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I left the dairy and continued heading toward the coast. While this technically ended my Upcountry tour, Maui's North Shore has its fair share of local flavor, albeit of the surfing variety. As you might expect from those who live wave to wave, the North Shore's main town, Paia, is geared toward those on a budget-well, as budget as Maui gets. Its few blocks of storefronts are full of bikini boutiques, crowded indie cafes and more than one head shop. To be honest, it seemed a little grungy to me, particularly when compared with the upscale galleries and shops in Makawao.

From here Route 37 continues south before turning east into the Piilani Highway, an alternate route to Hana that skirts Haleakala National Park. It's a two-hour drive along rugged and rocky roads along the ocean that can be a little rough -- not all rental car companies allow you to bring your car there. Instead, I turned around and backtracked north on 37. Here, it's easy to suss out Upcountry's priorities: Every other business along Route 37 seemed to be a homeopathic shop and/or massage studio.

I'm not what you'd call a yoga person. Contorting my body into odd poses, often at ungodly hours? So not my thing.

Most Maui visitors stick close to the coast, concentrating their vacations in the resort towns of Lahaina and Wailea, or driving the twisty road to Hana. What people don't realize is that the interior, known as Upcountry, offers a breezy tranquility, with locally owned boutiques and art galleries, restaurants and farms, yoga retreats and wellness studios. While Upcountry isn't completely undiscovered -- Oprah owns a large ranch there -- the smaller towns and rolling hills give a glimpse of the way that life on this mostly agricultural island used to be.

When it comes to planning your Hawaiian family vacation, it's hard to know where to begin. A day at the beach or submarine ride? Museum or tubing? We asked Hawaii travel expert Jeanette Foster, author of Frommer's Hawaii with Kids, to name her favorite family activities on the islands.