Road to Hana
It saddens my heart to be writing about one of the most beautiful islands in the world. About a week ago, a section of Maui was destroyed by wildfires. I was so fortunate to be able to visit for my 28th birthday back in May. Please enjoy these pictures and I hope that someday the Road to Hana is open again for all of you to enjoy. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to take a moment to pray for all of those in Maui, that have a lost a loved one, a home, or have no access to food. I will continue to think about you daily and pray. <3
To start off this journey I am going to give you a few tips;
fill up your gas tank
pack lunch, snacks, beverages
bring swim shoes
bring an extra pair of clothes
have the driver with the most experience, drive
be prepared for a long day in the car
After you have checked all of those off your list, let’s get started. The Road to Hana on Google Maps is 1 hour and 28 minutes, from the Road to Hana Mile Marker to the town of Hana. However, it took us a whopping 8 hours to get to Hana… and then we still had to drive back, lol. The stops you make throughout the day may take hours, most of them are hikes and you want to make sure you plan time to enjoy the beauty!
STOP ONE: TWIN FALLS
Oh, stop one! We were so excited! I am sure most of you have either heard or read about the Twin Falls. It is one of the most famous stops on the Road to Hana. There are two different water falls from you to pick from, however, the one with the long hike is the one you want to see. It is 1.8 miles long and takes about 30ish minutes (depending on your speed). This is where you need your water shoes! We all had sneakers on and boy did we regret it. I decided to keep my shoes on, which was extremely uncomfortable. The other two went barefoot which looked painful, lol. In some of the pictures below, I attached what the hike-up looked like. There is a good amount of water, reaching up to a few feet. We packed a few cold ones and took a little swim in a natural waterfall, could it get any better?!
STOP TWO: LOOKOUT
Throughout the drive you will notice several different lookout points for you to pull over and stop. The one pictured below was my favorite. The waterfall was STUNNING. Do yourself a favor and pull over at a few lookouts that catch your attention! (I believe this stop was around the halfway point)
STOP THREE : GARDEN GROVE CAFE
A little over halfway, we spotted this delicious-looking food truck on the side of the road. Now, mind you there is little to nothing available on the road, so this was going to hit the spot. I got the paradise smoothie that was full of fresh mangos, pineapple, and oranges, mmmm!
STOP FOUR: RED SAND BEACH in HANA
I want to start off with a WARNING: the Red Sand Beach is a MODERATE hike. It is a completely isolated beach, that can only be accessed by a steep hiking trail. Make sure to wear appropriate footwear and be aware of falling rocks and small spaces. There is a warning sign before you start, just informing you to be safe and cautious! HOWEVER, so worth it! As you can see in the pictures below, the Red Sand Beach is unreal. The several various water colors was nothing I had ever seen before. I would highly recommend putting this on your list. If I could go back right now, I would be driving directly to the Red Sand Beach!
p.s. my best friend slipped and twisted her ankle, it caused her horrible amounts of pain on the trek back home to America, so for the 10th time, be careful. Love you lo. ;)
STOP FIVE : HANA RANCH RESTAURANT
The perfect ending to a wonderful day! Whether it is just a ceasear salad or a cheeseburger the food is great! Plus, you get to sit outside and enjoy the view! The Hana Ranch Restaurant is located in Hana. I will attach a link to its website!
