Wahiawa has grown since the old plantation days but still manages to maintain a small-town charm. Although storage facilities have replaced vintage shops and fast-food restaurants line the streets, mom-and-pop stores still prevail.

Those seeking religion needn't look far in Wahiawa. On California Avenue alone, churches are on just about every block, serving faiths including Buddhist, Catholic, Christian, Episcopalian, Mormon and Methodist.

Kitchen Delight

553 California Ave.
» Hours: 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekends and holidays
» Phone: 622-3463

Kitchen Delight is a hodgepodge. Owner Gladys Okamura prides herself on offering a little something for everyone.

The restaurant opened in 1995 soon after Okamura retired from the state library system. After spending countless hours reading and following recipes, she decided to do what she loved best: cook.

Kitchen Delight offers more than 40 okazuya items, including chow fun, shrimp tempura, egg rolls, barbecue meat, mochiko chicken, lau lau and stuffed bittermelon. Many orders are for bentos to bring on plane flights, as all of the items can be eaten cold. Most cost between 75 cents and $1.

One of Okamura's best-sellers is the “;shock and awe”; breakfast: $1.95 for eggs, rice and a choice of meat. Many customers order double because it's affordable, she said. And she can't manage to keep up with orders for her chicken skin.

Okamura doesn't complain about her 12-hour days. Born and raised in Wahiawa, she says the restaurant provides a meeting place for friends, new and old, and to revisit old Wahiawa classmates. Kids come to view the stuffed 48-pound salmon, which she personally caught in 1993.

Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission

1067 California Ave.
» Phone: 622-4320

The 100-year-old Wahiawa Hongwanji was built in plantation times by men of diverse religious beliefs, as a means to educate their children in Japanese language and such vital principles as loyalty and perseverance. The temple continued to grow, and by 1930 the Hongwanji Japanese School had 490 students and six teachers.

Today the congregation follows Jodo Shinshu teachings, while the social hall hosts weekly classes in aikido, ballet, kendo and yoga. Elsewhere on temple grounds are computer classes, craft and hobby clubs, book clubs, lessons in advanced meditation and Shoshinge chanting.

A new temple was constructed after World War II, and the Rev. Kevin Kuniyuki said many old photographs were found buried under the original temple, where they'd been hidden for safekeeping during the war.

Two years ago another old secret was revealed when the altar was dismantled and sent to Japan for restoration. During the renovation, artwork featuring three heavenly beings was uncovered.

Wahiawa Botanical Gardens

1396 California Ave.
» Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
» Phone: 621-5463.

The lush, 27-acre Wahiawa Botanical Garden is among the five gardens that comprise the Honolulu Botanical Gardens. The tropical rain forest garden has a variety of foliage but emphasizes native Hawaiian plants that thrive in a cooler environment.

The Hawaii Sugar Planters Association originally used the land for experimental tree planting in the 1920s. The property was transferred to the city in 1950, and the botanical garden opened in 1957. Among its collections are nutmeg, allspice, bamboo, koa and palms, including the Hawaiian tree fern, which has gained endangered status due to habitat loss and overuse.

Pamphlets provide tidbits of information on how cinnamon was once used to embalm Egyptian mummies and to preserve meat; or how the geometry tree, named for the orderly angles of its branches and twigs, is a preferred choice for bonsai.

The garden was recently renovated, with new gates, benches and a multipurpose room. Some visit for a serene spot to eat lunch; others bring sketchpads or paintbrushes, using the beautiful surroundings as a muse. Mosquitoes also enjoy the garden so insect repellent is recommended.