The Road to Hana

Not a road I could walk. And the van ride was an all day event. But what a ride (617 turns?, 48 miles, 2.5 hr drive time) and a great sample of places to visit again.

Ho’okipa Beach

First place we stopped was Ho’okipa Beach Park we did come here again to watch the surfers. This from an overlook, but the road goes down to the beach for access to the water activities.

The board surfers use the area close to the bluff we’re standing on. The kite surfers are nearer the next point. (Sorry phone pictures don’t quite pick up all the details.)

Kaumahaina

Next stop, Kaumahaina State Wayside provided a great vista of the Ke’anae Peninsula where we would stop next. As of 2-29-16, the state website indicates the park is closed due to high surf damage. We didn’t go down to the beach only looked from the high parking lot.

Ke’anae Peninsula

We were able to wander the Ke’anae Peninsula for a little while. A dramatic lava shoreline fascinated many of us on the tour and others. Not for swimming.

The hala tree is common here, the female producing a pineapple-looking fruit.

The peninsula had/has a vibrant community devastated by a tsunami in 1946, this church of 1856 survived.

Wai’anapanapa State Park

Next stop was Wai’anapanapa State Park and a black sand beach. Trails, casually paved, lead around the cliff top and stepped-trails go down to the beach.

Here’s a Trail link. and more information about the park.

So this post is titled Road to Hana, but I have no pictures of Hana! How does that happen? It’s not a town in the normal sense, houses, airstrip and a lovely resort where we had lunch. Oh, wait. I have this one from the resort gardens.

Pools of ‘Ohe’o

Our last stop, before returning, was at the Pools of ‘Ohe’o. Tiered pools, big enough to swim in, lead down to the ocean.

Of course with different amounts of rain there will be more water down the falls and in the pools. At the ocean, the lava forms in wonderful arches.

The trip was to go around the eastern portion of Maui below Haleakala, but the road was closed – after enjoying the pools of ‘Ohe’o we turned around and went back to Kihei.

Aloha and Mahalo, Lynn

• words and pictures by Lynn Millar, some pictures by Mike Millar, available upon request –