Hawaii 50 - Maui Part 3 (Haleakalā National Park)

Today we decided to tackle the second National Park in Hawaii, Haleakalā National Park. Haleakalā is the third largest volcano in Hawaii and its mass makes up approximately three quarters of Maui. 

Most people visit this park at sun rise to watch the amazing view and then cycle down from the top of the volcano. We didn't fancy waking up at the early hours whilst on holiday, its hard enough to do that at home. We also doubted any company would be that happy with Sam cycling down hill with her brakes on the whole way, like she does at home. So we opted for the more leisurely drive to the top of the volcano and then back down again. 

It took us about an hour and a half to get to the entrance to the park, and then a further hour to drive the 10 miles to the summit, this includes about 30 minutes of stops and short hikes. Our hotel was sea level and the top of the summit was 10,023 feet, so it was quite a climb! 

It was a very warm day, reaching around 28C as we left the hotel. We were both wearing shorts and T-shirts and didn't even think of bringing any warmer clothes. This was a big mistake as at the top of the volcano, it was around 3C. One woman came up to us whilst in her winter coat, thick trousers and hat, to call us "rock stars" for coming up to the summit wearing so little! We should have done some more research beforehand! 

The drive up to the summit was beautiful and we both preferred it to the Road to Hana. We went through forest which turned into fields, and eventually waste land and lava. The sky was blue at the coast but as we went up the volcano, we went through a layer of thick cloud and then above the clouds. It looked like a huge fluffy white lake. There were quite a few pull outs along the road where we pulled out to take in the view.

We stopped off at the visitors centre, which was very small, with toilets and a tiny shop and information area. There was no food or drink, another thing we didn't prepare for! 

We then we headed to the very end of the road, the summit. Here we found the native Silversword plant. This is the only place on Earth where they grow and it felt pretty special to see them. After parking up, we braced the freezing cold wind to walk around the summit. 

On our way back down, we stopped off at another car park where we had planned to do the Sliding Sands Trail where the first 3 miles takes you across the crater. It was too cold and we were not prepared for the hike or the temperature, so instead we walked around the view points over looking the crater. 

We headed back down the windy road, watching the landscape change from barren to lush forest, and the temperature increase as we came through the clouds.   

Once back in Lahaina, we parked up at Wahikuli Wayside Park where we found a sandy beach to chill out on for the rest of the afternoon. 

In the evening, we continued exploring downtown Lahaina. We started off at Beach House Beer Co, a new bar that had just opened up. They were so new, they hadn't yet received their alcohol license. We were able to buy a snack from their food menu which then allowed them to give us free samples of their beers. The food and the beers were very good and it was easy to see how this was going to become a really popular bar once it got fully up and running. Next we headed away from the main street and after a 20 minute walk, reached an industrial park where we found Koholā Brewery. The beers and locally made pretzels were great. They also had an amazing singer on with a really eery voice that seemed to bounce off the brewing equipment surrounding her. 

We then headed to a recommendation from one of the locals we met in Kauai, the Sly Mongoose. This wasn't a tourist bar, it was a local dive bar and we loved it. We met some interesting locals, hearing lots of stories about the island their lives. One local came in with two chicks he had rescued and we all took turns in keeping them warm. Our one drink, turned into 4... or 5... or maybe more. Neither of us really remember leaving, or how we ended up in the late night party bar The Dirty Monkey afterwards. We ended up getting back to our hotel late and needed a lie in the next day before our flight back to Las Vegas.