Located along the Hamakua Coast on the eastern side of the Big Island, Laupahoehoe Beach County Park is a peninsula with a rocky shoreline. This beach features many smooth pāhoehoe lava rocks, steep sea cliffs, and nearby lush green vegetation that offer Instagram-worthy views of the coast, especially during sunset. The name of the beach, "Laupahoehoe," means "leaf of lava" in the Hawaiian language. In the 1800s, Lauphoehoe was a sugarcane, taro, and fishing community. The peaceful village of Lauphoehoe was turned into a bustling plantation town with the establishment of the Ladd & Co. sugar plantation. Lauphoehoe was a prosperous community with a consolidated railroad and a shipping harbor until April 1, 1946, when three catastrophic tsunamis struck the peninsula in succession. The tsunami swept away many homes and the schoolhouse. Unfortunately, the powerful waves killed 159 people, including 23 schoolchildren and four teachers. A monument has been built on the site of the school in memory of those who lost their lives in this dreadful natural calamity.