Okay. So there isn't much relaxing vacation to this relaxing vacation. We had yet another early morning. Fortunately for us, we have only teenagers. And teenagers love nothing more that to wake up early on days that they don't have to go to school. This morning was exceptionally early. Our alarms sounded at 2am because this very morning we were racing to be last! Last Americans to see the sun rise! There is this thing that crazy people can do if they are next-level crazy. You set your alarm for midnight 30 days in advance of your target date so that you might snag a sunrise reservation and be afforded the opportunity to drag your exhausted teenagers up the road that holds the world's record for the highest elevation gain in the shortest distance. In the pitch black dark. Fortunately, in the dark you aren't able to see the cliffs that neighbor your trek up the mountain. You are death adjacent, but none the wiser. Then when you get to there, even though you left the temperate Hawaiian climate of 70ish degrees, at the summit of Haleakala, it is about 35 degrees with a windchill of arctic tundra during a cold snap. And, inevitably, one teen will forget their coat on purpose because coats are stupid and "it's not going to be that cold (because i'm a teen and I know that all weather scenarios are fine with no coats/also shorts)". But, if you know me, you know I love some humanity. And there is just something extra special about huddling together with a bunch of strangers. Surrounded by a rainbow of colors, and ages, and languages. All crazy like you. Sharing one beautiful, poignant moment when the sun peaks her shiny face up over the clouds. A bunch of strangers get to start a new day together. And all that tries to divide us does not exist in that moment. Just a bunch of people taking pictures for each other and freezing our faces off. Because fresh starts can happen every time the sun rises. An important thing to remember when traveling with/raising teen-humans. Because, they are a lot....
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| Come on, Sun! You can do it! |
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| Above the clouds |
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| Another National Park! |
As we were headed back down the mountain, we stopped at a little fruit stand where we met the farmer, David. He grows a variety of fruits in his orchard and gorgeous exotic (to us) flowers. He was so sweet and gave us a few on the house!
We descended the mountain and landed in the cute little town of Makawao. We happened upon this sweet little bakery, Komodo Bakery, that has been in business for over 100 years. And they were serving their special pastry that they only make on Fat Tuesday! And guess what today is?!?!? Those tasty little pastries paired nicely with my coffee from Espresso Mafia. The cute little owners gave us lots of tips for the rest of our travel days!
Maui Cookie Lady makes Cookies the size of your head
We've a rather ambitious itinerary today. After our bright and early start, we are also tackling the "Road to Hana". This little trek might be one of my favorite things in the world. John and I drove the entire loop when we were last here and couldn't wait to share it with the tired teens. And bonus, the Jeep provided lots of closeness and very little personal space. For eight hours. We Bullingtons aren't afraid of a road trip, and this is the ultimate! The "road" is narrow at her best, has over 600 hairpin curves, 57 100+ year-old bridges, stunning rainforests, waterfalls, and the grave of Charles Lindbergh. What more could a girl want?
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| Waterfalls at every turn |
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| Jeep Life |
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| Drinking out of a Coconut as one does when in Hawaii |
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| I don't know what he's looking at, but I know he's not looking at a screen |
| Whew! We almost left Hawaii without visiting a weird grave in the middle of nowhere. RIP Chuck... |
There were moments of Zen and of chaos. There were moments when certain siblings accused other siblings of having thumbs that looked like toes and this was deeply offensive and became a thing. There were sister giggles (my favorite of all of the giggles), brother noises that annoyed sisters but made them giggle and lots of togetherness. There were daddy yells and mama yells, but we soaked in the gorgeous scenery. Mr. Bullington gets major props because he drove the entire way without a break. The rest of us snuck in a few cat naps because we'd been up since 2am.
After we got back we grabbed a quick dinner from Coconuts (known for their fish tacos for a reason, Yum!) and then took to the bed. Because guess what? We have another early morning tomorrow!
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