railroad are gone, but Haleiwa, which was rediscovered in the
late 1960s, still has a rustic flare and tofu, not taro, is a staple in the
local diet. Arts and crafts, boutiques, burger stands, and shrimp trucks make
up the town center. It would not be fairto skip a mention ofMatsumotos',
and island favorite for shaved ice for the last 40 years.
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 A little further North is some world class surfing at -- Waimea Beach,
Banzai Pipeline, Sunset
Beach -- where some
of the world's largest waves, reaching 20 feet and more, rise up between
November and January. They draw professional surfers as well as reckless
daredevils and hordes of onlookers.
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 If you like to hike, Waimea Bay
on the mountain side is for you. The Waimea
Valley Audubon
Center offers visitors an
opportunity to hike old stream trails, share a picnic or simply sit and enjoy
nature. Plant enthusiasts, bird lovers, and history buffs will find what they
seek in the Waimea
Valley. The Center also
provides a living laboratory for local schools as well as a vital research site
for citizen scientists.
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