The Bernstein Family
Maui - The Valley Island
We arrived in Maui during the early evening. Our hotel, Peace of Maui, had been chosen for its perfect location for the 3 AM sunrise pilgrimage to Haleakala National Park. There are two must-dos while on Maui. Both of them, sunrise on Haleakala (Ha-lay-ah-kah-la) and the road to Hana were on our agenda.
Day 8:Haleakala
The next morning began with the drive up to the summit of Haleakala, 10,023 feet about sea level. We basically started at elevation 0, 1000 tops. The drive up in the dark was not fun with all the switchbacks and no street lights, but it was worth it to watch the sun rise above the clouds. It was freezing, but beautiful. Definitely a mystical experience.
Sun rising over Haleakala in Haleakala National Park. Yes those are clouds *below* the mountain top.
Sunrise at the summit of Haleakala
After sunrise, we watched as the bikers started careening the mountain. There were at least 30 groups of 12 to 15 people each. They start at the top, then bike all the way back down to the bottom. The road hugs the edge of the mountain, constantly curving, lots of sharp turns - we didn't quite get the appeal. When the biker groups were all gone, I attended a ranger talk on the geology and significance of the Park while Glen napped in the car. Turns out that Haleakala is also a volcano. However, it hasn't erupted since 1760 - a relatively short dormancy in the life of a volcano. We then met our Pony Express guides and our horses, Cricket and Enu -the Bernstein way to see Haleakala. We rode 7.6 miles roundtrip along the Sliding Sands trail, stopping to have lunch on the crater floor. The whole thing took 4.5 hours. The scenery was magnificent!
View during the Pony Express horseback ride into Haleakala crater along Sliding Sands trail.
Endangered Silversword which only grows in this national park. The plant lives for four to 25 years, blooms once, then dies shortly after the flower goes to seed.
Day 9: The Road to Hana
The next day, Day 9, was our last day in Hawaii (or so we thought). We did what is known as "The Road to Hana". Hana is a city on the eastern coast of Maui and the only way to reach it is by a road that is very narrow, twisty and bounded by beautiful lush rainforest on one side and the Pacific ocean on the other. You are supposed to stop at various places along the way and take in the sites - waterfalls, views, cultural sites, bridges, etc. The full distance is 35 miles from Makawao to Hana. We didn't have time to do all of it but we went 27 miles and turned around. It was a very pleasant drive. The weather was perfect and the road wasn’t overly crowded.
Haipuaena Falls - One of many waterfalls on the road to Hana
Honomanu Bay from Keanae Peninsula, just past the 17-mile marker
We had extra time before our flight home so we stopped in Paia, an old sugar town, to buy our souvenirs and to walk around for the last time. We had had a wonderful vacation and were already trying to figure out when we could return. Our flight left Maui just fine and we arrived in Honolulu for our connection.
