About half way through our Maui adventure, it was time to head up to Haleakala - the 10K foot high volcano. We had snorkeled in the morning so we were ready for lunch as we headed out so we stopped at the Kula Bistro which was great.
Hosmer's Grove
Eventually we started the climb up (in our rental car, mind you!) and our first stop was for a jaunt through Hosmer's Grove. It was truly lovely and actually a real highlight. There were many species of trees and plants that had been imported by Ralph S. Hosmer so it was incredibly fragrant and like a forest that was very unlike the rest of the island. It smelled like peppermint and eucalyptus and had a beautiful view at the end. There is a campsite located near the parking lot that would be a delightful place to stay! That was at around 6000 feet and we had 4000 more to go.
Summit
We finally got to the top after a thousand switch backs and wow! It doesn’t even look like planet earth! The view into the crater as like staring into Mars - totally awesome. One of our party had a hard time with the elevation so that was a little challenging but nothing insurmountable. Nothing a few Advil and eventual return to sea level couldn't cure. We did stay until sunset or at least a few minutes before and it was glorious.
Star Noodle
We made it back down from the summit while watching the afterglow above the clouds. We had an 8:45 dinner reservation at the famous Star Noodle in Lahaina which was a 2 Hour drive back from the summit. Delicious meal to end another fabulous day!
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