A slight turn off the main highway, on a road just beyond the canyon, revealed another world unexpected. Long prairie grasses carpeted over lava rock and uneven ground draws the eye to a herd or two of cattle free to roam. To many, this is true paradise: Home on the Range. This is the land where the Hawaiian Cowboy still reigns. He rambles the rugged countryside, sometimes on horseback and oftentimes by gas guzzler. Ironic, isn’t it? Not really, when you talk to the locals. It makes perfect sense that living on an island encourages farm-to-table suppliers. If you have any doubts, stop by the Farmers’ Markets held regularly each week where you will find an abundance of fresh produce, not to mention, organic eggs. Living off the land.

Just beyond the intersection, the road is lined with 4x4s for handling muddy terrain, range rovers in all colors, and pickups with extended cabs. These are the strong “work horses” that come into town. They are parked outside an old saloon as if corralling around the feed trough. The grub served inside is four-star, they say. The ambience takes you back to the Old West, from the lucky horseshoes above the doorway to the splintered wagon wheel adjacent to the six-foot steer horns mounted above the bar. A chalkboard boasting “Come Play With Us” features food, beverage, and musical options. Not only is the steak filet mouth-watering delicious from a local source where the beasts are grass-fed, it’s cut-with-a-fork tender. Down the hall, where things can get a little rowdy, Hawaiian music is belted out weekly balanced by a Karaoke performance or two. Sounds idyllic and yet a little wild.