Home of the Sun

We are back from beautiful Maui! Even though M and I had an amazing time there, it’s always nice to come home. I do miss the nice weather, the awesome scenery and the lounging around. So many things to write about that I don’t know where to start!

We stayed in Wailea for the first for 4 days and had a room with an awesome view of the ocean. Our 1st excursion was biking down Mt. Haleakela. We were driven up to the summit of Mt. Haleakela and saw the volcanic crater with the ancient lava flow. We were up about 10,000 ft. and with the cloud cover below, it felt like we were walking in the sky. No wonder they call this place “Home of the Sun.”

After our time on the summit, we were driven down to about 6,000 ft. and were given bikes to ride down back to the bike shop. It was such a thrilling experience to zip down the mountain, navigating the hairpin curves and stopping at different points during the ride to look at the breathtaking ocean view.

M did such a great job making sure we didn't get run over by passing cars! I was very proud of myself for taking on this challenge. Something I would not have done if I didn't have M with me to keep me safe. It was one of the most unforgetable experiences I've had.

View off the balcony of our room.

Up near the top of Mt. Haleakela. This site is supposedly where the ancient Hawaiians sacrificed the virgins to the gods.

View down into the crater

You can see the ancient lava flow in this picture. It's the darker shade of gray behind M.

This is a Silversword plant (not yet flowered). It used to grow all over Mt. Haleakela, but was almost extinct because wild goats ate them up. It's now being protected and is slowly making a comeback. It only flowers once in its lifetime and the blooms can last from 10 to 30 years. It really is silver. The picture does not do it justice.