Mt. Haleakala: a once-in-a-lifetime experience

This morning, as I drink my Kauai Estate Dark Roast Coffee, I’m reminiscing with the family about our vacation this time last year.  As we look through pictures and discuss which to share, I am filled with fond memories and a grateful heart! Join me as I share our once-in-a-lifetime sunrise experience!

How it all began

We tried to pack so much into this two-week journey – beauty, adventure, relaxation, rest, exertion, history, local culture, food, shopping, sunsets, sunrises, beaches, mountains, challenging hikes and leisurely strolls. 🤭 

The end goal…

Mostly, we just wanted to soak up every moment of life together as a family, with hearts grateful to our Heavenly Father for the excellent gift of this abundant journey. As I have said, Maui was the perfect blend of metropolitan Honolulu, Oahu, and pristine Koloa on the Garden Isle of Kauai. Maui is known as the Valley Isle and, sometimes, life can be the most serene and plentiful in the valley. 

Such an amazing blessing

We decided to start our day with breakfast in the Club Lounge, followed by a surprise May Day celebration at the resort. Activities included hula, stories, lei-making, lawn games, and presentations. The event concluded with a traditional Hawaiian send-off/blessing called “Hawai’i Aloha”. All of the participants gathered in a circle to sing, and it was truly beautiful. This event is put on by the Resort Staff one day each year. What a blessing that it fell on our first full day at the resort. 

Later that day

After our lovely resort breakfast, we took a stroll along the Ka’anapali Beach pathway. Eventually, we drove to the quaint, seaside town of Lahaina to tour the many shops, restaurants and historic sites along Front Street. The kids were especially excited to see the Giant Banyan Tree in front of the Lahaina Courthouse. 

Shopping on Front Street

Following hours of shopping in Lahaina, we found the original Cheeseburger in Paradise. The food was outstanding, and the views couldn’t be beat! Our waiter, Austin, was from Nashville, TN . . . go figure, right?! For dessert, we shared a REAL Hawaiian treat – Ululani’s Shave Ice. We loved the condensed milk and ice cream base, and the locally sourced fresh-fruit syrup blends.  🍧

Back at the resort

The remainder of our day was spent at the Hyatt Regency, enjoying the activities and shops. We also played in the waves while watching a glorious Maui sunset. Day nine would have to end with an early 7:00pm bedtime. The next day would begin with a 1:30 am wake up call. 

On everybody’s bucket list

Our tenth day in Hawaii began with a super early wake up call to embark on the 90-minute journey to the summit of Mt. Haleakala. Our goal was to beat the crowds of sunrise seekers. The night before, Chandler, my eldest daughter, had prayed that we would be “blown away” by our experience. Now, I have often witnessed how God, over the years, has honored Chandler’s prayers. So many times, I have seen Him answer her with a resoundingly clear “yes”. In retrospect, perhaps she should have prayed more specifically this time.

“It’s getting a little scary up here”

At 5,000 feet in elevation, we began to notice our van swaying under the force of increasing wind gusts, coupled with a 20-degree temperature drop. By the time we hit 8,000 feet, it was apparent that the winds were unusually strong, which is particularly disconcerting when driving a steep and unfamiliar switchback road in complete darkness. But by the time we reached the 10,000-foot summit, the conditions were downright frightening. Straight-line winds had reached 45mph, with gusts up to 55mph. It is the first time I have been pushed by wind such that I literally glided across the pavement with my feet never lifting off the ground.

“No ma’am, we are NOT safe!”

At 3:00am, we were the second car to arrive at the summit, and as I made eye-contact with the other driver, our cars rocking violently in the howling darkness, I knew we were both wondering the same thing: which of our vehicles would be blown over the edge first! The park ranger informed us that if the winds increased by just 5mph, he would close the park and send us home.

Will we even get to stay?

With 2 1/2 hours to go until sunrise, we were no more hopeful that we would be permitted to stay, than we were convinced we were safe to do so. In fact, when we asked the ranger that very question, his response was concise: “No ma’am, we are not safe.” Additionally, he advised us that the wind chill had dropped to exactly zero! For the many guests beginning to arrive in shorts and t-shirts, this was especially bad news. 

Mt. Haleakala was extraordinary!

Often, it seems we find ourselves in places where we are so out of our element, or in such extreme or unfamiliar circumstances, that we just literally do not feel safe. Uncertainty of the outcome will either lead us to flee the mountaintop, or to choose to be faithful and trust God for the best result. As you look at the photos and video that follow, you can decide for yourself whether we made the right decision. (We left the audio track on the video so you could hear the howling wind).

There are no words…

Our Haleakala experience was so special, that we will let it stand-alone for this post. To say the very least, we were most definitely blown away. Stay tuned, as we’ll soon be sharing one of the most exciting stories of our entire Hawaiian adventure!

How we actually got to Hawaii!

We were able to spend two full weeks in Hawaii because of credit card points. You see, everything that we spend in our household gets charged on one of several credit cards. Then we immediately pay that credit card bill in full (sometimes several times per week). We NEVER carry a balance and we are very mindful to never charge more than we can pay off. If you are interested in our step-by-step plan for accumulating points, you can check that out HERE.

Let’s Get to the Point!

Again, if you would like to learn more about how we travel the world for little to no money using points, feel free to reach out to me HERE. You can also sign up for my newsletter on the right side of my blog. As well, please follow along on my social media channels, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  

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