Maui Day 4 (June 16th)

Today started bright and early. Well, I guess it wasn't really bright since it was 2 A.M. when we got started. Who does this on vacation?!?! A lot of people do, we came to find out! We were picked up in front of our place by a very large, very long haired, very friendly local named Jengas. We decided we wanted to experience the sunrise and bike ride down Haleakala so we booked the "Summit to the Sea" sunrise package with Mountain Riders. We went to their office to pick up our gear, our guide, and watch a short informational video about the ride down the volcano in which they scare you to death with stories of accidents and deaths that have occurred on the mountain. Then we loaded up in a van and drove a few hours to the summit of Haleakala - "House of the Sun."We reached the summit somewhere around 5 A.M. ... I don't really remember due to sheer exhaustion. The summit is just over 10,000 feet (aka COLD). We stood along the railings that keep you from falling in the massive crater with tons of other people - remember I said that obviously a lot of people do this on their vacation? Oh, it was cold! The winds howl up there and it was probably in the 40's that morning. When you're not used to that kind of cold it is near shocking to the body! The view from the summit is gorgeous. You can see clear out to the ocean on a clear day. You can also see down into the crater a bit which looks like what I imagine the surface of the moon looks like. The amazing part was having the cloud line below us. Completely majestic. We stood in the cold, huddled together, waiting for the sun to peek out from the clouds. Just as it begins to break through you see a bright neon line along the top of the cloud. I wish I could have captured in picture just how spectacular it was. The sunrise was at 5:47 A.M. We watched as it rose a little higher and then headed back to the van before we froze to death!!After watching the sunrise we loaded back in the van and drove down just outside of the state park (about 6,500 feet) to begin our 28 mile bike ride. You used to be able to ride from the summit but after another person was killed back in October they made it so you can't ride within the state park area. I honestly can't for the life of me remember our guide's name now but he gave us all of the scary stories of death and carnage that had taken place over the years, basics on how to peddle, steer, and what to expect from the bikes. We got dressed in our windbreaker outfits and got ready to go.We started the ride with a bit of anxiety, of course, with all of the stories we had heard. Once we got the feel of the bikes it wasn't as intimidating as we thought. Except for "Grandma." We went just a little way before stopping to make sure everyone was comfortable and doing well. Our guide said he thought Teisha had been braking - which she wasn't - and he wanted to make sure she was okay. He talked about how we needed to keep our spacing just right so we would be more safe, etc. Teisha asked "Grandma" if she was slowing her down (G was behind T in line) to which she answered "YES!" Can you believe the nerve?! Not wanting to hold anyone back, Teisha decided she was better off riding down in the van. Such a bummer!! Just goes to show that the group you are put with can make or break your experience. The worst part was that "Grandma" kept the rest of our group back the entire ride - except for me because I was in front of her!!! We were all beyond annoyed with her and the others in her party. Moving on .... It really was a beautiful ride ... amazing to watch the scenery as we got closer to our beach destination. It was impossible to take pictures of the actual journey, obviously, but we did stop to take a few. We traversed the massive switchbacks all the way down the mountain, peddled (a few times) through Haleakala Ranch and Kula before ending up at Baldwin Beach in Paia. What a beautiful way to start our time in Maui (except for "Grandma," of course). After loading our bikes and gear back into the trailer it was time to head back to our place to enjoy our first "real" afternoon in Maui :)After we got back to our place we ate some leftover pizza from the night before and changed into our suits so we could head to the beach - YEAH!! With so many amazing beaches surrounding us we had to decide where to start our Maui beach journey. We decided to head to Ka'anapali Beach - one of the largest and most beautiful beaches on the island. It is lined by many fabulous resorts and is a popular place to be. It is on the west end of Maui fairly close to where we were staying in Kahana.

I don't know that ANY beach could disappoint when you are in a place like Maui. The entire surrounding and scenery is exactly what I picture when I think of a tropical vacation in Paradise. We set up our spot with towels, bags, and umbrella - perfect for an afternoon of sunning, playing in the ocean, and people watching! I find very few things as relaxing as laying on the beach listening to the sound of the ocean without a care for what the kids are going to eat for lunch, when the last time the toilet was scrubbed, how much laundry needs to be folded, or having to get anyone to an activity!! I believe if I could have a day at the beach once a week I would be a better person for it :) We spent a few hours watching our husbands act like boys in the ocean, running their best "Baywatch" run, writing in the sand, keeping an eye out for sand crabs, and laughing at "Teisha's boyfriends" who were just a short distance from our spot - no place like the beach to find some great people to watch!!!We packed up our stuff and headed back to the resort so we could shower and get cleaned up for dinner. We decided on a place called Kimo's in Lahaina based on a recommendation from a local. It was right on the ocean and the view from our table was gorgeous - the perfect spot to end our day. To say the food was fabulous would be an understatement!!! First you must understand that this is primarily a seafood restaurant and I am not a huge lover of seafood ... don't hate it, but don't love it. I decided on the Opah (Hawaiian Moon Fish) served "Kimo's Style" (garlic, lemon, and sweet basil glaze). Our server told me it was a very mild fish and that if I didn't like it she would bring me something different. Made it sound safe so I gave it a go. I ate every single bite and probably would have eaten more if it had been available to me (we'd had a long and action packed day and it was fish, right?). I've never had anything like it before and only hope to have something so good again. All of us enjoyed every last bit of our dinners. We even "had" to try their famous Hula Pie - Macadamia Nut Ice Cream on top of a chocolate cookie crust, topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and macadamia nuts ... can you taste it?!?! Sadly, this is one of the few meals that I didn't photograph!! I did find a great picture of the pie, though :) Mike would not stop giving "props" to Kimo's the rest of our trip! It really was fantastic and I would recommend you go the next time you are in Maui :)After dinner we walked up and down Main Street in Lahaina looking at all of the fun shops (and spending a little $). Then it was off to bed after a long day ... knowing we had another early morning tomorrow :)