Kings and Queens like to be noticed.  This was especially important in Ancient Hawai’i where failure to recognize a high chief or important person, could easily lead to punishment or even death!  So, much like purple was the color of the Byzantine Emperors - red and yellow (or more precisely, scarlet and gold) were the colors of the Hawaiian Royal Class - The Ali’i.

In Hawaiian culture, feathered helmets, feathered cloaks, and feathered banners (kāhili in the Hawaiian language) were among the most prized of possessions and most important symbols of royalty.  Bird catchers were among the most respected professionals in the islands!  Their job was not to kill birds and take the feathers from the carcass but instead to catch the rare yellow mamu, scarlet honeycreepers (ʻIʻiwi in the Hawaiian language), and other birds - pluck the best feathers from them - and then release them!  Much like gold and jewels were collected as tax and tribute in Europe, rare feathers were collected in the Hawaiian Islands.  In fact, a wealthy man in Hawaii was referred to as a ‘manu hulu’ or feathered bird!  The scarlet and gold feathers of the rarest birds were the most prized and thus came to be associated with the most important of the ali’i and eventually also became the royal colors of the Hawaiian monarchy. 

Important royals in Hawai’i would wear elaborate feathered cloaks and helmets and be escorted by servants carrying the proud kāhili which proclaimed their rank.  All of these things were priceless - consider that Kamehameha’s cloak alone required the feathers of at least 80,000 birds! 

Over time, many of these important and beautiful symbols of royalty disappeared.  Some were stolen from Iolani Palace after the overthrow, others were given as gifts, traded away, or lost.  The examples that still exist are among the most important artifacts in museums the world over - many of them are in the Bishop Museum in Honolulu or recovered and restored to Iolani Palace.  While the time of feathers has passed, red and yellow still represent the Hawaiian monarchy today. ​

​From humble beginnings as a plantation village - Haleiwa, Hawaii on the North Shore of Oahu, has grown into one of the most charming destinations in the Aloha State.  Filled with delicious food, great shopping, galleries, and of course, surf shops - Haleiwa is the perfect place to spend the day enjoying Hawaii’s perfect weather.

At first glance, Haleiwa is still the slow paced country town of yesterday.  But, then upon looking deeper you come across the laid back surfer vibe - dig a little more and you find a culinary treasure trove and the home of one of Oahu’s bustling artisanal scenes. 

​Nestled on the shore of Waialua Bay, Hale’iwa has a small boat harbor, hosts world class surf competitions  and is only minutes away from the most famous beaches in the world, important Hawaiian cultural sites, the North Shore Soap Factory and even the world famous Dole Plantation. 

Ancient Hawaiians recognized the beauty of the place and had villages scattered across the North Shore.  Hawaiian royalty would vacation on the North Shore during summer escaping the heat of Honolulu and Ewa for the cool breezes of the island's Northern coastlines.  There have been people living in what is now Hale’iwa since about 1100 AD, but the first European style building was the Queen Liliuokalani Protestant Church built in 1832.  The modern town itself was founded in 1898 by Benjamin Dillingham, a local businessman who built a railroad from Honolulu to the North Shore to facilitate the transport of sugar and pineapples.  Dillingham saw the touristic potential of the site and built a hotel at the terminus of the railroad and named it the Hale’iwa - which in Hawaiian language means nest of the black frigate bird. 

Since that time, the town has grown - but not too much.  This is not the hustle and bustle of Waikiki - there are less than 4000 residents in Hale’iwa, though sometimes if you are waiting for a shave ice at Matsumoto General Store, it may seem like there are far more! ​