Maui 2017: Day 5

Saturday started out with a nice walk on Kam I, II & III.

I love doing it with a cup of coconut coffee.

In the past, if we had taken the drive up to the summit of Haleakala (the 10,023 ft. volcano which makes up the southeast side of the island), we would have done it to watch the sunrise. Quite the magical experience. Even if it meant getting up at 3am to make it to the summit on time.

This time, we decided to try it for sunset.

We headed to Upcountry in the early afternoon, with our first stops being the

winery, MauiWine, and the Ulupalakua Ranch before heading to the summit of Haleakala.

Word of advice: If you go, don't eat a big lunch or dinner beforehand.

I'll tell you why in a minute.

In all of our trips to or through Upcountry, we have never made a stop at this winery (the only one on Maui).

Previously, all

they've had were sickeningly sweet wines,

including ones infused with pineapple.

However, I had heard they were now becoming a more serious winery.

They now have two or three that are as good as any. But, the rest are still very sweet.

Don't let that stop you from checking this place out.

The views are spectacular. So are the grounds of the winery.

The ranch across the road has a very nice shop, a wrap-around porch and a kitchen cooking up delicious burgers made fresh from Maui beef. So, save your appetite!

Back on the road toward Kula, and the Kula Lodge. There were too many beautiful views to stop at for photos. We had to have this one of the many Jacaranda Trees on the side of the volcano, which were in full bloom in May.

When we arrived at the Kula Lodge, we found their gardens to be even more lush than we had seen before.

There was also available seating in the dining room, if we had chose to have a sit down meal.

Instead, we ordered a brick oven pizza to take up to the summit with us.

One of the misconceptions we had was that it might be a bit warmer at the summit before sunset, than it usually is before sunrise. We did this with no research, just common sense. Or so we thought.

It was bitterly cold. The temperature reading in the car was 45 degrees. Ha! That would've been a heat wave compared to what the wind chill was. we didn't count on the constant 30-35 mph wind which made it feel like it was in the 20's.

Here's what it was like. Excuse my language.

This vid actually has sound, and is a better representation of the conditions.

Looks like I'm on Mars. Which would make sense, since it was so fucking cold and devoid of oxygen. I was like Matt fucking Damon.

Click HERE to return to Sunrise on Haleakala.

May 2017 Day Six.