Haleakala National Park

Next, John and I took a forty-five minute plane ride from Big Island to Maui.  Flying is the only way to travel from island to island, as it is feared ferry boats will interrupt whales mating habits in the area.  Maui was much more similar to the stereotypical image of Hawaii.  Our hotel, the Fairmont Kea Lani bordered a gorgeous white sand beach and was surrounded by swaying palm trees in the ocean breeze.

Maui is also home to Haleakala National Park.  The Haleakala summit resides at 10,023 feet above sea level and is the island's highest peak.  It is a dormant volcano which has not erupted in over four hundred years.  John and I booked with a tour group to head up and see the infamous sunrise at the summit of Haleakala which means "house of the sun".  We were picked up from our hotel at 3 a.m. in order to make it to the summit before the crowds rolled in.  It was a long, cold wait but was ultimately worth every minute.  If you ever find yourself on the island of Maui, guided trip to the top is a must.  The tour we took provided breakfast both on the way up and down and got us the best spot at the top.  It also meant we didn't have to drive up the mountain roads in pitch black darkness.  It was obviously more expensive than if we were to do it on our own, but I would say definitely worth it.

Haleakala has a few hiking trails but much of the park is a biological reserve closed to public entry.  After getting up for sunrise, John and I were exhausted and more inclined to relax by our hotel pool than do much hiking that day.  We did go on a snorkeling cruise to Molokini Crater where we swam with at least nine sea turtles.  Snorkeling was on of our favorite activities on both Big Island and Maui!

National Park Ratings:
1. Acadia National Park
2. Arches National Park
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
4. Canyonlands National Park
5. Shenandoah Valley National Park
6. Capitol Reef National Park
7. Haleakala National Park
8. Mesa Verde National Park
9. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park*
10. Congaree National Park

*based on the section we saw

If you want more information on National Parks and what others think of them check out these blogs:
https://journey2allnationalparks.com/
--A comprehensive blog about all the National Parks, what to do and see in each and includes a rating system for all the Parks.

and

https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog
-- Run by the National Parks Foundation, provides travel ideas, the history of the parks and everything the foundation does for our National Parks.