Maui, Hawaii

Highlights

The sunrise at Haleakala National Park
Swimming at Turtle Bay
Dinner at Lahaina Grill
Front Street

Sadly, I realized I’m not updating my blog as much as I did last year. I’ve seriously hunkered down this past summer and became laser-focused on work. So, taking a much-needed break to Maui was just what I needed.

I can’t say that Hawaii would be my first choice for a vacation, but for some reason, I keep going back, so maybe I do like it more than I admit.

I was in Oahu last year, so this trip makes it my sixth trip to Hawaii — it was my first time in Maui. I definitely liked this island the best. It’s not as touristy as Honolulu but there was more to do and see than Kauai.

By far, the number one thing to do in Maui is the sunrise at Haleakala National Park, which is in the middle of the island.

The entrance to the Westin at Ka’anapali.

Sunrise at Haleakala National Park

The sunrise alone was worth the entire trip to Maui. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. If you ever go to Maui, I highly recommend this.

Haleakala is perched on the top of a 10,000 elevation mountain and took about an hour and a half to get to from the Westin in Ka’anapali.

Tip: If you plan on doing this, you need to make reservations from their website.

Luckily, we decided to do a hike on Haleakala the day before and talked to the park ranger on our way into the park. Hawaiians are so gosh darn nice.

The ranger, (I love you, Mel!) said they were full for the next day, but said it would be okay if we came back the next day without the reservation. Parking at the mountain costs $25 which is good for three days.

We left the hotel at 3:30am and watched the most beautiful sunrise at 6:14 am the next day. The sky turned from black to deep blues and purples. Then, as 6 am approached, it subtly morphed into red, orange, shades of pink, and eventually golden rays of the sun, peeking through.

Compared to the daytime 80-degree weather, Haleakala was chilly (40s). There was an audience of sunrise fans, waiting, watching with lots of iPhones rearing to go (including mine).