2/27/99: We dropped dad off at Church to do his yard work, and then stopped at the Bob’s and Maggie’s to pick up five slide carousels. Bob gave them to us for free, since he bought 15 of them used for about $3.00 a piece. They’ll definitely come in handy… Then we went snorkeling at Ahihi Bay again, and got burgers at Azeka’s in Kihei too. We stopped at Kalama Park to listen to the Ho’opi’i Brothers at a big outdoor concert. Very nice, relaxing day… After we picked up dad, we went to Ho’okipa to watch some monster waves coming in, and then stopped for shave ice up in Pukalani again. We’re going to miss Maui!
2/27/24: *During our 1999 stay with Dad & Mom at the end of our round-the-world trip, we did not take many photos. So, I am posting photos and stories from some of our other trips to Maui over the years.
Haleakalā is an active shield volcano. Wait, “active”? Yes, “active!” At its highest peak, Puʻu ʻUlaʻula (or “Red Hill”), it is 10,023 feet above sea level. Many tourists will make a token visit for a sunrise. Some intrepid (or, as I like to say, “crazy!”) tourists even get on bicycles and ride down the steep slopes and switchbacks from the summit. There are some special, truly unique opportunities to enjoy though, that some tourists never realize or notice. If you ever get to Maui, it is worth the trip up to the summit to see animals and plants that you cannot see in their native wild anywhere else in the world, such as the the nēnē and the ahinahina!
NOTE: The photo above, from our 2006 trip to Maui, shows Ian and Josiah at the summit of Haleakala with the hills and rocky terrain of the volcanic crater in the background.
The vast terrain of the volcano crater of Haleakala, during our 2006 trip to Maui. There are trails for hiking down in the crater, but we have not been down there. Yet.Dad at the summit of Haleakala, with the valley and the West Maui Mountains in the background. (2006)The nēnē, or Hawai’ian Goose, is the official state bird of Hawai’i, and is found in the wild nowhere else in the world. (2006)The ahinahina plant (or “silversword”) is native only to the higher elevation slopes of Haleakala on Maui, and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island. These are the only places you can ever see them. They can live up to 90 years, but flower only once, and then die. (2006)When it is time to flower, the ahinahina sends up a tall, thin stalk (or “sword”) that is covered in hair-like needles, that then blossom into flowers for a short time. It is a rare treat to see one in bloom, In this 2006 photo you can see some young ahinahina that have no stalk, some that have recently grown their stalk and may bloom soon, and one, on the right, that has bloomed and is already fading. If you visit the summit of Haleakala and see one of these precious and endangered plants, cherish the moment, especially if you get to see one in bloom. (2006)It is a treat to watch a sunrise from the summit of Haleakala. But it is a gamble to take the drive up in the pre-dawn hours, because one can never know for sure if the clouds will roll in and obscure the sunrise. A sunset from the summit is less attended by tourists, but can be rewarding regardless of the cloud cover, because after the heat of a full day, much of the clouds will either be burned off altogether, or the cloud cover will be so low that the view from the 10,024 feet summit affords the ethereal sense that you are floating above a sea in a sky of burn umber and dreamy indigo. (2023)
