Today we touched the clouds at the top of a volcano.

Bill and I woke at 3 a.m., bundled ourselves in multiple layers of clothing, and drove up Haleakalā to experience sunrise at the summit.

The ride from Kihei to the top of the volcano took a little over an hour and a half, and was one hairpin turn after another. It didn't help that it was raining for most of the trip. I was almost relieved that it was dark so that I couldn't see where we would end up if I missed a turn. We were a bit concerned that we would miss out on a beautiful sunrise due to the weather, but we needn't have worried.

The parking lots were jammed. I guess leaving at 3:30 a.m. isn't early enough. Luckily, w knew that there was additional parking past the visitor's centre that most people don't know about. We managed to get a parking spot at the summit before it got too full.

It's an awesome thing to watch the sun rise from above the clouds. We were fortunate to see a rainbow as well. The photos can't possibly do it all justice.

On the way back down, we stopped at Kula Lodge for breakfast. Buttermilk pancakes with coconut syrup. Sooo tasty. Their gardens are also beautiful.

Haleakalā - so far the highlight of our trip.