High-speed Thrills: Wahiawa and Waialua

The trade winds are restless in the town of Wahiawa. Swirling across central Oahu and only slightly tamed by the Koolau Mountains, the winds are said to sound like rough seas. Wahiawa sits on the edge of Schofield Barracks Military Reservation and Wheeler Army Airfield between the Koolau and Waianae Mountains. There was a time when sugarcane and pineapple fields next to Wahiawa played a major role in Hawaii's economy, but these producers are now struggling. Maybe the noise of the wind is also the sound of change as pineapple and sugarcane growers look to use their land in new ways. Things to see: Wahiawa town, pineapple and sugarcane fields, Waianae Mountains, Waialua town. Traffic: One high-speed descent, flat sections, and one challenging hill.