SLIDESHOW: Upcountry Maui … Cool, Green and Serene

Haliimaile. Makawao. Olinda. Ulupalakua, Keokea, Pukalani.

The turnoff signs for the half dozen or so towns that stretch across the cool, green and serene belt of pastures, farms and forests of Upcountry Maui begin to appear one by one as you ascend past the 1,000-foot elevation marker sign on busy Haleakala Highway.

In the January/February 2012 issue of HAWAII Magazine, we take you with us, in images and words, as we visit the fascinating places, people, businesses and scenery of the west-facing slope of massive Haleakala volcano in the photo essay, Going Upcountry.

To folks game for a day or two of country roads less traveled by most visitors, Upcountry Maui offers a rare blend of breathtaking natural beauty, small-town charm, uncommon activities and delicious agricultural products, virtually unmatched anywhere else in the Islands. The six towns listed above were founded and originally settled by late 19th-century Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese sugar plantation laborers desiring farm and ranchlands of their own. And modern-day Upcountry Maui remains remains fiercely connected to those agricultural roots.

Pick up a copy of our January/February 2012 issue to see and learn a bit about Upcountry Maui for yourself. HAWAII Magazine is sold at bookstores and on newsstands nationwide. Interested in subscribing to HAWAII Magazine? Click here.

Following our stay Upcountry, HAWAII Magazine photographer David Croxford, once again, turned in more wonderful photos than we could squeeze into the print edition. We’ve put these together in a slideshow below, along with some of our favorite photos from the print edition feature.

Enjoy!

(Click on the slideshow frame to enlarge the photos.)