Today was our ROAD TO HANA DAY...
We got up early-ish, like 6. Since the sunrise wasn't until a little after 7 we knew we'd be ready and on the road well before the sun was up to shine on our adventure filled day. Prior to leaving on our trip I had scoured multiple resources about where to stop and hike and where to swim and where to just relax along our winding drive... I had a whole page and a half filled with mile markers, secret pull-offs, etc... some of which worked out and others that I'll fill you in on later.
The first stop along the "Road to Hana" route is @mile 2. Twin Falls. It was such a quiet little hike. Jeremiah and I walked along up the stream bed to this beautifully isolated little pool. Had it been later in the day we may have thought to get IN the water, but there was still a slight chill on the air so we just admired it's stillness and how serene it felt.
We didn't have anyone walking/hiking around us MOST of the morning at our multiple stops. We had notes to pull off at multiple spots where there really wasn't a "pull out" but that is where we'd find the most isolated beauty that we could enjoy alone.
At one such "pull out" we hiked down this short little trail to a HUGE, DEEP Gulch where a stream was winding it's way around in the bottom. From the looks of the walls and the ground around us though it was quite obvious that this "innocent" little stream turns into a raging horror of a flash flood channel when the rains are hitting. It was at this little place that I spotted the bamboo pictured above with our initials already carved into it.
Anywhere you walk into the bamboo forests it is like a dimmer switch is turned down and it feels like the ski is darkening and you are going to be caught out in the night, but then when you re-emerge from the darkness you can see just how bright it still is all around you. I was constantly reminded of how our lives can be like this. We can feel like things are closing in around us and we are going to be lost to the darkness, but as long as we stick to our path we can re-emerge into the light of our life and be reminded that the light was always there just waiting for us to come back into it.
At about mile 7 there were these cool Rainbow Eucalyptus trees off on the side of the road. There were 2 tour buses stopped so we just slowed down and snapped a picture so we could ensure that we'd get a spot to pull off at our next short little hike.
There wasn't much to the hike, but there were some good views of the coastline and it is always nice to get out and walk when you can on days where you'll be in the car moving from one place to another.
Listening to the waves crash into the rocks below was amazing. I couldn't believe how loud they sounded from so far up. I have always loved the way it looks to have the water spray up and over rocks, this was no exception... The waves were just that much bigger sending spraying mist almost up to us above them.
So... There were a few places we had thought we'd get to pull off again before we were to the halfway mark, BUT there were actually construction crews working on 2 of the pull outs and leaving one lane to travel for several miles (there was a construction traffic light letting a few cars through at a time alternating which direction) so we were unable to stop at 2 of our places. The next stop was "The Garden of Eden"...
...We drove right past the entrance because we had seen the flier for what was available for viewing there and MOST of it was stuff we had seen/would see or didn't care to see there so we decided not to spend the $10/each and we went on by.
This was a must stop... for the pictures at least.
The "best" banana bread (NOT SO MUCH), but the coconut flavored ice cream was D-E-LICIOUS and Jer's Vanilla/Macadamia Nut ice cream was good too.
Up to this point we had absolutely taken our time and just enjoyed the drive as much as the adventures.
Doesn't this look like a great place to take a swim? Ya, we thought so too... except we couldn't decide if we'd be able to GET OUT after jumping in so instead we though we'd just wait for the NEXT stop were we had been told by several people that there was a more isolated place we could swim and enjoy some quiet time off the road and away from most hikers/tourist groups.
My sweet husband letting me take another picture of him... I took WAY TOO MANY pictures (is there really ever too many??)
We stopped at Pua'a Ka'a State Park, mile 32ish (small swimming pond pictured below)
...to the right of this picture, there is a narrow trail that leads up the side of the hill. At the top of this hill and a little ways back in there is (supposedly) another more isolated pond where we we headed to swim. That is UNTIL we saw the "ranger" and a sign posted stating that the upper portion of the trail was closed due to an accident that had occurred recently and so we were unable to swim at all up to this point this day.
We wanted to stop at some Lave Tube Caves that are @about mile 22... but when we got there they informed us that they REQUIRE you to use their headlamps and that you have to pay a "deposit" on the head lamp in order to go in. I understand that all people are out to make a living, but by this point of the day I was NOT looking to rent head lamps, when we had planned ahead an brought our own. So we drove on to the black sand beaches of Wainapanapa State Wayside Park. We were here, swimming and playing in the waters for a few hours. The waves were so huge now and then that they would LITERALLY knock you off your feet and leave you scrambling up the beach. It was so much fun.
Before we left we walked over into this little sea cave and just watched the waters crashing over the rocks and listening to the echos throughout the cave.
There was also a blowhole at this location and we watched it erupt, but we were trying to capture it with the GoPro and it just wasn't cooperating for us.
After leaving the black sand beach we found the Kaihalulu: the Red Sand beach
Honestly, this place was pretty, but really NOT worth the detour (not that it was anything big either but still) not worth detouring off the road back home by the time you've spent all day driving and hiking and playing in the water.
Our LAST stop was Oheo Gulch- 7 Sacred Pools. This place charges to get into, BUT it is the same admission as Haleakala (which is good for 3 days) so plan accordingly so you can just use the same slip to get into BOTH places. We hiked The Pipwai Trail. It was a 4 mile round trip hike with amazingly beautiful sights. (some of which are on my GoPro so I'll get to uploading them soon)
I love hiking across bridges, don't really know why, I just like to look down and see rivers/streams/forests beneath me.
About a half mile into the hike you hit this incredibly dense bamboo forest. It lasts about 2 miles and you are walking along wooden walkways for much of it... it is pretty clear that when it rains THIS is a HUGE flash flood territory.
At one time tourists were aloud to walk right up to the bottom of this waterfall, but due to the fact that rains can come in and flash flooding can just hit out of no where, signs are posted back away from the actual falls warning them NOT to venture closer and what to do if it does start raining/flooding. It was one of those moments where you (almost) wish it had rained so the waterfall would be larger, but you were also thankful that it didn't rain so that you weren't in danger of losing your life to the flash floods.
We started our hike back down the mountain... The sun was starting to sink lower on the horizon and we didn't really know how long our drive back to Kihei would take us.
We had enjoyed our day so much, we didn't want it to end. We wanted to keep driving/hiking and being together, BUT we also knew that we had many more days ahead of us to be doing fun activities and that this was just one of the many days we would love to look back on and remember just how special our relationship is.
I thought this Banyon tree looked like the PERFECT place to build a tree house and once again I was reminded of our three wonderful children who were at home (sleeping in bed by this time) and how I wished one day that they would be able to see this incredible place with their own eyes.
We finished hiking back to the car. We used the bathroom. We had a snack and then continued on around the southern most part of the island. This road is narrow and right on the cliffs at some instances. It got dark as we were coming off the dirt road part and back on paved, HILLY like you wouldn't believe road. We had several cars following us for the remainder of the drive back around the island to the "main" part. By the time we got back to the condo we just showered and fell into bed. WHAT A GREAT DAY IT HAD BEEN, even with some minor set backs it was a dream.
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