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In an effort to bring you the true taste and flavor of Upcountry, Bruce and I set out to spend the day exploring the area, literally from top to bottom. Our first stop? 10,000' up to the tippy top of Haleakala. Dressed warmly (with wind chill factors it can get down to 30 degrees), we saw one of the most spectacular sunrises in our lifetime. Mark Twain once referred to this spectacle as "the healing solitudes of the crater." We understood why! First stop: Haleakala 10,000 feet up. "Bruce was taking full advantage of their generosity. So I dragged him out of there..." If you love cheese, then you won't want to miss out on visiting the Surfing Goat Dairy. They offer tours that allow you to feed and milk the goats, and you can watch them make real goat cheese. We hadn't booked in advance, so we opted to do a self- guided visit, play with the goats, and sample some delicious goat cheese. But enough "kidding" around, time to head to our next destination. Next stop: Feed the Goats! Aer the sunrise, we ran to our car and turned on the heater. Warming up as we meandered down the volcano, we were forced to stop for some really slow cows crossing the road. Of course we had to take some pictures (especially of the baby and mother). And by now we were really hungry, so we stopped at the famous Kula Lodge. The views from this place are panoramically astounding. After refueling, and a quick stop in their art gallery, we headed off to Ulupalakua, a hidden oasis on the southern coast of Haleakala (see the picture at the top of Bruce and his new buddies). We grabbed some fresh jerky at the General Store and then visited MauiWine's vineyard (Maui's only winery). It didn't take long before I realized we might be having a problem. You see, MauiWine's vineyard offers free tastes of their specialty wines, and Bruce was taking full advantage of their generosity. So I dragged him out of there and we headed for the Surfing Goat Dairy. Next stop: Alii Lavender Farm With over 55,000 purple lavender plants on over ten acres, Alii's Kula Lavender Farm is truly something to behold. As we strolled through the gardens and boutique, we became lost in tranquillity and beauty that is rarely paralleled in this world. Before leaving for our next destination, we couldn't help but sample some tasty lavender delicacies, and pick up some lavender lotion and treats to take home. 48 UPCOUNTRY Maui Island Guide & Driving Magazine • MauiDrivingMagazine.com Great Drives around Maui