If you ever go to Maui one of the most popular...most talked about things to do is The Road to Hana. I had read all about it before we went. I even had my handy dandy Coastal Living Magazine all dog eared and ready to take us step by step on our next big adventure.
The Chicks were excited.
We were a tad bit nervous. You hear all kinds of stories about the Road to Hana. It's a 50 some mile drive that takes hours and hours, because it has 600 plus hair pin turns. If that's not enough there are several bridges that only one car at a time can pass through and the locals are a little crazy! So after hearing all this we were really kind of dreading it, but we knew we couldn't NOT go. THAT would be crazy:)
This little fruit stand was our first stop. We got loaded up with fruit smoothies, coconut candy and coconut chips. OH my goodness. Who knew I loved coconut so much. I will forever crave that chewy candy!
You would think the sign might tip us off for something to see, but since we didn't get the much raved about driving CD to take along with our drive we missed the Twin Falls. Oh well!
Aren't these little bananas adorable?!
Up until this point the roads hadn't been that bad. I even said...see nothing is as bad or as good as people make it out to be!
Then all of sudden it all began...the endless twisting and turning. We came prepared though and drugged up on Dramamine and the girls and I wore the anti-nausea Sea band wristbands. It helped and none of us got car sick...thank God!
My magazine article pointed us to mile marker 11, where it said we could splash around in the beautiful pools of Haipuaena Falls. So here we are trying to be adventurous. It's really not in our nature to trudge through mud in the middle of a tropical jungle, but nonetheless I wanted us to experience it all:)
Just a pretty little fall. The water was icy cold.
We all dressed in bathing suits just in case we wanted to take a dip, but it was way to cold to do that.
By the time we got to the car we were all covered in mud! Welcome to the Road to Hana;)
I think I can stand a little mud for views like this though!
See the cut out...that's the road. Those little white dots are cars. What an amazing view.
Our next stop was between mile marker 16 and 17. At the end of a very hidden road we made it to Keanae Landing Fruit Stand. It was raved about in my magazine for Auntie Sandy's banana bread. Apparently it's the best on the island and we just HAD to have some.
Her banana bread is famous for a reason...it was soooo good! Oh my:) I think we bought 4 or 5 loaves. So yummy and she doesn't use milk, eggs or nuts...hmmm.
This place...this moment was one of my very favorite on the trip. We pulled into a little shaded cove and ate our picnic lunch out of the back of the jeep. We could hear the waves pounding the black volcano rocks and hear the birds chirping over head. It was pure bliss.
Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? And the best part is that it felt like it was all ours. There was no one else in sight. It was so peaceful and serene. The huge spray of ocean every few beats. It was magical.
We used our time wisely and took LOTS of pics! I was PMSing unfortunately and I remember yelling at some point that...we weren't leaving until we got a good shot. Even if it took all day. Because we'd probably never be here again and and...JUST DO IT!
This is only about one tenth of the shots it took before we finally got a good one. Oh my sweet peeps. How they put up with their crazy mama!
This one works pretty good. That's the problem with a deserted, special private cove...there is no one to take your picture;)
One more fall to see at mile marker 20...Upper Waikani Falls or better known as Three Bears Falls. It was a beaut. Not only did you see the big fall, but lots of little ones along the walls. Rainbows in the water spray. It was just a beautiful site.
We didn't make it to Hana. We went about half way and then decided that was enough. How many gorgeous beaches and waterfalls do you really need to see in one day?? We got what we came for...pics to last a lifetime and enough banana bread to feed a small village, our little "village". So glad we didn't get spooked and made the trek anyway. When I think of Hawaii this is where my mind goes.
Have a blessed day.
