Natwerk Designs

The next day allowed us time to discover and enjoy more of Waianapanapa

Summary: The next day allowed us time to discover and enjoy more of Waianapanapa and Hana itself The first stop was Waianapanapa s spring fed fresh water caves The morning air was humid and the caves cool temperatures and brisk waters were amazingly refreshing Just a short walk away is Waianapanapa s Black Sand Beach After scrambling around on the rocks a bit we found a good place to jump into the ocean We enjoyed a brief swim before venturing through the breakers and onto the beach After a nice relaxed morning the boys headed out past Hana town towards Kipahalu One of our crew that was more familiar with the Hana area took us to the Venus Pools These pools are typically spring and stream fed freshwater pools at the side of the ocean A small strip of land forms a barrier between ocean and pool When we were there the waters of the Pacific had breached into the pool and the stream and associated waterfall were dry Despite these conditions the setting was spectacular and the weather perfect The deep pool and adjoining cliffs provide a good opportunity for diving into the waters below The cliffs are just tall enough to give you pause before you make the jump After a half hour of play at Venus Pool we decided to join the rest of our crew at Hamoa Beach Hamoa is my favorite beach in all of Maui I am not alone in this sentiment I have seen no better description of Hamoa than author James Michener s The drive out to Waianapanapa in and of itself is always entertaining While Haiku is lush in its own right each mile of the road to Hana is progressively more tropical Waterfalls dot the roadways bamboo forests sway in the wind and scenic ocean vistas are visible around every other bend in the road If you stop for all of the sights it could take you the good part of a day Having made the drive itself many times before I was more anxious to make it to our scenic destination We arrived at Waianapanapa late on Friday afternoon and checked into our cabins The cabins are rustic but clean They each sleep roughly six and have their own kitchens and bathrooms They reminded me a lot of some place where you would stay at an old YMCA camp as a kid The scenery was above and beyond anything that I saw at YMCA camp though While it only took us an hour and half to get there it felt like we were half a world away Golden light shone down on the emerald green foliage the ocean crashed on the shore and the steep east flank of Haleakala loomed to our west We gathered outside the cabin and enjoyed the last of the fading daylight and the emerging dusk Darkness brought a carpet of stars Sleep came easy that night as the sounds of the nearby ocean and the occasional trade shower were a soothing background The next day allowed us time to discover and enjoy more of Waianapanapa and Hana itself The first stop was Waianapanapa s spring fed fresh water caves The morning air was humid and the caves cool temperatures and brisk waters were amazingly refreshing Just a short walk away is Waianapanapa s Black Sand Beach After scrambling around on the rocks a bit we found a good place to jump into the ocean We enjoyed a brief swim before venturing through the breakers and onto the beach After a nice relaxed morning the boys headed out past Hana town towards Kipahalu One of our crew that was more familiar with the Hana area took us to the Venus Pools These pools are typically spring and stream fed freshwater pools at the side of the ocean A small strip of land forms a barrier between ocean and pool When we were there the waters of the Pacific had breached into the pool and the stream and associated waterfall were dry Despite these conditions the setting was spectacular and the weather perfect The deep pool and adjoining cliffs provide a good opportunity for diving into the waters below The cliffs are just tall enough to give you pause before you make the jump After a half hour of play at Venus Pool we decided to join the rest of our crew at Hamoa Beach Hamoa is my favorite beach in all of Maui I am not alone in this sentiment I have seen no better description of Hamoa than author James Michener s The drive out to Waianapanapa in and of itself is always entertaining While Haiku is lush in its own right each mile of the road to Hana is progressively more tropical Waterfalls dot the roadways bamboo forests sway in the wind and scenic ocean vistas are visible around every other bend in the road If you stop for all of the sights it could take you the good part of a day Having made the drive itself many times before I was more anxious to make it to our scenic destination We arrived at Waianapanapa late on Friday afternoon and checked into our cabins The cabins are rustic but clean They each sleep roughly six and have their own kitchens and bathrooms They reminded me a lot of some place where you would stay at an old YMCA camp as a kid The scenery was above and beyond anything that I saw at YMCA camp though While it only took us an hour and half to get there it felt like we were half a world away Golden light shone down on the emerald green foliage the ocean crashed on the shore and the steep east flank of Haleakala loomed to our west We gathered outside the cabin and enjoyed the last of the fading daylight and the emerging dusk Darkness brought a carpet of stars Sleep came easy that night as the sounds of the nearby ocean and the occasional trade shower were a soothing background

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