Much gentler are the vistas of Ali‘i Kula Lavender Farm, which is devoted to the production of lavender (and also to serving tasty treats like lavender scones and tea). The soothing terraced lavender,
rose, and protea gardens of
Sunrise Protea Farms and Ali‘i Kula Lavender Farm provide a refreshing way to begin the can’t-miss excursion: the road to the peak of Mount Haleakala.
The Haleakala Highway spirals up ten
thousand feet through ever-more-staggering panoramic views (and rapidly dropping temperatures) to the Haleakala Visitor Center. The volcano is the fabled point of origin of Hawaii, the place where the demigod Maui pulled the islands from the sea, and when visitors take the Sliding Sands hike and look down at the black lava bluffs and gently worn red, brown, and purple cinder cones of the crater stretching into a frozen wave of clouds, the origin of the myth is easy to understand. A variety of remarkable hikes depart from the visitor center (camping is permitted with reservations), but right at the trailhead is Haleakala’s amazing symbol: the ‘ahinahina plants, known as silverswords, which look like giant dazzling silver
tumbleweeds
crowned with stalks that, at the right times of the year, sprout storms of purple flowers.
The otherworldly look of the Haleakala Crater, the remains of the volcano that was the origin of the island, is in sharp contrast with the lush forests and waterfalls at lower elevations.
Only one other Maui excursion equals a trip to Haleakala, and it requires a full day: the trip along the road to the town of Hana in East Maui. Most visitors start their trip in Pa‘ia, whose Ho‘okipa Beach has become the windsurfing capital of the world, where miles of surf are festooned with joyous winged sails. The Hana Highway may chal- lenge drivers with its hairpin curves and one-way bridges, but the compensations are the views of lush rainforest, seaside cliffs, and countless roadside picnic spots with inviting pools beneath waterfalls.
T H E E L K S M A G A Z I N E 61
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