Today was
our second driving intensive day – and we continued to take advantage of our
early rising jet lag. Having woken up at 6, we were able to hit the road just
before 7. Setting out early, it was clear that we needed sustenance, both
liquid and solid. We headed first to Makawao, the town we’d visit for breakfast
yesterday. Here we picked up two Maui Blend coffees to go and a box of pastries
from the local doughnut shop, Komoda Store and Bakery. This is the same shop that
had been recommended to us but was closed on Wednesday. Immediately upon
arriving, it was clear that this was a special place, as locals were pouring in
and out, buying anywhere from a single pastry to boxes for parties. The most
“doughnut-like” pastries are called Maasanas and Archer picked up 2 plain with
sugar, 2 with cinnamon-sugar, 2 with a guava fruit filling, 1 powdered sugar
with cream called a Long John, 1 chocolate cream puff, and 1 vanilla cream
puff. This may sound like a lot for a day, but we ate them slowly spread out as
snacks and I will just say this now, they were all AMAZING! If you
visit, find these – and eat them. With some food and coffee ready to go, it was
time to head to Hana!
If you
aren’t aware, the Road to Hana is an outing much more about the journey than
the destination. The adventure really is the ROAD to Hana. Hana is a
small, relatively isolated town, on the eastern side of Maui. The road there,
Hana Highway, is a 37 mile stretch of road that is constantly winding, with
steep hills, and frequent waterfall sights. Along the drive there are frequent
stops with small hikes to swimming holes and waterfalls. They are all so
beautiful. Unfortunately, the narrow road with minimal parking offers little
opportunity to decide if you want to stop, and sometimes no opportunity even when
you know you want to. Below I will describe the stops we made or wish we could
have made, but do not be under the impression that we saw anywhere near
“everything” that the road has to offer.
Our first
stop was a location called Twin Falls, just after mile-marker 2. Mile markers
are really the only way to determine somethings location along this route. As
the first
stop on the road, it is unsurprising that it is one of the most
crowded and popular. A well established parking lot, with a local food truck,
greet the visitors as they take a short walk into the jungle. Only a couple
hundred feet in, there is a steep, muddy descent to the swimming pond of the
first of two falls. The swimming hole is a wonderful temperature, and a
classically lovely fall. My favorite site at this venue were the massive tress
who’s roots were visible from the tops of the cliffs, all the way down to the
banks of the water we swam in. After some time here, we hiked out, and took a
quick look upstream towards the second of the two falls. It was only a little
bit further up the path, but looked to offer less swimming opportunities, so we
decided to return to the road.
Our second
stop we believe was easily our most successful. Somewhere near Mile 9 we were
looking for the Waikamoi Ridge Trail. However, we aren’t sure if we found
something else, an unofficial entrance, or otherwise. What we did find was a beautiful walk through a bamboo forest to a series of stunning swimming
holes. However, the entrance to the trail we found was a true leap of faith, as
we entered simply a dark hole in the bamboo wall next to the road. The trail
was well formed inside, apparently with many side trails leading back to other
places on the road. Turn-offs in the other direction lead to beautiful views
over a cliff to an extension of the bamboo forest below. The hike was not
the
easiest walk, and is not necessarily for everyone. There was really only one
tough spot with steep and slick rocks, leading into a narrow wood-plank bridge.
It was only a few steps across but definitely made some people uncomfortable.
Before long the hike opened into a wide stream with massive rocks to hop along,
either to cross or to head down/up stream. Only another few hundred feet
brought us to the first waterfall and a wonderful swimming pond. We hopped in
(hopped is generous, more like indelicately slid/waded) and spent 5-10 minutes
floating along by ourselves. While we were alone in the water, people were
constantly passing on their way uphill to a further pond.
We too
headed out soon to ascent the hill to the next swimming hole. The immediate
incline was the only challenge, needing the help of a rope as a necessary
handhold.
But, once on top the walk was short and flat to the largest swimming
hole we saw all day. It was the largest, and deepest pond with one of the
largest waterfalls we saw (on a hike - there were some massive ones along the road). One side of the pond was easy to climb and had a
rope for swinging mounted on it. After swimming for a bit, we each climbed up
and took a swing. On the far side of the swimming hole was the waterfall, with enough
handholds. footings, and levels, that we could climb up and walk around.
There were many little circular puddles within the waterfall itself and in one
we saw 3 large crayfish! It was amazing, and a great place to dive back into the
water. Rumor was that there were up to seven waterfalls and ponds further along
this route, but we were not equipped to hike further, so we turned around and
headed back to the car. This stop is certainly worth making!
Our next
stop was an easy one. Around Mile 12 we stopped at Kaumahina State WaysidePark. This was a great, but simple, road-stop with restrooms, picnic
tables and
a phenomenal view. Looking out across the road and down the coast of the
island, we were able to look over black sand beeches, crashing waves, and see
some coastal towns like Ke’anae. We ate our lunch and got back on the road. A
few miles later (around Mile 14) we pulled over to pursue a half mile walk down
to the coast. It turns out it was possible to drive, but at that point we were
committed. At the coast we found a rocky black-sand beech, all to ourselves
with waves constantly crashing against the shore. Given the privacy, rockiness,
and strength of the waves, we chose to not actually swim, but the breeze, the
waves, and the sounds were all wonderful to experience.
After Mile
16 we stopped at the Ke’anae Arboretum. This was a small excursion with
a short
hike (about 1 mile to the end). The path was a steady downhill (in this
direction) but walked along a ravine with beautiful flowers, tall fruit trees
(Mountain Apples we later discovered), and lush bird-life. When we entered the arboretum
proper, the trees were stunning. Some were massively tall, while others seemed
like massive combinations of networked, smaller trees. Some provided lush canopies
while others were tall and spindly. My favorites were the grove of Eucalyptus
trees. Their bark seemed to contain iridescent and almost neon colors, while
they stretched seemingly impossibly high with amazingly straight trunks. The
smell they created was amazing! A bit further ahead there was a garden of Taro,
a kind of corn-like tuber that provides a great source of food as well as
helping local irrigation. We also spotted our first Gecko of the trip – cute
little green lizard guy!
From here
our trip to Hana became much more streamlined. After Mile 22 we passed the
Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Park. This was another series of waterfalls and
ponds, immediately on the side of the road, but it was over crowded and we
chose to continue heading onward. Much later, just outside Hana (Mile 31) we’d
hoped to visit Waianapanapa State Park. Unfortunately, we instead witnessed an active protest as locals had blocked off the road to make a statement about
various developments on the island. It is apparently a gorgeous black-sand
beech and comes highly recommended. Instead, we headed into town and stopped at
Hana Bay for a quick dip. The sand here too was black and super smooth. We
experienced some of the most fun waves of our trip so far and the temperature
was perfect. The cool waves and the wind was incredibly soothing after the long
drive. Having now arrived in Hana, despite only having been about 35 miles, it
was about 3 in the afternoon, so about 7 hours into our journey.
We found
our way to a local food truck stop to buy dinner. We split a plate of Guava
Chicken Quesedilla and an order of Drunken Noodles with pork. While here, we’d
been considering returning to our condo in Kihei via the southern route and
continuing our way around the island. However, we asked some of the truck
owners about the road and they suggested it would take about twice as long. The
road was apparently less well traveled, more narrow, and more curvy. We chose
to return the way we came, and once the rain started we were increasingly grateful.
The drive
back went smoothly, and we looked to make significantly fewer stops which saved us a lot
of time. As it had begun raining, we joined a sort of caravan, which
made visibility easier and the whole thing more relaxing. Between the rain forest
setting, the rain itself, and the fact that we were following a jeep – it felt
like a scene out of Jurassic Park. Along the way we saw one nook that we were
interested to explore. It turns out we’d found a network of lava caves. Given
the rain and our seclusion, we again decided not to adventure but they were
cool to see. We also found a great and prominent waterfall at one of the
switchbacks the road often makes. Many turns along the Road to Hana require narrow 1-lane bridges that
cut across gorges, and they were always crowded on the way in. Now, given the
hour and the rain – it was empty. We parked, got out, and took a private dip.
Again, awesome and refreshing! Finally, we’d hoped to visit Poohokama Falls,
between miles 10 and 11. We’d missed it on the way in because we were told it
was a bit later, and to get there you need to go into the entrance of the
“Garden of Eden”. Unfortunately, this location had closed at 4 so we missed it,
but it is reportedly one of the most beautiful waterfalls along the drive.
And then we
drove home. Never has a straight road with a speed limit of 30 miles an hour
felt so fast! The drive home was another 35 minutes or so, but compared to the
past few hours it was basically relaxation! We went straight home, and decided
some time in the heated pool would be refreshing – and we were right! We swam
around in the clean water for about 30 minutes, before heading inside, grabbing
a nightcap, and going to sleep.
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