...And Then Scotty Happened. A Hawaiian Adventure (CHAPTER 32 Added 5/23--THE END)

[Mrs. Knowitall]

Our lunchtime view:

[/QUOTE}



Wow. Someone took some good pictures.

What could go wrong?

There was also a place along the trail where you had to go through a double gate. (Open one gate - shut it, stand in the middle, open another gate - shut it.) There was a sign on the gate that warned you to keep the gates shut. And that made me wonder.....since we were going IN.....what was the gate keeping IN? What were we getting into?

Well, this trail was pretty tough. It was uphill. Very, very uphill. We kept plowing for a while, knowing that there was supposed to be a waterfall at the ¾-mile mark. We climbed, rested, climbed, rested, and asked people coming down how much farther we had to go.

We climbed a bit farther. Supposedly there was a bamboo forest along the way. Scotty started to ask how much longer we'd be hiking. Sweat was pouring down his brow.

To my credit, I made "5 more minutes" last for about a mile!

We climbed a bit farther. Julie started to ask how much longer we'd be hiking. Sweat poured from her brow.

I think this was the time that Sarah said her asthma was acting up and that she needed her inhaler. Where was her inhaler? In the CAR of course! That car sure wasn't going to have any breathing problems on this trip!

We drove around hairpin turns in this manner, bouncing all over the place. At one point, and I wish we'd been quick enough on the draw to get a picture, we crossed a bridge that had railings made of (I'm not making this up) PVC pipe. I'm sure thats crash-worthy, right? I offered to turn around and go back to get a picture of it, but for some reason Julie didn't want to. At least, I think that's what her shrieking meant.

We cross the "bridge".....ME: Did you see the railing? It was PVC pipe!
Mark (in mirror): Will you look at that? It IS! How about I stop here and you can run back and get a picture?

And the "stop here" was "right in the middle of the road where no one can see you before they hit you and you better hope the PVC pipe saves you from a fatal drop". So the answer was "no".

There was a minivan driving ahead of us. Somewhere along the drive, we had to crest a ridge. We drove up the hill, watching the van climb ahead. As we got to the top of the hill, the van plunged down the other side...

...and dropped completely out of sight.

We paused at the top, in silence. I figured it was probably a good idea to make sure the van re-appeared before we tried it. Sure enough, we spotted it below and started laughing again. Then we continued over the ridge, the only way we knew how--with hands raised in the air! Laughing all the way down.

Yup, the driver too. I mean, at this point, why not? I made some kind of comment about how this was what our vacations were all about--the kids would never, ever forget driving this road.

This was an absolute riot. The kids (and us big kids) STILL talk about it!

The really amazing thing about this drive was the desolate, barren look of the mountain. It was absolutely stunning to think that we'd seen nothing but lush, green gardens and waterfalls everywhere during the morning drive, and this was the same mountain.

The dichotomy of the two sides of the islands always amazed me. Both sides were beautiful in their own way.

That night, my aunt and cousin prepared a meal of traditional Hawaiian foods for us. Because my aunt is of Chinese heritage, there were a few Chinese foods in there too, like teriyaki beef. We had kalua pork, some kind of bright red pork (Chinese), bbq short ribs, sliced pineapples, rice, and that old Hawaiian standby, poi. I must quote the guidebook here, as it encouraged, "Try some poi, so you can badmouth it with authority".

I can hereby state that the guidebook is accurate. Poi a mostly tasteless purple paste derived from taro roots. I'm not sure who had the bright idea to pound taro roots to make a purple tasteless goo, but there you have it. It does have a slightly bitter aftertaste reminiscent of Beverly.

On the other hand, my aunt also produced a purple sweet potato. Yes, it's a sweet potato, but completely purple in color. We'd never seen this before. Julie bit into a piece and raved about it the rest of the evening. I thought it was...meh. But then again, I've never been a big sweet potato fan.

She also had some seafoody thing. Yuck. I still don't like seafood....even if I'm pregnant. But I do LOVE those purple sweet potatoes. In fact.....I could go for some right now.

 

[middlepat]

Love the update.

Glad you found Lindbergh's grave. I still think this is one of the coolest finds on the Road to Hana. (or from Hana as the case may be)

Glad you kept going. I agree the beauty of the "back side" is just as spectacular as the front side, if only in a completely different way.

So the question remains, has DelDOT found a new way to employ PVC and Duct Tape to save a few taxpayer dollars?

 

[jwwi]

Wow those lunch time photos are so pretty. Now sure how I would feel about the rustic road, but as you stated, you made it through. I really am enjoying reading about my upcoming vacation. Your kids look like they are having so much fun. Priceless......
To answer your question, our trip starts on Oahu, Pearl Harbor for sure. Reservation for hotel at beach in Waikiki. Then on to the Big Island, Volcano National Park top of list. Finish up on Maui, Waimea area, for one week in a condo. I need to keep reading and taking notes. No kids on our trip, but who knows, we may still eat sandwiches to save $$.
I think you are making great memories with your family, some of our trips still are part of our fondest memories of spending time together while the kids were growing up. Because of course we worked all the time when we weren't on vacation!

 

[franandaj]

The road from Hana looks amazing, so I imagine that was one that you didn't tell rental car company about... Y'all are too funny!,

Loved the day! Sounds like you all had a great time!

 

[afwdwfan]

Our lunchtime view

That must have made those some of the best PB&J sandwiches ever.

Well, there it is. Now we can say we've seen a bamboo forest. One thing I will say: this stuff makes for great camouflage if you need to sneak up on somebody.

Or if you have to hide from your angry, pregnant wife after you just made her hike up the side of a mountain to see some frickin bamboo.

Ok, with that picture, either I'm just giving in to my usual idiocy, or I needed to clown around to prevent meltdowns from various members of the party. We gulped down some water and considered our options:

1. Keep going another ¾-mile or so to see the 400 waterfall.
2. Turn around and head back to the air-conditioned car.

We chose option 2.

It is too bad that you missed out on the waterfall, but I have to say, you chose... wisely.

Fortunately for us, there was a very temporary service available from a group called Deus Ex Machina where we could arrange to have someone drive the rental car back around the other way to Kula for us while we borrowed a different vehicle that was approved for all roads to continue the drive. I don't have the details on it with me, but it sure worked out great.

Is this for real???

Isn't it also a violation of a rental agreement to let someone else drive your rental car?

I'd just take my chances and drive on...

So, we continued on in our new improved vehicle.

So what was it?

We drove around hairpin turns in this manner, bouncing all over the place. At one point, and I wish we'd been quick enough on the draw to get a picture, we crossed a bridge that had railings made of (I'm not making this up) PVC pipe.

So, did you take any new cost cutting ideas back to Delaware after that drive?

The really amazing thing about this drive was the desolate, barren look of the mountain. It was absolutely stunning to think that we'd seen nothing but lush, green gardens and waterfalls everywhere during the morning drive, and this was the same mountain.

It is a very interesting contrast.

Would I do it again? I'd say yes. Not only did the drive turn out to be extremely memorable, but I think the sights on that side of the mountain were totally different, and worth seeing just to be able to comprehend the incredible diversity of life, climate, and weather patterns in such a relatively small geographical area. And we didn't die, so that was a plus.

Wow. Someone took some good pictures.

Scotty?

There was also a place along the trail where you had to go through a double gate. (Open one gate - shut it, stand in the middle, open another gate - shut it.) There was a sign on the gate that warned you to keep the gates shut. And that made me wonder.....since we were going IN.....what was the gate keeping IN? What were we getting into?

And let me guess... he put you on gate duty?

We cross the "bridge".....ME: Did you see the railing? It was PVC pipe!
Mark (in mirror): Will you look at that? It IS! How about I stop here and you can run back and get a picture?

And the "stop here" was "right in the middle of the road where no one can see you before they hit you and you better hope the PVC pipe saves you from a fatal drop". So the answer was "no".

Always interesting to hear both sides to the story.

She also had some seafoody thing. Yuck. I still don't like seafood....even if I'm pregnant. But I do LOVE those purple sweet potatoes. In fact.....I could go for some right now.

Uh oh... pregnant wife wants purple sweet potatoes. Sounds like Mark has a long trip to the grocery store coming up.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Is this for real???

Isn't it also a violation of a rental agreement to let someone else drive your rental car?

Well, that depends. Do you work for the rental company?

 

[glennbo123]

Caught up, and loving the trip report, of course! If I see any pvc guiderails around the highways of DE, I'll know why.

We said hello…and gave her a wide berth.

A "Hunt for Red October" reference?

The First Rule of Banyan Trees is: always stop to play in the banyan tree.

Obviously a "Fight Club" reference.

 

[eandesmom]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pf-yekeUmOs/UfWqmfutWuI/AAAAAAAAGSQ/wUpGnGWHeBE/s1024/IMG_1346.jpg[/IMG]

We sat, looking out from the east coast of Maui over the vast Pacific Ocean, enjoying the crash of the waves and the sprawling sand nestled up against the rocky wall framing the beach. I'm pretty sure I contemplated something along those lines as I shoved fistfuls of Maui onion chips into my mouth and slapped everyone else's hands away from the bag.

Guard them with your life!

Gorgeous beach.

Skipping ahead to the 20th century, a hotel owner in Hana decided tourists wouldnt go out of their way to a place called O'heo Gulch, so he advertised it as the Seven Sacred Pools to drum up business. There are not seven of them and they were never sacred to anyone. The end.

The entire hike was about ½ to ¾ of a mile and involved some climbing, but wasn't terrible. However, it was early afternoon and getting to be the hottest part of the day, and Julie and Scotty were both laboring a bit. No, not that kind of labor--Julie and the baby were fine. But baby was making it tough to keep going. There was another hike we wanted to do, but it was 2 miles (one way) to see a 400 waterfall. We decided to start walking and see how it went. We could always turn around if it was too much. What could go wrong?

Well, this trail was pretty tough. It was uphill. Very, very uphill. We kept plowing for a while, knowing that there was supposed to be a waterfall at the ¾-mile mark. We climbed, rested, climbed, rested, and asked people coming down how much farther we had to go. Then--

Look! Its a waterfall!

Yeah, it's a nice fall, but the view was a bit disappointing. You couldn't really see through the vegetation to get a clear view of it.

We climbed a bit farther. Supposedly there was a bamboo forest along the way. Scotty started to ask how much longer we'd be hiking. Sweat was pouring down his brow.

We climbed a bit farther. Julie started to ask how much longer we'd be hiking. Sweat poured from her brow.

We gulped down some water and considered our options:

1. Keep going another ¾-mile or so to see the 400 waterfall.
2. Turn around and head back to the air-conditioned car.

We chose option 2. I know, you don't get to see a 400 waterfall everyday, but these guys were done. More hiking would not have gone over well. If things went right, we would have another chance to see a huge waterfall later in the trip. And the last thing we needed was to be airlifted out of here.

Sometimes it just isn't worth it, no matter how cool it all sounds. Good call.

The family was a bunch of troopers and successfully made it back to the car. We had one more quick stop on this side of the mountain. There's an unmarked tiny side road that leads toward the coast. Down this short road is a tiny church.

And behind this tiny church is a tiny graveyard. This nondescript yard is the final resting place of Charles Lindbergh, the first pilot who ever flew non-stop across the Atlantic.

When dying of cancer, his doctors in New York told him to stay in the city for treatment. He told them he was returning to Maui to die there, reasoning that hed rather live a few days on Maui than a few weeks in New York.

Interesting side note: Lindbergh's friend is also buried nearby, along with his "children": several pet monkeys.

GAH! I really really wish I didn't know this now. I am quite sure I'd be the biggest train wreck you've ever seen making that drive to Hana. Jeff would be fine..kids, mildly freaked. But he would be over the moon to see that. DANG YOU!

Now it was decision time. We needed to get back to Kula for the night. We could either turn around and go back the way we came--through Hana, the 620 curves, 52 one-lane bridges, and all that--or keep going around the south side of the mountain.

We had consulted the guidebook. It argued for continuing around the mountain. After all, you already saw the road to Hana. Why not see something new? Hard to argue with that.

Unless, of course, your car rental agreement prohibits driving on this road. Here, the guidebook argued that most rental agreements prohibit you from driving the car on unimproved roads. But what does that mean? The road on the south side of Haleakala is dirt/gravel for a few miles, but it is regularly graded by state forces, cleared when needed, and the pavement gets patched. Sounds like improvements to me. If the agreement says you can't drive on unpaved roads, it's a little less gray. But then again, there are dirt roads all over the island. The agent at the counter had not forbidden me from driving on any roads when going over the paperwork with me.

Even if you do drive on an unimproved road, violating the agreement most likely means they won't come rescue your sorry behind and you're paying for repairs. Which your current insurance often covers anyway.

Fortunately for us, there was a very temporary service available from a group called Deus Ex Machina where we could arrange to have someone drive the rental car back around the other way to Kula for us while we borrowed a different vehicle that was approved for all roads to continue the drive. I don't have the details on it with me, but it sure worked out great.

So, we continued on in our new improved vehicle. If you thought the Highway to Hana looked like a tough ride, this was the Highway to H-E-Double Hockey Sticks. At a certain point on this road, the regular, consistent paving stops. I don't know why it stops where it does, but in its place is ancient, crumbling pavement littered with thousands upon thousands of poor patching jobs.

We rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled our way through a couple of miles of this, and then things got really hairy. If the previous drive had run along the edge of the coast, well, this road was literally cut into the side of a cliff:

We drove around hairpin turns in this manner, bouncing all over the place. At one point, and I wish we'd been quick enough on the draw to get a picture, we crossed a bridge that had railings made of (I'm not making this up) PVC pipe. I'm sure thats crash-worthy, right? I offered to turn around and go back to get a picture of it, but for some reason Julie didn't want to. At least, I think that's what her shrieking meant.

Actually, we had a good case of the giggles going in the car at this point, just marveling at how bad the road was. We'd turn the corner and see another piece of road jutting out from the cliff and just laugh about the fact that we actually had to drive on that.

There was a minivan driving ahead of us. Somewhere along the drive, we had to crest a ridge. We drove up the hill, watching the van climb ahead. As we got to the top of the hill, the van plunged down the other side...

...and dropped completely out of sight.

We paused at the top, in silence. I figured it was probably a good idea to make sure the van re-appeared before we tried it. Sure enough, we spotted it below and started laughing again. Then we continued over the ridge, the only way we knew how--with hands raised in the air! Laughing all the way down.

Yup, the driver too. I mean, at this point, why not? I made some kind of comment about how this was what our vacations were all about--the kids would never, ever forget driving this road.

I about had a heart attack just reading about this drive. No way in h e doulble toothpicks man. You are NUTS.

Dinner sounds nice though!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

LOVED the update!!! But then again, I tend to love all your updates, so not saying much I guess. You really are a terrific writer though.

Why, thank you! I'm going to remember that compliment for the next time my boss yells at me.

I did think about you guys on my Disney trip last week. We were there to experience the Food and Wine festival, and one day for lunch we ate at McDonald's. The one onsite though, so you know, classin' it up. Really we were just too lazy to go back to Epcot and too cheap to go to the food court.

It's great to know that our family is permanently associated with cheap, crappy food.

I laughed out loud at the mental image of the van dropping out of sight and your guys' expressions.

There was a brief period of silence as our jaws dropped and we waited for the van to appear. Then, lots of laughter.

I also appreciated the naming of the other rental company.

I'm assuming you did get the jeep back? If not, let us know so we all know not to use them.

Um...yes, yes we did. Everything was great and it was almost like magic that we were back in the Jeep Compass the next day.

Doesnt' everyone put their hands up in the air when they are going down a hill in the car? We do that all the time.

Depends on the hill. And the surrounding traffic. And whether or not there's a curve at the bottom.

Another wonderful update, Mark. I'm not sure I'd have any fingernails left after your description of the drive, but how wonderful to see the two different sides and how they are affected by the elements.

It was really cool to see, and I'm glad we did the whole drive. And really, it wasn't THAT bad. We never actually feared for our lives. It was just a drive that took a lot more of our attention and care than usual.

Love the picture of all of you in the trees.

thanks for taking that trip for me, i took it a little bit from big beach and little beach towards hana but then turned around when it got hairy...after all candi was pushing the 6 month pregnancy window so she got to dictate most of the activities and if she didnt want to ride that part of the road then she won that fight.

Actually, the road from Big Beach dead ends at some point. The one that goes all the way around ends up by the winery up on the mountain.

I can see where being 6 months pregnant might make that ride just a tad uncomfortable.

looking forward to the next chapter.

Now, why is that exactly?

 

[that's nice]

Loved your lunch views! Just simply amazing. Just think, if you ever get that promotion you might be able to afford to retire in Hawaii. Yea, I know what you are thinking, who wants to retire in Hawaii anyway.

I knew you guys were rebels and continued around the island.

How come it looks like you are using the bathroom in that pic with the bamboo? You wouldn't post something like that on a family board would you?

How nice of your hosts to cook you dinner...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wow. Someone took some good pictures.

Good work, honey.

There was also a place along the trail where you had to go through a double gate. (Open one gate - shut it, stand in the middle, open another gate - shut it.) There was a sign on the gate that warned you to keep the gates shut. And that made me wonder.....since we were going IN.....what was the gate keeping IN? What were we getting into?

I think it was the smoke monster from LOST.

To my credit, I made "5 more minutes" last for about a mile!

I don't know what we're going to do when he finally gets a concept of time.

I think this was the time that Sarah said her asthma was acting up and that she needed her inhaler. Where was her inhaler? In the CAR of course! That car sure wasn't going to have any breathing problems on this trip!

We chose...poorly.

We cross the "bridge".....ME: Did you see the railing? It was PVC pipe!
Mark (in mirror): Will you look at that? It IS! How about I stop here and you can run back and get a picture?

And the "stop here" was "right in the middle of the road where no one can see you before they hit you and you better hope the PVC pipe saves you from a fatal drop". So the answer was "no".

It's not like we were dealing with a lot of traffic.

This was an absolute riot. The kids (and us big kids) STILL talk about it!

The drive was memorable. Yes, that's the word.

The dichotomy of the two sides of the islands always amazed me. Both sides were beautiful in their own way.

She also had some seafoody thing. Yuck. I still don't like seafood....even if I'm pregnant. But I do LOVE those purple sweet potatoes. In fact.....I could go for some right now.

Love the update.

Glad you found Lindbergh's grave. I still think this is one of the coolest finds on the Road to Hana. (or from Hana as the case may be)

It is pretty cool. Amazing how low-key it was. You'd drive past if you didn't know it was there.

Glad you kept going. I agree the beauty of the "back side" is just as spectacular as the front side, if only in a completely different way.

And the driver occasionally gets a glimpse of it, when he's not concentrating on avoiding death.

So the question remains, has DelDOT found a new way to employ PVC and Duct Tape to save a few taxpayer dollars?

Unfortunately, those taxpayer dollars would end up being spent in the subsequent lawsuits.

Wow those lunch time photos are so pretty. Now sure how I would feel about the rustic road, but as you stated, you made it through. I really am enjoying reading about my upcoming vacation. Your kids look like they are having so much fun. Priceless......

Well, I sure hope so! Otherwise next year we're just going to Bethany Beach.

To answer your question, our trip starts on Oahu, Pearl Harbor for sure. Reservation for hotel at beach in Waikiki. Then on to the Big Island, Volcano National Park top of list. Finish up on Maui, Waimea area, for one week in a condo. I need to keep reading and taking notes. No kids on our trip, but who knows, we may still eat sandwiches to save $$.

Sounds great! We'll get to Volcano National Park later in the trip if you can hold out that long.

I think you are making great memories with your family, some of our trips still are part of our fondest memories of spending time together while the kids were growing up. Because of course we worked all the time when we weren't on vacation!

I read a study somewhere that said family trips are usually among the favorite memories of most kids. My dad had an interesting point about that--his theory was that they were one of the few times when your kids have your undivided attention, and most of your attention is spent working to make them happy and give them a fun, memorable time.

The road from Hana looks amazing, so I imagine that was one that you didn't tell rental car company about... Y'all are too funny!

What happens in the rental car stays in the rental car.

Loved the day! Sounds like you all had a great time!

Par for the course--exhausting but fun!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

In continuing our family's tradition of attempting to keep costs down while traveling, we once again had peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Y’all do maintain the gold standard on this point.

We sat, looking out from the east coast of Maui over the vast Pacific Ocean, enjoying the crash of the waves and the sprawling sand nestled up against the rocky wall framing the beach. I'm pretty sure I contemplated something along those lines as I shoved fistfuls of Maui onion chips into my mouth and slapped everyone else's hands away from the bag.

Priorities…
Always protect that which is truly important.
Everything else is just so much scenery.

The kids asked if they could get their feet wet, and being the loving and spontaneous parents that we are, we checked to make sure we didn't have to pay anything and then told them to go ahead.

Again, priorities…
Cash saved for more Maui Chips.

Ok, they did actually get their feet wet.

This I’m certain of…

Just trust me on that one.

This notion however…
Not sure that’s such a good idea.

Our next stop was Haleakala National Park. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking,

How do I get ahold of a quarter ton of those Maui Chips.

Did I leave the oven on? Or, I think we should just get pizza tonight, because I really don’t feel like cooking.

Oh yah… that was on my mind as well, but secondary to the chips.

Skipping ahead to the 20th century, a hotel owner in Hana decided tourists wouldn’t go out of their way to a place called Oheo Gulch, so he advertised it as the Seven Sacred Pools to drum up business. There are not seven of them and they were never sacred to anyone. The end.

Typical…

The First Rule of Banyan Trees is:

Never talk about Banyan Trees?

always stop to play in the banyan tree.

Ohhhh…
I thought that was the second rule?
I’ll have to correct my rule book here.

There was another hike we wanted to do, but it was 2 miles (one way) to see a 400 waterfall. We decided to start walking and see how it went. We could always turn around if it was too much. What could go wrong?

Is this a question?

Well, there’s one of your answers

Well, there it is. Now we can say we’ve seen a bamboo forest. One thing I will say, this stuff makes for great camouflage if you need to sneak up on somebody.

That explains why deadly Panda Attacks are such a problem for Chinese tourism


Stealthy monsters…

Ok, with that picture, either I’m just giving in to my usual idiocy,

And you’d fought so hard to keep it under control up to this point…

And behind this tiny church is a tiny graveyard. This nondescript yard is the final resting place of Charles Lindbergh, the first pilot who ever flew non-stop across the Atlantic.

An interesting stop over.
One that a tourist would ignore, but a traveler would make time for.

You done good… and you gave your kids an extra memory for and experience that most folks will never know. They don’t know it yet, but it is moments like that that are some of the greatest gifts they’ll ever receive.





OK… I’m done being all serious and such.
Time to get back to Mark Bashing.

When dying of cancer, his doctors in New York told him to stay in the city for treatment. He told them he was returning to Maui to die there, reasoning that he’d rather live a few days on Maui than a few weeks in New York.

I’d have to agree with Lindie here.
There’s not many of his “published opinions” I’d totally agree with, but I can buy into that one.

We had consulted the guidebook. It argued for continuing around the mountain. After all, you already saw the road to Hana. Why not see something new? Hard to argue with that.

True…
besides arguing with a book ain’t much different from arguing with a fence post.

Unless, of course, your car rental agreement prohibits driving on this road.

Well now, “there’s you problem!”

Here, the guidebook argued that most rental agreements prohibit you from driving the car on unimproved roads. But what does that mean? The road on the south side of Haleakala is dirt/gravel for a few miles, but it is regularly graded by state forces, cleared when needed, and the pavement gets patched. Sounds like improvements to me.

Says the Highway engineer

Fortunately for us, there was a very temporary service available from a group called Deus Ex Machina

And they all lived happily ever after…
Nice work there MacGyver.

I don’t have the details on it with me, but it sure worked out great.

I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…
So far as you know.

So, we continued on in our new improved vehicle.

With 50% more hot air

We rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled our way through a couple of miles of this, and then things got really hairy. If the previous drive had run along the edge of the coast, well, this road was literally cut into the side of a cliff:

Again, an experience for which the kids will bestow thanks for the rest of their lives
(once they are old enough to realize what a huge gift it was).

At one point, and I wish we’d been quick enough on the draw to get a picture, we crossed a bridge that had railings made of (I’m not making this up) PVC pipe. I’m sure that’s crash-worthy, right?

Again, you’re the expert here…
so I’ll defer to your assessment on this detail.

Then we continued over the ridge, the only way we knew how--with hands raised in the air! Laughing all the way down.

YAAAAAAA-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOEEEYYYY!!!

Yup, the driver too. I mean, at this point, why not?

Absolutely… It’s not like you need to worry about the rented jeep that was gingerly making its way back around in the other direction.

Throw caution to the wind!


Or off the side of a cliff…
Or into the ocean…
Whatever seems most appropriate.

The really amazing thing about this drive was the desolate, barren look of the mountain. It was absolutely stunning to think that we’d seen nothing but lush, green gardens and waterfalls everywhere during the morning drive, and this was the same mountain.

It is almost stunning to see how the tag team effect of a mountain ridge and a prevailing wind can create such dramatic ecological variance in such a relatively confined space.




Oh wait… that was a serious comment.
Sorry ‘bout that Chief.

And we didn’t die, so that was a plus.

So you got that going for you…
Which is nice.

I must quote the guidebook here, as it encouraged, Try some poi, so you can badmouth it with authority.

I can hereby state that the guidebook is accurate.

On the other hand, my aunt also produced a purple sweet potato. Yes, it’s a sweet potato, but completely purple in color.

They sold ketchup like that back in the 90s.
That was just wrong as well…

I could have eaten the kalua pork, the ribs, and the beef all night long. Come to think of it, I probably did.

Well I should certainly hope so.




Quite the adventure sir.
Jealousy doesn’t even begin to express my thoughts here.
Eagerly waiting on the next chapter.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

That must have made those some of the best PB&J sandwiches ever.

It certainly beats eating them in the office lunch room.

Or if you have to hide from your angry, pregnant wife after you just made her hike up the side of a mountain to see some frickin bamboo.

She might be small, but she's strong. Her first baby...come out sideways. She didn't scream or nothin'.

It is too bad that you missed out on the waterfall, but I have to say, you chose... wisely.

Gotta know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em.

Is this for real???

Isn't it also a violation of a rental agreement to let someone else drive your rental car?

I'd just take my chances and drive on...

I was just trying to have some fun with this dilemma, imagining how to phrase it if the rental car people were actually reading the TR.

So what was it?

A Wagon Family Truckster.

So, did you take any new cost cutting ideas back to Delaware after that drive?

Sure. We can just remove our entire maintenance budget. Seems to be working out ok for them.

It is a very interesting contrast.

Seems like there's something different around every corner.

Scotty?

No, Scotty likes to make the flash go off from the back seat.

And let me guess... he put you on gate duty?

You're really working hard to make me sound like a jerk. I don't need any help to--wait a minute.

Always interesting to hear both sides to the story.

She was chicken. That's how I read it.

Uh oh... pregnant wife wants purple sweet potatoes. Sounds like Mark has a long trip to the grocery store coming up.

Would it involve staying at Aulani?

Caught up, and loving the trip report, of course! If I see any pvc guiderails around the highways of DE, I'll know why.

Hopefully you won't see them as your car is crashing right through them.

A "Hunt for Red October" reference?

+1

Obviously a "Fight Club" reference.

+1

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Guard them with your life!

You're not kidding. I'm still sad over how quickly the bag disappeared.

Gorgeous beach.

Next time we'll have to schedule some beach time there. Amazingly beautiful spot.

Oh, wait, first we have to do the red sand beach hike again. Then we can go to Hamoa Beach again.

Sometimes it just isn't worth it, no matter how cool it all sounds. Good call.

Now we have a reason to go back. Hopefully Julie won't be pregnant again next time around.

GAH! I really really wish I didn't know this now. I am quite sure I'd be the biggest train wreck you've ever seen making that drive to Hana. Jeff would be fine..kids, mildly freaked. But he would be over the moon to see that. DANG YOU!

You'll be fine...really! The road to Hana is not that bad. Even tour buses drive it, carrying groups of senior citizens. So I wouldn't worry so much. And the really rough part of the road back (if you even decide to drive it) doesn't start until after this particular turn-off for the church. So you could still visit and then turn around and go back the way you came, if you so chose.

I about had a heart attack just reading about this drive. No way in h e doulble toothpicks man. You are NUTS.

I can honestly say that we never felt unsafe on the road. There were a few times our jaws dropped at the condition of it (as outlined above), but mostly it was a point of laughter. We drove fairly slowly through the tough parts and did fine. Your mileage may vary. But I think as long as you come armed with a good sense of humor, it can be conquered!

Dinner sounds nice though!

It was! Neat to try a little local flavor.

Loved your lunch views! Just simply amazing. Just think, if you ever get that promotion you might be able to afford to retire in Hawaii. Yea, I know what you are thinking, who wants to retire in Hawaii anyway.

Promotion? Now let me see...you know, I have absolutely no idea what that means. I know what you think it means, sonny. To me, it's just a made-up word so a guy like you can wear a suit, have a job...

You just sit there and stamp your forms, sonny. And quit wasting my time.

I knew you guys were rebels and continued around the island.

The justification "we may never be able to do this again" makes you do lots of crazy things.

How come it looks like you are using the bathroom in that pic with the bamboo? You wouldn't post something like that on a family board would you?

Here's what I think of your bamboo forest! Probably too many Maui onion chips.

How nice of your hosts to cook you dinner...

Yeah, I'll say. Otherwise it would have been Rice Krispies.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Y’all do maintain the gold standard on this point.

You can get a good solid 3-4 days out of PB&J sandwiches before you really get sick of them.

Priorities…
Always protect that which is truly important.
Everything else is just so much scenery.

Again, priorities…
Cash saved for more Maui Chips.

This I’m certain of…


This notion however…
Not sure that’s such a good idea.

You wouldn't buy a used car from me?

How do I get ahold of a quarter ton of those Maui Chips.

If you find out, could you let me know?

Oh yah… that was on my mind as well, but secondary to the chips.

As you said...priorities.

Never talk about Banyan Trees?

You're thinking about that other rule.

Ohhhh…
I thought that was the second rule?
I’ll have to correct my rule book here.

Who's on first?

Is this a question?


Well, there’s one of your answers

You'll never see more of those types of signs than you will in Hawaii.

That explains why deadly Panda Attacks are such a problem for Chinese tourism


Stealthy monsters…

There's a cheesy B-movie in here somewhere.

And you’d fought so hard to keep it under control up to this point…

You noticed!

An interesting stop over.
One that a tourist would ignore, but a traveler would make time for.

You done good… and you gave your kids an extra memory for and experience that most folks will never know. They don’t know it yet, but it is moments like that that are some of the greatest gifts they’ll ever receive.

Thanks, Rob. That is indeed why we do the things we do, isn't it? Sometimes we skip these little diversions due to time constraints, but it's fun to squeeze them in if you have a chance. This is why we do all that planning!

OK… I’m done being all serious and such.
Time to get back to Mark Bashing.

I’d have to agree with Lindie here.
There’s not many of his “published opinions” I’d totally agree with, but I can buy into that one.

Agreed. On both counts.

True…
besides arguing with a book ain’t much different from arguing with a fence post.

Well now, “there’s you problem!”

Spoken like a true Mythbuster.

Says the Highway engineer

And there was no ungrateful public to complain about it, either.

And they all lived happily ever after…
Nice work there MacGyver.

Sometimes you write yourself into a corner, and there's only one way out of it.

I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…
So far as you know.

With 50% more hot air

Something tells me your B.S. Detector is going off.

Again, an experience for which the kids will bestow thanks for the rest of their lives
(once they are old enough to realize what a huge gift it was).

We still talk about this drive!

Again, you’re the expert here…
so I’ll defer to your assessment on this detail.

Well, I didn't actually crash test anything.

YAAAAAAA-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOEEEYYYY!!!

We might as well have had Goofy along with us!

Absolutely… It’s not like you need to worry about the rented jeep that was gingerly making its way back around in the other direction.

Exactly! ...as far as you know.

Throw caution to the wind!


Or off the side of a cliff…
Or into the ocean…
Whatever seems most appropriate.

You only live once!

It is almost stunning to see how the tag team effect of a mountain ridge and a prevailing wind can create such dramatic ecological variance in such a relatively confined space.

I bet if I showed pictures of each area and asked people to guess where they were, I'd get totally different answers.

Oh wait… that was a serious comment.
Sorry ‘bout that Chief.

I'll let it slide, but I'll need a note from your doctor.

So you got that going for you…
Which is nice.

+1

They sold ketchup like that back in the 90s.
That was just wrong as well…

I remember that! I remember refusing to touch the stuff as well.

Well I should certainly hope so.

Mmmmm....kalua pork...

Quite the adventure sir.
Jealousy doesn’t even begin to express my thoughts here.
Eagerly waiting on the next chapter.

I think "adventure" definitely applies to that drive.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

 

[Poolrat]

All caught up and what an adventure!!!

Good call on the temporary vehicle and turning back during the hike.

You had great success in creating wonderful memories for the whole family.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Promotion? Now let me see...you know, I have absolutely no idea what that means. I know what you think it means, sonny. To me, it's just a made-up word so a guy like you can wear a suit, have a job...

You just sit there and stamp your forms, sonny. And quit wasting my time.

You wouldn't buy a used car from me?

Depends…
Was it driven in Hawaii?

Who's on first?

I don’t know…
THIRD BASE!

There's a cheesy B-movie in here somewhere.

Spoken like a true Mythbuster.

“Jamie wants big boom!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxm_qpKh7Jw

We might as well have had Goofy along with us!

Well… he is our patron saint.

Exactly! ...as far as you know.

+1

I'll let it slide, but I'll need a note from your doctor.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

All caught up and what an adventure!!!

We barely escaped with our lives!

Good call on the temporary vehicle and turning back during the hike.

The what? Oh, right the temporary vehicle.

You had great success in creating wonderful memories for the whole family.

I sure hope so, because those memories are darn expensive!

+1

Depends…
Was it driven in Hawaii?

Only on improved roads.

I don’t know…
THIRD BASE!

+1

....They Never Saw Him Coming.

“Jamie wants big boom!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxm_qpKh7Jw

Doesn't everybody?

Well… he is our patron saint.

Yes...yes he is.

+1

I hope somebody is keeping track of these things, because I'm not.

Approved.

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

Yikes! That road to Hana would be a tough one for me. Well done!

I have been following your trip report and am really enjoying it. Thanks for sharing your family's adventures with all of us. We also have three children and are going to Hawaii for the first time in May, so this is also very helpful.

I wonder if I can ask you a question... We are going to spend 4 nights in Waikiki, 4 nights at Aulani, and are now considering hopping to the Big Island. Did you go there on your trip? Do you recommend it? We have 3 boys age 9-12 and are considering staying in/near Volcano for a night or two and focusing mainly on waterfalls and the volcano area on the Hilo side. It seems a little tough to find accomodations for 5 there. Any thoughts on the idea? We don't know if we'll get back to Hawaii again so want to make the most of it, within reason financially. Thanks!