Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Once back onthe road, you'll come to the largest valley onthe north side ofHaleakala,
about a mile or so farther on. Carved by erosion during the volcano's first period of
dormancy, it stretches inland for more than five miles.
5.
Keanae
If you're not sure of the names of the many flowers and trees alongside the road, Keanae
Arboretumistheplacetofindout.Trailsweavethroughthelargepark,andonewell-tended
garden thrives with yellow plumeria, banyan trees, and other native and exotic plants—all
of them clearly identified.
To enjoy another of the island's rustic villages, follow the side road that rambles down
the windswept Keanae Peninsula to Keanae. It looks out on the relentless surf and ebony
volcanic rocks that glisten in the sunshine.
6.
Wailua
Water-loggedtaropatches—asignaturesightinHawaii—carpetthelonelyWailuaValley,a
green expanse best viewed from the Keanae Valley Wailua Overlook. Follow the spur road
that leads to the village of Wailua and you may see locals pounding the starchy taro root
with boards and stones, one step in the recipe for poi.
Wailua'sSt.Gabriel's,betterknownastheMiracleChurch,iswrappedinlegend.When
the community decided to build the tiny heart-decorated chapel in 1870, the story goes, a
storm washed ashore all the coral and sand necessary for the job. Then, just as advantage-
ously, when the work was done, another storm came and swept the excess back to sea.
7.
Nahiku
In 1912 entrepreneurs arrived here to start a rubber plantation and, after ripping up large
tracts of rain forest, planted hundreds of rubber trees. What the planters did not bargain for
was the fact that the trees, drenched by Nahiku's frequent rains, would yield but little rub-
ber.TodaythefailedventureisrecalledbytherubbertreesthatremainalongNahikuRoad.
8.
Waianapanapa State Park
Just past Hana Airport, Rte. 360 comes to this park, a verdant area perched on a lava flow
beside the sea. A black sand beach, created where molten lava met the ocean, features a
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