Hana Highway (page 2 of 4)

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Points 3-6

3. Huelo
Serene save for a few squawking roosters, the small community of Huelo, with its tiny Kaulanapueo Church, stands brightly against the blue backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. Constructed of coral in 1853, the New England-style church features an austere interior, complete with the original pews. Farther along, look for stands of rainbow eucalyptus trees around the old plantation town of Kailua. The Hana Highway then leads to Waikomoi Ridge, where a nature trail zigzags through a forest of bamboo. Just down the road at Puohokamoa Falls, you can picnic beside a 30-foot cascade that tumbles into a rock-lined pool. Yet another waterfall and swimming hole lie nearby, but the unmarked trail that leads to them is fairly treacherous and often slippery.

4. Kaumahina State Wayside Park
This wayside park is not only practical, offering restrooms and picnic tables, but also beautiful, with a lush tangle of native plants. Dazzling, too, is the overlook, which provides a panorama of the rugged coastline and Honomanu Bay. Once back on the road, you'll come to the largest valley on the north side of Haleakala, about a mile or so farther on. Carved by erosion during the volcano's first period of dormancy, it stretches inland for more than five miles.

5. Keanae
If you're not sure of the names of the many flowers and trees alongside the road, Keanae Arboretum is the place to find out. Trails weave through the large park, and one well-tended garden thrives with yellow plumeria, banyan trees, and other native and exotic plants -- all of them clearly identified.

To enjoy another of the island's rustic villages, follow the side road that rambles down the windswept Keanae Peninsula to Keanae. Snug in a nook along the jagged coast, it looks out on the relentless surf and ebony volcanic rocks that glisten in the sunshine.

6. Wailua
Water-logged taro patches -- a signature sight in Hawaii -- carpet the lonely Wailua Valley, a green expanse best viewed from the Keanae Valley Wailua Overlook. After taking in the view, follow the spur road that leads to the village of Wailua. Along the way, you may see the locals pounding the starchy taro root with boards and stones, one step in the recipe for poi.

Wailua's St. Gabriel's, better known as the Miracle Church, is wrapped in legend. When the community decided to build the tiny heart-decorated chapel in 1870, the story goes, a storm washed ashore all the coral and sand necessary for the job. Then, just as advantageously, when the work was done, another storm came and swept the excess back to sea.

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