On virtually everyone’s list of what to do on Maui is the scenic drive to Hana along the north coast of the island. This 52-mile drive on a twisting, two-lane road might sound, to the uninitiated, like a quicky tour for an afternoon, but rest assured you’ll want to give it a full day. Better yet, I think the best way to enjoy it (and not just endure it) is to plan an overnight in Hana before making your way back over the 600 hairpin turns and 50-plus one-lane bridges that comprise the journey. Mind you, that’s not how my husband, my niece and I did it, but our daughter Jenny and her boyfriend spent two nights in Hana and found their trip far more leisurely than ours. Of course, we also contended with drenching rain for at least half of our trip while they enjoyed (mostly) sunny weather, so there’s that, too. Maps of the route can be picked up wherever tourist info is available, but you can also download a GyPSy Guide app and let it play as you drive. A CD audio tour is also available, which you can pick up in the town of Paia at the start of your drive while you grab lunch to go at the Hana Picnic Lunch Co. (There are limited opportunities to dine along the way, and no gas stations ’til you get to Hana, so fill up.) The twistiest parts of the route require a maximum speed of 25 mph; and if you’re sharing the road with lots of others, the going can be even slower. Waterfalls and scenic views are plentiful, but roadside parking is skimpy at best, so be patient and keep your eye out for pedestrians. We made a few strategic stops, but the further east we got, the harder it rained and the cloud deck descended to road level. By then the waterfalls had become brown torrents and weren’t safe for exploring, so we chugged along with the road mostly to ourselves. (Clearly, everyone else paid more attention to the forecast than we did!) A few highlights: — A few miles outside of Paia grows a lovely grove of rainbow eucalyptus trees, with bark striped in lime green, purple and gray.   Just across the road, niece Alison and I descended a steep, muddy hillside into a forest of bamboo.   Magical! — The Garden of Eden Arboretum provides a botanical bounty of tropical plants, from towering bamboo and palms to flowers and shrubs of every imaginable (and some fantastical) shape and hue. — Halfway to Hana is part diner, part gift shop. A variety of banana breads and the ubiquitous shaved ice stave off hunger. — Closer to Hana find Coconut Glen’s, housed in an open-air shack and featuring homemade coconut milk vegan ice cream and the most addictive coconut candy on the island. — Waianapanapa State Park in Hana offers striking black-sand (well, black-pebble) beaches and lava rock formations ringing Pailoa Bay. Though it rained hard while we were there (but, as we said so often on Maui, “It’s a warm rain!”), we ventured a stroll down the beach to check out the sea caves. — Honor-system produce stands appear frequently at the ends of driveways around Hana, a great, friendly way to pick up fresh mangos, bananas and other fruit. If you find yourself with a few days on Maui, definitely consider taking a drive on the road to Hana. Check the forecast, give yourself plenty of time, and consider dosing up on Dramamine before you head out! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor