Hawaii Adventure 2023: 07/02/23

Another sunset at the beach.

We had not intended to stay at the beach so long, but as we were watching the waves in one of the volcanic coves, we spotted some sea turtles. They were bigger than the ones we saw while snorkeling, but not as big as the ones we saw on the beach a few nights ago. They were really fun to watch as they rolled in the surf, dove for something on the rocks, and got tossed around by the waves. At one point, one of them stuck on a rock and had to wait for the next wave to get itself loose. A great turtle show!

The sunset was pretty good too!

Kamole Beach III

Our condo is right across the street from the beach. It’s a lively park that leads down to white sandy beaches and volcanic outcroppings. From our balcony we can see across the road to the park and ocean. The beautiful view has also included some very interesting sightings. Our first night here we were treated to an electric bike parade. A group of about 15 people on E bikes with colorful lights rode by and circled through the beach parking lot several times before they headed back the way they came. The bikes were incredible with a variety of colors, flashing patterns, and fireworks style lights. Tonight when we walked along the nature trail we encountered a woman playing bagpipes. Not sure if she was practicing or doing some sort of Sunday ritual, but it was fun to hear her play with such an amazing backdrop.

Gold Dust Day Gecko

We went into the town of Makawao, the ranching and cowboy community on Maui, in search of ice cream. One place listed having an ice cream counter, but it didn’t. Alix has become our Yelp master, and not only finds us places with good ratings, but post reviews herself. She was quick to point out that this place no longer has scoop ice cream. Regardless, we did see a number of geckos. The colors are amazing and they are pretty cute. For that reason, it was worth the detour.

Like so many things here, they are an invasive species brought in from somewhere else. We are wondering how long something needs to be in Hawaii before it is considered native and no longer invasive.

Cold coffee treat

A hike warranted a treat. We picked this up at one of the grocery stores. Though it is labeled as coffee, it tasted more like a caramel YooHoo.

Hike to the crater rim

We decided to brave the mile walk on the rocky trail to the crater rim. The views were well worth the walk, though, not everyone in the family would agree. We were intrigued by the switchbacks on the trail leading into the crater. There is a route to hike from here all the way to the visitor center at the highest point in the park. We opted for the view, then turned around and went back the way we came.

Kalahaku Overlook

Perfect place for a picnic with a view.

Typical teenagers?

It might look that way from a far, but no.

They were lizarding (taking advantage of the heat coming off the rocks) and cackling with laughter.

They were taking goofy selfies and trying to one up each other by getting the craziest picture. Not your typical teens!

More Volcano Views

We couldn’t get enough of the sweeping vistas that included the crater and the ocean. The colors were amazing and we could even see as far as the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the big island!

Silver Sword

There are many plants, insects, and critters that only live at the top of this volcano and nowhere else. It reminded us of Rocky Mountain national park with the fragile high elevation tundra. The silver sword was particularly interesting. It seems like a succulent, but has the silver color to reflect the sun and take advantage of the extra warmth. It can live for about 50 years, blooms once for a day, then dies. Once it decomposes, it has an outer shell similar to a giant cactus.

Windy View

Science City

It looks like something out of a science-fiction film. In reality it is a research center at the top of Haleakala crater. There are telescopes and other buildings including the one that the Air Force uses to track all man-made objects in space. The biggest one must be fairly new since it is not in any of the pictures on the signs.

Panorama

It was very windy, but the views were worth it! And we learned that red lava is older than black lava because it is oxidized from the iron.

Pu’u’ula’ula Summit House

The hut at the top was a great place to get out of the wind and have a snack.

Graham crackers and peanut butter has been a favorite on this trip!

House of the Sun

Alix was very happy to be out of the heat. It was downright cold, and very windy at the top.

Getting high in HI!

Leleiwi Overlook

It was cool to be above the clouds. One layer rolls in the opening in the crater throughout the morning. It’s wild to watch from above. The crater itself is spectacular. It’s not the result of a violent volcanic eruption, but rather a few small erruptions and a lot of erosion.