Hawaii Adventure – Day 11.2

So much of the Road to Hana is observed while driving, with stops made here and there along the way. In essence, the whole experience is a metaphor for life. Hana itself, while splendid, is not the point of the journey, only the eventual destination. The point is taking every opportunity to savor the abundant beauty that awaits at every curve in the road, at the end of each hike, atop the many mountains, or descended into so many valleys.

Like life, the Hana Road is what you make of it . . . so you take it all in and then choose what you let become a part of you. As our day drew to a close, we knew we would not have time to make it to Seven Sacred Pools. So, after grabbing a late lunch at a lovely roadside eatery, we went to our last “must see” location – the Wainapanapa State Park and its black sand beach. I had never been to a black sand beach and, to be honest, had always thought they looked a little unnatural and unappealing. However, to see one in person and to feel smooth, cool pebbles in a place where my brain and feet were expecting hot sand, was genuinely magical. But perhaps the most remarkable sensation was trying to visually take in all of the extreme colors – the blackest blacks, the most vivid greens, the perfect blues. Seeing all of these colors layered one upon the other was almost overwhelming.

Wainapanapa was everything we could have hoped for at the end of our long and full day. We hope these pictures will at least help tell some of the story . . . enjoy! 🌴🌊