Haleakala

From Wikipedia:Haleakala, or the East Maui Volcano is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the island of Maui. In Hawaiian folklore, the top of the volcano was the home of the grandmother of the demigod Maui. She helped him in his quest to capture and slow the sun and lengthen the day. One of the activities on most peoples "musts of Maui" is to see the sunrise on Haleakala. Last time we were there we didn't think it was worth the effort, but have regretted not going, so this time it was at the top of Tim's list. The morning we were there the sun rose at 5:45 a.m. Early, but even earlier when you find out that it is about a 2 1/2 hour drive to the top. Basically you go from sea level to 10,000 feet on a very windy road. If you have done the math, that means we got up at 2:30 a.m. to have this adventure. When we arrived at 4:45 a.m. the parking lot was already half full, we weren't the only ones with this crazy idea. And was it worth it? Absolutely.

We had been warned, but it was cold - like gloves and a hat cold.

Definitely not what you expect when you think of Hawaii.

When we arrived it was completely black,
I couldn't believe how quickly the sky began to change.

At 10,000 feet, you are actually above the cloud line,

That is the magic of the sunrise,
To see the sun come up and over the clouds.

Right as it was about to burst over the cloud line,

A guy from the national park started a Hawaiian chant,
It was a welcoming of the sunrise
And one of the coolest things I have ever heard.

The chant along with the sun it self was seriously breathtaking.
It actually made me quite emotional.
(Good thing it was still pretty dark)

Once the sun was up, most people took off for home (and a nap)
We hiked around a bit and checked out the other views.

I spent the rest of the week quizzing everyone
To see if they could pronounce the name.
Lots of funny versions.
Whether you can pronounce it or not,
If you ever go to Maui, seriously, don't miss it.