Page 15 - AAA Akron Auto Club – AAA Now! – Summer 2019

TRAVEL
TM
TRAVEL MATTERS
After a few more turns, we finally stopped so we could take in the beauty of a rainbow eucalyptus, a tree whose trunk looks as if it has been painted with pastels.
sugarcane fields. We then came upon the colorful and quaint but bustling town of Paia. We made a note to try to stop here next time we came back with our vehicle. Up the road from Paia, we passed the aforementioned Mama’s Fish House.
A little bit later, our guide pointed out Ho’okipa Beach Park and noted we would stop on our
way back, time permitting. It is renowned for its windsurfing and we spotted plenty out in the water. Just after that, we came across our first of many switchbacks as the road wound around Maliko Bay and then headed away from the coast.
Even as we started heading uphill, there were still sugarcane fields nearby, a tribute to the island’s major crop of the 1800s. There were other vehicles on the road and our guide said they were mainly residents going about their daily life. We did pass
a truck with some men that had been out boar hunting, with nothing to show for it, but later did see some hunters that had been successful.
Along the road, our guide pointed out the rock canals near the side of the street that helped
move water from the rainforest down to the sugarcane farmers in the lowlands. He also pointed out banana trees and other vegetation that was growing wild between homes.
And then the significant turns in the road started.
Even though we were seat-belted in and had our armrests down, we still had to use our legs to balance ourselves as the van leaned one way and then the other. But our reward was the gorgeous scenery just beyond our windows. After a few more turns, we finally stopped so we could take in the beauty of a rainbow eucalyptus, a tree whose trunk looks as if it has been painted with pastels. Different colors appear as the bark sheds, changing from green to blue to purple.
Another stop afforded photos with one of the many waterfalls along the route. A bit later we pulled into a park for a small snack as wild chickens meandered about.
Our guide also pointed the other stops we would be making on our way back down, like Ke‘anae, where we would visit the Lanakila Ihiihi O Iehowa Ona Kava Church, and Waianapanapa State Park, home to Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach.
As we finally made it to Hana, we saw the ballfield that our guide told us Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams once played on and the rest of the small town but, much to my dismay, we did not stop.
I would have liked to pick up a T-shirt or shot glass from Hana for the trouble. But maybe next time,
if I decide to drive.
SUMMER 2019
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