Life is a highway....

The Road to Hana is one of the most scenic drives in the world complete with black sand beaches, waterfalls, and amazing oceanfront views.  It has 620 curves and 59 single lane bridges along the way and the 50+ mile trip to Hana would take about 3 hours, without even stopping.  The fun part of the drive is the stopping though, not the end destination.  There isn't much to the town of Hana itself, but the sights along the way are breathtaking.  Eric and I knew when we started planning our trip to Maui that it was at the top of our list to do and a pregnant belly wasn't going to stop me!  Some moms-to-be may be hesitant to make the trip, but it is very doable and actually a lot of fun.  If you are planning a trip to Maui - add the Road to Hana on your list right now!

A few tips before you begin:

• Download the Gypsy Guide Road to Hana app - it will walk you through your entire trip, tell you where to stop and what to skip, and give you lots of fun facts along the way.  We nicknamed our tour guide "Geno" and we couldn't have done it without him!
• Splurge for a convertible or a jeep for the day!  I mean who doesn't want to cruise through the island in a cool ride?!?
•  Make a pit stop at Walmart before you go and grab some drinks/snacks for the road.  There are several food trucks along the way, but it's a long day and you'll be much happier with a full belly.  We also picked up some super stylish water shoes for our hiking adventures.
• Don't forget your camera!  You'll see some once in a lifetime sights along the way and definitely want to capture them!

We woke up bright and early to start our trip to Hana.  Our bags were packed, bellies were full, caffeine was loaded, and we were ready to go.  Luckily, it was a beautiful day so the convertible was the perfect choice of vehicle as I was hoping to get some sun along the way.  We took the trip with another couple, Jeff and Andrea, and it made it even more fun.  After a quick Walmart stop, we were on the road.  "Geno" was our guide for the day and we decided to let him lead the way while we just sat and enjoyed the sights.  At first the roads were a little intimidating and don't let the 15mph speed limit fool you, that's literally as fast as you can go.  When you come to a curve or a bridge you have to slow down even more to look ahead and make sure you can go because most of them are sketchy looking to begin with but also only single lane.  Eric, Jeff, and Andrea all took turns in the driver's seat, but I preferred to just sit back and relax.  

We made several stops on our way to Hana, let me remind you it is about the journey in this case, not the end destination.  These were our stops for the day:

1. Ho'okipa Lookout - Fun spot to stop and see the surfers.  In the winter, the waves are pretty big, so it's for the experienced surfers only.  It also has great views of Mount Haleakala.
   
   
   
   
2. Twin Falls - although Geno told us to skip this one, we decided to stop.  It was a quick, easy hike and we were dying to see some waterfalls up close.  The Twin Falls at the end were worth our efforts and plus we got to use our water shoes :)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Ke'anae Arboretum - This is where we saw the rainbow Eucalyptus trees, so pretty!
   
   
   
   
   
4. Some Overlook (I can't remember the name of this one!) - but it was the perfect place to get out  and stretch our legs and take our Terrible Towel pic :)
   
   
5. Nahiku Food Stands - The perfect stop for lunch, shrimp, fish, and pork tacos - they had it all and it was delicious!  There's even a cute little coffee shop with yummy baked goods too.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Wai'anapanapa State Park - Black sand beaches and caves at this stop!  One of our favorite stops of the trip!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Hana - Not much to see here, like I said, it's all about the drive versus the destination.  Although, Eric and Jeff did check out their next prospect school - Hana High!  There are a few more stops about 45 minutes past Hana, but we decided to turn around at this point because we didn't want to risk driving back in the dark.  
   
   
   
   
8. Paia Town - A cute little town we stopped in at the end of our adventure.  We didn't eat here, but there are lots of restaurants and local shops if you have time (and energy!) left at this point.
   
   
   
   

It was a very long and exhausting day (especially when you are 6 months pregnant) but it was one of my favorite days of the entire trip.  We got to see and explore the island all on our own time, at our own pace, and in a pretty cool ride :)