Hawaii Adventure – Day 11
On our 11th and almost final day in Maui, we knew we couldn’t miss the famous Road to Hana. We had heard mixed reviews, with some people saying it’s just a winding, curvy road that takes an entire day to drive, while others shared that it would be a stunning display of God’s majesty and creativity. After making the journey ourselves, we agree 100% with the latter. It would have been an absolute tragedy to miss what ended up being one of our favorite things to see (along with about one hundred other favorite things!!!) 🤣🌴
The Road to Hana begins in the town of Kahului. We left very early in the morning, knowing we would be stopping at many points along the way. Our first stop was at Paia Gelato, in the beautiful village town of Paia, where we ordered delicious breakfast sandwiches and smoothies. (We would also return to this shop on the way home to enjoy their incredible, signature Gelato desserts . . . Paia Gelato made our “don’t miss it” list!) It began to sprinkle, and the forecast wasn’t looking too favorable, however after about five minutes of light, refreshing drizzle, God held back the rain for the remainder of the day. I cannot stress enough how much God provided, protected, and preserved us on our entire Hawaiian adventure. 🙌
It was recommended that we download the app called “Road to Hana Gypsy Guide.” It was only $7 and was a huge difference maker for our journey. It was GPS activated, and as we would pass a specific tree, or waterfall, or landmark, the narrator would suddenly come on through our car stereo to share about the amazing details and history of that spot. He also told us places to park, places to slow down, places to eat, places to best avoid, and how to make the most of our time on the journey. It was educational and entertaining. The Road to Hana is an unrivaled scenic drive through Maui’s many waterfalls, rain forests, black sand beaches, swimming holes, bamboo jungles, lava rock formations and breathtaking ocean vistas. According to our Gypsy Tour guide, we wound our way through 620 curves and 59 narrow bridges on the 52-mile journey.🏝
We’ll break up this adventure into two posts – today will be our trip up through the beautiful Garden of Eden, and tomorrow, we’ll focus on the stunning conclusion of our Hana Road trip – the Wainapanapa State Park (as well as all the in between). Enjoy!! 🤙