It's not even close to dawn, but here you are , rubbing your eyes awake, riding in a van up the long, dark road to the top of Maui's sleeping volcano. It's colder than you ever thought possible for a tropical island. The air is thin, you stomp your chilly feet while you wait, sipping hot coffee. Then comes the sun, exploding over the waking Halekala Crater, which is big enough to swallow Manhattan whole -- it's a mystical moment you won't soon forget, imprinted on a palette of dawn colors. Now you know why Hawaiians named it the House of the Sun. But there's no time to linger: Decked out in your screaming yellow parka you mount your steed and test its most important feature, the brakes-- because you're about to coast 38 miles down a 10,000-foot dormant volcano.

Cruising down haleakala, from the lunar like landscape at the top, past flower farms, pineapple fields, and eucalyptus groves, is quite an experience -- and you don't have to be an expert cyclist to do it; you just have to be able to ride a bike. This a safe, comfortable, no-strain bicycle trip, although it requires some stamina in the colder, wetter months between November and March. Wear layers of warm clothing, as there may be 30 degrees change in temperature from the top of the mountain to the ocean. Generally, tour groups will not take riders under 12, but younger children can ride along in the van that accompanies the groups, as can pregnant women. The trip includes hotel pickup, transport to the top, bicycle and safety equipment, and meals.

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