I was born and raised on Oahu and spent many weekends on Maui — and not once did I venture down the winding Road to Hana.

It never really crossed my mind, to be honest.

For starters, I get carsick. And I had heard the horror stories of the 52-mile drive from Kahului to the relatively untouched town on the island’s eastern shoreline.

And secondly, I didn’t know much about the tiny town, home to fewer than 1,500 people.

But the more I talked to people who had been there, the more I wanted to see it for myself. The rugged coastline, the unspoiled beauty, the friendly people, the banana bread at every turn in the curvy Hana Highway.

Not to mention, the old Hotel Hana Maui had been transformed into a new concept hotel called Travassa Hana, which offered experiences instead of just accommodations. (And the Spa at Travaasa Hana earned the top spot in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2012 spa poll.)

For all of those reasons — and I found out I had family living there — I decided it was finally time to make the trek to Hana.

So here’s what I found when I got there:

Short ribs

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And, of course, Derek couldn't resist the short ribs, a fall-off-the-bone culinary experience. If this was what Hana had to offer, I can't wait for what's next!