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Maui Agricultural Research Center
The 20-acre Maui Agricultural Research Center perched above Waiakoa village is under the jurisdiction of the University of Hawai'i. It's here that Hawaii's first proteas, natives of South Africa, were established in 1965. You can walk through rows of their colorful descendants, as well as new hybrids under development.
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Maui Arts & Cultural Center
There's always something happening at this state-of-the-art entertainment complex, which boast two indoor theaters and a large outdoor amphitheater, all with excellent acoustics. As Maui's main venue for music, theater and dance, it hosts everything from ukulele jams to touring rock bands. Check its online schedule to see what's in the lineup during your stay.
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Maui Ocean Center
Dedicated to Hawaii's dazzling marine life, Maui Ocean Center is the largest tropical aquarium in the USA. Kids love the place but adults will also be blown away by the brilliant fish and coral here.
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Old Courthouse
Seaside of the banyan tree stands Lahaina's Old Courthouse, built in 1859. The location overlooking the bustling harbor was no coincidence. Smuggling was so rampant during the whaling era that officials deemed this theideal spot to house the customs operations, the courthouse and the jail - all neatly wrapped into a single building. It also held the governor's office, and in 1898 the US annexation of Hawaii was formally concluded here.
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Olowalu Petroglyphs
A dirt road starting behind the general store in Olowalu leads to the Olowalu Petroglyphs. Go around the north side of the store, park just beyond the water tower and look for the signposted gate. A quarter-mile walk leads up this hot, open road to the petroglyphs. It's easy to follow; just keep the cinder cone straight ahead of you as you go.
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Palapala Ho'omau Congregational Church
Charles Lindbergh, who relished his privacy during the final years of his life, moved to remote Kipahulu in 1968. Following his death from cancer in 1974, Lindbergh was buried in the graveyard of Palapala Ho'omau Congregational Church. The inscription he selected for his simple grave ( If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uppermost parts of the sea…)is taken from Psalm 139.
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Papawai Point
The best place around this part of Maui for scenery is Papawai Point, between the 8- and 9-mile markers (which is signposted 'scenic point') and has a good-sized parking lot. Because the point juts into the western edge of Ma'alaea Bay, a favored humpback nursing ground, it's one of the best places on Maui for coastline whale watching.
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Pi'ilanihale Heiau
The grounds of the amazing Kahanu Gardens are also the site of Pi'ilanihale Heiau, the largest temple in Hawaii, with a stone platform reaching 450ft in length. The history of this astounding heiau is shrouded in mystery, but there's no doubt that it was an important religious site for Hawaiians.
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Pipiwai Trail
The Pipiwai Trail runs up the 'Ohe'o streambed, rewarding hikers with perfect views of the upper waterfalls. The trail starts on the mauka side of the visitor center and leads up to Makahiku Falls (0.5 miles) and Waimoku Falls (2 miles). Or take a little shortcut by picking up the trail from the pedestrian crossing at the highway. To see both falls takes about two hours return. The upper section is muddy, but boardwalks cover the worst bits.
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Pohaku Kani
That huge boulder with concave marks on the inland side of the road just past the 16-mile marker is Pohaku Kani, a bellstone. If you hit it with a rock on the Kahakuloa side, where the deepest indentations are, you might be able to get a hollow sound. It's pretty resonant if you hit it right, though it takes some imagination to hear it ring like a bell.
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Pu'u Keka'a
You'll find the best underwater sights off Pu'u Keka'a, also known as Black Rock, the lava promontory that protects the beach in front of the Sheraton. First-time snorkelers will be happy with the coral and fish at the protected southern side of Pu'u Keka'a, but the real prize is the horseshoe cove cut into the tip of the rock, where there's more pristine coral, abundant tropical fish and the occasional turtle.
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St John's Episcopal Church
Keokea village's green-and-white St John's Episcopal Church was built in 1907 to serve the Chinese community, and it still bears its name in Chinese characters. For a time Sun Yat-sen, father of the Chinese nationalist movement, lived on the outskirts of Keokea. A statue of Sun Yat-sen and a small park dedicated to him can be found along the Kula Hwy (Hwy 37) beyond Grandma's Coffee House.
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Surfing Goat Dairy
The goats at the 42-acre Surfing Goat Dairy are playful but, no, they don't really ride the waves. They are, however, the source of all that luscious chevre cheese adorning the menus of Maui's top restaurants. The little store here carries an amazing variety of these creamy treats: for island flavor try the mango supreme.
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Tedeschi Vineyards
Tedeschi Vineyards offers tastings of its products in the old cottage where King David Kalakaua once slept. These homegrown wines cover a wide gamut. Back in the 1970s, while waiting for its first grape harvest, the winery decided to take advantage of Maui's abundant pineapple. Today its biggest hit is the sweet Maui Splash, a pineapple and passion fruit dessert wine. Less of a splash are the grape wines.
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Wai'anapanapa State Park
Wai'anapanapa means 'glistening waters', and the clear mineral waters in the cave pools here will leave you feeling squeaky clean. There's a natural lava arch on the right side of Pailoa Bay, bordered by low rocky cliffs and a coastal trail with ancient lava stepping stones. Two impressive lava-tube caves are just a five-minute walk from the parking lot.
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Waikamoi Nature Trail
A half-mile past the 9-mile marker, a wide dirt pull-off provides space for a few cars to park below the Waikamoi Nature Trail. This peaceful 30-minute trail loops through tall trees with wonderful fresh scents and lots of birdsong. The grand reddish trees covered with climbing philodendron vines are Eucalyptus robusta . The ridge at the top of the trail provides a fine view of the winding Hana Hwy.
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Wailea Beach
The largest and widest of Wailea's beaches, Wailea Beach is backed by both the Four Seasons and the Grand Wailea resorts, so it's no surprise that the bulk of Wailea's vacationers get their tans there. The beach slopes gradually, making it a good swimming spot.
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Wailua Valley State Wayside
Back on the Hana Hwy, just before the 19-mile marker, Wailua Valley State Wayside lookout comes up on the right. It provides a broad view into Ke'anae Valley, which appears to be a hundred shades of green. You can see a couple of waterfalls, and on a clear day look up at Ko'olau Gap, the break in the rim of Haleakala Crater.
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Waine'e Church
The first stone church in Hawaii, Waine'e Church was built in 1832 and cursed with a run of bad luck. First the steeple collapsed in 1858, then in 1894 royalists enraged that the minister supported Hawaii's annexation torched it to the ground. A second church, built to replace the original, burned in 1947, and the third was blown away in a storm a few years later. One might get the impression that the old Hawaiian gods didn't take kindly to the house of this foreign deity!
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Wananalua Congregational Church
Erected in 1838 to replace the congregation's original grass church, the edifice of Wananalua Congregational Church with its hefty rock walls resembles an ancient Norman church. Take a close look and you'll notice that the rock is cut from lava. Also noteworthy is the little cemetery at the side, where the graves are randomly laid out rather than lined up in rows. Even at rest, Hana folks like things casual.
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Whalers Village Museum
Fascinating exhibits are in store at the superb Whalers Village Museum. Authentic period photos, whaling ship logs and detailed interpretive boards sound the depths of whaling history. It's all rounded out with exhibits of harpoons, whale jawbones and a wild array of scrimshaw.
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Wo Hing Temple
The two-story Wo Hing Temple opened in 1912 as a meeting hall for the Chinese benevolent society Chee Kung Tong. It provided Chinese immigrants a place to preserve their cultural identity, celebrate festivities and socialize in their native tongue.
