Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [330]
Kaupo
Near the 35-mile marker you’ll reach Kaupo, a scattered community of paniolo, many of them fourth-generation ranch hands working at Kaupo Ranch. As the only lowlands on this section of coast, Kaupo was once heavily settled and is home to several ancient heiau and two 19th-century churches. However, don’t expect a developed village in any sense of the word. The sole commercial venture on the entire road is Kaupo Store ( 248-8054; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat), which sells snacks and drinks and is worth popping inside just to see the antique counter display.
Kaupo’s prettiest site, the whitewashed Hui Aloha Church (1859), sits above the black-sand Mokulau Beach, an ancient surfing site. Mokulau, meaning ‘Many Small Islands,’ is named for the rocks just offshore.
Kaupo to ′Ulupalakua Ranch
Past Kaupo village, you’ll be rewarded with striking views of Kaupo Gap, the southern opening in the rim of majestic Haleakalā. Near the 31-mile marker a short 4WD road runs down to Nu′u Bay, favored by locals for fishing and swimming; if you’re tempted to hit the water, stay close to shore, as riptides inhabit the open ocean beyond.
Just east of the 30-mile marker you’ll see two gateposts that mark the path to dramatic Huakini Bay. Park at the side of the highway and walk down the rutted dirt drive two minutes to reach this rock-strewn beach whipped by violent surf. After the 29-mile marker, keep an eye out for a natural lava sea arch that’s visible from the road.
At the 19-mile marker the road crosses a vast lava flow dating from 1790, Haleakalā’s last-gasp eruption. This flow, part of the Kanaio Natural Area Reserve, is the same one that covers the La Pérouse Bay area (Click here). It’s still black and barren all the way down to the sea.
Just offshore is Kaho′olawe and on a clear day you can even see the Big Island popping its head up above the clouds. It’s such a wide-angle view that the ocean horizon is noticeably curved. As you approach ′Ulupalakua Ranch, watch out for freerange cattle grazing at the side of the road. Soon, groves of fragrant eucalyptus trees replace the drier, scrubbier terrain and you find yourself back in civilization at Tedeschi Vineyards (Click here).
UPCOUNTRY
Green, fragrant and easy on the eyes, the Upcountry begs a country drive. Carpeted with rolling hills, emerald pastures and misty cloud forest, these western slopes of Haleakalā are proof positive that Maui offers much more than just a day at the beach. The possibilities for exploring it are nothing short of breathtaking. Hike up a steep mountain, zipline over deep gorges, paraglide down the hillsides, ride a horse through a lofty forest.
Upcountry is home to renegade artists and weathered cowboys, flower growers and truck farmers, all of whom can’t help but feel a wee bit smug that they’ve scored such a golden niche of Maui for themselves. Everyone passes through a slice of the Upcountry on the way to Haleakalā National Park, but don’t settle for a pass through. Look around the showy gardens, little-used trails and rambling back roads. They alone are worth the trip.
HIGHWAY 390: PA′IA TO MAKAWAO
Baldwin Ave (Hwy 390) rolls uphill for 7 winding miles between Pa′ia and Makawao, starting amid feral sugarcane fields and then cutting through pineapple fields interspersed with grassy patches where cattle graze.
Churches
Two handsome churches grace Baldwin Ave. Two miles above Pa′ia the Holy Rosary Church (945 Baldwin Ave), with its memorial statue of Father Damien, comes up first on the right. A mile further on the left stands the century-old Makawao Union Church (1445 Baldwin Ave), which was built of lava-stone blocks and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hui No′eau Visual Arts Center
Occupying the former estate of sugar magnates Harry and Ethel Baldwin, Hui No′eau ( 572-6560; www.huinoeau.com; 2841 Baldwin Ave; admission free; 10am-4pm Mon-Sat) radiates artistic creativity. Famed Honolulu architect CW Dickey designed the two-story