On our fifth day in Maui, we woke up at 3am and left the cottage at 4am to drive up to the Haleakala Crater summit, in hopes of watching the famous sunrise which is said to be the most beautiful when seen from the volcano’s highest point at 10,023 feet. The drive took over an hour and a half, but we got there just in time for when the sun was scheduled to come up. It was freezing up there, but we bundled up and eagerly waited with cameras on hand.
View of the sun about to rise, from the Haleakala Summit
…and then came the most disappointing moment of the entire trip. It had looked like the sun was about to shine through the clouds and light up the valleys below, and then a massive fog came in and shrouded everything. It became dark, and we couldn’t see a thing.
Darn you, fog!
You can see what happened in the time-lapse that Dan created, below.
We were really bummed, as this was supposed to be one of the biggest highlights of the trip and was one of the top attractions in Maui, probably second only to the Road to Hana. We found out afterwards that there was a hotline you could call the night before with a rating/forecast of how the sunrise would look the following morning. If only we’d known about it, we could have saved ourselves the early wakeup and long drive up and down the summit that had all been for naught.
At least we got some stunning views of the sunlit valleys of Maui on the drive down for the summit. I guess it wasn’t a complete waste of time…
We went back to the cottage to take a nap, and then drove over to Polo Beach, where we spent much of the afternoon.
Here’s a funny video we took during our vacation, when Mio picked up my iPod Mini and started treating it as if it were a phone. We don’t blame her for mistaking the two different types of electronics. iPod, iPhone… what’s the difference, right? π
Picking up where we left off on Day Two, we explored more of West Maui on our third day. This was our last day staying in the Lahaina area, so we wanted to make the best of it! π
Mio bathed in the Maui morning sunlight.
We spent much of the early half of the day at Napili Kai Beach and Kapalua Beach, which are right next to each other. It was a great area to snorkel in, as well as to just sit back and enjoy the beach.
Stepping into the ocean.
Dan and my siblings getting ready to snorkel at Napili Kai Beach Resort.
Ready for some snorkeling!
Mio stayed behind on the beach, and we took turns watching her.
We got some great underwater pictures thanks to the underwater housing that we brought along for my point-and-shoot camera.
A sea urchin embedded in the rocks.
Coral at Napili Kai
We discovered some sea turtles while snorkeling! We’d seen them last time we were at Tunnels Beach in Kauai two years ago, but it’s always such an exciting experience to see them.
Sea turtles in Kapalua Bay
One got on top of the other. We suspect they were mating…
Closeup of the sea turtle: such majestic creatures!
Here are a couple underwater videos we took of the sea turtles!
Some more underwater pictures that we took…
Colorful fish and a sea snake.
Returning to the shore, we had a great time playing in the sand together.
Mio having fun with the noodle. (I swear I’m not naked in this picture – bad cropping.)
Kosei burying Ted in the sand.
Kosei also dug a hole for Mio to stand in. She looks unfazed.
Mio made a friend on the beach, and we found out upon talking to his mom that they were from San Ramon! We actually ran into a lot of fellow vacationers from the Bay Area.
It was a gorgeous day.
For lunch, we went to Star Noodle in Lahaina, as a bunch of us were craving some ramen.
Mio usually loves being outside, but she’d had enough of the heat and was happy to cool down indoors.
Everyone at lunch.
For the appetizer, we had some awesome pork buns. They were so good!!!
My hapa ramen from Star Noodle, with black miso. Ehrmahgerd… it was some of the best ramen I’d ever had.
Dan got the saimin, which was also great!
Miwa and I, full and satisfied after our delicious lunch!
Next stop was D.T. Fleming Beach! It was so hot and we were experiencing some major food coma, so we just wanted to lay out in the shade and nap.
Resting in the shade.
Mio had so much fun with Uncle Ted!
Later in the afternoon, we drove up North to see the Nakalele Blowhole. Mio was napping in the car, so Ted (who injured his foot) stayed behind with her while Dan, Kosei, Miwa, and I made the trek down to see the blowhole.
Scary warning sign.
The hike down was pretty rocky, but we finally reached the blowhole area.
Dan was fascinated by these rock formations.
The Nakalele Blowhole
The blowhole in action. Definitely dangerous if you get too close!
Miwa and I by the heart-shaped hole near the blowhole.
It was a perfect heart! Very cute.
We had a wonderful time in West Maui, and thoroughly enjoyed all the beauty it had to offer! The next day, we’d move to our cottage in Kihei, and explore the central and Eastern part of the island during the rest of our stay.
Mio loves riding the swing whenever she goes to the park. She can’t stop smiling!
Lately, I’ve been trying to be better about taking her to the park more often. She always has so much fun that she gets exhausted and conks out on the walk home. Here she is, asleep in her stroller.
