Our first stop....was kind of an accident. Ho'okipa Beach....we pulled off just to look down and see the beach and we were surprised to find sea turtles!! Look at the marks in the sand where they climbed up onto the sand...
There are signs asking people to stay back and not disturb the turtles. Nothing official, just locals asking for respect. And it seemed like they got it. Aren't they the very best thing??
Next stop: Twin Falls. This was a little bit of a hike, but nothing major. There were so many trees with exposed and twisting roots. Its like a different world.
Mark can't resist a good climbing tree!
The plants and flowers are so lush and colorful!
We had our first introduction to a banyan tree. The limbs grow horizontally, but it sends roots down to the ground to establish another base. What looks like several tree is usually just one big one with lots of satellite root systems.
We couldn't help but pull over as we continued down the road. The views literally take your breath away.
We pulled up to Ke'anae Arboretum....we were hoping to see the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees.
Epic vines!
And check out the eucalyptus...
As the bark peels, it is bright green underneath. Then as it ages it turns red, orange, purple and maroon...since the bark doesn't peel all at once, it looks all stripey and varigated.
So many beautiful alien flowers...
Next up...we explored the rocks at Ke'anae Lookout.
It felt like we were perhaps being stupid. Not sure what we would have done if the tide rose even a smidge.
We were both feeling hungry, so we stopped at the Halfway to Hana stand for some banana bread, pineapple and some coconut. We made short work of it all.
Next up...the Black Sand Beach. This was Mark's favorite. The sand was incredible. Black as night and created from the volcanic stone in on that section of the island. The waves were so fun...we did some body surfing and Mark lost his sunglasses. Wearing our swimsuits on this drive has proven to be a smart choice!
The green foliage on the black rock was so striking!
My favorite photo of our trip ❤️❤️
We spotted this cool bird on our way out of this area...we officially name him the Hawaiian Cardinal.
And we finally made it to Hana!
I mean, it was definitely cool. The buildings were like something from South Pacific. How awesome would it be to go to school here?
The one thing it really didn't have was FOOD.
There were a few little food trucks parked in a spot and we made do with those...but it felt a little bit lame to have a philly cheesesteak in Hawaii.
No matter! Onward we go!
Wailua Falls...
Once again, Mark leads out....
And I follow!
I'll never forget it.
Check this one out...it's like someone got bored when they were designing the flowers. "Enough of these petunias....let's do something really cool!"
We were starting to get tired around this time....we had packed in more hiking, swimming and driving in one day that we would normally do in a summer! But there was one more place we just didn't want to miss.
Haleakalā National Park and the Pipiwai Trail.
It's 4 miles round trip and takes 3-4 hours. This was the big commitment. We were already feeling weary, but there is so much cool stuff to see along the way. What the heck!! When are we going to be in Maui again??
We set off...and we were richly rewarded. Every leg of the trail brought interesting and unusual terrain.
A gnarly path...
Intricate patterns.
Magical stone staircases
The most wonderful and climbable banyan tree.
The Seven Pools
And my absolute favorite part of the day...the Bamboo Forest. (Prepare now for many many photos of bamboo)
This place is a marvel. It is quiet but not silent. There is the sound of chimes in the air as the bamboo stalks sound against each other when the wind blows.
And finally to the Waimoku Falls.
We stayed for a while just to watch the water cascade down.
We made the hike out and we were absolutely exhausted. We chose to go on along the road and take the backside from Hana. Most of the guidebooks and websites cautioned against taking this route...and we found out that they were telling the truth.
For at least an hour, we were on a road that truly did not have room for two cars to pass one another. One side is rock, the other plummets to the sea. I only took one or two pictures because I was very busy praying for our lives.
And suddenly we were out of the woods and driving on the dry side of the island. It was so different. It reminded me of a safari. Still beautiful in its own way.
We had planned on getting up early tomorrow morning to watch the sunrise in Haleakala Park, but we were way more interested in sleeping in. The Road to Hana is serious business. And I'll never forget it.
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