Kilohaha was first occupied by Albert Spencer Wilcox and and his wife, Emma Napoleon Mahelona, between 1896 and 1935.

Kauai has long been the sugar capital of Hawaii. The first large-scale sugar plantation was launched at Koloa, on the southside, in 1830. Today, the Gay & Robinson plantation on the westside is one of just two left in the state, keeping the Garden Island tied to an industry that dominated Hawaii's economy for more than a century and ushered in a era that irrevocably shaped its landscape, politics and lifestyle.

Chinese, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Korean, Portuguese and other immigrants came to work in the fields, and Americans and Europeans came to own and manage them, creating Hawaii's remarkable cultural melting pot.

A distinctive lifestyle also evolved from the plantations, where workers lived in company camps. Small plantation-style homes, with their emphasis on outdoor living, are still a mainstay throughout Kauai, as is the open, cooperative and easy-going way of life they encouraged.

There are several ways to gain a feel for the old sugar days. You can take a tour of Gay & Robinson's fields and processing mill, or join a guide for an intriguing walk through the company's old Waimea plantation camp. At Waimea Plantation Cottages, you can stay in comfortably restored camp houses for a unique lodging experience that has not been duplicated elsewhere in the state.

Grove Farm Homestead Museum in Lihue also harkens back to that era, providing a delightful and informative walking tour of an authentic and simple plantation home built in 1860. At the other end of the spectrum is Kilohana Plantation, just west of Lihue. This beautiful estate offers a fascinating example of the upscale existence enjoyed by a few select folks when sugar was king.

Kilohana was first occupied by Albert Spencer Wilcox and his wife, Emma Napolean Mahelona, between 1896 and 1935. He purchased the land from Lihue Plantation, where he served as manager. The estate was both a working cattle ranch and a self-sufficient estate, providing for nearly all the needs of the Wilcoxes and their staff. A dairy herd and milking shed, piggery, taro loi, coffee fields, flower and vegetable gardens, horse stables, a carriage house and poultry houses were among some of the features.

In 1936, Albert Wilcox's nephew, Gaylord Parke Wilcox, and his wife, Ethel, who was Albert's adopted daughter, moved from Honolulu to Kauai so Gaylord could assume management of Grove Farm. They took up residence at Kilohana, tore down the existing house and replaced it with a home designed by renowned architect Mark Potter using themes from the English country house tradition.

East Side Cane Road

The new home was completed in 1937, and they resided there until Gaylord Wilcox's death in 1970. They continued to operate it as a self sufficient estate, but also introduced a grand style of entertaining and various modern innovations. They planted a number of trees, too, in keeping with a practice started by Albert Wilcox, and many of these can still be found on the grounds.

In 1985, Kilohana was converted into commercial uses. The courtyard was made into Gaylord¹s restaurant, which is served by the ample kitchen found in the main house. The bedrooms, carriage house and two guest cottages became shops, offering a range of unique, quality merchandise – much of it island-made – such as clothing, jewelry, art, Hawaiian quilts, woodworking, clayworks and much more.

Today, visiting Kilohana is like stepping back in time and having the opportunity to explore a lovely home that was Kauai's first mansion. About 40 percent of the furnishings come from the original house, and the gardens and fruit trees were replanted as they were initially laid out. The art-deco fixtures and other elements popular at the time are still intact.

Besides enjoying a delicious meal at Gaylord's and perusing the shops, be sure to spend some time touring the Kilohana grounds. Children especially will enjoy the chance to see the livestock, and the old buildings that once housed the workers offer a good feel for the plantation lifestyle.

It's a pleasant walk around the grounds, or you can also take a fun and romantic carriage ride. An hour-long tour of the old Grove Farm plantation in a sugar cane wagon pulled by Clysdales is another informative and unique experience that folks of all ages will enjoy.

There's no place else quite like Kilohana in all of Hawaii, making it one destination you simply won't want to miss.