As reported in my last entry, my family did not want to commit two of their seven days in Maui to drive and explore the Road To Hana. Instead, we let everyone else start out in the early AM, then hit the road for the first half of the drive. That way, we avoided the crowds of earlier drivers as well as being early enough to arrive before drivers on their way back. Our end point was the Garden of Eden at Mile 10.5.
This botanical garden was started in 1991 by an arborist who had the goal of restoring the area’s natural ecosystem with Hawaii’s native and indigenous species. He also introduced trees and plants from other areas of the South Pacific. The garden lies on a hillside above the road … So, a short walk brings you to an overlook of the waterfall just up the road.
Other paths lead to overlooks of the Pacific Ocean
Another path led to the Bamboo Jungle
Along the way, we passed gardens of plants and flowers, and many labeled trees from Maui as well as various other tropical islands.
Finally, we checked out the opportunity to buy bird food to feed the chickens, egrets, and peacocks
This was also an excellent bathroom break and there as a small cafe at the base for purchasing banana bread et al.
We spent a little more than an hour before swinging back towards civilization and a late lunch in P’aia. All in all, a nice sampler of the Hana Highway and a beautiful botanical garden, with gardens that will mature even more before our next visit.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 