Maui Hawaii

A Guide to some Paradise Island Adventures and Relaxation

by Celeste Lipford and Terry Lipford - last updated on 11/15/2024

The Road to Hana had been on our list "to do" ever since our last trip to Maui over 14 years ago. We were not able to make the drive on that last trip, and we were determined to make it happen on this trip. This is a challenging drive, as the road is narrow and becomes narrower across the one lane bridges. Then you have local drivers who know the road and are determined to traverse it at top speed without regard to the yield signs or oncoming traffic. Be very careful on this road !!!

Click the "map link" above to view a Google Map.

If you have enough time on Maui to make this day long trip, then maybe you want to consider doing it. But frankly there isn't much to see in Hana, it is primarily those places around Hana that are interesting, for example; The Wailua Falls are seven miles past Hana, the grave of Charles Lindbergh is 4.5 miles past the falls, and there are several beaches just past Hana that are nice as well. But if you do not have an entire day to put into such a drive, consider going to the Twin Falls on route 36 that are only 19 miles from Kahului. They are pretty and do not require such a long drive to get to.

OK, so this is actually on the Road to Hana, but it is a beautiful park and one you should visit if you have the time. Remote, wild, volcanic coastline offering solitude and respite from urban life. Lodging, camping, picnicking, shore fishing and hardy family hiking along an ancient Hawaiian coastal trail which leads to Hana. Excellent opportunity to view a seabird colony and natural stone arch. Other features include native hala forest, heiau (religious temple), sea stacks, blow holes and small black sand beach.

Reservations are required, and there are fees both for entrance and parking, click here to obtain more info and your reservations.

This is a stop we made on the way back from our road trip to Hana, and we stopped here for two reasons; (1) The surf was huge and there were some good surfers out there riding and (2) there were porta-potties next to the parking lot. Yes, we had been on the Hana Highway for quite a while!

The surf was huge, couldn't tell exactly what the height was from our location on top of the ridge above the beach, but it looked to be a minimum of 12 to 15 feet. We read later that the beach was closed due to high surf conditions.

Due to inclement weather, we had decided to visit the Maui Ocean Center , as it has a informative & interesting set of displays and going there would allow us to avoid the rainy weather! Besides which, the Aquarium was on the road to Lahaina, our next stop.

The aquarium offer a 3D experience called "Humpbacks of Hawaii" in a 3D domed theater experience with multi-channel surround sound. The teams from the Ocean Mind Experience were looking for a modern way for people to see, hear and interact with these animals without invading their habitat. Humpback whales have been on endangered species watch lists for decades. Working with award winning nature documentarian, Daniel Opitz, the Yessian teams created the sound to bring these whales to life on large format screens through originally recorded sounds deep below the sea combined with sound design and music scoring based on the natural sounds of the whales. This is a very good presentation, and it allows you to feel as though you are swimming alongside these whales.

By arriving early, we were able to enjoy all of the Aquarium before the crowds grew as the day wore on. By the time we departed, the parking lot was completely full and the line at the entrance was getting long. Word to the wise traveler; get there early.

Makena Beach holds a special place in our hearts & memories, it is not only very pretty but it is somewhere where we were able to spend some private time during our last visit to Maui. Given that this beach has such a prominent place in our memories, it was inevitable that we visited it again, regardless of the rain that day!

Makena Beach is nestled amidst lush tropical vegetation, creating a scenic backdrop for those seeking peaceful walks and picnics. The area is also renowned for its captivating sunsets, attracting photographers and romantics alike. Additionally, the beach boasts exceptional views of the nearby Molokini Crater and Kahoolawe Island, enhancing the overall experience.

Our next stop after the Maui Ocean Center was meant to be Lahaina, however we realized on the drive there that we had not been north of Lahaina to the Ka'anapali and Kapalua areas. In particular, we wanted to walk the Kapalua Coastal Trail.

Kapalua Coastal Trail is a 2.5-mile out-and-back trail that traverses Kapalua Bay & Namula Bay (it continues past Oneloa Bay if you hike the entire route). Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 56 min to complete. This is a very popular area for running and walking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. You'll need to leave pups at home — dogs aren't allowed on this trail. After we completed this trek, we drove to Lahaina to explore there & see the banyan tree. Click the "map link" above to view a Google Map.

We drove up to the top of Haleakala via the Haleakala Highway (AKA "Crater Road"), to see the sunrise. Considering that road gains 10,000 feet in only 38 miles, it’s believed to be the world’s steepest route from sea level to 10,000 feet. The air is cooler up here at the summit — as much as 30 to 50 degrees lower than sea level. As we were renting a condo in Kihei, we had to get up very early in order to insure that we would achieve our goal of seeing the sun rise up through the clouds.

The tallest peak of Haleakalā ("house of the sun"), at 10,023 feet (3,055 m), is Puʻu ʻUlaʻula (Red Hill). It can be chilly at that height, in fact, the average annual temperature is approximately 50 degrees farenheit.

We are huddled together because it is cold at the top of Haleakala waiting for the sunrise. The plan was to get there prior to sunrise, so we could see the sun come up through the clouds. As you can see in image # 2 we achieved that goal, and the sight of the sun coming up through the clouds was spectacular and made the drive up at that hour of the morning well worth the trip! You may want to check what the National Park Service says about Haleakala weather before you go, click here to view their web page.

FACT: On any given day, the temperatures in the Haleakala National Park can range from a high of 80°F (27°C) in Kīpahulu (coastline near Hana) to a low of 30°F (-1°C) at the summit. In either area clouds and rain can quickly replace warm sunshine. To put it bluntly, you should not wear shorts and tshirts at the summit, you will need much warmer clothing!

WARNING: The drive to the summit of Haleakala is 37 miles long comprised of 32 switchbacks, give yourself sufficient time to drive or you could miss the sunrise due to traffic! We left Kihei with more than enough time to get to the summit, then got stuck behind a series of cars that were going very slowly and were lucky to get to the top before sunrise arrived.

NOTE: Do not forget to bring some warm clothing! It is quite cold at the top!

  

Image # 2 is the property of Kenny Louie via Wikipedia Commons using the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. All other images are the property of Just Traveling Thru, LLC unless otherwise noted.