We really are up early today, 3:50 to be precise, to drive the 35 or so miles to Haleakala to watch the sunrise. Impressively, for us, we're driving down the road shortly after 4. The drive is pretty easy and it's well signposted, my only surprise being the lack of other vehicles doing the same, it's supposed to be the big thing.
Over the lower slopes on quite a few bends there were whiteish stones scattered over. Clearly some careless driving. It took a few bends where I should have felt something through the tyres to realise it was blossom. Your speed drops as you get higher due to the extra windyness of the road. A few thousand feet up there's a village. The constant early morning traffic would really irritate me. The steep drops off the edge of the road become more apparent with first light. Also a sign we were late. The road's so twisty it takes forever.
We pay at the entrance -- pre-dawn staff! -- then pass the visitors centre but the road still goes up. And up. A few miles later and we appear to be the last to arrive at the summit, reasonable light pervading the scene. Another ranger guides us to the last possible parking space. We jumped out and found our slot. 
The pictures don't capture the scale of the thing. At 10,000ft we're above the clouds so the whole horizon is available to be lit up. Which it is. Having missed first light I suspect we missed the more sublime shades but the show's still pretty good. It is cold, however, so as soon as the sun has risen (and the first few sunworshippers have driven off) we jump back in the car and get the heater on. This causes me to fall asleep instantly.
When I open my eyes again and[?] the car park only has two other cars in it. Oops. We run around the rim of the cinder cone that is the summit -- the car park appears to be the `crater' of the cone. The view is great, the clouds have cleared the northwestern volcano and you can see the Big Island though the other islands are covered by clouds. 
There's been a fire or somesuch towards Kahalui which has created a stem of smoke leading to a lily leaf cloud. 
We headed downhill making a few more stops most of which overlook Haleakala crater. This is not a crater but the result of two river erosions joining, creating a cleft 6000ft deep which was promptly filled with 3000ft of lava and nowadays sports some cinder cones to show willing. We make it back into Kahalui for 10ish and head to Ruby's Diner, a 50s theme diner, where we tuck into substantial breakfasts. We still feel the need for a couple of hours kip so run over the road to the hotel for some shuteye.
Suitably refreshed, or more bleary depending, we head out down the Hana Highway. This is purported to be the best drive in Hawaii, the world, whatever. What it is is a bloody nightmare for rental car drivers who haven't paid for every single extra insurance. It's a road that runs along the northern coast to Hana on the eastern edge. It starts sensibly then when it turns into the 360 the road hugs the coastline with about a sixth of the journey less than the width of two cars. The road has blind curves (vertical rock inside) at the headlands constant narrowing of the road into and out of the valleys and one, I think two lane bridge. The entire road run (way beyond Hana) has some 600 turns and 54 bridges though it certainly felt like we covered most of them (the map suggests 40 [of the bridges]). The locals know the road and career round and plenty of rental car drivers do the same. It's a great road but precious few ocean views -- the foliage is thick -- and a nightmare with other drivers about. One of our favourite features being the `Yield' signs at pinch points. Most of them have yield at both ends. Cue deadlock. Some of the yields run out of sight so you just have to go anyway.
Amazingly, at the end of this, Hana has an airport and you can rent a car. We stop and try to find the famous red sand beach but are deterred by too many `No Trespassing' notices. We fill up -- feeling honest I go back and pay for the petrol when she failed to charge me -- and head back. The drive is too stressful for me to try after dark. The return route is a lot quicker, there are fewer cars on the road though the ones we meet get a little closer.
Back in Kahalui we try to avoid all the fast food outlets but only find a sole restaurant. The food's not bad but a bit pricey. A hopeless attempt to turn around becomes a visit to Borders for an hour.
Maui Seaside Hotel, Kahalui, Maui N20.89123 W156.47031 Elev. 18m
Copyright 2003 Ian Fitchet. All rights reserved.