We have not adjusted to the time difference yet, so we were up at 5:00 - on the plus side... we got an early start to the day and got to visit some of the more touristy spots before the day trippers rolled in. We kept driving south/west past Hana to the backside of Haleakala National Park. We hiked the 4-mile Pipiwai Trail up through thick jungle vegetation like enormous bamboo groves, giant banyan trees, and a ton of other lush plants. We got to see Makahiku Falls a half-mile in and the 400' Waimoku Falls, with the slopes of Haleakala as the backdrop, at the end. The ravine formed by the creek was impressive.
Coming back down to the Park's visitor center got us on a short loop trail in the Ohe'o Gulch, home to the Pools of Ohe'o and the spot where the water flows out to the ocean. The ocean bluffs and black sand beach are beautiful, but there is nothing swimmable here. After visiting Charles Lindbergh's grave (who knew?) one more mile down the road at a quaint church, we turned around and started back towards Hana.
The best part of our day was finding the stunning and peaceful Waioka Pond, separated from the ocean by only a small strip of black rocky beach. There was hardly anyone else sharing this magical oasis. The semi-salty water of the pond allowed me to float on my back for long periods of time, just being still. We stopped briefly at picturesque white-sand Hamoa Beach before visiting a food truck garden in Hana. Our final stop was at the Garden of Eden to view many different species of plants and trees.
We are now in our condo in Kihei switching gears - we have beautiful beaches across the street and tons of food trucks and shops and conveniences within a short walk. We went to the Food Truck Oasis for dinner and they had live music - the Maui Community Band - which was a surprising treat!
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