"The Road to Hana" Day

One of the most consistently recommended Maui ventures is the Road to Hana, reportedly one of the top 10 most beautiful drives in North America. It's a winding road through some of the most jaw-dropping vistas we've ever seen, and it was our mission today.

We hit the road around 8:15am and didn't get back to Kaanapali until nearly 9:00pm. Highlights on the trip out to Hana include extended stops at Waikani Falls (also know as the Three Bears) and the black sand beach at Waianapanapa. Neither you nor I have any clue if that's spelled correctly, but I can assure you it was a cool stop!

Once we arrived in Hana we made the key decision to continue on the the route around the island (as opposed to returning on the same route we came out on). This is no small decision as much of the road is single lane and unpaved (or poorly paved). What a trip it was! Since we wanted to have sunlight for as much of the trip as possible, we blew by the "Seven Sacred Pools" spot that we would have loved to see. The road was completely passable since most traffic was going the same direction, but the road quality lived down to all the expectations set in the guidebooks.

The challenging route of hairpin turns, no guard rails, narrow roads, and more bumps & turns that we could count was just part of the story. The rest of the story includes the incredible views that are available on the other side of the island. It's much more barren than the road to Hana, with more obvious volcanic influence once we entered the Haleakala National Park. Beyond the scenery, other highlights included being stopped by cows who were hesitant to move out of our lane, horses who refused to get out of the way, and some stunning views at the Maui sunset from a different angle.

The remote nature of the trip meant no bathrooms or gas stations. We had all the gas we needed but man did we need a restroom! We did have a nature call in the backcountry, which brought Christa, in particular, a lot pride as she was able to handle a roadside, er, situation. But near the end of the trip a couple of our passengers REALLY needed to go and weren't as up for another roadside attempt. Once we hit Kahului, we made a fast left into the Golden Arches, much to everyone's delight! No matter where one travels, Ronald is reliable for good fries and clean bathrooms!

Ah, only one more full day in Maui. We plan to spend it in a more relaxed way that does not require good shock absorbers and brakes!