Lahaina looked much sleepier in the early morning sun. There were already several paddle board surfers in the water though, and we enjoyed a very nice display of their skills as we passed by.
It is interesting how many different types of surfers there are. Some surf on kite boards, some on sail boards, some on long boards using a paddle to steer and balance through the waves, and some still use just the traditional surfboard. All are fun to watch.
As we continued along the highway, we saw several more humpback whales making their annual pilgrimage. We watched their spoutings, tail lobs, and fin splashes. How beautiful they are! The spouting puffs are something we will not forget- it's very much like the puff of a powerful steam engine. It is quite common here to see groups of people standing on a cliff, or an overlook, or right on the beach with binoculars scanning the waters for whales. Although we wanted to remain there watching this spectacle as long as possible, we continued on our way and reached the Hana Highway which is close to the Kahului Airport.
The road to Hana is a must-do if you come to Maui. Actually, I would call it THE must do. David and I both agree that the drive from Pa'ia to Hana and beyond was the highlight of our trip to the island. The breathtaking ocean scenery, the jungle-like tropical terrain, the assorted waterfalls, the funky roadside fruit and snack stands, the various attractions along the way - all make for a day filled with wonder and excitement.
In Pa'ia, we stopped at Ho'okipa Beach to once again watch the surfers. The east and west sides of Maui contrast greatly in their climates, and this contrast carries over in terms of the roughness of the waves at the beaches. The west beaches are fairly calm with smaller waves. But here at Ho'okipa, we saw the massive waves one always associates with Hawaiian surfing. It was thrilling to watch the expert surfers tackle these big monsters.
From Pa'ia, we drove until we saw the sign for the twin waterfalls. As you drive the Hana Highway, you will see areas every so often where many cars are parked along the side of the road, and occasionally you'll also see people gawking at something. If you don't know ahead of time that there is some sort of interesting thing to see or do, you may obliviously pass something really interesting. So it's probably a good idea to read up on what you may see. We did not do this! But fortunately our concierge at the hotel told us what to look out for. So we knew that the waterfalls were coming up shortly.
In order to view the falls, you need to hike a little over a mile each way into the jungle. It isn't a bad hike by any means, but you must be prepared to get a bit wet and/or muddy. The dirt we walked on was quite muddy in areas, and there was one place where we had to cross a creek and opt to either remove our shoes or get soaked up to our ankles. If you want to go all the way to the base of the falls you need to wade, probably past your knees. Not a bad idea to wear your swimsuit under your shorts.
The falls and the walk were worth doing. As Oregonians, it is difficult not making comparisons with Multnomah Falls when we see a waterfall. We are spoiled by its height and majesty! But this was very nice too.
Almost immediately following the falls, there is a grove of eucalyptus trees they call "rainbow eucalyptus" for their bright, multi-colored bark. Very cool! We had never seen anything like it! They almost look fake, as if someone took a paintbrush to them! We only saw two stands of them and they are close together. Once again, if you see a lot of cars parked along the road you know you are close to an attraction, so slow down and start looking for a place to park.
Did I say slow down? One thing you need to know about this road is that you are going to be driving VERY slow. Most of the time you will be driving between 25 and 35 miles an hour. Never more than 45 and that only for a few minutes. I (David) could not understand how the distance was only about 50 miles but the GPS said it would take 3 hours to get there. After driving it you understand. Much of the time you will be going only 10 or 15. I thought that surely I could beat that time. Nope. Put that thought out of your head. It ain't happenin. You might as well just relax and enjoy. There is simply no place to pass and if there was the road doesn't allow it. In fact many times you have to wait at a wide spot for the traffic coming the other way because the road isn't always wide enough to allow two way traffic.
After a quick and delicious pork taco from a food stand, (I see Karen didn't want to mention the fresh coconut pineapple bread, but I can't let her get away with that!) on toward Hana. Our next stop was at Wainapanapa Park to see the unusual black sand beach. This was quite lovely! We trekked down to the water so we could stand on the black sand. What a wild and rugged beachfront it was!
A bit more driving, and we arrived in Hana. The town seems to have been untouched by any major development over the last several years. There is an abundance of natural, scenic beauty and a small-town feel. We drove through it and intended to continue onto our next attraction - a large waterfall in a state park further along the road - but we turned back, since we had a dinner reservation to get to.
We retraced our steps and arrived back in the town of Pa'ia two hours later. We had made a reservation at Mama's Fish House, highly recommended by many people we spoke to in town, tourists and natives alike.
From the name, we were expecting a small, homey casual restaurant with inexpensive fish and chips, etc. That is not at all what we got!!! This was one of the finest meals we have ever eaten, in a setting that can only be described as world class. The quality of the food, the presentation, the service, the amazing private beach setting- everything was unbelievably top notch. David had a local fresh-caught opakapaka, prepared in a mild orange butter sauce and herbs, dusted with macadamia nuts with rice and a veggie medley. Karen had mahi mahi stuffed with crab, lobster, corn, sautéed pineapple and macadamia nuts with rice and salad. What a meal!! A nice walk along their beach finished off the experience.
We made our way back to the hotel and turned in early.
Good night everyone!
Karen and David
Sent from my iPhone
