Road to Hana

Well, we did the Road to Hana today, but somehow our plan backfired. Everything we read about it said the road was so wild and crazy and tough to navigate, so best to do it early to avoid the traffic ... that sounded smart to us. So we got up early (4:30 AM), headed out there, and looked forward to a great day with a picnic lunch and a cute dog tagging along for the ride.

Alas.

We got to the Maui Grown Market in the town of Haiku at 7:15, well after their advertised and posted "daily opening time" of 6:30 AM. This is the place that has the famous picnic lunches to take with you to Hana, and lets you borrow one of their dogs for the day (free with lunch). The place was deserted, including boarded up windows. We could see the dogs, and they sort of looked back at us forlornly, but we thought the place must have closed down. So... no picnic lunch, and no dog. We drove to Hana anyway, their vaunted road being no match for our Ireland-honed driving skills. But everything along the way was closed, including all the roadside banana bread places we'd heard so much about. When we got to Hana, it was raining, and we were hungry, so we just turned around.

On the way back, everything was just opening as we passed it. Including the Maui Grown Market as we passed it at 12:30 PM. Bunch of jerkbags over there! Annnnd, when we got out of the jungle, it was a beautiful day back in central Maui, and we had just spent 5 hours in grey, rainy weather. Needless to say, it was pretty disappointing. I'm sure you guys feel sorry for us. :p

We did see some caves and a black sand beach, and a wild Arboretum with some cool trees in it, but honestly for the time investment with no lunch and no dog, we'd rather have gone surfing.

To make up for our sad post, here is a picture. Of a pig. Wearing a lei.