Driving from Lahaina to Haleakala for sunrise, any coffee or gas stations open 24 hours?

[Ellwood]

Last trip found the grave of Charles Lindberg. There is a book that has various mile marker points of interest.

[hotzcatz]

Last time we drove around the back way we ended up with a cow's head in the window. I think the cow was hoping for snacks it wouldn't mooove out of the road until it had inspected the car. There are a LOT of flies on cows and it took awhile to get them all out of the car.

[McFrostyJ]

We had the same thing happen to us. Those cows see a vehicle coming and they literally jump out in front of you and just stand there waiting for food! LOL!

[Calico Salsa]

How funny! Another reason to stay alert, and maybe add some hay to the packing list. You could lure the cow(s) off to the side of the road while your driver mooooves the car down the road.

[pjnugget]

Originally Posted by Calico Salsa

Drive to Hana -
As already noted, for most people it is about the drive rather than the destination. That is, visitors expect Hana to be a quaint little town with shops & restaurants, but it is not. Beautiful small town, but not shopping or dining destination. There is a small store, but you might want to pack a lunch if you have special dietary needs.

Many visitors who are not comfortable on winding roads bounded by cliff and drop offs will drive fearfully all the way to Hana non-stop, then be disappointed and dread the drive back.

Here's how to enjoy it - take it easy. Stop frequently along the way to take a look at the surroundings, including the incredible plant life.

There's a privately owned fee-charging arboretum, I suggest you go to the free one instead. It's a simple place, with small signs identifying many of the trees & plants.

Stop at a fruit/smoothy stand, and get some tasty drinks and snacks. Highly recommend you buy banana bread where ever you see it sold by someone roadside. Help the local economy and so fresh and tasty!

Look for cars pulled off when you are passing tall green bamboo - pull off and take a short hike in to enjoy the peaceful sound of the bamboo clacking together in the gentle wind.

Wear or bring closed shoes for hiking, but be ready to get them doused in red mud as you'll be on the wet side of the island. If water isn't dropping from the sky, it's trickling down from the hills. Oh, and be prepared for a little rain. That means toss an extra towel or two in the car, ones you don't mind getting a little muddy, not the ones you'll use to dry off from swimming. Unless we get a storm, the rain is easy and the day still warm.

What else to pack: Cooler with ice and make it larger so you can bring home tasty treats, water, first aid kit if you are going to hike off road away from town, already said closed shoes but bring slippers to be comfortable hanging out, cash is appreciated at roadside stands (no credit cards), beach chairs if you want to sit on the beach for a while, sunscreen always, bug spray for sure!, sunglasses, hats if you wear them, camera a must.

There is the state run park past Hana, with a bamboo forest. Personally the 7 magic pools or whatever they call it is kind of a bust...better in the brochures.

If you are not afraid of remote drives, come back the back way. It will take you past Hana, down the south west side of Maui, then the road leads back up to Ulupalakua to Kula and you'll be back at the start of your Haleakala trip. The back road is incredibly beautiful, but it scares some with the one lane sections going around blind curves. Just take it slow, honk to warn people you are coming, keep your lights on, and hug the cliff. No one wants to hit anyone else, so most are as cautious as you. No cell signal over there; make sure you have gas, but if you have any car problem someone will be along soon anyway.

If we stop at a few of the major stops on the way to Hana...how many hours would it take to drive from Lahaina to Hana and back? Would it be overkill to do the Old Lahaina Luau the same day? We would have to be there b 545 pm...

[Calico Salsa]

Originally Posted by pjnugget

If we stop at a few of the major stops on the way to Hana...how many hours would it take to drive from Lahaina to Hana and back? Would it be overkill to do the Old Lahaina Luau the same day? We would have to be there b 545 pm...

Yes, totally overkill, don't do it. Even if you could possibly start early enough and burn your way through the day (and I don't see how), you will not enjoy the luau. You should enjoy the luau, it's expensive and worth savoring the different foods.

All the times depend on any traffic, and how you drive. Not sure where you are staying in Lahaina, so:
Lahaina to Central Maui (your coffee stop): maybe 40 minutes
Central Maui to Hana: 3 hours
Time in Hana: at least 1 hour
Return to Lahaina: 4 hours

That tallies to at least 9 hours, more if you stop along the way. You really won't want to sit for more hours at the luau. Driving is tiring, especially on winding roads where you need to pay attention. Most of our visitors want a lot of cool drinks and easy food, then to relax. Getting showered & dressed for a luau would be out of the question.

Just FYI, personal preference for us, we recommend the Feast at Lele over the Old Lahaina Luau. Feast is a smaller venue, and they bring the food to your table and explain each dish. Each course matches the dancing happening on stage. OLL is buffet style, with large tables family seating, so you do get more food choices, but without some explanation of the food, for first timers I think it's too easy to pass some up. You'll still get way too much to eat at Feast. Both have excellent dancers and a beautiful venue. Both offer free drinks such as mai tais.

[Mick St John]

We drove the road to Hana last March. After leaving Hana we decided to return the back way. Really creeped me out in spots, but it was a beautiful drive. It was an all day trip and we were exhausted by the time we got back, so we would NOT have wanted to have a luau scheduled.
Unfortunately, a couple of hours after our return, there was an earthquake in Japan and a tsunami warning, so we had to evacuate. Between the Hana drive and the tsunami warning, we ended up spending close to 24 hours in the car.

[McFrostyJ]

I agree with the above. Do NOT try and do the drive to Hana and the Luau in the same day.

[eureka1]

Haleakala is great but when I did it it was so fogged in we didn't see any sun till about 10am. Allow yourselves an unscheduled day in case you end up doing it twice. And have a great trip!