# Road to Hana



## billwright1 (Jul 19, 2014)

We are planning a trip to Hawaii May 2015. We will be timesharing, cruising and hoteling.
The Norwegian Cruise line offers excursions of bus trips of Road to Hana - 1 is a 20 passenger bus and the other is an 8 passenger. We will also be spending time here on our own. Would it be better to take one of the bus tours (which one) or drive it ourselves. I would appreciate opions.
Thanks


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## Luanne (Jul 19, 2014)

Take a bus tour.  That way both of you can enjoy the ride.  

I'd prefer the smaller van as those roads are pretty narrow, and winding.


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## kalima (Jul 19, 2014)

*Bus*



billwright1 said:


> We are planning a trip to Hawaii May 2015. We will be timesharing, cruising and hoteling.
> The Norwegian Cruise line offers excursions of bus trips of Road to Hana - 1 is a 20 passenger bus and the other is an 8 passenger. We will also be spending time here on our own. Would it be better to take one of the bus tours (which one) or drive it ourselves. I would appreciate opions.
> Thanks



Without a doubt bus and I think mini bus if possible. That road scared the crap out of us but a must see!


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## vacationtime1 (Jul 19, 2014)

I'm not a fan of cruise ship tours (to put it mildly), but if you choose to drive, be aware that it is an arduous drive, not to be undertaken by the faint of heart.

If you go with the cruise ship tour, definitely take the smaller bus.

It is a fantastic, unforgettable trip.


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## cotraveller (Jul 19, 2014)

If you get the Maui Revealed tour guide and drive the road yourself, you will find many more places to stop than you will on a tour bus.  It's a slow drive but well worth the time.  We've done it twice.  I didn't think it was a scary road, but then again I've driven a lot of winding mountain roads in Colorado.

Plan on a full day for the round trip.  The guide book lists the sights by mile marker, some of them are not obvious from the road.  Be sure to stop for some Banana Bread at Aunty Sandy's!  I suspect the tour buses would stop there.


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## Luanne (Jul 19, 2014)

Just to add, we've only done the trip by car.  My dh has driven each time we've done it.  On one of the trips I was supposed to drive back so he could enjoy the scenery, but I just couldn't do it.  That's why I'm suggesting the tour bus/shuttle.  Dh said if he were to do it again that's the way we'd do it.

Just out of curiosity, what would the price difference be between renting a car for the day, or paying for the tour?


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## klpca (Jul 19, 2014)

I've driven that road probably 10+ times (usually the husband drives, but I have been the driver both ways on two occasions). I don't think it's that big of a deal but it is a long trip (2 hours? each way) and it is a windy road. It's tiring. But it is beautiful!

If you don't want to drive yourself, I would choose the smaller van so that when you stop to see the sights, you are not having to deal with a large group of people doing the exact same thing that you want to do.


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## Passepartout (Jul 19, 2014)

Deleted. Duplicate.


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## Passepartout (Jul 19, 2014)

I think there are better uses of a cruise ship day in Maui. Maybe snorkeling Black Rock, or DW suggests self driving to Hana or Haleakala. Flip a coin. The mini bus would obviously be better than a big one. That says chapters about the improved road. It ain't what it used to be.

Jim


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## Ricci (Jul 19, 2014)

I've driven the road to Hana at least a dozen times.  I don't think it's scary, but that's just me.  The road around the west mountain is much narrower and steeper and imho, the prettiest part of the island.   I always drive, because I'm a better driver than my dh.


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## slip (Jul 19, 2014)

I took a tour when we did it. I really didn't find it scary but I did get a little
Motion sick with all the turns but I'm glad I didn't drive just because it was
Much easier to enjoy the scenery than if I were driving.


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## BocaBoy (Jul 20, 2014)

vacationtime1 said:


> I'm not a fan of cruise ship tours (to put it mildly).........



Boy, that is a wild generalization.  It all depends on the tour and some cruise lines do a much better job than others.  Some of the very best day tours we have ever taken have been cruise ship shore excursions.  We have also had bad ones, just as we have with tours we have lined up ourselves.  You can usually line up a similar tour cheaper on your own IF you know what one you should purchase, but your higher cost from the cruise line gets you greater ease and convenience.

BTW, one of the best day tours we have ever taken was a cruise ship mini-bus tour to Hana quite a few years ago.  Regardless of whether you buy it from the cruise ship or on your own, for a first trip to Hana I highly recommend a mini-bus tour over driving, which I have done often, unless your primary objective is to save money.


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## Roger830 (Jul 20, 2014)

I'm used to driving curvy roads in the Rocky Mtns and elsewhere, so I had no problem driving the complete loop, which is faster than backtracking. The Maui Revealed book, purchased on ebay for a few dollars, was a big help. 

If you drive the complete loop, it takes you past the access road up Haleakala, which you could also do the same day.

We also drove the west loop thru Kahakuloa, which we liked better than the Hana loop, on a Sunday when there wasn't any road construction. The road could be open daily by now.


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## BocaBoy (Jul 20, 2014)

Roger830 said:


> I'm used to driving curvy roads in the Rocky Mtns and elsewhere, so I had no problem driving the complete loop, which is faster than backtracking. The Maui Revealed book, purchased on ebay for a few dollars, was a big help.



My recommendation to take a mini-bus tour is not to avoid the challenge of driving the Hana Highway.  Rather, it is so the person who would otherwise be driving can enjoy the scenery to its fullest.  The actual driving challenge is not bad, it is just a long trip (time-wise) and the driver needs to pay attention to his driving.


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## Roger830 (Jul 20, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> so the person who would otherwise be driving can enjoy the scenery to its fullest.



For the most part, we found the scenery redundant. 

It's basically a zigzagging road thru the jungle with some small falls and a few ocean overlooks before Hana. The stops and overlooks were sufficient for me as the driver. I would be totally bored on a tour and if I returned to Maui, I doubt that I would drive the road again.


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## buzglyd (Jul 20, 2014)

The drive is not scary. It's very curvy and when you get behind flatlanders it is SLOW. There are no places to pass. If you suffer from motion sickness it's likely to happen. 

Then you have to turn around and drive all the way back with all the tourists....Unless,

Rent a jeep and just keep going all the way around. Some parts of it are dirt and the rental companies threaten you but it's really not that bad. Just make sure you have enough gas and you'll see a drier, more volcanic scenery and claim the spirit of adventure.

There is a beautiful church out there in the lava.

Keep in mind there are NO services on that side of the island so don't run out of gas or get a flat tire.


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## lizap (Jul 20, 2014)

Normally, I would say rent a car and drive yourself, but since you are on a cruise, definitely take the cruisetour (since you have to be back to the ship by a certain time).  We have driven this numerous times; wouldn't go to Maui without driving it.  Sure the roads are narrow and curvy and one lane in places, but it's a very doable drive if you don't rush it..




cotraveller said:


> If you get the Maui Revealed tour guide and drive the road yourself, you will find many more places to stop than you will on a tour bus.  It's a slow drive but well worth the time.  We've done it twice.  I didn't think it was a scary road, but then again I've driven a lot of winding mountain roads in Colorado.
> 
> Plan on a full day for the round trip.  The guide book lists the sights by mile marker, some of them are not obvious from the road.  Be sure to stop for some Banana Bread at Aunty Sandy's!  I suspect the tour buses would stop there.


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## Luanne (Jul 20, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> My recommendation to take a mini-bus tour is not to avoid the challenge of driving the Hana Highway.  Rather, it is so the person who would otherwise be driving can enjoy the scenery to its fullest.  The actual driving challenge is not bad, it is just a long trip (time-wise) and the driver needs to pay attention to his driving.



This is what I've been saying as well.


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## Luanne (Jul 20, 2014)

Roger830 said:


> For the most part, we found the scenery redundant.
> 
> It's basically a zigzagging road thru the jungle with some small falls and a few ocean overlooks before Hana. The stops and overlooks were sufficient for me as the driver. I would be totally bored on a tour and if I returned to Maui, I doubt that I would drive the road again.



I'll take this type of "redundant" scenery any time.


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## Roger830 (Jul 20, 2014)

buzglyd said:


> Rent a jeep and just keep going all the way around. Some parts of it are dirt and the rental companies threaten you but it's really not that bad. Just make sure you have enough gas and you'll see a drier, more volcanic scenery and claim the spirit of adventure.
> 
> There is a beautiful church out there in the lava.
> 
> Keep in mind there are NO services on that side of the island so don't run out of gas or get a flat tire.



We did it with a Nissan Altima  with no problem. Fortunitly the slow moving jeep in front of us pulled over so that we could pass. 

We both liked the southern route with the nice open vistas better than the jungle northern part. If I went to Hana again, I'd take the southern route in both directions


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## Luanne (Jul 20, 2014)

I think someone already touched on this, but if you rent a car yourself you're pretty much on your own.  What I mean is, you'll need to factor in the time to pick up, and return the car.  And if anything happens to detain you, you could miss the ship.  If you are on a cruise ship tour I "think" they are responsible for getting you back.  I'm not sure but they boat may even be held if the entire tour is late.


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## billwright1 (Jul 20, 2014)

Thanks for all the help here. We will plan on taking the smaller bus tour. We are timesharing on Maui for a week prior to the cruise so we may take a local tour rather than waiting for the ship's tour.
I appreciate all the thoughts and comments as they are extremely helpful in our planning.
Thanks again


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## Kauai Kid (Jul 20, 2014)

Remember that a jacked up 4x4 driven by a testerone crazed 20 something Hawaiian has the right of way over everything.  

Be scared of them.  

Sterling


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## letsgosteelers (Jul 20, 2014)

Roger830 said:


> For the most part, we found the scenery redundant.
> 
> It's basically a zigzagging road thru the jungle with some small falls and a few ocean overlooks before Hana. The stops and overlooks were sufficient for me as the driver. I would be totally bored on a tour and if I returned to Maui, I doubt that I would drive the road again.






Luanne said:


> I'll take this type of "redundant" scenery any time.



I'm right there with you!!  Zoom zooom, love those mountain roads!

We did the Hana trip w/ a Jeep all the way around the Island but if you have anyone that is seriously afraid of heights/cliffs, etc DON'T bring them along.

My wife and I set off on the drive and she did fairly well until we got to the point where we had to decide on whether we would drive back or just continue the loop back.

Mind you at that point looking at the map, we didn't realize that the road back was as long and treacherous as it would turn out to be.

It was just near sunset/dusk as we were driving the road and it turned to dirt, at that point it was like out of a scene from a movie, think Jurassic Park where the IT guy was driving down to the dock... it was just a downpour, torrential rain and we're going back and forth on this dirt road and imagine the Indiana Jones theme playing, da da da da, da da da, da da da da, da da da da daa...the only thing missing was the huge rock ball rolling towards us.

She was in a full fetal position in the passenger seat.  I felt for her but I had to keep my eye on the road, it was horrific, for her but I was enjoying it.  Like a full on Amazon Jungle Trek, I felt bad secretly enjoying it while she was dying but what could I do at that point.

Btw, the Maui Revelaed guide probably saved our lives as there was a section that described what we would encounter up ahead and I kid you not, there they were as you are driving along you come upon numerous cows just standing in the middle of the road.  They would not move.  If you were coming through at speed you would be dead either from hitting them or running off the road but luckily I had read about this and I was aware of it and expecting it, doubtful as I was but there they were.

Then the rest of the drive climbs even higher into the mountain but luckily by this time it was pitch black so she really couldn't see the heights but she knew or thought it was there so that was probably bad enough.

I don't think I'll ever be on the Road to Hana with her again but I would do it and bring her back some Banana Bread, that stuff was almost literally "to die for"


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## BocaBoy (Jul 20, 2014)

Luanne said:


> If you are on a cruise ship tour I "think" they are responsible for getting you back.  I'm not sure but they boat may even be held if the entire tour is late.


Yes, they will definitely hold the ship if a ship's tour is late.  I have seen this happen many times over the years.  This is one of the advantages the cruise lines frequently cite for why you should use their tours and not book tours on your own.


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## momeason (Jul 20, 2014)

If you are staying in Maui a week, I would recommend driving the road and staying in the Hana area one night. There are many scenic stops on the way to Hana and great hiking and the Seven Pools. Get Maui revealed as another poster suggested. 
The road was not scary to us in the daytime. It is very beautiful. However, the road is scary after dark. We did the return trip after dark the second time we drove to Hana. Never again. There were locals going fast in pick up trucks after dark and lots of blind curves. I would never try to go and return in one day again. We enjoyed it much more when we stayed at the State Park and had time to explore.


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## letsgosteelers (Jul 21, 2014)

momeason said:


> If you are staying in Maui a week, I would recommend driving the road and staying in the Hana area one night. There are many scenic stops on the way to Hana and great hiking and the Seven Pools. Get Maui revealed as another poster suggested.
> The road was not scary to us in the daytime. It is very beautiful. However, the road is scary after dark. We did the return trip after dark the second time we drove to Hana. Never again. There were locals going fast in pick up trucks after dark and lots of blind curves. I would never try to go and return in one day again. We enjoyed it much more when we stayed at the State Park and had time to explore.



I would agree with this.  Kinda like staying on the Hilo/Volcano side of the Big Island in order to allow for enough time to explore.  One day is really not enough time to do it justice.  This allows you to take more time as you come around the island as suggested for hikes, exploring, etc.  The Maui Revealed (really all the Revealed books) are excellent in pointing out places that you can really enjoy.


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## talkamotta (Jul 21, 2014)

My favorite part of the Road to Hana was the Red Sands Beach and Bamboo Forest.  Only because you dont see them very often (Ive never seen that before anywhere)  Dont think many tours do those stops.  Driving north of Lahaina by the swords teeth and to the banana bread shop......that gets a little scary but the most beautiful part of the island.


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## Luanne (Jul 21, 2014)

talkamotta said:


> My favorite part of the Road to Hana was the Red Sands Beach and Bamboo Forest.  Only because you dont see them very often (Ive never seen that before anywhere)  Dont think many tours do those stops.  Driving north of Lahaina by the swords teeth and to the banana bread shop......that gets a little scary but the most beautiful part of the island.



The drive north of Lahaina is completely separate from the Road to Hana.  Don't want the OP to get confused.


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## momeason (Jul 21, 2014)

talkamotta said:


> My favorite part of the Road to Hana was the Red Sands Beach and Bamboo Forest.  Only because you dont see them very often (Ive never seen that before anywhere)  Dont think many tours do those stops.  Driving north of Lahaina by the swords teeth and to the banana bread shop......that gets a little scary but the most beautiful part of the island.



I loved the Bamboo Forest also and continuing on up the trail to the waterfall.
Red Sands Beach was great also. There are also lots of waterfall stops just off the road to Hana. Our kids were 12 and 14 and we all really enjoyed the area.
I was glad we explored on our own.


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## MOXJO7282 (Jul 27, 2014)

Just did the The Road to Hana Wednesday and a trip to Maui wouldn't be the same for us without that experience. I always suggest to start very early and if you avoid the traffic that really picks up at 9am and beyond you can make it in good time. 

We left Kaanapali at 7:45am and as we were leaving Twin Falls there was a tremendous swarm of people we were so happy we were in front of all them.


My 14 yr old son, 19 yr old daughter and gorgeous wife had a tremendous time swimming in the waterfall lagoon at Twins Falls and a few other waterfall lagoons along the way.  

This was our first time doing Hana in the summer and I really think it was a better experience because the waterfalls were much more vigorous. Not sure if that was just a fluke or if it is a seasonal thing but it was even better than in the winter.

And the very best part for us is swimming at Hamoa Beach which is right outside of Hana. There is a reason that beach is often rated as one of the best in all the US, it is a slice of paradise. 

We went all the way around again and like doing that however past Hana on the back side is very bumpy and even at times treacherous.


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## Htoo0 (Jul 29, 2014)

Doing it from a cruise I would probably take the bus. However, I enjoyed the drive immensely although finding Lindbergh's final rest was a bit of a pain. And while I enjoyed the drive, the Mustang we rented seemed to have some sort of drive-train issue by the time we returned. I would LOVE to have that road all to myself sometime!


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## MOXJO7282 (Jul 29, 2014)

Htoo0 said:


> Doing it from a cruise I would probably take the bus. However, I enjoyed the drive immensely although finding Lindbergh's final rest was a bit of a pain. And while I enjoyed the drive, the Mustang we rented seemed to have some sort of drive-train issue by the time we returned. I would LOVE to have that road all to myself sometime!



So where the h-ll was Linburgh grave? Our information said left past mile marker 41 but we just saw private roads. Was it at the Hana Horse Stables left turn? We could not find it and didn't want to drive down what appeared to be a private road.


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## SmithOp (Jul 29, 2014)

MOXJO7282 said:


> So where the h-ll was Linburgh grave? Our information said left past mile marker 41 but we just saw private roads. Was it at the Hana Horse Stables left turn? We could not find it and didn't want to drive down what appeared to be a private road.




Yes, you have to take the little road alongside the stables to the church to see the graves, including the monkeys.  Make sure to walk out the rear to a little park on the cliff, beautiful view.  Oh, take a few carrots for the horses, they hang out at the church mooching from the tourists.


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## RebV (Jul 29, 2014)

My husband and I affectionately call the road "the road to Hana Hell."  I got horrible car sick and it killed the entire day--and this was after taking Dramamine.  It is very pretty, but if you are prone to car sickness, medicate or avoid.


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## Htoo0 (Jul 30, 2014)

MOXJO7282 said:


> So where the h-ll was Linburgh grave? Our information said left past mile marker 41 but we just saw private roads. Was it at the Hana Horse Stables left turn? We could not find it and didn't want to drive down what appeared to be a private road.



That's correct. My understanding is it is now private property and while they don't prohibit tourists they don't encourage them either so you just have to drive down there. We tried to be quiet and respectful, no littering or loud voices but I imagine there are some people unloading a van full of kids who wreak havoc, maybe decide to have a picnic and generally are a nuisance so I can understand why it's not marked.


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## daventrina (Jul 31, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> Yes, they will definitely hold the ship if a ship's tour is late.



They will most likely hold the ship if a ship's tour is late.

There are times that they may not. Odds in Hawaii are probably low that they wouldn't.


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## taffy19 (Jul 31, 2014)

MOXJO7282 said:


> So where the h-ll was Linburgh grave? Our information said left past mile marker 41 but we just saw private roads. Was it at the Hana Horse Stables left turn? We could not find it and didn't want to drive down what appeared to be a private road.


I hope that this link will work for you. Have a look.  Click on location as it worked for me.

We have found it on our own once or twice but we have missed it too other times as it is poorly marked.

Last time, we took a mini-van tour and they showed it to us again.  It's interesting to see so get one of these books that show you important markers.

My husband had always driven the road to Hana but I recommended taking the tour for him so he could enjoy it too and he saw so much more so enjoyed it.


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## Chrispee (Jul 31, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> Yes, they will definitely hold the ship if a ship's tour is late.  I have seen this happen many times over the years.  This is one of the advantages the cruise lines frequently cite for why you should use their tours and not book tours on your own.



This holds true if an shore excursion happens to be around half an hour late, but much more than that and they would be making provisions for the pax to meet up with the ship enroute (or at the next port). Back in college, I had a summer job working for Princess, and on more than one occasion I had the pleasure of tossing luggage from a moving water taxi onto a moving cruise ship.


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## LisaRex (Aug 4, 2014)

Work2travl said:


> My husband and I affectionately call the road "the road to Hana Hell."  I got horrible car sick and it killed the entire day--and this was after taking Dramamine.  It is very pretty, but if you are prone to car sickness, medicate or avoid.



I was also sicker than a dog.  Just the thought of doing that road on a bus makes me queasy.  None of the public restrooms had toilet paper (thank goodness I brought some kleenexes), and mosquitoes ate us alive at the Arboretum.  Besides that, we had a great time!

Actually, I enjoyed the road past Hana much more than I did the road before Hana.  I was finally feeling better after stopping in Hana and taking a Dramamine.  Hamoa Beach was tons of fun, and the road past Hana was like driving on the moon.

I'd NEVER take that road in a rainstorm, however.  The reason that there are unpaved parts is because the asphalt has been swept away by flash floods coming down off Haleakala.  If you got caught up in one of these streams, you'd be swept into the ocean and no one would ever even realize you were gone.


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## daventrina (Aug 6, 2014)

letsgosteelers said:


> it was like out of a scene from a movie, think Jurassic Park where the IT guy was driving down to the dock... it was just a downpour, torrential rain and we're going back and forth on this dirt road and imagine the Indiana Jones theme playing, da da da da, da da da, da da da da, da da da da daa...the only thing missing was the huge rock ball rolling towards us.



At least you had a JEEP 



letsgosteelers said:


> ... there was a  section that described what we would encounter up ahead and I kid you  not, there they were as you are driving along you come upon numerous  cows just standing in the middle of the road.  They would not move.  If  you were coming through at speed you would be dead either from hitting  them or running off the road



They made a movie about that ... one of our favourite Hawaii movies.


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## letsgosteelers (Aug 7, 2014)

daventrina said:


> At least you had a JEEP
> 
> 
> They made a movie about that ... one of our favourite Hawaii movies.



I saw that movie awhile ago but don't remember the scene.  Guess we'll have to watch it again...darn 

Hawaii movies help to get over withdrawals... 

Thanks!


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## deettet (Aug 15, 2014)

*Take a car*

I get sick enough just in the car.  I can't imagine taking a bus and on those narrow roads.  With a car you can stop often and sight see.  Get the guide book
Maui Revealed and it will tell you about where to stop.


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