Because of the time change, despite going to bed around 8pm, we knew we'd be up early just as we always have when first arriving in Hawaii. We took advantage of it, got up early and headed to Haleakala National Park to see the sunrise. I'm sure it was much harder for Adam and Noah to get up, but they were great sports about it. NOTE: If this is something you want to do, you need to visit the National Park Service site to reserve your spot because it's a very popular thing to do on Maui. I don't think you need to reserve a spot for sunset though. It only costs $1 for the reservation, but it will be $25 to get into the park. If you don't have a reservation, you won't be allowed into the park until 7:00am (well after sunrise). If you are in the military/have a military ID, they waive the entrance fee.
We were up ~3:45am and out the door by 4:15am. We arrived with about 10 min to spare before the sun came up around 6:30am. It was a beautiful sight and an experience you should make time for if you get to Maui.
As you can see from the photos, it does get cold up there because of the high elevation. As the sun rises, it gets warmer, but you should definitely bundle up with a warm coat, hat and gloves until the sun comes up. You can see us and others in our gear as a testament to the chilly temps.
Since we had already driven quite far, we decided to go ahead and cram in another "touristy" thing to do and that was the Road to Hana. After a fast food fueling at a nearby McDonald's, we started our adventure. Here's what you need to know. You should do it. It's beautiful! However, you should allocate an entire day instead of cramming too much in like we did. Then, you'll enjoy it even more if you go about it in a more leisurely way.
The Road to Hana takes you along the northern coast of Maui. You can enjoy the beauty of the island with lush greenery on one side and the beautiful Pacific Ocean on the other. Along the way, you'll also see many waterfalls, picturesque scenes and have the opportunity to stop at scattered shops, restaurants and stands along the way.
If you get to stop for fresh pineapple or local dishes from food trucks, you should! It's a nice break in the long journey (50+ miles). Here's what you need to know.
*The entire drive is very twisty with many switchbacks and narrow roads. We did have a mid-size SUV and Mark did a fantastic job of navigating, but if you're not a solid driver, don't feel comfortable in the vehicle you're driving or are prone to vertigo/have issues with heights, you may want to take a tour bus. When we stopped for some food along the way, it was to stretch our legs, but also to shake off a little car sickness that was just starting, especially for those of us in the backseat.
*There are close to 60 bridges to cross, but they are one-lane bridges. That is, drivers have to yield to one another to cross over coming from opposite directions.
*As a tourist, pay attention to drivers that may be locals. It's greatly appreciated if you let them pass you when you have an opportunity. It's most likely that they aren't "enjoying" the Road to Hana like you and are trying to get somewhere. Usually you can spot the locals because they maybe driving the switchbacks with more speed and confidence.
When you actually get to Hana, it's kind of a let down if truth be told. There's not much to it. The Road to Hana is LITERALLY about the drive to get there. However, if you have additional time, you should continue on to visit the Seven Sacred Pools at Ohe'o. It's not much farther and worth it, especially if you want the opportunity to do some hiking and swimming in the falls. It's another 15-ish one-way bridges. Entry to the park is $25, but waived for military with ID.
So, here's what I didn't know...Once you get to Hana/Ohe'o, you have to drive it back...you can't just loop back to where you started coming from the West. Doh! To prepare for the trek back, we grabbed dinner at Charley's in Paia. That was probably my least favorite restaurant, but it was still decent for fast, bar food.
To help with the drive, we counted all the one-lane bridges on the way back. We came up with 75, but that was going back from the Ohe'o pools, not the Road to Hana which online sites say have 55-65 bridges. If you make this trip, let us know how many you count!
It was an exhausting, but fun day! The whole time, Noah and Keira were most interested in getting back to swim in the hotel pool. We got back about 6:00pm, caught a gorgeous sunset and let the kiddos swim for a little while before we headed in, washed up and went to bed. We were asleep by 8:30pm. Zzz...
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