The Volcanoes: Old and New

The Volcanoes: Old and New

Day 8 After having breakfast cooked for us by an employee of the hotel, we took off for the park. The first stop was an overlook that looked over the Kilauea crater and the caldera. The Crater Rim Road led us around the crater rim to the Jagger museum. This was a historic museum with exhibits focusing on volcanoes. From the museum, we had a clear view of the caldera, where the lava had once pooled to the depth of a lake. The road led on to a trail that took us right up the the caldera rim in the crater. The walls of the crater had turned green because of bacteria. By then, it was lunch time. We headed out to a nearby country club for lunch. The next point of interest was the city of Hilo. It is the biggest city on the island. It has a population of about 50000. Our major interest was rainbow falls which was actually in the city. It was a gorgeous waterfall with a deep cave behind it. After gazing, we had to make a decision of which way to go home. We decided to take the famed Saddle road which went right between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The road led us straight into the clouds at about 7000 feet. Right in the middle of the trek was a side road that led to the Mauna Kea visitor's center. The road led us out of the clouds and up to 9015 feet. The sun was setting to our west. To our south was the peak of Mauna Loa, and to the east, where we had come from was a blanket of clouds turned purple by the setting sun. To the north was the peak and observatories of Mauna Kea hidden by a hill on it's side. At the visitor's center, a group of volunteer astronomers were setting up very large telescopes. We stayed, and saw stars brighter than you can see them anywhere else in the world. The trip down the mountain to Kona was spent in the dark, stopping us from seeing any of the sights. We ate McDonalds for dinner. The view from the visitor's center is one we suggest for anyone that plans on going to the big island.

Day 9 Tuesday. The Paul-Jones family gets up early this morning. They are headed out on a helicopter tour of the island. It takes on a breathtaking trip over the saddle road to the volcano. We get a great view of the caldera. The helicopter takes us over the vent in the water. After refueling in Hilo we headed north. We flew over nut fields and other fruits. The coast is soaking with waterfalls that fall straight into the ocean. We ended up getting a good view of Waipio valley from the water, but couldn't fly in because of it's religious status. The next valley however, has no such rules. We flew in and stopped in a bowl in the side of the valley. (There are about 15 waterfalls coming off the cliffs into the bowl. It is one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen.) We left the valley and headed out over the north end of the island. We head back towards Kona and the trip was over. This was another definite must. We were getting hungry so we decide to eat at one of the hotels in the resort we drove through earlier on the trip. We ate at a restaurant in the Hilton. The eating area was right next to the Dolphin pool so we could watch them jump and play. The hotel also had a large fake lagoon for swimming. For people who like to stay in the Disney Land resorts, this is your place in Hawaii. We headed back to Kona to meet with the Barneses and go to a luau. The food was great, we learned how to hula, but the actual luau was kind of cheesy. But what can you expect? The show was good enough for Vegas. That night, we all realized we only had 1 day left.

Day 10 Our last day in paradise. We headed out for the North Marina of Kona for some snorkeling. The boat took us south, to Captain Cooks refuge, which was also a wildlife refuge. The water was smooth, and the boat had a slide, a high dive, and a porta-crib. It was perfect for our group. The snorkeling was amazing. There were tons of fish, and the water was crystal clear. The lifeguards of the boats were entertaining, and the burgers were pretty good. Duncan got in the water and swam. Spencer and Dexter spent most of the time jumping off the high dive. Everyone had a good time. Another must for future travelers. The Fair Wind 2. The boat trip was about 5 hours long. We had no time to pack on the morning so we had to pack at night. Dexter and Spencer went into the pool one last time. We went to a local sports bar that we had gone to on our last trip to Hawaii. We were all packed, but no one was ready to go.

Day 11 Our flight left at 10:40, so we had to get up early. We loaded up the Expedition, and the Jeep, kind of, and headed out. We said goodbye to the house, Kona, and Hawaii. Again, we landed in Honolulu, got on a bus and boarded a new plane. We were home by 10:00, or 7:00p.m. Hawaii time. It was a trip to remember forever. For anyone that is planning on going to Hawaii in the future. Go to the big island. You can see a rainforest, a volcano, a desert, and the ocean all on one trip. It really is Heaven.

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