Just back from our Hawaiian honeymoon. Did the drive to the visitor's center one night early last week. The star gazing program (6-10 PM each night) is excellent and I strongly disagree with whoever said it is not worth going unless you are going to the top. We had a regular 2WD rental car and didn't want to fork over $125+ to go the extra distance to the top. I'm glad we saved the $$ (makes for some very good dinners) as observing the stars from the visitor's center was one of the highlights of our trip and we did it all, Dolphin Quest, helicopter tour, volcano, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. The view, even from the visitor's center, cannot be described. Awesome would be an understatement.
As for the Saddle Road, well, it's better than half the roads in the DC area! I can't understand the issue with it. Yes, it is washboard on the edges, but you can drive the middle as most people seem to do and move over when other cars approach. There are few cars on the road and I found night driving easier than driving it in late afternoon. For one thing, it is easy to spot headlights of approaching cars. For another, the line running down the middle of the road is outfitted with good reflectors almost the entire length of the road from near Waimea to the observatory turn-off. If you drive cautiously and slow down in the one of two foggy areas you might hit, you will be fine.
A few notes. The folks running the star gazing program were University of Hawaii astronomy students. No clue if they are paid, but they did a decent job. The temperature at around 6:30 PM at the visitor's center was 48 degrees (F) and we were told that that was warm. It is usually much colder. No snow yet. Dress accordingly. The center is at 9200 ft. so some people may feel the effects of the altitude. We noted the thinner air, but that was it. As someone else pointed out, the center has coffee, hot chocolate, water, and a few foods (candy and such), but no real dinner foods. We purchased some turkey and cheese at the Waikoloa market and brought that with us for dinner.
[This message has been edited by MileKing (edited 10-27-2003).]