Hiking is Different in Hawaii.

I went for a couple morning hikes towards the northern most tip of the island and found some cool things such as a heart shaped hole in a rock, 

a naturally formed blowhole in a rock 

and of course some amazing coastal views.  

It was certainly some different sites than the lush green forests of the Pacific Northwest!

Sunrise at Haleakala

My big adventure for the day was going to Haleakala National Park to watch the infamous sunrise.  Apparently how blown away people are by the sunrise depends on the cloud cover and I think I just so happened to pick the perfect day. 

I got up at 2:30 in about ten layers of clothing to make the 2 hour drive to the park which included super curvy roads, but when I arrived, I realized the view was totally worth it.  It became a mob scene towards the time of sunrise (5:45), but it was probably the coolest mob scene I’d ever seen: a group of people that all got up at some ridiculous hour just to see nature’s beauty.  I ventured outside in the 40 mph winds to get some shots beforehand.

And then the sun began to rise and it was such a beautiful thing!

After I got my fill of sunrise sunshine, I hiked up the hill to the summit.  It was amazing to be standing so far above the clouds (and to feel the super intense wind that made my hair look extra attractive)!

I took my time going down and admired the beautiful landscape along the way!

By the time I got back to Lahaina (my home for the weekend), there was a lovely rainbow over the town. Too perfect!

Addicted to Turtles

I did not get my fill of swimming with turtles during my last snorkel trip, so I went on another snorkeling trip Saturday morning that launched from a beach just south of where I was staying. 

Our first stop was the Molokini Crater, an uninhabited island that is still continuing to form from new lava.  There were plenty of colorful fish and an abundance of beautiful coral reef. 

Next up was an area that has a lot of underwater caves and an abundance of turtle activity.  It is fondly referred to as Turtle Town.  What a dream!

 

I then took a drive to the southern most part of the area where there were many black lava fields and of course, more lovely ocean access (although the beach here was a bit rocky).

On my way back, there was a man selling fruit out of his truck (pretty sketch situation…my favorite!), so of course, I had to buy a coconut because I miss them from my days in Thailand.  He wanted a ridiculous $10-$15 (depending on size), I told him I only had $5 cash (which was true) and asked if I could get one anyways.  I landed myself a large one for my drinking enjoyment.  Even that seemed a bit steep, but I really wanted it and I understood his market was really limited due to his poor location (forever thinking about the business side of things).  It didn’t quite fit in the cup holder, but it made me more happy than you can imagine. 

 

In the afternoon, I headed to a plantation to learn about some of the native plants that grow on the island.  It was so awesome to see all these tropical fruits and flowers thriving in their natural habitat!

 

Some of my favorites were orchids,

Bird-of-Paradise,

sugar cane,

pineapples,

 

jackfruit (one of the largest fruits in the world),

coffee (obviously a favorite),

and mangoes.

  

Inside their store, they even had a really amazing display of hand coffee grinders along the top perimeter of the building.  It was a great reminder of home!

 

I was spending my weekend in the cute town of Lahaina, so I finished my day with a walk around the main street (with shave ice in hand), staring off into the sunset and exploring the super large and in charge Banyan tree that occupies the lawn outside the City Hall.