Aloha pt. 2 ~ A Birthday and the Road to Hana and Beyond

July 21, 2013 - Bill's 49th birthday and all he wanted was a day with the family, making memories and that's just what he got.

We headed to a little cafe in Kihei (in Maui) that was busy and full. We thought surely this was the best sign of a great breakfast. I'm not gonna lie...the food was wonderful but the service and welcome....not so much! 

We soon overlooked the rudeness when our plates arrived. Now I'm drooling and can't wait to dive my fork into my son's pancakes.

And this son's breakfast burrito...oh yea!!!

Or how about these biscuits and gravy? I'm totally in love! (burp)

You see, I order the 'healthy' Egg & Veggie Bowl, but take nibbles off everyone else's plates. That way, I don't feel so guilty. If I didn't order it, it doesn't count! (don't tell me it doesn't work like that)

Then we set out on our journey....the 'back road' to Hana. 

Hana is a small town that is quite challenging to get to. You can take the "road most traveled", or you can take the road that is "most treacherous" but shaves an hour off the time which is generally 3 or more hours. 

We chose the shorter, more interesting route and all of Bill's wishes came true. Here's some pictures to prove the journey and let's just say, I'm glad I packed our Life Savers.

You see, the back road is bumpy and narrow!

and there are sharp, hilly turns

and limited sight. 

and I mean, very limited sight!

But at any given moment, you get this in your sight.
(beautiful huh?)

And the view gets beyond intimidating! ("don't look down, don't look down!", I say to myself.)

And all of the sudden you're here with two additional vehicles wondering how to get around each other on a one lane road. (it get's tricky and you quickly recall the game of Chinese puzzles - trying to maneuver each car around making sure they fit...and stay on the road)

And you'll get plenty of helpful notes like this one.

and this one. They mean business or else.....

Or else you don't stop quick enough to avoid a collision.

and thus falling down here. (Things in this picture are scarier than they appear.)

But man, the view sucks you in and you keep going. (Not that you really have a choice anyway. There are NO u-turns available.)

And after a good hour or more of terrifying, nail biting, pee your pants kinda ride...you get back on a smooth paved road. 

It's still winding, but it's paved and that's progress!!! Real peace I tell ya!

And so, taking the "back road to Hana" brings you to the Haleakala National Park. And it's a good thing. It's the reason we decided to take on this day. It's the pay-off for this death defying journey.

We got out, stretched, took a deep sigh of relief and set out on a 2 mile hike to what is also know as the "seven pools".

Along the way you see breath taking falls.

And you walk through the most amazing rows of bamboo. 

I've never seen anything like this before. Tall thick stalks of bamboo. When the wind blows through they gently knock and clink together making this peaceful sound.

And from a distance, after hiking 2 miles you can catch a glimpse of a tall waterfall.

Get a little closer and you can hear the rush of the water.

Get even closer and you can feel the mist of the fall like a refreshing shower after a long, hot walk. This was our reward. We didn't want to leave and hike back. We just wanted to take it all in. 

We continued and got back on the road to Hana. Once we passed through Hana, we were on the road people normally take. It was long. It has 600 sharp turns and 59 one-way bridges. It took forever. We were all nauseous to say the least. (and we had no snacks...and the Life Savers were long gone.)

You can buy t-shirts that say "I survived the Road to Hana". But I think there needs to be a t-shirt that says "I survived the 'Back Road' to Hana." 

It was fun and it was exactly what Bill wanted. We have memories of all 5 of us screaming, hiking and laughing together. We ended the day at a great pizza place.....a very happy birthday!