Sunrise, sleeping, and shopping. What more could three girls ask for? Go to Page 1 Go to Page 2 Go to Page 3 Go to Page 5 Go to Page 6 Go to Page 7

Highlights: Haleakala Sunrise Spot the i'iwi Louis Vuitton for Dummies

Haleakala Summit Hosmer Grove Wailea

On the morning of Day Four, we dragged ourselves out of bed and left at 2 in the morning to drive up the volcano. Crazy? Yes, but worth it. The drive took us about 2 hours, getting us there well before sunrise so as to get a parking spot at the summit. The road is a plethora of foggy switchbacks first thing in the morning; quite a challenge. At the summit we were very glad we had brought warm clothing and fuzzy toques as it was very cold. We snacked on cinnamon buns in the car, then proceded (with somewhat sticky fingers) up to the booth at the summit to wait for the sun to come up. Finally, the first vestiges of light began to creep over the edge of the horizon, and gradually the sunshine filled the crater of Haleakala volcano. We had a 360° view of the horizon and were well rewarded for our sleepiness.

From our vantage point above the clouds, a hint of light illuminates the borders of the crater.
The sun rises over the rim of Haleakala crater.

Mum and me soak up the rays.	The summit ridge just after sunrise.	Moonset over the observatory.

	Once the sun was up, the three of us headed for a walk into the crater of the volcano. Thankfully, it is currently inactive so we didn't have to avoid any rogue pools of molten lava. The Sliding Sands trail resembled some sort of Martian landscape with its reddish volcano gravel.
Mars Lander official training ground.		Mum and Ami on the trail.

Me vs. the Volcano	Some plants are able to grow in the crater. Check out the cinder cones in the background.	The three of us take a breather before climbing back OUT of the volcano.
The crater of Haleakala is 12 km across at its widest point.

	Back at the parking lot we found some horses ready for a day long trail ride into the crater. We'll have try that next time! A few more bites of cinnamon bun and we were on our way back down the volcano. The switchbacks were considerably easier in the daylight, and when you are NOT in the middle of a cloud half the time.
Happy Haleakala Horsie.		The road to Haleakala.

On our way back down, we stopped to do some exploring in Haleakala National Park. Mum had read about a nature trail through Hosmer Grove , so we stopped for a walk and a picnic. Along the trail we saw many endemic species of plants and birds, and as we ate we took turns pointing out brightly coloured i'iwi birds in the foliage.
	I'iwi Bird (photo courtesy of Jack Jeffrey)

We got back to our condo with one thing on our minds - sleep..... For dinner we went to Maui Tacos, which had a great selection of tacos and burritos. The portions were very generous, and the food was good. In the evening we went to the nearby town of Wailea for some upscale window shopping. From Gucci to Prada, Fendi to Louis Vuitton, we were surrounded by $600 trousers and $1000 purses. The mall area itself was decorated with real orchids and we were serenaded by live music as we browsed. Is this paradise, or what? Of course, there was an ABC store where we were able to find things more in our price range (like 59¢ keychains).

Orchids in the mall at Wailea.

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