Today we had our cake and we ate it too!

I have often said (and as recently as in the last couple of days) that life is about the journey and not necessarily about the destination. However, our day today proves that it can be BOTH.

When we woke up today the plan was to jump in the car and travel the Road to Hana. Similarly to all the other days of this vacation, we woke up when we woke up and spent a slow lazy morning relaxing, having breakfast, and preparing for the day.

Part of my morning routine has been to go through pics of the previous day, do some writing, and text people back home (morning is the best time because of the time difference). Today I actually called Simon and we chatted for a while. When I said I was considering renting a convertible for the drive to Hana today, he said “Go for it!” He also said “You should get a Mustang”.

Until that minute, it was just an idea I was toying with but he was so enthusiastic about it, I decided to search for rentals in Kihei as soon as I was off the phone. I actually found one and it was not nearly as expensive as I anticipated, so I went for it!

We didn’t really get outta town until about 11AM, which is par for this course, but it was not long until we were passing through Paia with the top down and the wind in our hair. Pretty soon, highway 36 became highway 360 and thats when the road gets really interesting and fun. Like the drive yesterday, it didn’t really seem that bad to me because of the conditioning I had going to the Nakalele blowhole. And this time, I was in a car that was built for speed and the curve of the road.

At first, we were trying to follow the guidebook which had suggestions for turnouts and secret places to stop and hike to see waterfalls, but about a quarter of the way, I abandoned that approach because I kept missing the mile markers and clues to stop. I don’t need to see some “secret” hideaway, I’m OK with stopping where everyone stops to see all the awesomeness that is completely obvious. And there was a lot of it.

There were cool things to see every couple of miles and cars stopped at a lot of them. Apparently a car stopped means there might be something worth seeing or doing because at one point, we randomly stopped at a fruit stand that had a vacant couple of spots where nobody was parked and within minutes, there were four cars beside us. Coincidence?! We stopped just to put on sunscreen. Ha!

Since the ocean was on the same side the entire drive, most of the turnouts were on that side and so not convenient for someone traveling east. As such, we didn’t stop at a ton of places and just tried to make a mental note to stop on the way back when the ocean-side turnouts would be easier. Be that as it may, we did still stop about a half a dozen times to see the view and take some snaps. We also stopped at a roadside stand called “Half Way to Hana” where C had his first taste of shave ice.. grape flavor.

After that he was amped on sugar and we were all in good spirits and we turned the tunes up and continued on the road. We arrived in Hana about 3:15PM and had to find a spot with cell service so I could get the instructions for our AirBnb. As such, we drove around the area for a bit and visited Haha Bay Beach and got our bearings for where things were in the town. There is not much to it.

Once we found and were into our Hana Home, the kids quickly took to the ping-pong table on the lanai. I let them play for a little bit before urging that we go grab food while the sun was still up. I brought some groceries, but it was mostly breakfast/lunch/snack type stuff and I felt the need for a well cooked meal. There are very few options in town for sit down restaurants and we opted to try the Hana Ranch Restaurant. It was slightly overpriced, but I paid just about as much as I did for dinner in Kihei last night. It actually would have been a lot cheaper, except C ordered a half rack of ribs (we are on vacation after all).

When dinner was over, we played outside for a bit and then I hit the local “market”. I took a pick of the price of milk. $12.49 for a gallon. Wowza!! I’m glad we didn’t really “need” anything.

Once we were back at “Home”, Z claimed her bed and C and I played a few more games of ping-pong (I won both). Of the dozen or so places we could have stayed, that was the thing that put this place over the top. It’s a longer walk to the beach, but the house and amenities are top notch. Right now, I’m typing from a desk area in the kitchen that overlooks the living area where the kids are also on their electronics. We are all pretty much ready for bed, but it’s only about 8PM.

I might do a little more research on the “Road” tomorrow so we can be prepared for things on the way back (but probably not 😉 ). We basically have all day to meander and play and like the rest of the days on Maui, I want to slow down and savor every moment. This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am treating it as such.

Makemak Wau Keke,
~Miss SugarCookie