Monday, December 17, 2018
Christmas Eve is now only a week away and my return flight to Varese and our beloved Skorpions looms on the horizon only a month from today.
We better enjoy the Hawaiian
Yuletide Season as much as we can
in the meantime
We started today's adventures with a
hearty breakfast at this interesting spot
Just across the way about 75 meters
from our breakfast table,
we had this view of the surf crowd
After breakfast we divided our forces into two groups for the day.
Laurie and Susie opted to stay in Kihei for a day at the beach both soaking up the sunshine and refreshing themselves in the clear Pacific Ocean waters.
Having a curious sea turtle joining
them on the sand was a bonus
While they were enjoying their beach day, the rest of us loaded up the car for the scenic drive to Maui's "UpCountry" area at the foot of the long dormant Haleakalā Volcano.
This is Maui's cowboy country that includes the small cities of Makawao, Kula and Paia as well as the Haleakalā National Park.
It was a long and winding road to the
National Park entry gate
It was a mini-Road to Hana type of driving experience.
If you've ever driven that infamous Road to Hana, you know exactly what I mean.
It should have cost us $25 for the car to enter the park but Mark produced his lifetime membership card in the National Park Foundation and we proceeded up the mountain for free.
Mallory and Sophie Johnson
at the Park Visitor Station
just past the entrance
At this point we were a mere 7,000 feet/2134 meters above sea level.
We still had to traverse another 3,023 feet/921 meters of elevation to reach Haleakalā's summit
Finally, the "lunar landscape",
360° view from the summit of Maui
We were now 10,023 feet/3,055 meters above the Pacific Ocean.
Maybe Steph Curry was a right . . .
Sophie, Mark, Mallory join me
for an amazing panorama
Haleakalā's Āhinahina
or Silversword plant
Unique to Haleakalā, this rosette plant can take anywhere from five to 50 years to bloom. When it does. it produces the tall stalk seen here loaded with purple flowers signaling the end of that particular Silversword's lifecycle.
Views of Haleakalā's
remaining cinder cones
Much of the ancient volcano's original crater has eroded over the eons.
This still massive volcano still
creates vast weather swings on Maui
FOUR HUNDRED inches of rain yearly near Hana?
My goodness.
"Top of the world, Ma!"
Just incredible to see
With Mark
The Cinder Cones
It was a long trip but it was worth
it once we hit the summit!
Thanks for driving, Mark,
Rose Bowl GAME DAY
is now just two weeks away
Tuesday's agenda is highlighted by a morning snorkeling boat trip to the uninhabited, crescent shaped islet of Molokini.
Molokini
Stay tuned . . .
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