We got up early Sunday morning (again – we have even yet to fully adjust to Hawaii time) and hit the Road to Hana – we got a hotel room in Hana for the night, so instead of driving the road and back in one day, our plan was to do it in two. We had read that most people stop several times along the way from west to east, thus reaching Hana and/or the “beyond” sometime in the afternoon. Our idea, however, was to minimize the number of stops going east, reach Hana by mid-morning, continue to Haleakala National Park’s eastern Kipahulu area, hike there, then head back to Hana for the night – the next day, we’d head west and hit all the other highlights of the Road to Hana on our return trip. Everything you’ve ever read about the Road to Hana is quite true – it is one of the most beautiful areas on the planet, and the drive alone without any stops at all is a treat in itself. Every turn of the road (and there are lots and lots of turns) held a new view, so many of them breathtaking it became commonplace to see the extraordinary. The narrow road with its one-lane bridges and blind curves maintains a continual sense of adventure for the driver, yet passengers are free to take in the scenery (unless they’re gripping their armrests in sheer terror). We made one pit stop about halfway to Hana in Keanae, where there is not only a nice public restroom but Aunt Sandy’s, a snack shack that serves chili cheese dogs and warm, fresh banana bread (we stopped for more bread on the way back too). We made it to Hana by 10am or so and passed straight through, and as we entered Haleakala National Park, we encountered a large truck pulling a backhoe trying to advance in the opposite direction – we, as well as the other cars ahead of and behind us, had to literally drive our right-side wheels about two feet up the steep hillside along the road in order to give the truck room to pass. Those were some tense moments, but we found ourselves pulling into the Kipahulu visitor center not long afterward, no worse for wear. One benefit of driving straight here was that we beat most of the crowds by hours, so we decided our first hike of the day (the first of five, as it turned out) would be to Oheo Gulch, home of the famous and popular Seven Sacred Pools. It was maybe a 10-minute walk to the pools, not far at all, and we passed some archeological sites along the way – the ocean was so blue from atop the grassy bluffs. A little further on, we came to a steep stairway leading into the gulch and our first view of the pools. We could see upstream the last bridge we had driven across to get here, framing below it two beautiful waterfalls – so many postcards and print ads have been shot here, it has the sense of being instantly familiar. We hopped across the rocks to the other side of the stream, watching several groups of young people scramble up the cliffs under the lowest falls, then jumping from a ledge into the water despite several prominent signs warning them not to do so. We returned to the main trail, heading upstream along the western side of the gulch until we reached the road, where the trail then turned west and headed back to the parking lot. We were glad we got here early – from what we understand, hundreds of people flock here every day, so it was nice to visit such a beautiful area without the pressure of the crowds.