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Published: December 7th 2011
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Hana Highway
www.mellovacations.com When I planned our visit to Maui, I had one thing on my mind, The Road to Hana. I had heard so many stories about the winding road with 600 hairpin curves, 54 bridges, many of them narrow, one lane bridges. Traffic gets backed up in both directions as one car at a time creeps across the bridge while the drivers and passengers strain to see the canyons and waterfalls. Some of them are a VERY tight squeeze, which makes for a white knuckle experience when you have a rental car. It’s only 52 miles, but the drive can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours because you will want to stop to take a hundred pictures along the way. If you are looking for the perfect postcard picture, you can find it on the Hana Highway. We stopped to buy banana bread from a roadside fruit stand, which was excellent. One of the things we enjoy the most when traveling is supporting the local residents. We like to buy locally handcrafted souvenirs and eat where the locals dine. Don refuses to buy souvenirs made in other countries. We used to buy the trinkets when we first started traveling,
Santa Ornaments
www.mellovacations.com but you soon realize that they are all “Been there, done that” By that I mean, the souvenirs are all the same. The only thing that changes is the name of the destination. Take postcards & t-shirts, for example, whether you are in Lahaina, Waikiki or Kaanapali. You will find the same things, “Someone in –fill in the blank- loves me. So we try to avoid them. Our one exception is Santa Claus ornaments. I collect them from everywhere we visit. Most of them are from China, but on the rare occasion that they are made locally it’s like I won prize.
One of the best stops on the drive was the
Garden of Eden. I have been learning photography by trial and error and this was a great classroom. The 25 acre garden was started in 1991 by Alan Bradbury, whose vision is to restore the native habitat and as well as including exotic plants and trees from the South Pacific. There are over 600 labeled botanical plants including the most extensive collection of Ti plants. I brought
Bird of Paradise
www.mellovacations.com one home, but forgot about it and never got it planted.Guess I have to go back, darn it. As you exit the Garden there is a display of exotic birds on stands and the owner does what seems to be an impromptu “bird show”. He lets you take pictures and hold the birds and he poses them.
When you are done he tells you the charge is $20. No signs posted with the cost so stop if you wish. It makes a great photo.
The Hana highway meanders through rainforests, past dramatic waterfalls, plunging pools and dramatic seascapes. There are plenty of photo opportunities, so get an early start and take your time on your drive. We stopped at every waterfall that was accessible and most of the scenic overlooks. There is an amazing Bamboo Forest along the way. I didn’t know about it, so it was not on our sightseeing list but it should be on yours! My pictures, taken at 25 mph are blurred because we didn’t have time to stop, there is one 10 miles past Hana along the Pipiwai Trail or check out the one just before mile marker
Pink Hibiscus
www.mellovacations.com 7 along the Hana Highway. If you drive just a bit past mile marker 7, there should be room to pull over for a good look.
Our ultimate destination was the Seven Sacred Pools in Haleakala National Park. This is a natural playground for locals and tourists. You can hike on the Pipiwai Trail, visit historical sites, try "cliff" jumping, or stay safe with the chickens and just watch the brave daredevils plunge off the cliff. I am in the chicken club. I prefer not break a leg on vacation. There is a trail to the “swimming pools” for those who don’t want to jump. The weather was beautiful that day, but there had been recent rains so the waterfall and pools were muddy. It was disappointing because I was hoping to swim and get some postcard pictures. I also was not expecting it to be as crowded as it was. I guess seeing all the guide books with the pictures of crystal clear waterfalls and no people led me to believe it was secluded. Who knew it would be us and 1,000 of our new best friends? The Pipiwai Trail, above the Seven Sacred Pools, is one
of the best hikes on Maui. We made too many stops along the way so we didn’t have time to do this either. It’s 4 miles roundtrip, & takes 2 1/2 - 5 hours to hike, depending on how many photo ops you do. I am told there are several great waterfalls along the route with the grand finale being Waimoku Falls, falling 400-feet down a sheer lava rock wall. Along the Pipiwai Trail is Infinity Pool. It has a row of thick rocks that keep you from falling over the 200-foot waterfall. This pool is much more secluded than the Seven Sacred Pools. Add this to the reasons we have to go back. As if we need one!
One final note regarding the Road to Hana concerns rental cars-read your contract carefully –because many companies forbid driving their cars to Hana.
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