The Maui Report - Part 3: The Road to Hana

Today (Tuesday) we drove to Hana. We were a little apprehensive about going on this drive. It would be an all day event with lots of turns and curves and narrow roads. But we were up to the challenge. We left at 6am and were ready to start on the road to Hana by 7am.

We got a little confused at first when we started looking for mile markers. We didn't realize that the real road to Hana didn't start for a few more miles. When we finally got to the real road, we realized our mistake and then were able to follow along in the guide book which identified all the neat waterfalls, vistas and special points. Jill did a great job keeping up with the guidebook while I drove.

We stopped several times at waterfalls. It's not really the rainy season, so the waterfalls we saw were murky and not that spectacular.

We did stop at one of the many local banana bread stands. We stopped just in time too. We were treated to the first batch of bread out of the oven. We bought a loaf and then walked down to the rocks and enjoyed the ocean while eating fresh banana bread. The bread was really quite delicious and the view gorgeous.

One of our favorite parts was a vista that overlooked the ocean and a small village. It also had a great view a two waterfalls in the mountains. The smell of pineapple fields was strong and Jill and I felt that we were back in Central America.

We continued driving on the road. In total, it was 52 miles to Hana. All of that was driven at a slow pace ... always less than 20 mph.

Our absolute favorite spot was off the beaten path and main road. We took a 2 mile diversion from the main road. Right where a bridge arched over Makapipi Falls there is a road that leads down to the coast. This small road took us to Nahiku and probably one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. The road dead-ends where the view is spectacular, but we parked by the church and walked the rest of the way down. Along the way is a small pool next to a tree with a rope tied on it (for jumping in and swimming). We didn't take the plunge. We kept on walking and were rewarded with a breath-taking view. We've seen pictures like this view, but they don't do it justice ... seeing the white waves crash against the black rocks with the rugged coastline in the background was amazing! We walked up to the edge, sat on the grass that was there and soaked it all in. The waves entertained us for several minutes. The sun was out and it was AWESOME. We spent about 4o minutes taking in the view before we decided that we needed to keep going. We took lots of pictures of this spot.

Our next stop was Kahanu Garden where we saw the largest temple in Hawaii (Pi'ilanihale Heiau ... say that three times fast). The garden was pretty and the temple was neat, but we didn't spent much time there. I found a picture of this temple on the Internet. We didn't have a helicopter to take aerial shots, but at least you can see what it looks like. The black rock is actually the temple. It is MASSIVE!

Our last stop was Hana where we ate lunch at Tutu's. Hana wasn't all that great, but we were glad we made it and were ready to head back home. The drive back didn't take as long. We made it back in good time and then stopped by K-Mart.

When we made it back to Lahaina, we stopped by Bubba Gumps and ate an early dinner. The food was pretty good and the view of the ocean was great.

After dinner, we came back to the hotel and went swimming. We played water basketball. Jill won the first game and then I won the next two. I probably should have let her win and I would have received fewer scratches! Then we relaxed and watched the sun set ... but not really because the clouds were in the way. But it was still nice to relax on the beach for a bit.

And thus ends our Tuesday.