Who knew you could come to Hawaii and freeze your tushy and love it? The Hawaii Forest & Trail Sunset & Star Gazing Tour with Justin was fantastic! Justin provided a lot of information about the geology, history, flora, fauna and culture of the various landscapes we passed through on the way to Mauna Kea.
We appreciated the tasty, healthy Asian Fusion dinner served at the abandoned sheep station. It was a far healthier alternative than the lasagna offered by another tour group. After dinner we made it to the summit in time for a gorgeous sunset above the clouds. Justin not only ensured that everyone was aware of the signs of altitude sickness and what to do about them, but he checked in on each member of our group frequently. He was also very good about reminding us about good photo opportunities like capturing the shadow of Mauna Kea.
Even though we wore warm clothes, we froze our tushies during them stargazing at 12,000 feet... but it was so worth it!! After fortifying us with brownies and chocolate, Justin set up a telescope so that after looking at the constellations and nebula above we could get a closer view of some of them. Every time we looked up, we could see more stars. It was the most spectacular night sky we have ever seen!
We were so glad we took this tour rather than attempting to drive up on our own for a number of reasons. Most rental car agreements do not allow you to take their vehicles up the washboard road to Mauna Kea. We wouldn’t have been aware of how important it is not to pollute other’s stargazing with the headlights from your car and how important it is to respect the sacred nature of this place to the Hawaiian people. We definitely wouldn’tt have been prepared for the effects of the altitude, which we definitely felt. We are so happy we took the tour, and so fortunate that we got Justin as our driver, instructor, waiter, and guide.