Visitors to Maui are bombarded with exhortations to head to Hana – and lots do. They stumble out of bed at the crack of dawn, fold themselves into the rental car, and barrel off to the little town at the end of the road, stopping here and there to admire the view, snap photos of the falls, and let oncoming traffic pass. Visitors to the Big Island use this same tactic to go to the volcano, flying through the little towns on the south side, missing the coffee stands and the wonders of South Point to get in and out of the National Park before dark. Hey, it works. If it didn’t work, fewer people would do these excursions as day trips. The West Hawaii to Volcano drive isn’t so bad, though the Hana drive takes forever and doing it in the dark is a trial.

There’s no need for any of that harried rushing about. Both Hana and Volcano are great places to stay the night. We were lucky enough to do so and because we did, we not only have a better sense of what’s there, but we’re psyched to spend more time in the places that are typically revolving door spots for visitors.

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