Waimea is the 3rd largest town on the Island of Hawaii. Since Waimea is located at 2,700 ft. the area is less tropical and has rolling, verdant hills. It does get rather cold at times especially in the winter and at night when the sun goes down. Waimea is home to the Hawaiian Paniolos or cowboys of Parker Ranch. John Palmer Parker was first brought to Hawaii to help kill some of the wild cattle that was terrorizing northern Kohala at the time. Parker soon married the granddaughter of King Kamehameha the Great in 1816. He purchased two acres of land but due to his wife’s royal blood was granted an additional 640 acres in the area. He later purchased more land over time and Parker Ranch became the largest privately owned cattle ranches in the United States. King Kamehameha III realized that the Hawaiian’s needed more training in cattle ranching techniques so the story goes that he brought three Mexican cowboys to Hawaii to train Hawaiian Paniolos. So the story goes, the traditions these 3 Mexican cowboys started still persist today. You can learn about the history of this working ranch at the Parker Ranch Visitor Center and even tour the historic Parker Ranch homes. Another interesting display is found in the Waimea Parker Ranch Shopping Center and you can buy Parker Ranch apparel in the Parker Ranch Store.