{"id":528,"date":"2007-11-29T18:50:00","date_gmt":"2007-11-30T00:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2007\/11\/maui-on-the-road-to-hana\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T23:26:22","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T05:26:22","slug":"maui-on-the-road-to-hana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2007\/11\/maui-on-the-road-to-hana\/","title":{"rendered":"Maui: On the road to Hana"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Chris Wieland<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Img_0133\"<\/a> Take a Maui vacation<\/a><\/strong> and everyone will say that you must \u2013- MUST! \u2013- drive the Road to Hana. Hana is a small town on the island\u2019s edge, only accessible by a road with more hairpin turns than you can imagine.<\/p>\n

I believe the journey is always more important than the destination. This was some journey.<\/p>\n

We started early because, though the road is only 25 to 30 miles long, it can take five hours one way. <\/p>\n

Why so long? <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It ain\u2019t the twists. This is the real Hawaii<\/a><\/strong>, so you\u2019re getting out of the car every mile or two to hike and see the landscape. <\/p>\n

\"Img_0138\"<\/a> Like the twin waterfalls, our first stop. You\u2019ll hear they\u2019re \u201cjust off the road,\u201d meaning a<\/a> hike and minor climbing. You can only reach the second waterfall by crossing a pond with a rocky bottom. If you\u2019ve worn sneake<\/a>rs or boots, you have two options: get them wet or cross barefoot.<\/p>\n

I chose barefoot. <\/p>\n

First quote of the day:<\/strong> \u201cProbably I should have gotten some of those underwater shoes.\u201d (Me, after crossing the pond.)<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t say I don\u2019t have an adventurous spirit.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Of course, it\u2019s not all waterfalls. Spend your time looking for cascading waters and you\u2019ll miss some amazing views. Some stops along the way even advertise that they have no waterfall to offer. <\/p>\n

Second quote of the day<\/strong>: \u201cWhere\u2019s the waterfall on this trail?\u201d (Tourist, next to a sign reading "No Waterfalls on Trail.")<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t reach everyone.\"Img_0157\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When you get to Hana, you\u2019ll find a small, remote town. You might wonder if this is all there is. It\u2019s not. My wife and I heard rumors of a red rock beach, just a small \u201chike\u201d from the main drag. <\/p>\n

Third quote of the day:<\/strong> \u201cI don\u2019t mean to suggest your life\u2019s in imminent danger, but there are a couple of places that are treacherous.\u201d (Serious Hiker Guy, dispensing advice.) <\/p>\n

We went for it. It took a climb through brush, a steep, rocky trail, then a shorter, twistier ledge on the side of a cliff. And then . . .<\/p>\n

<\/a>We saw a red sand cove, virtually untouched. We climbed down and let the red sand run through our toes. We watched the waves crash over the rocks. Totally worth it.  <\/p>\n

So was the next stop: a black sand beach on the way back, full of natural caves and blow holes. And to sweeten the deal, it had a shaved ice stand.<\/p>\n

Cooling ourselves with tri-colored, obscurely-flavored treats, we strolled the beach, only to discover that it was not covered with sand at all. The black \u201csand\u201d consisted of tiny, smooth pebbles, cool to the touch.\"Img_0173\"<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n

The drive back took less time (two hours). As the sun set, the tourists scattered and the locals manned the twisty road. That didn\u2019t make the trip obstacle-free. Locals drive the Road to Hana every day. <\/p>\n

They know every hairpin turn. They drive fast \u2013 so fast that my wife began praising the ones who were careful.<\/p>\n

Fourth quote of the day<\/strong>: \u201cThank you, orange car! I appreciate you!\u201d (My wife, to a slow-driving saint.)<\/p>\n

We returned to our hotel very tired. What a journey.<\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources<\/strong>:<\/p>\n