For the really adventurous types, you may want to try hanggliding off of the Haleakala Crater.

Haleakala is a dormant volcano about 10,000 feet high. Since my father hangglides, and happened to be friends with the hanggliding instuctor on the island, he asked me if I wanted to try it. I jumped at the chance!

We woke up early that morning to get a start on our drive to the top. The road to the top of Haleakala is long and winding, and can take approximately 2 hours to reach the peak.
Also, be sure to dress appropriately... it is very cold on the top of the crater (nothing grows up there). However, once you begin your descent, you'll get warmer. The best bet is to layer.

Since I have never hangglided before, I went tandem (with an instructor). The scariest part is waiting to launch... the anticipation is worse that actually being in the air! The instructor strapped me in to my harness, gave me a few tips, and off we went! We ran very fast until our feet were no longer touching the ground. Then all of a sudden you feel a sense of calmness... everything is quiet and all you see is the island below.

Although the thought of running off the side of a mountain and sailing through the air at 10,000 feet up is enough to make some people pee their pants, I found it very calming once I was in the air. The hangglider supports you and you coast through the air rather slowly. You're maybe only going 15-20 miles an hour. Contrary to popular belief, you do not feel like you're falling... you actually feel weightless. You feel a warm breeze against your face, and you seem to forget that you are in mid-air... your focus is more on the amazing view beneath you!

The descent takes about 1 hour, and you can see EVERYTHING! As you get lower, you can identify certain hotels (especially the Grand Wailea, with their huge mosaic pool), and you can see dolphins, whales and stingrays swimming far out in the crystal clear waters.

The instructor does most of the steering, but at times he would let go and let me steer. When it came time to land, he picked a not-so-crowded beach (Keawakapu), and told me that we'd land on our belly. It was a soft landing, and we gently dragged the tips of our feet until the glider came to a complete stop.

This was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done! If you are interested in trying this unique sport, you should call ahead to book a reservation. However, they may cancel if the weather is too windy. The average cost for something like this, is $250. However, prices may have changed since I went (1997).

This is a definite thumbs up!