Road To Hana

The Hana Highway is a beautiful 53 mile road that snakes along the coast of Maui through a tropical rain forest. Areas along here receive 360 inches of rain per year, primarily in the “winter.” This coast of Maui is on the “wayward” side, meaning that the prevailing trade winds blow from the ocean onto the shore and push many storms onto the land. These winds help create the largest waves on Maui and here is where the best surfing is found on the island. We observed the surfers at Ho’okipa Beach. The ocean along here is a beautiful cobalt-blue. There are 56 one lane bridges and 617 hairpin curves on the Road to Hana with unbelievable waterfalls and ocean views all along the journey. Hawaii has only two black sand beaches and we enjoyed walking on one as well as exploring a lava tube located in the rocks beside it. We observed large pineapple fields, taro fields, some more sugar cane fields, and a bamboo forest. There is also a large ranch located at Hana and there are lots of beef cattle. We finished our drive at the seven hidden pools of Oheo at a National Park. It took 2 hours to drive the 53 miles back but it was time well spent. What was our average speed on our return trip?