Hana. Take your time to get there because there is not much really there. On this drive, the important 'There' is anywhere on the road that you find yourself. Hana town isn't the real goal, nor are the 7 Pools at Oheo. The goal of this road trip is the kind of unique experience that can be found and felt as close as Huelo, 15 minutes beyond Hookipa's windsurfing beach, or as far away as Kaupo, which you would roll into some four or five hours later. That is, if it's not raining--and--if you don't stop very much. In reality, 'There' might be found at any of hundreds of places in between.
You should figure on at least 10 to 12 hours for this expedition there and back. If you were just intent on getting to Hana, then driving straight through from Kaanapali's Resorts would require about four to four and a half hours and then on to the 7 Pools another 90 minutes - and that is just one way. Kahului to Hana, on a straight through run, will take about three hours or so. But doing that would be a waste of a beautiful drive and a glorious adventure. You would have missed out on the stops to swim beneath waterfalls, tour flower farms, visit sea caves and black sand beaches or explore any of the wonderful and alluring side roads. Taking your time to get to Lindberg's Grave and return to the resorts can be a very long one day trip but you will fondly remember that journey for the rest of your lives
The Hana Drive can actually be as long or as short as you choose. Unfortunately, most visitors are under the impression that far away Hana town is their goal so they zoom right on past some of Maui's most wonderful close-by experiences. Please don't let that happen to you.
Most people attempt to make the entire round trip to their chosen goal along the Hana Highway during daylight hours, so they can return before it gets dark. But if you make your drive home on the Hana Highway at night you will find it devoid of traffic and the return journey will be much quicker than it was during the day.
At night, when rounding all of those curves, any oncoming headlights give warning that other drivers are approaching, a caution you never get during daylight hours. Reflective markers at the road's edge keep you on track, and most important of all, in the dark there's no scenery to hold up traffic by diverting a driver's attention or distracting other drivers.
One thing you'll want to avoid on the road to Hana is to become part of a caravan. Ten minutes may go by without a single car passing along the highway, and then suddenly a group of 10 or 20 vehicles will go by. And again, after they pass, nothing. If someone is on your bumper urging you to go faster, pull over when it is safe and let them go by. Don't stress out on traffic forming up behind you and don't let them make you drive faster than you want to cruise. And especially do not let those other drivers prevent you from safely stopping and admiring all of the places you would like to visit.
Keep your eyes open and really observe the diverse flora that you will be passing while on this trip. In some sections, below the road, vibrant orange African Tulip Tree blossoms contrast vividly with the shimmering sapphire sea. You might see fluorescent carpets of wild pink and scarlet impatiens lining the asphalt. There is jungle so thick, dark and primeval that you expect to see Tarzan swinging from the tangle of vines that beckons you to enter its wet and eerie world of shadows: Sensitive Plants recoil their tiny fern-like leaves for protection when you brush against them, bizarre red star-shaped fungi, looking like something from outer space, push up through the rotting forest floor litter, and sometimes swarms of mosquitoes will greet you and drink a toast to your welcome.
To enjoy the entire Hana Drive to its fullest, you might want to consider staying overnight in the Hana area. Since there are very few accommodations near Hana you will want to make arrangements in advance and you might have to pay $500 per night and above. One such place like that is the Travaasa Hana Resort. There is a less expensive bed and breakfast near Hana, that has mixed reviews, called Heavenly Hana Inn. You can find these on the internet. If you want to stay the night in Hana then do book ahead as rooms are so scarce that none may be available on the dates that you need them.
But no matter what you do, when you are finished with this road trip you will completely understand why people with huge smiles buy shirts stating "I survived the Road to Hana!"
On the road west of Paia
Early on the road you will see that farming is still an important lifestyle for many people on Maui, from the pineapple fields of Haiku, and a little later on, the taro fields of Keanae. At mile marker 3.0, you will see some sugarcane fields. Sugarcane has been a part of the Maui landscape since the 1860s, when a market was found for sugar in the California Gold Rush. Maui recently had approximately 35,500 acres of sugar cane under cultivation. Sugar mills still operate here, in the midst of the swaying sugar cane fields. When the cane fields are ready to be harvested, they are set ablaze in order to get rid of most of the foliage, since the sugar is in the stalk. The sugar mill processes the cane into molasses, which is then trucked to Kahalui harbor, where it is shipped to the mainland for further processing.
The last remnants of one typical sugarcane plantation town are in Puunene, not far from the airport. It was once a bustling enclave of immigrant worker family bungalows alongside management personnel homes. Today the homes are nothing more than rotting boards held together by their own sheer will not to let go of the past.
Except for two perfectly preserved homes, that is. One is the A&B Sugar Museum and the other is the home of the museum's director. The plantation style home devoted to the museum holds some of the most interesting displays and memorabilia you'll see anywhere on Maui.
Here are a couple of interesting facts about sugar cane. It is believed that sugar cane originated more than 10,000 years ago in the Pacific area of New Guinea. Then early human migrations spread the plant westward into Southeast Asia and India and eastward into Polynesia. The Arabs began cultivating and harvesting sugar cane and making sugar, and introduced their techniques to Europe. We know that in 1493 Christopher Columbus brought sugar cane to the West Indies, and by 1751, the plant was growing successfully in Louisiana and other southern states. Another interesting feature about sugar cane is that it requires one ton of water to produce one pound of refined sugar.
Town of Paia, Hawaii
Paia is a plantation town, located at mile marker 5, and is the first town encountered when heading west from Kahalui. Windsurfers are now becoming the main industry for this former sugar town, since the north shores of Maui in this area offer superb windsurfing.
This is your last chance to fill up with gas. If the Paia gas stations are closed, return to Kahalui to gas up before proceeding further. You have over 100 miles (remember the return trip!) of highway ahead of you!
And if you haven't already picked up a picnic lunch then this is the place to get one. One of the most famous places to grab a picnic spread is, ironically enough, Picnics Restaurant, which is located at 30 Baldwin Avenue and is open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. and also serves breakfast, lunches and early dinners.
This ends the second of five travelogues about how to get the most out of a drive along The Road to Hana on the island of Maui.
To continue this adventure, please see the following article:
Travel Guide for A Driving Adventure on "The Road To Hana" on the island of Maui in Hawaii - Part 3 of 5
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