I was invited to a friend’s wedding on Maui in May 2021 at the very beginning of 2020. I decided to make it A TRIP and spend a month on Maui. Checking off some serious bucket list items. One of them being: The Road to Hana! (Check out my quick guide to The Road to Hana here!) I’d heard a day trip just wasn’t enough. So, I thought it would be SO fun to rent a campervan or camp for a few days to really experience it.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions on the island, businesses temporarily closing, and things opening up at a slower rate, it was very hard to find places to camp. I ended up finding a campsite on Hipcamp and booking it in February 2021.
Less than a week before flying to Maui my host on Hipcamp canceled the campsite with zero explanation. I had a mini panic attack! There was absolutely NOTHING available to book. No Airbnbs, hotels, campers, campsites. I finally received a message from the host explaining that she had received a $10,000 fine for people camping on her land. Obviously, I was understanding but it was still not a great situation for me.
So, I chatted with my group and we decided to just wing it! There really was no other option 🤷🏻♀️
Heading out on the Road to Hana with our rented camping gear from Maui Vacation Equipment we adventured for the day but as the sun started setting there was some slight panic. Where were we going to stay? We’d scouted some hidden spots to park the car and I was definitely prepared to sleep in the car.
We stopped at an adorable coconut stand to ask about nearby camping or parking spots. We met Randy and his 16-year-old son, Atticus. Atticus works the coconut stand and his dad was there to pick him up as he was closing. We got chatting with Randy and it turns out he’s also from Washington State. He and his wife brought their 2-year-old son to Maui for a visit years ago and never came back. They bought a farm (now have 2) and own Hana Mana Organic Farms.
Randy had the most chill vibe. He’s really living that Aloha life and seemed genuinely nice (like he wasn’t gonna murder us). We told him about our campsite dilemma and asked for a recommendation. Randy went above and beyond a recommendation and offered his land to camp on. We were thrilled!
We waited for Atticus to finish closing up and then we followed them a few miles down the road. Arriving at a large gravel parking area next to a huge lot of land with another fruit stand. Behind a line of trees providing privacy from the main road and fruit stand sat his main farm and home.
Randy offered us anything at the fruit stand for breakfast and introduced us to the farm kitties before ensuring we were set up for the night. We didn’t need to go into Hana since we’d prepped camping food at our Airbnb before heading out. So we prepared our food and sat inside the fruit stand where there were tables, chairs, and benches.
A crazy storm rolled in about an hour after we snuggled into our tent. It was pouring on and off all night. Which made sneaking out of the tent because I drank so much water that day super fun! The farm kitties were crying outside our tent throughout the night. But when we offered them dry shelter to come in, they took off chasing each other through the field. Let’s just say, we did not get a lot of sleep that first night!
I woke up exhausted and with a sore throat. I ended up being super sick over the next week. BUT these kinds of experiences are what I live for. There is no way we could’ve planned this adventure and met these new friends. This is why I travel. These moments and the people are always what I remember most about the places I visit.
Tell me about your most memorable travel mishap that turned into an adventure!
