Haleakala is one of the most famous sightseeing spot in Maui. It is a volcano with summit at 10,000 feet above sea level. I learned of it because (1) riding a bicycle down Haleakala is a very popular activity (at least for tourists. Not sure if the locals do it though) (2) bird watching literature mentioned the park having several birds unique to Hawaii, e.g. the goose-like Nene, the tennis ball-like Yellow Honeycreeper, etc. (3) fabulous sunrise could be seen at the top. We debated for a while whether we should do (3) because (a) we needed to get up before 3am and drive the long and winding road up to the top (b) the temperature could get really low up there. We decided against it and saved us some luggage spaces that would have been occupied by thick and heavy clothing! Instead, we had a light breakfast and left the hotel at 8am for Makawao, a tiny little town at the foot of the hill. We grabbed a few donuts/pastries from the famous Komoda bakery there to prepare for our visit to Haleakala. I found out later that Komoda is kinda like the Golden Gate bakery in SF China town, famous for its treats as well as unpredictable schedule :P
We entered the park about an hour later and saw the state flower, Silversword at the visitor center.
The nearby Hosmer's Grove, according to the park ranger, was the best spot in the park for bird watching. I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to find any of those native birds though. Fortunately I saw a glimpse of Nene when it ran across the road to the crater/summit, which is lengthy (about another 10 miles) and curvy. The crater was another disappointment. I thought I would see red hot lava flowing out of it.
The only redeeming feature was the great view of clouds at about 7000 feet where we were slightly above them.
We left the summit and drove back down around noon and had a late lunch (Maui Taco and Panda Express) at Queen Ka'ahumanu Shopping Center. Ironically, we saw more birds at that food court than at Haleakala!
We spent the rest of the day at the hotel for water fun. Dinner was poke/sashimi with rice and "room"-made roast beef sandwich with all ingredient bought from Foodland supermarket.
