The Road to Hana – a beautiful metaphor for life!
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 start of our journey
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!)
A Providential Blessing
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. 🙌
A Difference Maker (get it, for sure)
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.
An Unrivaled Journey
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.🏝
Garden of Eden Arboretum
While on the Road to Hana, we came upon the beautiful Garden of Eden Arboretum at mile marker 10.5. While we hadn’t planned on spending the $15 per person entrance fee, we heard that you could see the famous Jurassic Park rock from within the gardens. A bucket list item for our videographer son, we knew that it was a must! And I must say, we WERE NOT disappointed! Some of our most spectacular footage (and pictures) was/were taken here. 🤙
A Beautiful Metaphor for LIFE!
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.
Wainapanapa State Park and the famous black sand beaches
As our day drew to a close, we knew we would not have time to make it to Seven Sacred Pools (the very end of the road). 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! 🌴🌊
How we actually got to Hawaii!
We were able to spend two full weeks in Hawaii because of credit card points. You see, everything that we spend in our household gets charged on one of several credit cards. Then we immediately pay that credit card bill in full (sometimes several times per week). We NEVER carry a balance and we are very mindful to never charge more than we can pay off. If you are interested in our step-by-step plan for accumulating points, you can check that out HERE.
Let’s Get to the Point!
Again, if you would like to learn more about how we travel the world for little to no money by using points, feel free to reach out to me HERE, or sign up for my newsletter on the right side of my blog. As well, please follow along on my social media channels, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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All of the scenery looks perfect! I can’t wait to visit Hawaii once everything reopens.
Just be sure to add the Road to Hana to your list!!
I’m so glad you decided to do this! The views are gorgeous!!
Kay, we were too! If you really take your time and plan on spending the entire day stopping all along the way, it’s the MOST amazing adventure!!
This looks like an amazing trip! The pictures are gorgeous. I would definitely stop at the arboretum too. Such stunning colors!
Jordan, thanks so much for your kind words! We were certainly thrilled that we stopped!
I love driving to places unfamiliar so this winding road would definitely be something I would enjoy. Your pictures are breathtaking!
Thank you Judean! I had a car full of photographers and videographers!! And the entire Road to Hana is curvy and winding. In fact, there are multiple instances where there is only one lane and you have to defer to the oncoming car. It’s just one giant adventure after another!!
Wow! Your photos are beautiful! We really need to make Hawaii a priority on our bucket list!
Thank you Melissa! You would not be disappointed! It was definitely our favorite trip so far!!
Lovely article and enjoyed the pictures as well.
Thanks so much Roselyn!
What an amazing journey! I will add it to my bucket list.
Thank you Sabrina!!
Wow. How picture perfect is that!
Thank you Emily!! The Road to Hana is an epic adventure for sure!!
Beautiful photos!
Love your post!!! I am sooo ready to go on a vacation!!! Thanks for sharing yours!!
Annette, you’re so welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
I love all of the colors of Hawaii. Your trip looks amazing. I love the idea of using credit card points. We don’t have a credit card and learned that lesson the hard way in our early 20’s but I have been considering this idea lately.
Cindy, I completely understand! Credit cards are not for everyone. If you have questions or need someone to point you in the right direction, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to help!
I’ve heard so many wonderful things about the Road to Hana and after seeing your photos, I can’t wait to get there! I think the GPS app will be a fabulous addition to the journey and I can’t wait to explore the Garden of Eden Arboretum – it looks stunning! Thank you for sharing this adventure with us!
Alison, you’re so welcome!! And you won’t be disappointed in the App. It was definitely a game changer for that drive!!
I have to go back to Maui so I can do the Road to Hana
Lisa, I fully agree with that statement!!
What beautiful and unique sites to see on the Road to Hana. It seems like a wonderful way to see the diverse landscapes of Hawaii. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by, Melissa! It was so very beautiful indeed!
I want to do this! Your pictures are AMAZING! The app is so cool, and I’m so glad you told me about it, will do that for sure!
Chantelle, thank you for your kind words. And we were SO thrilled that we purchased that little App. We’ll be searching for it on all of our adventures going forward!
The scenery along this road is spectacular. The vistas keep coming one after the other. It truly a wonderful way to spend a day in Hawaii.
I agree Leeanne. On the day that we went, it rained off and on. I was worried that it would affect our trip, but even in the rain, it was stunning!!
This is definitely something I want to do when we visit Hawaii.
Sara, you will absolutely LOVE it!
I’m so glad you decided to give it a drive. Gorgeous! Your pictures are stunning, and now I know that I need to do this when I go to Hawaii!
Thank you for your kind words, Stacey! It’s definitely an epic adventure for sure!
Your photos are so vibrant. My husband has been saying we need to visit Hawaii and these pictures just confirm his wanting to visit. I will definitely put this on the places to visit list.
Thank you Carey! You will not be disappointed in planning a trip to Hawaii. So far, it’s our favorite destination!!
We absolutely loved the Road to Hana…loved the spectacular stops along the way to hike or take photos of waterfalls or wade at the black sand beach. I love your photos of the Garden of Eden Arboretum. We did not stop there so making a note to do that the next time we visit.
Thank you! And I’d highly recommend making that a stop on your Road to Hana adventure!
The Road To Hana was one of our most favorite Hawaii experiences! The beauty of Hawaii is like nothing else.
Trisha, I couldn’t agree more! Taking the time to stop all along the way and see all the sites makes for an amazing journey!
We stopped at Paia Gelato on our way too!
Cas – so, so good, right? I wished we could have gone back to try more flavors!!
Looks like a beautiful drive! I’d definitely take that road trip too. And the app makes it even more special.
Cindy, that Road to Hana App was a game changer for us. We will look for those wherever we travel. Thanks for stopping by!
What beautiful photos! I would love to visit. And I have the same black and white swim suit pictured here. One of my favorites!
Michele, that’s so fun! That’s my daughter and she LOVES that swimsuit too! Thank you for your lovely words.
Beautiful views, beautiful colors, sun, and gelato-does it get any better really?
Thank you Cindy! And I agree! We can’t wait to get back there again!!