Take the Hana Highway and then Haleakala Highway to the town of Makawao, a mere speck on the western slopes of Haleakala. The Upcountry area between Pukalani to the southwest of Makawao, Paia downslopes to the northwest, Haiku to the north and Kula to the southeast is the heart and "mother load" of "New Age" lifestyles, the largest concentration of artists on Maui. It is a lush world oriented towards its own historical fabric and local lifestyles.

Views are marvelous from Pukalani, the first town above Kahului en route to Makawao or Haleakala; northward on route 400 winding down the lush slopes of Pauwela; directly above Makawao from the eucalyptus lined roadways and fields of beautiful Olinda; westward down to the valley and over to the eastern side of west Maui; or southward along Haleakala Highway to Ulupalakua Ranch, Maui's largest (30,000 acres). Ulupalakua raises about 5,000 heads of Hereford and Angus cattle.

Haleakala Highway and route 377 are a botanical tour of Upcountry's proteas at the Maui Agricultural Research Center, where the first protea were planted in the mid 1960s. Between 7:30 am and 3:30 pm, stop at the office on Copp Road off Route 37 to sign in before touring the center. Just up Copp Road is Maui Sunburst Farm growing 16-acres of protea varieties waiting to be picked and shipped to Mainland.

Continuing towards Ulupalakua, the entrance to Kula Botanical Gardens is on the left just past the intersection with route 377. The gardens grow native and exotic trees and plants, including protea. Sunrise Protea Farm on Route 377 offers wide selection of proteas for export.

Upcountry extends over to Ulupalakua Ranch on the Kula side of Mt. Haleakala and was first planted with a thousand acres of sugar by former US Navy Capt James Makee. King Kalakaua was a guest in the white wooden Ulupalakua building with green trim that used to be owned by Baldwin family. Cattle, sheep and even elk graze on green rolling Ulupalakua hillsides above Wailea and Kihei, combining some of Maui's most beautiful landscapes and best views.

Upcountry is as much a state of mind and spirit as it is an amazing variety of physically and climatically different ares that flow seamlessly into one another. It is part thick forest, part huge and remote mountain ranches and pasture land, swatches of wild flowers tumbling across hillsides, flower and vegetable nurseries thriving on rich Kula earth and climate, Poli Poli State park, a thriving winery and magnificent and mysterious Haleakala itself.