Kamuela - Parker Ranch / Puopelu

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Mauna Lani Bay Hotel), and apartment buildings have been constructed here.

Some of the Hawaiian cowboys, who still work today on the Parker Ranch, are direct descendants of the vaqueros brought over by Parker from Mexico in 1830 to help capture the wild cattle. As there was no Hawaiian equivalent, they became known as paniolos after the word espanol (meaning Spanish). Rodeos and other events take place here on Kamehameha Day (June 11th) and on American Independence Day (July 4th) as well as at other times.

Since 1988, the whole ranch has been open to visitors, who can enjoy a four-hour or a half-hour tour. The tour includes a visit to the family cemetery, the Puukalani stables (where lunch is served on the longer tour), John Parker's house (reconstructed by Smart with its original furniture from the second half of the 19th c.) and the elegant modern house, Puuopelu, which houses Smart's considerable collection of French and Venetian art, pieces of Chinese jade and rare glassware. About 100 paintings are also on display here, including works by Degas, Renoir, Pissarro, de Vlaminck and Dufy.