Hawai'i 6: Maui, last day

Today is my last day on Maui - I can't believe it! I got just used to the relaxed lifestyle, the climate, and the island... I again got up pretty early, checked out, and made my way again to Haleakala National Park.

This time I approached it from the north side and drove up the mountain. The road was once again windy, but at most places in better shape than any other Maui road I have been on - almost a highway!

I stopped at the Park HQ and Visitor Center to get my National Park Passport stamped, and to see some of the few exhibits they have there. In front of the building was a beautiful Ahinahina (silversword), which is an endangered species. It actually looks like a beautiful sort of thistle.

Another endangered species on this mountain is the endemic Nene. Unfortunately, I only saw the sign, but no Nene :(

Closer to the summit the landscape changes significantly, and becomes a moon-like desert: Just craters and red lava everywhere. In fact, I was told that the first NASA astronauts were up here for some training. I am not sure if it is true, but I heard it a few times...

Above the clouds

View onto the Haleakala Visitor Center

The Haleakala Observatories: Some are run by the University of Hawai'i,
and some by the US Air Force

Me on the summit at 10,023 feet (3,055 meters)

View to Mauna Kea on Big Island (the island of Hawai'i)

I would have loved to walk down to at least the first of the cinder cone, but the return walk was about 4.5 hours, which I didn't have. Next time!

A forest and a "forest" ;-)

Hitting the clouds on the way down

After some walks up on the (cold) summit, I had to take the road back to Kahului. I got changed on a car park, then dropped off the rental car, and checked in. Island Air was so kind to check my luggage through to Seattle, which saved me a lot of hassle in Honolulu and San Francisco. My flight on Island Air was on a DHC8-100 (N829EX), and was routed via Molokai again.

In Honolulu, I had a loooooooooong way to walk from the commuter terminal to the very other end of the airport to United's terminal. But I made it easily in time for my flight on UA's B777-200 to San Francisco. The red-eye (night) flight was quite full, but I had a great seat at the emergency exit, with space as much as you could wish for. There are no free meals on US domestic flights any longer, but the flight attendants came around with drinks and pretzels many many times - I was quite impressed, especially since it was a night flight (21:10 to 05:45 local times). All flight attendants were quite old, with the purser well beyond retirement age. Honolulu must be the most popular route, and thus seniority gets you on these flights. The flight was quick and easy, and so was the 2-hour connecting flight (only an hour later) to Seattle on United's B757-200.