Maui, Hawaii Day 1, Road to Hana

August 3rd

The time change woke me up naturally at 5am, but I wanted to give my body an extra hour of sleep to both catch up and get ahead for the week. However, at 6am I thought I might as well get up and get a good head start on the Road to Hana. I had a lot to pack up, wanted to enjoy some coffee so I wouldn’t have to buy any on the way. I also wanted to eat a filling breakfast and pack my lunch. It was very convenient to be able to just throw everything in the car and not have to worry about the bag being too heavy and having to leave stuff behind for that sake. I felt as though I had everything I could possibly need, feeling prepared for the day, and at little hassle. 

I started the drive at 7am and it was perfect timing. I was warned yesterday that the cruise ship would dock at 8-8:30am and in no time the vacationers would be in their rental cars and on their way to the Road to Hana. I also didn’t stop at a few of the first stops, thinking I could easily go back because it was close to my town Paia, or just catch it on the way back. I wanted to make sure I saw my 'for sures', and those were all further along the road. 

I was mentally bracing myself for the drive to be difficult. Everyone was saying that the drive was not for the faint of heart and it was dodgy at times, down to one lane and such. I knew I’d be able to do it and didn’t want to let fear stop me from this incredible experience. I did begin as a weary and cautious driver, giving myself the grace to go slow until I felt comfortable navigating the roads. So, I did in fact follow the speed limit and warm myself up to the roads, but in no time I got the hang of them. Truly, it came down to going slow around turns when you can’t see the other lane or when you are approaching a bridge (most of the bridges are only wide enough for one car). Also, to make sure if there is a local behind me (a car other than a jeep wrangler or fuel efficient sedan), you immediately search for a pull off to let them pass. And those are the basics to driving Road to Hana!

Within the first couple miles, I was getting the hang of it and had no fear driving along. I think it also helped that it was almost never crowded when I was on the road because I was always ahead of the rush. If you are thinking about doing it, do it! Don’t let the drive stop you!

I made so many stops. Not only the stops below, but also I would pull off at the lookout/pass points so that I could take out my camera and take some photos of the views from the road. I wished more than ever I could have been a passenger on this drive... But we wait for no one and I found a way to make it work, this way! And I made a point to stop at all the lookouts that I could. Below is the complete list of all of the stops I went to and in that order. I also have a few that I wanted to go to and didn’t either because I didn’t have time or couldn’t find parking, or was nervous about finding it on my own. 

Another pro tip, download the map of Maui on Google Maps. I did not have any reception for the majority of my drive so thankfully I had all my stops saved/hearted, I also had this list of stops stored in my notes app to cross check that I was headed to the correct next stop and not missing any. Some people will use the mile markers, however I found it easiest to plug my next stop into Google Maps so that I wouldn't accidentally pass it on my way. I will give a little description of each stop I had and offer any tips that would be good to know that I learned!

My Stops: 

Kaumahina State Wayside Overlook

Ke’anae Arboretum 

Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread 

Waulia Valley State Wayside

Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside 

Coconut Glen’s

Hana Lava Tubes 

Hana Farm 

Wai’anapanapa State Park

Hana Town

Red Sand Beach

Other stops I wanted but didn’t go to:

Ho’okpia Beach Park

Twin Falls

Eden Arboretum

Ko'olau Forest Reserve

Wailua Falls

Bamboo Forest

Manawainui Gulch

Waioka/Venus Pools

1. Kaumahina State Wayside Overlook

This was an unplanned stop actually, I was on my way to see the painted trees at the arboretum, and saw this pull out on the side of the road and the thought I’d make a stop and check it out. It had a beautiful viewpoint of the coastline and there was a bathroom, which can be hard to come by the farther along you go on the Road to Hana. I stopped here for about ten minutes, walking around, taking photos, and looking out at the view. There was a little walking trail, I didn’t go and I didn’t see anyone else do it, it didn’t look well trotted and there are many other great hikes to do along this road. A worthwhile stop for sure because it had a nice sized parking lot, was easy to get in and out of, and the view of the cliffs were worth it for sure. 

2. Ke’anae Arboretum - MM16

I was confused when I first pulled up to the Arboretum because there were gates that were closed, but fear not, the park was open but not somewhere that you can drive through. Note this stop is around mile marker 16! There was a little parking lot along the road across the street from the google maps pin, and I parked there and walked through the gate. This is a free arboretum that holds a few painted trees for you to admire. I passed some painted trees earlier in my drive, but they just on the side of the main road with no parking there. These trees, however, were in a park, just requiring you to walk along a trail for about 5-10 minutes, and its a quick in and out. There’s not a ton to see, but it is free and will help you stay on budget if that is what you are looking for. If not, there is Eden Arboretum earlier along the drive that has admission fees, but it is a well done arboretum that you could also stop at if that suites you best. 

3. Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread

Next, I went into Keanae town, which is home to Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread stand. I knew that I would likely not be able to eat any of the bakery items they have there, but I wanted to see the place and understand the hype. I had bought banana bread last night at the grocery store that was vegan and would be enjoying that later in the day in place of purchasing some here. But I didn't feel any fomo because the store was closed! They take one day off a week, Sunday, the day I happen to do the Road to Hana. I wasn’t too bummed out because I wasn’t planning on trying it anyone. Even if you do the Road to Hana on a Sunday, the town itself and coastal area is beautiful. At this point in the day, it started to drizzle a bit, so I took the time to sit in my car and stare out at the beautiful view of the ocean and rock formations.

4. Waulia Valley State Wayside

At mile marker 19 was Waulia Valley State Wayside overlook, this place was recommended to me by my cousin to make sure I stop at and I see why. On one side was a valley that has lush greens mountains dipping in toward each other, to then turn around to face the ocean and see the town of Keanae below. There was very limited parking here, so hopefully you can snag a spot. There’s room for about three cars, however if you think you’ll be quick (I was there for only about 5 minutes) you could potentially park someone in and be prepared to move it if they leave before you. The parking area is not far from the lookout, you walk up a staircase to get a more elevated view of the area. Beautiful stop for sure!

5. Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside

A waterfall! I didn’t stop at Twin Falls because it had a parking fee and is very crowded as it tends to be a popular stop right at the beginning of the Road to Hana. This place however, also had a waterfall that you could swim in, even though it does have a few warning signs, and you can even cliff jump! Do study up before jumping, I saw a family who had a tour guide with them, taking the first jump, erupting the water below him, but validating its safety for cliff jumping. The parking situation isn’t amazing here, but there is a bathroom, I believe one of the last before getting to the town of Hana. The waterfall was beautiful, it did not take much of a hike, if any, to get to, unlike some of the others along the way. There are picnic tables if you are thinking about having some lunch here, I was munching on lesser evil popcorn in my car right before getting out, as I was five stops in already and deserved a refuel.

6. Coconut Glen’s

To match the salty of the popcorn, my next stop was something sweet from Coconut Glens. I’m not super keen on ice cream, however after hearing some raving reviews and seeing how adorable this store was, I added it as a stop along my route. I ordered two scoops of vegan ice cream, ube and pina coloda. I know their coconut flavor is also very popular, but I was looking forward to enjoying my two favorite flavors from the island. There were a ton of cute spots to sit and enjoy, there’s also fresh coconuts that the staff will open right in front of you. If you missed Aunty Sandy's or they were sold out, there’s some banana bread and cookies to pick up here if ice cream is not your thing. I am super glad I stopped, the pineapple ice cream was amazing, and the cool treat was a perfect snack.

7. Hana Lava Tubes

I was debating what to do next, there's so many stops, it's impossible to do them all, but you also don't want to pass too much by. So, when I was coming up on the Lava Tubes, I decided to turn in because it seemed like a unique experience and worth the entrance fee. For $15, I walked through a cave formed by molten lava which burned a hole through the ground that slowly expanded into a very large and long cave. We only had access to see a quarter mile of it, but it is far longer than what we saw. I got a flashlight and entered the cave. Thankfully, there were infographics that pointed out the unique formations throughout the cave and explained the story behind or the science within to describe what was in front of us. For example, it explained the difference between Stalactites and stalagmites, stalactites hang from the cave ceiling, whereas stalagmites grow up from the cave floor. There were also sparkles on the ceiling, Pyrite, from fools gold forming. There were also these chocolate like hangings from the ceiling and even warnings of potential cow bones because a local slaughterhouse use to dump them in here! I don’t recall a ton of the exact science on how everything in the cave was formed, but I did find it fascinating and now I can say I walked through a lava tube.

8. Hana Town

I finally made it to Hana! This is technically the end of the “Road to Hana” as you may assume, but it wasn’t the turn around point for me. But, it was were I picnicked for lunch. The night prior, I bought vegan spring rolls and packed it for lunch with mason jars of ice, the only container the hostel had, to keep it cool until lunch at 1pm. I stopped at a public beach that I thought might be near my next stop, the Red Sand Beach, but I wasn’t seeing it in sight. I put a pin in the Red Sand Beach idea because there was much more to do in the town of Hana, like stopping for food or the restroom before returning. One stop near the city is Hana Farms, which I caught on my way back, but to be warned the prices were a bit steep. They sell cute gifts and locally grown fruit, which I almost bought a starfruit but held off thinking I would get fresh fruit soon enough at the hotel I was staying at with Regan. 

9. Red Sand Beach

I finished my lunch listening and watching the waves roll in, before setting off to find the Red Sand Beach in Hana. I was not locating it on the first beach I was at and realized that the entrance for it was not reachable from the side I was currently on. I hopped back in my car and parked right by the Hana's baseball field. I found the trail, it was not an easy find as it looked like it went through private property, but fear not and follow the dirt path that cuts through the green grass of what looks like somone's backyard. You then are brought to this sandy cut in the cliff which you are set to walk on in order to get to the beach. I am not a fearful hiker, however I must warn this is not for the faint of heart. There was a point in the trail that it narrowed down that I think was maybe the width of my foot and I ending up jumping across to avoid a misstep. It was also loose dirt and was slippery at times. There’s no railing and right on the side of the cliff. A bit more space would have been very helpful. I was cautious and because of that, I was moving slow. But, the trail is short and soon enough I was brought into the opening that gives an incredible view that made that dicey hike worth it.

But, to get down to the sandy beach itself, you have to jump through a few more hoops, hiking wise, to get yourself safely to the ground. This was most certainly a locals beach because I got hazed by some youth that tried to spook me when my foot slipped a little by screeching at the very moment. Wild for anyone to do that to anyone, but a pre-teen boy with territorial behavior towards this beach was at least semi-understandable. And I wasn’t the only prey, other obvious tourists got hazed by the guy as well. That surely didn’t leave the best taste in my mouth, and I felt obligated to stay longer because that trek was no easy feat and I needed to feel as though it was worthwhile.

So, I shook out my beach blanket, sat looking at the ocean and people for 15 minutes, until I got so antsy to keep moving along the journey and my bravery had replenished enough to tackle the way back. At least I knew what to expect and purposely waited for another family leaving at the same time to feel less alone in the treacherous hike. This being said, I wouldn’t recommend going down to the beach if you don’t want to swim, there’s a great view was you get into the opening and you could truly stop there and head back. The path to the beach is dicey and almost felt like it wasn’t worth it for the pace my heart was beating during it.

10. Wai’anapanapa State Park

My last stop! Home of the Black Sand Beach. I actually went all the way down to the entrance to Haleakala, hoping to stop at the following but didn’t because I couldn’t find parking or didn’t know where to go due to lack of notes and maps ability: Wailua Falls, Bamboo Forest, Manawainui Gulch, and Waioka/Venus Pools. I enjoyed the drive past Hana, but the roads were starting to get more narrow and dangerous in that sense if there were cars passing both ways. I passed this State Park on my way there because I was planning to catch it on the way back. I made reservations to enter and stay at the park from 3-6pm and it had not yet hit three when I passed it the first time. You need to prebook parking and tickets before arriving at Wai’anapanapa State Park, and because I didn’t get tickets until 4 days before, I didn’t have the most ideal pick of timing. But at least I got in because it really was a cool stop. The park closes at 6pm and you have to leave in that time too. I got there around 3:30pm, walked some trails, talked to a German lady that was traveling for two years straight, and then finally went down to the beach. There’s a ton of great walking/hiking trails if you give yourself enough time here. Or you can go swimming on this beach! It does ask that you don’t take any rocks, but if you're sneaky like some people, you might get an awesome memento to put on your travel display. 

The beach is incredible, but you have to check it out from the varying viewpoints. There’s also a blowhole that if you walk across the beach and up the trail to the other side, there should be people there to point you in the right direction. You can watch the waves crash against the cliffs and splash up water for you to either get soaked or have a sight to see. Most people stop there, but I saw the path continue further along the coast and went out to explore. Soon enough, I was completely by myself, stumbling on another black sand beach, and stepping over roots, volcanic rocks, and vibrant green shrubbery. It was a super cool hike and would’ve kept going if I wasn’t in a time crunch to leave the park in time and drive home in the light. So, I turned around, admired the black sand beach from the sand once more, and hopped in my car to start my journey home before getting dark. 

11. Road to Hana back to Paia

One of the first official stops on the road to Hana (if you are coming from Kahului) is the city I stayed in, Paia. It is the cutest little small town and totally worth the stop, on either way of your journey. From Black Sand Beach to Paia, I had almost 2 hour drive ahead of me. But, I rolled down my windows, played the most euphoric music, and drove the roads like I was in MarioKart. Thankfully, because I was beginning my journey home so late, there was almost no one on the road. It made for an easy ride back, especially too as I was much more comfortable with the roads, etiquette, etc. The sun was just starting to set as I was getting back into town, I got to see golden streams of light shine up from the trees and greenery along the drive. It felt truly so magical.

The whole day was an incredible experience, I missed so much, yet did so much. There’s something for everyone on this drive. To be able to do and see so much in such close proximity, makes the whole drive worth it and will leave you with lasting memories. Whether it's a frame from looking out the window, or jumping into the waterfall, this is an adventure lovers dream day, and I can say that I was beaming ear to ear as I rested my head after a long but awesome day.