10 Days in Paradise - Our Oahu (Aulani) and Maui Big Summer Blowout (Finally updated! 06/30/2020)

[BigTex71]

Thanks for sharing your trip experience. It sounds like a great time so far (minus the air conditioning fiasco - that would have stressed me out so much)!
My husband and 1 year old daughter will be going to Aulani for the first time in March 2020. I love the idea of doing the Oahu Private Tours so that we won't have to worry about getting around the island and figuring out where to go, but I'm also a bit hesitant about having to hang out with a tour guide all day (two big introverts here). Did the tour guide spend all of the day with you or is it more like she drops you off at the beach and picks you up in a few hours? Thanks for the info. Looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip!

She hung out with us during the tour, which we preferred because she would tell us about the island and answer questions. She was very friendly but not overbearing. I’m sure they would give you space if that is what you prefer. Jason (the owner) will email you to get to know you before your tour(s) to help customize it. I’m sure you could mention to him and see what he would recommend.

Fellow DFW'er here! Howdy neighbor

Howdy! Glad to have you along for the ride.
We are from Keller/North Fort Worth. How about you?

 

[nolanboys]

So glad I found this thread. We are leaving next month for an 11 night trip - 6 in Maui and 5 on Oahu at Aulani with our 4 boys - all teenagers. This has been so helpful and I can’t wait to read the rest! We plan on doing most of our activities in Maui and then relaxing and eating our way around Oahu.

 

[tootogether]

Oh my! We live in Keller/North Fort Worth too! VOWS to be exact.

 

[BigTex71]

Oh my! We live in Keller/North Fort Worth too! VOWS to be exact.

We are in Heritage

 

[Nalshersmom]

I have never heard about the coconut bread and never noticed any I have some slight regret. I guess I will have to look for it if we ever head back that way

 

[BigTex71]

Day 8: Road to Hana – Part 1


The sky slowly transitioned from dark black to a dark blue, then to a light blue mixed with orange reflecting off the clouds far away. This was the heralded announcement that the bright star would soon be lumbering its way up to peek over the edge of the ocean on the distant horizon. The day was upon us. The day we looked forward to for several months – the chance to drive along what is arguably the most beautiful, yet short drive in the United States. The Hana Highway – aka the Road to Hana.

OK, I can’t keep up that writing style – it drains my creative mojo and I only have so much of it per day.

We got up, ate cereal in the room, and were on the road by 7:00 am. We decided to take the top off in the Jeep – even though it was only the portion of the roof over the front seats. In hindsight, we would have been better off waiting to get to the gas station in Paia before taking off the top, since it got very windy for the drive across the middle of the island at 55 mph. We decided to gas up at the aforementioned gas station in Paia before we officially started our Road to Hana experience.

I had purchased the GyPSy audio guide app for my phone, which included the Road to Hana portion as well as the entire island of Maui. I liked this guide and I recommend it (at least the Road to Hana portion) for anyone looking to make the drive on your own (not on a tour.) The guy narrating sounded a lot like the guy who narrates Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom – so we already felt comfortable with him being our guide.

For those that don’t know, the Road to Hana is the crown-jewel of Hawaii driving tours. Lush rainforest, dramatic and rugged ocean vistas, and countless waterfalls and pools. It has over 600 turns and 54 (mostly) one-lane bridges, and no shoulder. For those of you that enjoy a challenging drive, this could be your absolute favorite anywhere. I don’t recommend this drive for inexperienced drivers, but it wasn’t as crazy as I expected once we got into it.

The first stop was at a twin falls just off one of the infamous one-lane bridges. Not THE Twin Falls you have to Hike to (Mile Marker 2.) We saw a few cars parked near the bridge, so we decided to take a look at what the hubbub was all about. It was a nice, tranquil spot and there were a few people leaving the area as we walked the 50 yards or so down the wet dirt (not necessarily mud) and rock slope to the falls and pool area.


The next stop we made was at the Garden of Eden (mile marker 10.5.) It was a cool place to identify some of the tropical trees and vegetation you will see while in Hawaii – as they have placards in front of the wide varieties all throughout their area. But it was too expensive for what you get. I do not recommend stopping here unless you want to spend $15 each for ages 16+ and $5 each for ages 5-16. I felt a $20 per carload fee would have been more acceptable. But we paid the $50 for us to check it out (so maybe you won’t have to.)

They have some nice overlooks and views, for sure. The pictures don’t do the majestic views justice.







I regret not getting a picture of the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees – there are a few spots along the drive in addition to Garden of Eden. I will have to do that the next time. (Yes, there will be a next time for Maui, but not necessarily Garden of Eden.)

It started to rain, so we put the tops back on the Jeep. The rain only lasted about 15 minutes, but we decided to keep the tops on in case a quick shower came out again.

We got back on the road after about 30 minutes. Next stop was the Ke’anae Peninsula (mile marker 16.8.)







It was a nice area with some great views of lava rocks meeting the ocean.





This is also where the famous Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread stand is located.



This was so good! We got 3 fresh (still hot from the oven) small loaves and I would say these were as good as the pre-packaged Coconut Bread I have been droning on and on about. So I highly recommend trying Aunty Sandy’s banana bread. Your taste buds will thank you.

Up Next - Day 8: Part 2

 

[BigTex71]

Day 8: Road to Hana – Part 2

We continued our drive and stopped to get some lunch at a food truck ‘park’ that the GyPSy guide recommended. You no longer need to pack a lunch for a Road to Hana drive. Apparently there used to not be any places to get lunch along the way. But some locals realized the potential profits by capitalizing on the hungry travelers once they get near this area of the highway. We were happy to contribute to the local economy in this way.
I went to the BBQ stand at the far right end and ordered the Huli Huli Pork Rib Plate.



It was tasty, but I wouldn’t order it again. The Coconut Shrimp that DS got from the shrimp truck there was much better.

Back on the road. Next stop was Waiapanapa State Park (mile marker 32.2), which is also known as the Black Sand Beach. Note – if you stop here, once inside the park go to the left and follow the road for parking close to the beach and lava tube area. There is a parking lot immediately in front and just to the left as you enter the park, but you will have to walk quite a distance to get to the beach. So do yourself a favor and drive down to the lot at the end of the road.

The beach was neat. It felt like regular sand, but it was black.









The lava tube to the right (as looking out to the ocean from the beach) is really cool. Be sure to check it out if you go there. You do have to crouch down to get past one area, but it is worth the awkward shuffle steps.





I got a few pictures overlooking the beach area (you have to walk down several concrete steps to get down to the beach and lava tube) before we got back on the road.



We then went just a bit further down to road to the Hana Beach Park. A little story behind this one – my wife came to Maui with her parents when she was 19. Her dad was stung by a Portuguese Man-of-War on this beach and she had to drive him to the local clinic. Then she had to drive back to Ka’ananapali (where the were staying) from Hana. That is quite a drive for a 19-year-old on that road! But I digress.

The kids were done with the stops at this point, so they waited in the Jeep while DW and I went down to the beach for a little while.





We got back to the Jeep and decided this would be as far as we go - so we started back the way we came.

Up Next - Day 8 - Part 3 (Road Back from Hana and Shops of Wailea)

 

[dachsie]

Too bad the ribs weren't so good. They sure looked like they were.

 

[dachsie]

@BigTex71 Did you have some more to tell us on your trip report? I have really enjoyed it.

 

[Dizney73]

Can't wait to hear more about Maui!

 

[BigTex71]

@BigTex71 Did you have some more to tell us on your trip report? I have really enjoyed it.

Yes. I hope to get some more posted this weekend. Sorry for the delay.

 

[BigTex71]

Day 8 - Part 3 (Road Back from Hana and Shops of Wailea)

The road back towards Paia from Hana was a little less stressful than on the way there - mainly because we had been on that road and knew what to expect on the way back. Not that it was too stressful on the way to Hana, but it was new and the unknown. We also were looking for a specific bridge we went over on the way to Hana that had a cool triple waterfall that I wanted to get a few pictures of. It was Waikani Falls.

DW and the kids chilled (read: napped) for most of the way back and I was able to locate the aforementioned bridge before arriving to it. I found an parking spot about 50 yards from the bridge. It had been lightly raining, but let up just in time for me to walk over and snap some pictures before another light shower started again.





Here are the three (well, 2+) all in one shot:


I don't recall the mile marker, but it was about halfway back to Paia, IIRC.

Just before Paia, we saw a little store on the left of the road in Haiku that had shave ice on one side (on the outside), a convenience store inside (so I could get some caffeine), and restrooms. It was called Jaws Country Store. DW and DD had some shave ice. It wasn't that great. The syrups were artificial-tasting and way too sweet. The ice consistency was similar to Matsumoto's. But my can of Royal Mills Iced Cappuccino was tasty and helped keep me from nodding off. Another light shower started up as we were pulling out of the parking lot.

We made our way back to the resort and rested for a little while before going to find some dinner. We decided to check out The Shops of Wailea after a recommendation from the resort staff. It is a nice outdoor mall with some fancy-schmancy stores and some restaurants. I love Tommy Bahama shirts and I was surprised to see they had a Tommy Bahama restaurant. I did not realize TB had restaurants. I was a bit guarded, but the menu looked good, so we gave it a shot. I ordered special for the day and it was surprisingly empty in the restaurant (not a good sign, right?) The chef sent out an appetizer on the house - it was so good! Golden beets with feta and I forget what else. All I remember is that the flavors complimented each other so well. I was really looking forward to my entree after that.



Here is the special. Fresh seafood with crispy kale and bacon over a coconut risotto. This was one of the best entrees I had while in Hawaii.


After eating we went back to the resort to sleep before our last full day on vacation.

This was an epic day. The Road to Hana is not to be missed - I will remember that winding road the rest of my life. A true great life experience!

Up next: Day 9 - Breakfast, Turtles, Shave Ice, and Resort Chill.

 

[Dizney73]

I really would like to do the road to Hana since we didn't do it on our last visit but my dh says he doesn't want to drive. I know we can do a tour but that's not quite the same since we can't stop where we want.

 

[BigTex71]

I really would like to do the road to Hana since we didn't do it on our last visit but my dh says he doesn't want to drive. I know we can do a tour but that's not quite the same since we can't stop where we want.

The drive is not too bad once you get used to the way it works (the one-lane bridges.) They have signs posted to watch for oncoming traffic and yield at the sign if a vehicle is coming already before you pass that yield point. It is just different. It is worth doing at least once, IMO. And then he can tell people he drove the Road to Hana.

 

[PopMom]

We just returned from our trip at the end of May and my DH also didn't want to drive the road to Hana. He felt if he was driving and watching traffic he wouldn't enjoy all the sites along the way. Since I didn't want to drive either, we decided to take a friend's recommendation and hired a guide from "Let Me Show You Maui". It was one of the best decisions we made on the trip. Our guide was AMAZING and we had the best day of our two week trip. It was a little pricey but absolutely worth every penny. We saw sites off the beaten path and he took pictures of all of us throughout the day - and he was a great photographer. What ever you decide to do, the Road to Hana is amazing and you and your family will have a great day!!! Good luck with your decision.

 

[godisney14]

Looks like your family had a blast.

Not sure whether you had the chance to go to any of the popular malasadas bakeries. That's something I always miss after leaving Hawaii as I can't seem to find anything comparable in taste/texture even in CA.

 

[scrappydew]

I am really enjoying your report! It brings back a lot of nice memories.

 

[ksromack]

I, too, have enjoyed reading your trip report! I'm terrible at doing them.....and subsequently have only done one real TR. I started another but never found the gumption to finish it
In any case, I am planning an Aulani trip for next May and can't think of a better way to celebrate my 58th birthday! We have never been to Hawaii but have traveled all over Europe on 4 occasions so we are used to long flights. I dare say I think the Hawaii flight will trump any of our European flights (we're coming from the Midwest).

I wish we could take more time and island hop but alas, it isn't in the cards. We will have 5 nights at Aulani and probably spend one night (our first night) somewhere in Waikiki for a tour of the Island. Thank you again for your informative TR!

 

[cgattis]

Whoa......my mouth is literally watering at the sight of that risotto! It looks amazing! We only did two days on Maui, so I’m planning a return trip in 3 years (which is WAY too long!). But I wanted to say I think YMMV on available food along the road to Hana. We were there in June, so not an “off” time, and we really only encountered one (kinda nasty) little food stop along the way (not counting banana bread and coconut ice cream stands—yum). We were glad to have the snacks we’d brought along and in hindsight I wish we’d picked up more of a picnic lunch in Paia. Again, YMMV, so I’d recommend taking something along just in case.

I don’t really think we want to drive the road again, but I’m not sure I can skip seeing Waianapanapa Beach again!!!! Maybe we’ll try the lower road instead.

 

[agirlcallededdy]

So that phrase will be repeated yet again: "I highly recommend" eating at Coconut's Fish Cafe in Kihei if you are on Maui.

Oddly enough, we have the only mainland Coconuts here in Scottsdale, AZ... so if you ever get out this way, you can enjoy the fish tacos here as well!
SW Corner of Bell Rd and Scottsdale Rd. Yummo. Maybe that's where we are headed for dinner....