If you travel across the Pacific to Maui and don't make time for this trip, you're making a mistake. I'm a driver, love to be behind the wheel. Don't. There is no way you can drive this road and enjoy this trip. Sure you can stop like we did but you will miss so many things along the way and you won't have an informed guide sharing the history of the islands from plant and animal life to the Hawaiian people and their wonderful culture.
Wendy Swee picked us up along with six other people in a very clean and comfortable luxury van. I had the worst seat (center of the back seat bench) and still had excellent visibility. Although it was early morning in a van full of strangers Wendy started us off with a special song sung to the tune of Gilligan's Isle. Corny I know but just what we needed to wake us up. I hope Wendy came up with this ditty on her own because it just makes her that much more interesting.
From start to finish, Wendy filled us with information about volcanoes, flowers, fresh water fish, salt water fish, transplanted animals, uses of plants as food, clothing, and shelter, queens and kings, gods, traditions, ceremony, and the history of the state. Nine hours of waterfalls, swimming in fresh water pools and black sand beaches, trekking through a lava tube, and the relatively untouched town of Hana just disappeared. Before we knew it, we were back at our ship.
I'm still not sure whether Wendy is a biologist, botanist, or a sociologist but she is an excellent tour guide.
Spoiler alert: there are more songs. This is a trip worth taking.