We made hundreds of photographs at the Maui Garden of Eden | A beautiful garden and arboretum on the road to Hana, Maui on the Northshore of Maui. These are a few of the ones that I like or that are of interest. The view of a Keopuka Rock is also known as Jurassic Rock because of its appearance in the opening sequence of “Jurassic Park.” This garden took us several hours to see. It is well maintained and lovely.
I do not recommend the Tropical Express at Waikapu. The tour was not worth the money. We could easily have seen it without the ride with little information given. They do have a nice gift store Maui Tropical Plantation.
It took a day to see everything at the Maui Ocean Center | Aquarium of Hawai‘i | Encounter Hawai‘i’s Marine Life. Plus we booked a gourmet meal for lunch at their Seascape restaurant Dine With Us | Maui Ocean Center. I booked ahead. The 3D theater was amazing. The whale’s nose was inches from my face Humpbacks of Hawaiʻi Exhibit & Sphere – Maui Ocean Center. I only wish there was an adults only day. The screaming children are too much for me. Gone are the days when parents made their children behave in museums and zoos.
We visited this small wildlife preserve, Maui Bird Watching | Friends of Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, in South Maui several times. It is close to the airport and Whole Foods. The blurry Sleepy Orange is a life butterfly.
The Manawainui Gulch under the Piilani Highway was formed by Haleakala’s waters carving out a deep chasm into the earth. The Manawainui Gulch is often dry unless there’s heavy rainfall, but the views of the southern slopes of Haleakala alongside the massive chasm are stunning. This area is very windy and it’s dangerous to get too close to any of the cliff edges. As you can see, were now on the dry side of the Island.
Piilani Highway is a road with bad reputation. We found it fun to drive. The road is rough and unpaved at times. It’s a good idea to honk around blind corners. Hawaii Route 31 is 61 km (38 miles) long, running from Kipahulu to Ulupalakua. It’s a twisty, up and down roller coaster. The toughest section of the road is about 10km (6 miles) long, where the road sometimes narrows to a single lane in sharp bends. In some areas (such as at Lelekea Bay) it’s just a one-and-a-half lane bumpy road hugging the sea cliff around a blind curve. The hairpin bends are completely blind, but there is almost no traffic. Occasionally the road is closed to traffic due to landslides. Traffic is light.
Piʻilani (“ascent to heaven”) was born ca. 1577 and ruled as Mōʻī of the island of Maui in the later part of the 16th century. At the time Maui was an independent kingdom within the islands of Hawaii. He was the first Aliʻi to unite the island under a single line.
By noon we arrived at Kīpahulu District – Haleakalā National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) around noon (still on the Hana Highway). I did not hike the steep 2 miles up to Waimoku Falls because it was only 3 months since my broken hip. We did the lovely half mile Kuoa Point loop trail by the O’heo Gulch instead.
We saw Frigate birds over the beach and over Alau Island Seabird Sanctuary.
Legend: The dark red sand at Kōkī Beach was produced by the nearby cinder cone hill of Ka Iwi O Pele, meaning “bones of Pele.” According to Hawaiian legend, Kōkī Beach is where the volcano goddess Pele fought her final battle with her older sister, Namakaokaha’i, the goddess of the ocean.
Wialu Falls is visible from the Hana Highway.
I wanted to try Maui beef but didn’t get to try it. This article tells about the beef and lists restaurants that serve it: High Stakes
Midway along the loop road to Hana we stopped at Division of State Parks | Waiʻānapanapa State Park (hawaii.gov). We purchased tickets in advance. The highlight there were the Brown Noddies. The Hawaiian cemetery there is private.
I was looked at other tours on YouTube. Most people only go to the beaches. There are so many beaches, many are almost empty. I found the gardens and other places mostly empty too. Very serene.
