As we stepped on to the bus and took our seats the excitement of the trip started to sink in. We left the Maui Lani golf course and made our way towards the Hana Highway. The bus driver was equipped with a mic that let us hear everything he said over the busses speaker system. Throughout the day he narrated various fact and stories to us. It was nice to know that the driver knew so much about the island (it made the ride much more entertaining!). As we passed the sugar mill in Kahului he explained about how it got its start as well as some details on worked there during its long history. He explained the importance of the cane industry on Maui and the history behind it as we made our way towards the town of Paia. While pointing out the beaches of Baby Beach, Baldwin, and Paia Bay he explained some history about the town of Paia. He also pointed out some nice places to eat and shop like the Mana Foods grocery store and the Flatbread Pizza Parlor. Soon after we found ourselves driving past the area known as Haiku. Our driver explained that the inhabitants of Maui first started growing sugar cane in 1869. We were making our way into forest by that time and the subject matter of the narration began to shift from history to botany. We all were in awe over the different plants and trees that lined the sides of the road. As we drove the driver would point out different vegetation like the native Koa tree and the invasive bamboo. As we made our way down Hana highway the rainforest seemed to get thicker and thicker.
About 20 minutes from the Kaenae peninsula we began starting to spot our first waterfalls. These waterfalls were fairly small compared to the ones we would see later on in the tour but they were still remarkably beautiful. We finally reached our first stop in Kaenae. We got out of the bus and had about 45 minutes to wander around and take photos. Roaming around the jagged lava rocks on the shore and gazing at the old church our tour guide explained another fact. He said that Kaenae means mullet fish in Hawaiian. After taking our pictures we made our way back in the bus.
Our next stop was at the black sand beach in the Waianapanapa State Park. This is one of my personal favorite beaches on the island so I was very glad that we stopped here. After taking shoreline shots of the black sand beach we were greeted with a Classic Hana Picnic. This consisted of an incredible meal of BBQ chicken, salad, bread, and a soft drink that we ate under a private pavilion. Once we all were done eating we made our way back onto the bus to begin traveling towards our next stop.
After eating we apparently got a little V.I.P. treatment by being able to drive through Koki and Hamoa. Our bus driver made sure to make us aware that we should feel very special because apparently these sights are not normally part of the tour but if he has enough time he will ass them on. Once the special treatment bonus section of the tour was over we began to make it over towards the area that was formally known as the Seven Sacred Pools (but is now officially known as Oheo Gulch). We walked through a gorgeous trail that went under a banyan tree before it eventually ended at the lower pools. Waterfalls connect all the pools to each other and the sight is so beautiful that many of the people who go there are instantly put into a state of awe. We had some time to take some pictures but unfortunately the water was rushing too hard to be able to safely swim. We spent plenty of time checking it out before we had to begin to make our way back up to the bus.
Leaving the Oheo Gulch we continued out the Hana Highway driving towards Charles Lindberghs grave. His grave was located in the Palapala Hoomau Church. This is a beautiful old church that was built almost entirely from blocks of limestone coral back in 1857. Back in that time apparently about 40,000 Hawaiians lived in this area. Now only a few families remain in the area that surrounds the church. After this stop we made our way down the highway all the way back to Ulupalakua. This drive took us through the areas of Maui that are known as Kaupo and Kahikinui. This would be the bumpiest part of the dive thus far. As the rainforest slowly turns into a dry environment the road turns to dirt. Even with the bumps its still a beautiful sight to see because the lack of vegetation allows you an open line of sight that extends all the way up to the rim of the crater on the summit of Haleakala.
The last stop of the day was located in Ulupalakua at the Tedeshi Vineyard. The purpose of the stop was to taste some of the wine that is made on Maui. Once we arrived to the Tedeschi Winery we made our way into a small room where samples of wine were given out. The winery had a selection of white and red wines to taste. Once finished with the wine samples we made our way to the Ulupalakua Ranch Store to browse around. The store was filled with souvenirs and even some local meat such as Elk or Maui Beef that was raised on the ranch that is adjacent to the winery. Once everyone finished buying things and taking pictures we boarded our bus and made our way back to the Maui Lani Golf Course where we had parked our car. The rest of the tours participants were dropped off back at their hotels. I was extremely impressed with the sheer amount of knowledge that our tour guide was able to tell us throughout the day. Throughout the tour he was able to constantly explain exactly where we were as well as the history of the area. The combination of our driver and the scenery definitely made this Hana excursion a trip to remember.