• If you want adventure, Kauai is way better.
• If you want shopping and restaurants in a tropical setting, Waikiki/O’ahu is way better.
• If you want volcanoes, the Big Island is better (I’m assuming).

But if you want B-versions of the above all in one place, well, that’s Maui I think. IMHO of course. At which point I release a big photo dump and hope for the best.

The church in Kahakuloa.

This is the place where they tell you to respect the a'ina, although they don't really explain how you do that exactly.

Some sailboat as seen from the trail that takes you to the blowhole that does not blow (when I'm there).

Olivine Pools -- you swim in 'em!

Rental car's a-comin'!

This is what my parents look like.

Waymarker on a beach near the La Perouse light station.

End of Kings Highway

Waianapanapa Beach, which has black sand.

Venus Pool, which ended up being too shallow to reasonably access from the trail that day.

The beach at the bottom of the "Sacred Pools" (that didn't seem all that sacred without much water in them).

Just FYI, if there hasn't been much rain on Maui, most of the waterfalls kind of suck. This was as good as there was anywhere on the Hana side.

The Hana Highway if you take it past Hana (note: it's not a dirt road).

The dragon's teeth. Which dragon? Difficult to say.

The Lahaina Prison -- they named a road after it (in Lahaina; it's called "Prison Road").

Worthwhile photo captions seem so last-vacation.

Also went on the Pipiwai Trail up to the big ol’ waterfalls, which were barely trickling. I’m guessing that 90-percent of the time, this hike is by far the best one on Maui. It has variation in foliage (including a bamboo forest), is relatively short, has several highlights along the way (waterfalls and pools unless there’s no water) and has a massive waterfall at the end (unless there’s no water). Anyway.

I’m tired and don’t remember much from this vacation. A shame, yes.

bkd

It’s cool that they close the pre-dawn gate once they’ve allowed enough cars into the park to fill the parking lots. Wind: strong. Dressed: warm. Slept in car while waiting in the parking lot: maybe half an hour. Sky started glowing: 6:10. Looked like:

This. It's Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (the Big Island) in the distance. Well, stars also in the distance. The implied sun is also distant.

Photos taken: 450 or something like that. For the entire day, not just the sunrise. Entire photo-day: spent at Haleakala.

I’m not a connoisseur of sunrises, so I don’t really know why this one is special, or if the particular one I saw was, in fact, special. It’s interesting to note, though, that the sky starts glowing 45 minutes before the sun actually crests the horizon.

The sun, actually cresting the horizon.

To the naked eye, it was already broad daylight, though, no matter how that photo looks (I have some much darker ones taken much later — heck, I can take an under-exposed photo *any* time of day; it’s a talent I have).

The sun: exposed.

I don’t know much about sunrises, but watching it at Haleakala brought me to a stark, sudden realization: the sun is one big ol’ bright, fiery round thing. Seriously.

Should've just uploaded this one and not the previous one. Oh well.

They also have an observatory at the summit that looks like it’d be a cool place to work. And windy! I didn’t see anyone working there, though.

No one.

Once the sun got finished rising and I walked around the summit a little (there were pink clouds, and a few rocks and ridges), I headed down to the visitors’ center and the crater to go hike along the Sliding Sands trail. It’s the trail that the now too-famous Maui Revealed guidebook says is The One Trail on Maui. Like, if you only hike one trail, it should be this one.

The top part of the trail.

Silver sword plants along the trail -- none in bloom.

I hiked to that place out there where the trail ends, Ka Luu o ka Oo. I think.

The bottom of the non-crater crater.

The crater within the crater.

Scourges of the park trails.

*Swirling* Sands is more like it! (Har!)

Seriously: if you could get a big river flowing off of that ledge? Dang near perfect. Alas.

Evidence that I was there.

• It’s like walking on Mars (I imagine).
• Except with oxygen and reasonable temperatures.
• It’s also sort of like being at Death Valley.
• Only it’s in Hawaii.
• It’s kind of a tourist hike, although the more of a tourist you are, the sooner you turn around.
• I also wish there were a rain forest at the bottom of the crater. I’m hoping to get final edit on all future terraforming activities.

Pretty scenery, so long as you like rocks (and sand). I ended up hiking maybe five or six miles total. Thing about the hike is: the best views are at the top. So the further down the crater you go, the more repetitive it becomes and the more you’re going to have to hike back up. It was pretty and, especially for what I’m used to seeing in Hawaii, unusual. But it seemed like the more effort you exerted, the less you got back from it. Diminishing returns is what they call that.

Done typing,

bkd

I’m wondering if the Valley hike is prettier. I hear it’s easier. And I can’t quite figure out if the “13 crossings” hike is just the valley hike. Probably won’t do either.

(It’s not, I checked. But for some reason it’s hard to find information on “13 crossings”, only random people saying how great it is. It turns out it’s another “great Maui hike” that’s sort of inaccessible because it’s all on private land or some nonsense. And how can anyone in good conscience close off prime hiking trails, insist that you can only access them through a certain company, and then allow people to be charged $125pp just to go on a dumb hike?)

Most of the trail looks like this. And you don't ever make it to the top of the ridge in the distance.

It also mostly looks like this.

They have trees like this there. Think they're "cook pines".

This waterfall was in the distance -- it might be where you go if you pay $125 or trespass or whatever it is you do with the 13 thing.

The view from (near) the top.

With jade,

bkd

Here’s a picture of me, in the room, nailing down my plans for the next eight days:

Me operating a computer via telekinesis.

I feel like I have to put a photo in every post now what with this new “magazine-style” theme I’m rocking.

1/1 (Friday)
Arrive
Check In
Go to Wal-Mart (or similar)
Walk Around

1/2 (Saturday)
Waihee Ridge Hike
Iao Needle?
Relocate to Snazzier Accommodations

1/3 (Sunday)
Sliding Sands Hike (Haleakala NP)

1/4 (Monday)
Drive around the Western Lobe (Honolua, Nakalele Blowhole, the 40-mi. marker view; Olivine Pools)
Try Not to Do Too Much

1/5 (Tuesday)
La Perouse Coves Hike and Snorkel

1/6 (Wednesday)
MTB Down Skyline Rd. (on Haleakala)

1/7 (Thursday)
Na’ili’ili-Haele Falls Hike

1/8 (Friday)
Hana Highway

1/9 (Saturday)
Lahaina Pali Hike
Depart

That’s it. I should probably include days/meals for the three or four restaurants that were recommended to me by my insider. Next draft.

bkd

Didn’t you just go to Hawaii? Yes, but a different island.

Isn’t that a long way to fly for just a three-day weekend? Meh.

Why did you decide to go? $284 round-trip over a holiday weekend — that seemed like a sign.

Day 1 (Friday)

 

Laie Point

Activities: Aiea Loop Trail, Lunch at Giovanni’s, North Shore

Highlight: Going to dinner with my niece between her shifts at work.

Day 2 (Saturday)

 

Concrete lookout station bunker also services as rain shelter.

Activities: Punchbowl Cemetery, Tantalus Drive, Makapuu (Lighthouse, Lookout Station), Hanapa Blowhole, Dinner at Rainbow Drive-In

Highlight: Hanging out in the lookout station bunkers.

Day 3 (Sunday)

Looking back at Yokohama Bay from Kaena Point.

Activities: Waikiki in Daylight, Drive to Yokohama Bay, Hike to Kaena Point, Tantalus Drive II

Highlight: Comparing the tent city outside of Waianae to Matanikau Village in the Solomons…

Things to Do Differently Next Time

• Stay in one of the nicer hotels (the free parking at this one was nice, but the kitchenette and over-sizedness didn’t have much utility).
• Plan activities around where the sun’s going to be so all your photography subjects aren’t getting blown out by back-lighting.
• Memorize every street name, corner, and visual cues in the city of Honolulu before arrival (since all street signs here are invisible).

Things to Do the Same Next Time

• Get a small car (I got an Impreza this time) — makes it possible to park.
• Get restaurant recommendations from Cliff — he was 3-for-3 this time out.
•  Enjoy the rainstorms.

Verdict

I think it’s reasonable to come here for a three-day weekend (I took Friday off — it was more of a four-day weekend with 3.5 days on the ground here). The good and bad of that is that by day three, I still haven’t relaxed at all. But I’ve walked around a lot, and there’s probably utility in that.

bkd