Wailua Falls on the Road to Hana

The "Road to Hana" on Maui, Hawaii, is truly a road trip you will never forget. Plan on taking a MINIMUM of two hours, one way, to drive these torturous but sublime 52 miles. If you have any sense of wonder about you at all it will take four hours.

It was an all day excursion for us and definitely worth it. This narrow road takes many scores of sharp twists and turns, and there are lots of one lane bridges. You will see lush rain forest all around you, and the blue Pacific to your left. Take time to stop and explore the numerous parks and waterfalls along the way. Also, be prepared for rain - and rainbows.

Hana is a very small village and has a few places to eat. The Hasegawa General Store is authentic (Not for tourists only), and we enjoyed exploring it's eclectic offering of wares.

Most rental car agreements require that you return from Hana the way you came instead of making a loop on around the island. We "got lost" and went the full loop. Beyond Hana the road turns to Hwy. #31, much of it unpaved and very narrow. Still we made it with no problems. This road will eventually bring you all the way around again to the center of the island.

If you dare take this route, just be sure you have a full tank of gas and take your time. It's amazing to see how the landscape turns from rain forest to desert as you make the full circle. The views will take your breath away.

Waipo'o Falls & Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii

No trip to the island of Kauai would be complete without a visit to the Waimea Canyon. In the 19th century Mark Twain called it the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." The reddish soil and lawers of the canyon are indeed reminiscent of the grander canyon in Arizona. Although much smaller, Waimea is still large enough to be a spectacular gorge, 10 miles long, 1 mile wide and more than 3,600 feet deep.

As you drive up the up the Waimea Canyon Road yuou will pass several great vantage points from which to view the canyon. The most popular one, the Waimea Canyon Lookout, is just past the 10 mile marker. On a clear day the view across the canyon to Waipo'o falls is breathtaking.

At the lookout you will find a large parking area and restrooms. On the day we were there vendors were also present offering refreshment, and we took advantage of the opportunity by adding some fresh pineapple to the picnic lunch we were carrying. Restrooms and splendid views are also available just three miles further up at the Pu'u Ka Pele Lookout. The Moa, or wild game chicken, was especially prevalent in the parking area of this lookout. Watch for baby chicks and try not to run over them.

Directions: From the town of Waimea, on the south coast of Kauai, take the Waimea Canyon Road. You've got a 4,000-foot elevation rise ahead of you, a 40 mile round trip, and a temperature drop of 10-15 degrees. There are no gas stations along the way.

On our first morning in Kauai the weather was perfect so we took a 45 minute helicopter tour of the island. Much of the interior is very rugged, roadless and unhabited. This virtually inaccessible terrain also happens to contain some of the most spectacular scenery on earth, and the only practical way to see it is by helicopter. Several companies offer tours. We opted to go with Heli USA Airways out of the small but historic Princeville Airport. Our knowledgeable pilot, who had been trained by the U.S. military, took us on one of the great rides of our lives.

We climbed up the Hanalei Valley and escaped into a world of lush tropical rain forests, jagged mountains, sea cliffs and craters. We soared up the shear slopes of Mt. Wai'ale'ale, a dormant Volcano which just happens to be the wettest spot on earth.It would not be an exaggeration to say that the number of waterfalls we saw pouring off the mountainside were "countless."

We entered the crater of the dormant volcano, then climbed upward and onward to Manawaiapuna Falls, seen in the movie "Jurassic Park." Next we dipped into awesome gorge of Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific," before soaring over the Alkalai Swamp and to the 4,000-foot cliffs of the Na Pali Coast. We entered the remote Kalalau Valley and saw the remains of home sites of ancient Hawaiian civilizations, then crossed over Bali Hai, made famous in the musical "South Pacific." On the home stretch of our tour we saw the tallest waterfall on the island, plunging 3,400-feet, over 26 cascades. We then looked down on Hanalie Bay, of which Peter, Paul and Mary sang in their 1960s hit, "Puff the Magic Dragon." It was a great overview of the island, and left us eager to get out and explore on our own, returning to those areas which were accessible either by automobile or by hiking trail.

Guava Kia Plantation, Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii

Karen and I got a kick out of visiting the Guava Kia Plantation in Kilauea, Kauai. It is known as the "Guava Capital of the World." and is the largest guava plantation in the United States, but then they don't grow much of this tropical fruit in North Dakota, or anywhere else on the mainland for that matter.

Depending on the time of your visit you may watch grava being harvested, processed and made into james and jellies. Any time you come you will be able to get a free sample of guava juice and you may also purchase other tasty guava products and souvenirs. We bought a few jars of jam for gifts to take home to friends and family.

Guava, which originated in South America, was first brought to Hawaii in 1791 by the Spanish adventurer Don Francisco de Paula Marin. The conditions in Hawaii proved ideal for the tropical fruit and the grava quickly became the most common wild fruit in Hawaii. Here at they plantation they grow Beaumont guava, a superior hybrid. The beautiful pink of the juice is natural - no color added - and I love the unique tropical taste.

Kilauea Lighthouse, Kauai, Hawaii

Since 1913 the beautiful 52-foot-tall Kilauea Lighthouse has stood as a sentinel, perched on a high bluff at Kauai's rugged Kileuea Point, which is the northernmost point of the main Hawaiian Islands. The light once had the largest clamshell lens in existence, until it was replaced by a beacon in the mid 1970s.

It will cost you $3.00 to visit the lighthouse, although it may be seen and photographed from a nearby vantage point for free. There is a very small museum and a visitor center near the light, and the magnificent views are well worth the nominal admission charge.

Hours:Monday - Friday: 10 am - 4 pmClosed Saturday, Sunday and Federal Holidays

Kalawao Bay, Molokai, Hawaii

Many people who visit the Hawaiian Islands come first to Honolulu, or perhaps even Maui or the Big Island, and most never get any further. But if you want to see the real Hawaii you must trek to the least visited and least developed of the major islands, Molokai. There's not a single traffic light, fast food joint, or elevator on the entire island. This is the Hawaii of legend - the way it used to be when Hawaii was really paradise.

And then if you want to see a part of Molokai that even many natives to the island never see, dare to either hike or ride a mule down the 26 switchbacks that descend the highest sea cliffs on earth to Kalaupapa. No roads lead to Kalaupapa - only this torturous mountain path. Once a leper colony and now a National Historic Park, this is without doubt one of the most out-of-the-way spots in the islands, and definitely one of the most beautiful and interesting. After making three trips to Hawaii and extensively exploring four of the major islands, this is the place where I made my fondest memories.

Only 123 people live in Kalaupapa and some say there is nothing here. There's no traffic, no shopping, no crowds, no place to party. But history is here - ancient and modern. Raw primal nature is here - like you'll see nowhere else. Peace, beauty and seclusion are here. And you'll be a fortunate person indeed if your journeys bring you here too.

The only way to visit Kalaupapa is by invitation, but that is easily obtained through one of the tour companies on Molokai. At Kalapaupa you will see the ruins of an ancient Polynesian culture, hundreds of years old. And you will be moved by the story of the leper colony, a remnant of which still remains, where hundreds of people were once abandoned to their disease before modern science found a cure.

Spouting Horn, Kauai, Hawaii

Spouting Horn is a well known phenomenon on the south shore of Kauai. It is a dual lava tube about ten feet from the shoreline that is powered by wave action. One tube breathes air, making a loud eerie gasping sound while the other tube sprays salt water, sometimes up to 30 feet or more. The sprout is said to be more dramatic at high tide, and on large south-swell days. It was fantastic when we were there.

According to Hawaiian legend a giant female lizard or dragon once terrorized the entire south side of the island. A brave young warrior named Liko was fishing along the south shore one day when he was attacked by the dragon. Liko speared the dragon in the mouth and the wounded beast chased him into a lava tube. Liko escaped, but the poor dragon was trapped there forever. The dragon's breath can still be heard coming from the tube to this day.

Visitors are warned to be very careful if they venture onto the rocks around the blowholes. Some unwary souls have been either sucked into one of the lava tubes, or washed out to sea by an unexpected high ocean wave.

Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii

No trip to the island of Kauai would be complete without a visit to the Waimea Canyon. In the 19th century Mark Twain called it the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." The reddish soil and lawers of the canyon are indeed reminiscent of the grander canyon in Arizona. Although much smaller, Waimea is still large enough to be a spectacular gorge, 10 miles long, 1 mile wide and more than 3,600 feet deep.

In the center of the picture is Waipo'o Falls, 800 feet high.