Fresh Water, Forests + Mountains
Reign of Day
Haleakala or the "House of the Sun" on Maui is a favorite place to watch a sunrise. But, it is a commitment. The volcanic crater is about two hours from the hotels of Wailea and even further from the resort town of Kaanapali. I can see the mountain from my bedroom window but it still takes me two hours to get to the summit.
When the sun rises at 5:30am or so getting up and being in place an hour or so before sunrise is something one needs to prepare for. The other problem with sunrise up here is that the weather changes constantly. And really, until you reach the summit you don't know what to expect.
Often times the clouds cover the entire crater, or it is rainy, or it is so cold you can't feel your face. But sometimes, you drive up through the clouds and they part as you reach the summit, giving way to the most perfect sunrise you may ever witness.
Thankfully I've had a few mornings like this one where everything is perfect. That makes all the wasted trips into the clouds, the cold, the rain, the 2am get ups all worth while.
