Road to Hana

I think my favorite part of our Maui trip (besides just watching whales from the balcony) was the Road to Hana. It was amazing! 

Now, it is a long drive. And if you're prone to get car sick, well, you'll probably get car sick. I'm not sure I'd take kids on this drive as you are in the car for quite awhile. The stops are worth it, but the kids might not think so.

My SIL told me about an app to use, which is definitely a must. Pay the few bucks and download this app! It is worth the money! It is the GuideAlong, formerly known as the Gypsy Guide. It uses GPS to know where you are and tells you some stories and history as you pass spots, and lets you know of the must dos in the area. It warns you when you are approaching in case you want to pull over to see that spot. I had printed out some directions and stops myself, and the app covered everything. You do not need to plan anything yourself if you use this app. 

The day we drove the Road happened to be very rainy, which I'm guessing is fairly common. I would not rent a convertible, unless you're able to put the roof up. We saw some roadsters and they were definitely getting soaked. 

Being from Arizona, we were anxious to see waterfalls, so we stopped at the first chance we got. It was cool, but every other stop blew our mind. 


Another memorable site are the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. They are so pretty! These we just admired from our car. 


We stopped at Maui's Garden of Eden which is a pretty park. 



You can see the Jurassic Park Rock, or Keopuka Rock, from the park. There's also some waterfalls to spot here.

A popular stop is Aunt Sandy's Banana Bread. Of course, we stopped for a snack ourselves.

Another stop is the black sand beach at Wai'anapanapa State Park. There is apparently a reservation system now for this park, so be sure to research that before you go.

I couldn't believe the waterfalls everywhere. You'd just be driving along, and oh, there's a crazy waterfall!
 

 

We also stopped to see the Nakalele Point blowhole.


I don't recall all of the stops, so here's some more pics and videos from various places along the way.




The ride home was long. We did most of our stops on the way out, so the windy road back home caused some green around the gills. You'll need to pull over to take a couple breaks. You could also try to plan it where you do half the stops on the way out, and half on the way in, but that may be harder to navigate, especially if you're using the app. 

Overall, it was an awesome experience and one I'll never forget. If you're good with long car rides, this is a must do.

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