get a cooler from and then return it on your way back? Do many do this, do they have enough, or should we just buy one? Or do hotels have some to use? (we are staying at the fairmont kea lani)

I'm sure you can buy a styrofoam cooler in Paia, or just stop at one of the roadside places on the road or in Hana for drinks or snacks. The road to Hana is beautiful, twisty, all that, but it's not exactly an expedition up the Amazon.

As for whether a hotel will lend you a cooler, why not call them and ask?

Crazielady, I don't think too many gas stations anywhere lend or rent coolers. Buy a cheap styrofoam cooler.

It is confusing when you put half of your question in the "message title box" and half in the main text box.

Sorry Rusty, it's just a "read on" type of post, it's how it's done on theknot.com and makeupalley.com. Just what I'm used to to catch peoples attention.

Actually someone on theknot.com got a cooler from a gas station and then brought it back. I'm sure she gave a deposit for it and then got her money back. I'm just trying to confirm what she said she did on her honeymoon, on the Road to Hana.

just got back yesterday and you can get a cooler and sandwiches from the juice co on main st paia .for a $5 dep.the fill it with ice and you get your deposit back if you return it by 5:00. if not,the chevron gas station will return your $ after 5:00. the food was really good.

You can buy those styrofoam coolers for about $10, or less, in any of the grocery stores. You then have it available to keep drinks and snacks cool for all your day trips while you're on Maui.

Thanks dmcmom, that sounds nice! How was your trip??

we actually kept our cooler because we took the back side of the road to hana back to kaanapali. we used the cooler on the beach and by the pool. the back side of the hana trip was amazing! a couple really narrow scarey parts with huge drop offs, but all in all very drivable. we had a minivan, it probably even more incredible in a convertible. the scenery was beautiful. you see all the lava flows from the back of haleakala that go right into the ocean. also, in paia they were burning the sugar cane. my kids were amazed at all the black snow in town and all the smoke. we also got to see all the bike tours coming off haleakala thru paia. really cute little town.

There is a gas station in Kahalui (a Sunoco, I think) that rents coolers, has sandwiches and snacks, etc. This is also the spot where they sell the Road to Hana cd or tape for you to play in the car. This gas station is real easy to find, on a busy street corner. There is a green hut where they sell the tapes. You will see everyone coming out of the mini-mart with the coolers in hand. I think the rental is $7 or something.

I'd ask your hotel. Ours packed us a picnic lunch with snacks and bevies in an insulated cooler. We picked it up at the bell desk on the way out...and then returned it at of the day. easy!

It would be the Shell Station and the tape is excellent.

If you have the Maui Revealed book is it necessary to get the tape?

Tammi,

I personally think Maui Revealed is all you need; my wife and I actually turned off the tape after about 10 minutes.....took away from the beauty and serenity for us.

I found just the opposite, it's tough to read and watch the scenery...much easier to listen while you are driving and read while you are stopped. I found that the tape had some interesting information that the book did not.

I guess my take is that the book is fine to get an idea of where you want to stop in advance. It's just not easy to watch the scenery and read at the same time.

get the book, read the section about the "road to hana" more than once, make a priority list of what you want to see, highlight/dogear etc. and have a blast! You will not be able to see it all in one day...so I suggest deciding which stops sound most appealing to you beforehand.

just my .2 ;-)

Agree with Doug and bogart. Best way to go IMHO.

As to coolers, I'd just go out buy one at ABC. It was less than $10 a year ago, and you'll use it everyday. Nothing like having a cold drink immediately available during or after sunbathing, hiking, snorkeling, siteseeing, etc.

we used the tape as well as the book. the tape was kind of funny. lots of little bits of info mixed with some hawaiian songs it told you when to turn it on and off. my kids tgought it was funny. it easy to lose track of mile markers when following the book...the tape helped keep us on track.when we were ready to stop i would just read all the additional info from the book.