Liz has a better idea where we're going so she drove.
I played Navigator.
This is the standard view inland from anywhere on the west side. I was trying to get a clear pic from the passenger side so i held the camera out the window haha.
Towards the center of the Island are huge sugar cane fields. That's one of Maui's biggest export crops.
On the other side of this sugar cane you can see the ocean.
We eventually got to Haleakala National Park. You can see me super excited to be there.
It had stormed the day before so it was super cloudy up on the mountain so we were literally driving through clouds on the way up.
We passed a NeNe bird just chilling right on the side of the road. We're pretty sure this is the Hawaii state bird but this hasnt been fact checked. They are also endangered... and SO cool looking! He was standing on one leg. You can also see a shiny metal tag on his leg. I'm guessing he's being tracked.
This is the view from one of the look out points on the way up. The road just serpentined it's way up the mountain... kinda scary haha. liz did a good job though.
More view from above the clouds. This is at about 8500ft up!
Liz rockin a pose on the mountain.
Self Explanatory. Also. It was SO cold.
This is SilverSword, it grows at 10,000ft in the freezing cold on rock. pretty cool.
No words. Just Wow.
Me rockin a pose in the clouds!
On the way down the clouds were clearing up so you could see all the way to the ocean on the other side of the island.
I'm a happy camper.
oh wow guys!!! love the pics of the 10,000+ feet!!! the last one of you with the sunglasses is awesome ;) tell Eliz I could see her beach bag and it puts a smile on my face!!!
ReplyDeleteThere's a wicked awesome hike you can do leaving from the visitor center, hiking across the Haleakala crater and up the other side. You need someone to pick you up on the other end, but it's a gorgeous hike - the ecological transformation from volcanic desert to lush rainforest is breathtaking, and if you get lucky, the views are spectacular if the clouds open up.
ReplyDeleteAlso don't miss the road to Hana - and there's a semi-secret red sand beach that's pretty much in Hana, totally worth a visit if you can find it. The road out there can be sketchy though - I almost got carsick on the way back.
Maui is beautiful - soak it up!