Makawao is a crossroads rather than a destination, much like Pa’ia although Pa’ia and the North Shore have Ho’okipa and beaches that provide some “glue” to keep visitors around for the day. Visitors come to Makawao on sidetrips from Pa’ia, that usually continue further Upcountry to Kula, Ulupalakua Ranch and Tedeschi Vineyards, and sometimes up to Haleakala’s summit. Bicyclers, cars and tour vans frequently visit Makawao on their way down from Haleakala. In addition to excellent Italian food, Casanova has become a popular nightspot that attracts Mauians and visitors from around the island.
This Perfect Day can start anywhere. From the South and West Coast through Kahului to the Haleakala Hwy. (Hwy. 37), Pukalani and Makawao; directly on Hwy. 37 to Keokea and Ulupalakua, and then by way of returning to Makawao and Pa’ia; and from a vacation rental on the North Shore, in Makawao, Olinda or Kula. From any of these starting places, view Makawao as the intersection of the North Shore and Upcountry and a town that deserves to be a destination in its own right.
Olinda Rd. & Hanamu Rd.
Olinda Rd., a continuation of Baldwin Ave., used to be visited infrequently except for people heading up through the eucalyptus trees, pastures and flower farms, mixtures of shadow, light and vistas to the Olinda Country Cottages and Inn at the top of the road or Hale Ana.
Olinda has another beautiful road, one of my favorites on Maui, the Hanamu Rd. shortcut to Hwy. 377 that splits off to the right from Olinda Rd. just before it turns steeply uphill. Drive Hanamu Rd. to Hwy. 377, turn around and enjoy the scenery the other way, stop here and there for photos, and then turn right up Olinda Rd. Take your time going up and down. There’s not another road like it on Maui.
Rainbow State Park at the top of Olinda Rd. is a splendid place to have a picnic (and camp with a permit). Beyond the gate at the end of Olinda Rd. is the trailhead for the Waihou Springs Forest Reserve. With a spur trail to the springs, this trail offers several miles of delightful hiking through cypress, koa and pine trees. On the way down Olinda Rd., take a right on Pi’iholo Rd. that leads in about 5 miles to Makawao Ave. and take a left into town. Once you have driven up Olinda Rd. and down Pi’iholo Rd., Olinda becomes forever connected to your recollections of Makawao and vice-versa.
Makawao
Portuguese and Japanese immigrants working for sugar plantations and then moving upcountry to establish their own farms, ranches and stores were the originals settlers of Makawao. King Kamehameha III initiated private ownership of land in Makawao and allowed commoners to purchase land for $1 an acre. The descendents of some of these Hawaiians of Portuguese and Spanish ancestry worked (and still work) as paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys) on Haleakala and ‘Ulupalakua ranches. Every July 4, the big events on the island are the Makawao Rodeo at Oskie Rice Arena in Olinda featuring paniolos and a festive Makawao Rodeo Parade.
Regardless of what it says in promotional literature, don’t expect Makawao to be a cowboy town. You won’t find any horses hitched up to storefronts. Behind the false front stores are boutiques, art galleries, general stores, restaurants, and an assortment of health emporiums that provide the gamut of massage, therapies and treatments for body, skin and soul. Makawao is dependent on tourists but it still manages to retain its own identity and caters to thousands of locals who live within ten miles around.
Makawao Stroll & Shopping
Tour buses on the streets of Makawao are a strange sight for someone like myself who has visited Makawao for several decades. Wave after wave of bicyclers coming down from Haleakala’s summit and stopping in Makawao adds to the strangeness. Makawao definitely has arrived as a tourist destinations but it still is a fun, low-key place to shop or window-shop from one side of Baldwin Avenue or Makawao Avenue to the other. Just a few blocks are lined with more than two dozen stops, boutiques and galleries selling knickknacks, art and crafts, whimsical gifts, toys, books, jewelry, a wide assortment of tasteful apparel and accessories, food and wine, and much more.
With all of the tourism, places to eat have hardly changed at all over the years. The reason is that tourists arriving by bus, car or bicycles don’t spend much time in Makawao. They park, walk, browse, shop and move on. Kitada’s has served essentially the same plate lunches for 50 years. Legendary cream puffs or Portuguese malasada (donut) at the Komoda Store and Bakery have disappeared quickly from the front counter since 1916.
Decent Mexican food at Polli’s, the classic “cowboy” town Makawao Steak House, tasty burgers and beer at the popular Stopwatch Bar & Grill all have been around since I can remember. Casanova and its deli opened on Makawao Avenue in the early 1990’s. Tiny Café ‘O Lei probably is the newest local eatery, with a few tables “hidden” in pleasant “Paniolo Courtyard.” All of these eating and dining choices and others are within just a few short blocks.
The good news for new and return visitors to Makawao is that the town hasn’t changed that much or spoiled over the last decade. Many of the shopkeepers and gallery owners are the same as years ago and, like other residents of the Makawao and Upcountry area, they’re still very protective of the town and how they run their businesses, no matter how many tourists come through.
By comparison with Lahaina, the galleries of Makawao are very non-commercial and you’ll find very little hype and certainly no pushiness. Two good examples are: The David Warren Studio Gallery (3625, Baldwin Avenue, 572-1288), the first of Makawao’s galleries, that shows the work of the late David Warren and his son Cole, who runs the gallery; and next door, Deb Zaleski and her husband own Gallery Maui (572-8092) in another of Makawao’s charming alleyway courtyards.
Unless you relax and spend some leisure time in Makawao’s shops and courtyards, talking to owners and people that work in these places, you will leave Makawao with only storefront photos and views of the town. The spirit of Maui and Upcountry is very much alive and well in Makawao.
Viewpoints Gallery in “The Paniolo Courtyard” (3620 Baldwin Avenue, 572-5979) is a good example of the low-key style of local galleries that mainly carry the work of local artists. A fine-arts collective, for a decade Viewpoints has exhibited and sold the works of Maui’s finest and most successful artists, including: George Allen, Margaret Bedell, Janet Davis, Diana Dorenzo, Deybra Fair, Beth Marcil, Kathleen McDonald, Terry McDonald, Amanda McConnell, Patrick McGowan, Shakti Navran, Suzy Papanikolas, Joelle C. Perz, J.B. Rea, Stephanie Sachs, Julie Shoenecker, Martha Woodbury and others.
The Courtyard is an excellent niche in which to see much more art and artists at work. Maui Hands (572-5194) sells jewelry, pottery, woodwork, blown glass, prints and other work by a fine collection of over 200 Maui artists. (Maui Hands has galleries in Pa’ia, Kahului, and at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Ka’anapali. Hot Island Glassblowing Studio & Gallery (572-4527), the only glassblowing studio on Maui, is open to the public and you can watch glassblowers at work. Next door, the Courtyard Café serves tasty sandwiches, salads and soups, with pleasant outdoor seating.
For visitors interested in art, a visit to Makawao or Pa’ia is not complete without stopping at the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center Arts Center (2841 Baldwin Avenue, 572-6560). The Hui regularly presents exhibits and juried shows of Maui’s established and most promising artists. A nonprofit cultural center housed in the old Baldwin Estate, Kaluanui, a Mediterranean-style villa designed in the 1920s, “The Hui” offers classes in pottery, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and jewelry making, and maintains artists studios. You can always find a perfect gift item at the Hui No’eau Gift Shop.
Kula is blessed with perfect weather conditions for producing proteas that display the most vibrant colors you have ever seen. On most days clouds gather over Kula between 10am and 2pm, the sunniest part of the day, and protect proteas and their vibrant colors from drying out. Conditions also are perfect for Kula tomatoes and Maui onions, strawberries and the grapes that flourish in Tedeschi Vineyards.
On Lower Kula Road stop to top off your gas tank at Calasa Service, built in 1932, buy a refreshment at the Morihara Store and breakfast, lunch or dinner (6am-8pm) at Café 808, a local favorite. Visit picturesque Church of the Holy Ghost (1894), in the village of Waiakoa, about 4 miles from the junction of Lower Kula Road and Pukalani. Restored in 1992, this landmark church with its silver octagonal roof was created around the traditions of the local Portuguese community. Another mile further on, Rice Memorial Park has picnic tables and bathrooms and offers stunning views of the Central Valley, West Maui and its mountains.
Keokea
Keokea is the picturesque home of Grandma’s Coffee House at the intersection of Hwy. 37 and Hwy. 377. Grandma starting roasting and blending Maui organic coffee here in 1918. Drop in for a cup of coffee or a snack and grandson Alfred Franco will tell you about the area and provide advice on the drive down to Kaupo. In addition to Grandma’s, the historic Chinese settlement of Keokea consists of Sun Yat SenPark, a few general stores, gas, and the Keokea Gallery (878-3555), featuring the work of Elizabeth Miller and John Sheldon Wallau. In the early 1900s, Kula had a large Chinese community, including Sun Yat Sen, educated in Hawaii, who returned to Hong Kong and later became the Republic of China’s first leader.