Photo Essay: I survived the Hana Highway

Tue. 20 Mar. 2007 Lin and Jerry were waiting for us in baggage claim when we landed in Kahului. We got lei’d and then Jerry started to teach Bren how to pronounce the Hawaiian names that are positively everywhere. What’s the point in overthrowing the government and annexing the place if you’re going to keep all those Hs & Ks anyways?

We weren’t really hungry but since we were about to travel the Hana Highway, we thought it a good idea to have a last meal at Manana Garage. A quick stop at Ah Fooks to check their produce and Borders to get Todd his Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar music CD and book followed. After a pit stop in Paia to check out Anthony’s Coffee, we were Hana bound.

But before we could truly experience Hana Road we just had to stop at Ho’okipa Beach to check out the wind surfers. Then we made quick stops near Waipio Bay to photograph the Rainbow Eucalyptus and Keanae Peninsula to photograph what would be the first of many scenes of waves crashing into volcanic rocks. By then we were experiencing the meat of the Hana Road which is to say hairpin turns that usually included a one way bridge interspaced with more gradual turns (there are over 600 turns on the 34 mile road) with numerous one lane sections for two way traffic complete with signs telling you to honk your horn and such, all very confusing to the myriad of tourists trying to drive it. Thankfully Jerry was having little difficulty navigating the tourists as a light rain fell on the winding road.

We stopped (It is a good idea to stop from time to time, especially if you’re riding in the back seat.) at Wailua to get photos of the valley and falls. Then it was on to Jerry and Lin’s humble abode, Kauamanu, which means rain bird (No one seems quite sure what that is.).

Wed. 21 Mar. A busy day was in the offing. We passed by Hana Gardenland, which was only a shell of its former glory. It seems Hillary Clinton had stopped there for breakfast while staying at the Hotel Hana-Maui and liked it so much she came back every day. Hotel Hana-Maui was not amused and found out that Hana Gardenland didn’t have a permit to serve breakfast. Before you could say Wai’anapanapa, Hana Gardenland closed down. File under “just business, nothing personal.”

Wai’anapanapa State Park was first on our checklist of things to see. We walked Black Sand Beach, entered the lava tube and hiked part of the King’s Highway before sauntering down to the caves. After a Mahi Mahi sandwich at Ali’s Place we were transported down Haneo’o Road to Koki Beach. Hana Ranch owns much of the land around Hana and everywhere you looked there was a cow.

It was time to visit Jerry’s favorite beach, Hamoa, run by Hotel Hana-Maui. Later we stopped at Hotel Hana-Maui to check out their high priced art, take a few pictures, drink an amazing beer (Kona Pipeline Porter with Kona coffee) and get the key needed to enter Fagan’s Cross Park and Memoriam. We were in luck; the cows weren’t in the pasture we would have to cross. If they had been we would not have been allowed in. The days outing was finished off with a stop at Hana Tropicals to ruminate about orchids and such.

Thu. 22 Mar. We traveled the ‘Ula’ino Road to Kahanu Gardens. The gardens owe their existence to the Kahanu/Uaiwa/Matsuda/Kumaewa family whose rundown cottage still houses some items, though for how long is any one’s guess. We romped among the ruins and fruits to numerous to name. It was time for the piece de resistance, Blue Pool.

I will now take a moment to point out that just about anything worth seeing on Maui is considered dangerous. Maui warning signs materialize everywhere you choose to look. You could say that among other things Maui is a litigator’s potential paradise. Blue Pool is on private property and warning signs are everywhere commanding your attention. They don’t seem to have much effect on the tourists though. Jerry, good man that he is, called ahead to ask permission to PASS GO and permission was granted. Some enterprising neighbors have created a $2.00 parking lot on the honor system. Blue Pool was well worth it.

Fri. 23 Mar. Another scenery packed day was planned, our last in Hana. We were going to experience an even narrower and more picturesque road than the Hana Highway, the Road to Kipahulu. “Oh it’s a long way to Kipahulu, it’s a long way to go.”

Not far down the road we came across a calf that had gone off the reservation as they say. He was clearly on the wrong side of the fence. Jerry stopped at a friend’s house so they could call the Hana Ranch to come get their misguided beef on the huff. The road narrowed not long after that and eventually came to a temporary bridge (The original bridge was next to it but a recent earthquake had weakened it.). I thought about putting up a sign that said locals pointing to the temporary bridge and tourists pointing to the old bridge. We soon arrived at our first destination, Haleakala National Park.

Jerry and I were going to ascend the trail to Waimoku Falls. There had been a light rain since we left Hana making the trail muddy. We passed such photo ops as Makahiku Falls, a bamboo forest, two steel bridges, and a gate to keep the red bull in the upper pasture and off the lower trail. We could hear him but never got the chance to see him. That was fine with me as I had visions of the running of the bulls in Pamplona only on a slippery, muddy trail. We also heard a pack of hunting dogs chasing after a wild pig or two.

We met up with two Denver dudes in the bamboo forest who kept us company until we reached the mighty Pipiwai Stream. One of them asked Jerry if they could drink the water from the stream. “If you don’t mind getting Leptospirosis I suppose it’s all right, but I wouldn’t recommend it.” Jerry has a Latin word for every occasion. It was a real trick getting across for a good photo of Waimoku Falls while staying reasonably dry. The Denver dudes could have cared less and plunged into and up the Pipiwai to get an even better view.

Once back we headed for Kipahulu State Park and Palapala Ho’omau Church, the final resting place of The Lone Eagle. It was time for our picnic beneath a False Kamani tree. On the way back we stopped at Arabella Ark’s home/studio to ogle her ceramics. She has a gorgeous view but my Canon EOS Rebel XT digital camera chose that particular moment to tell me the battery was dead.

We couldn’t leave Hana (we were told) without stopping at the Hasagawa General Store. As you can just imagine it has a little of everything including a bumper sticker that Bren bought which reads “I survived the Hana Highway.”

Sat. 24 Mar. It was time to head back to Paia. Lin drove The Road this time and took a detour out to Nahiku to check out the view. To say Nahiku is an isolated community of locals would be understating things a bit. As we wove our way down the winding road scenes from Deliverance shot through my head. They proved unfounded though because the local who followed us down seemed friendly enough. He just wanted to know what a Honda full of Haoles was doing there.

The rest of the trip down Hana Road consisted of great views of steep drop offs made all the more enticing by the numerous one lane, two-way traffic sections and hairpin turns not to mention those wonderful single lane bridges built ages before I was born.

We arrived in Paia, parked in the small public parking lot and proceeded to investigate the stores. Lunch was at Charley’s, Willie Nelson’s favorite hangout when he’s in a Maui mood. The bar is positively filled with all things Willie. Satiated, Bren and Lin wanted to spend the afternoon shopping for fabric for themselves and the quilting girls back in Westerly.

Jerry and I took a drive up into the ‘Iao Valley to view the ‘Iao Needle. The girls called to be picked up about the time we were exiting the valley. We wrapped up our little excursion with a trip to Queen Ka’ahumanu Center to find something for Bren to wear at Blue Ginger.

We arrived at The Blue Tile Beach House about 5 PM only to find we couldn’t get in. No worries mate, as they say down under, Jerry headed out front and found a way in. Bren felt the digs were well worth her pain and suffering on Hana Road. Turning 59 doesn’t get any better than this.

We had wine, crackers and cheese by the beach as Bren threw our leis in the sea. We fell to sleep to the sound of the waves breaking on the shore. Tomorrow we would conquer Haleakala’s summit.

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