This is one of the best monuments I’ve visited, just terrific. Its beauty comes not just from the sculpture, but also from the story told here. It was built in 1985 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the sugar cane industry, and it rests on the grounds of the Koloa Old Sugar Mill — the first sugar mill built in the state of Hawaii. This cane was first brought to the islands by the Polynesians and centuries later become a driving force and a major industry. Step inside and drink in the semi-circle of wonderful sculpture. Each person represents one of the major ethnic groups to come to Kauai to work in the fields and the mills. Each face is emotive, telling a story with one look. Behind you are several large plaques telling the story of this industry, how it started and the people who fueled it. Originally, native Hawaiians did most of the work. But imported diseases they did not know destroyed the population. Then came the Chinese, then the Japanese, the Portuguese, the Koreans, the Filipinos and on. I really learned a lot of cool stuff inside this monument and I really felt something. You’ve probably never noticed it. As you’re just about to hit Old Kola Town, it is right there on your right. But from the outside, it looks like a giant Tylenol or something left over from a lab that used to be there or a scale model of the UNESCO building painted white. It never caught my eye before. Do yourself a favor: when you’re down walking the planks in front of those cute shops, walk across the street and experience the Koloa Sugar Monument.
