Our trip to the Big Island of Hawaii is outlined in the following blog posts. There are 17 posts about our trip (18 if you include this one). We don't know if you can stand to go through all of them. However, we had a fun trip and wanted to share it with you.
Guidebook. We used Hawaii - The Big Island Revealed by Andrew Doughty as our guidebook. It's a great book. We highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to the Big Island.
ENJOY!
Bob & Rosie Callicott
Hot Springs Village, AR
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Hilo, HI
Hilo was the start of our tour of Hawaii, The Big Island. The map gives you an idea of where Hilo is on the eastern side of the island.
After getting our rather "abused" rental car, we headed off to the local Walmart to buy a case of bottled water. When we got there, we found that the key fob would not lock or unlock the rental car. Also, if I opened the rental car with the key, the alarm went off. Sooooo - back to the airport to get rental car #2. This one (a Ford Focus) worked much better.
After our stop at Walmart we headed over to Big Island Candies; hey - first things first and you get free samples. Their macadamia nut shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate are delicious. I have multiple data points on this one! The store is really nice inside and caters to Japanese tourist.
The also have a glass wall where you can see into the cookie/candy making area.
While in Hilo we went to Rainbow Falls. It's called Rainbow Falls because in the early morning you can see a rainbow in the mist behind the falls. We didn't get there early enough to see a rainbow.
This is also the area for the boiling pots. When the water is flowing fast (faster than the day we were there) the rock formations make the water appear to be boiling. Maybe today the temperature is below boiling.
This is also where I lost my sunglasses - bummer; may they find a good home.
We next went to the Liliuokalani Gardens. The gardens remind me of Japan. We read that since Hilo had been damaged by so many tsunamis, they decided to build a park near the water as opposed to housing and businesses. Thus, the park is a "tsunami break" for the town.
From the gardens we walked out to Coconut Island. This is a really nice area and also a good spot for fishing. Turtles are typically seen around the island, but we didn't see any.
Our next stop was the local farmers' market. We had a fun time looking at all the local produce. Rosie bought 3 papayas that we snacked on over the next few days. They were really tasty.
On the way out of Hilo, we stopped at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. This was a fun place to visit. There is a self-guided tour where you can look down on the entire process from nuts in the shell to nuts in the package. We also took a short break at their concession stand and got a cup of ice cream - one scoop of mango and one scoop of coconut. It was good! We then enjoyed browsing through the gift shop. Here we are with our purchases.
Leaving the nuts behind we headed south on highway 11 towards Volcano, HI, and the Volcano National Park.
After getting our rather "abused" rental car, we headed off to the local Walmart to buy a case of bottled water. When we got there, we found that the key fob would not lock or unlock the rental car. Also, if I opened the rental car with the key, the alarm went off. Sooooo - back to the airport to get rental car #2. This one (a Ford Focus) worked much better.After our stop at Walmart we headed over to Big Island Candies; hey - first things first and you get free samples. Their macadamia nut shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate are delicious. I have multiple data points on this one! The store is really nice inside and caters to Japanese tourist.
The also have a glass wall where you can see into the cookie/candy making area.
While in Hilo we went to Rainbow Falls. It's called Rainbow Falls because in the early morning you can see a rainbow in the mist behind the falls. We didn't get there early enough to see a rainbow.
This is also the area for the boiling pots. When the water is flowing fast (faster than the day we were there) the rock formations make the water appear to be boiling. Maybe today the temperature is below boiling.
This is also where I lost my sunglasses - bummer; may they find a good home.We next went to the Liliuokalani Gardens. The gardens remind me of Japan. We read that since Hilo had been damaged by so many tsunamis, they decided to build a park near the water as opposed to housing and businesses. Thus, the park is a "tsunami break" for the town.
From the gardens we walked out to Coconut Island. This is a really nice area and also a good spot for fishing. Turtles are typically seen around the island, but we didn't see any.
Our next stop was the local farmers' market. We had a fun time looking at all the local produce. Rosie bought 3 papayas that we snacked on over the next few days. They were really tasty.On the way out of Hilo, we stopped at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. This was a fun place to visit. There is a self-guided tour where you can look down on the entire process from nuts in the shell to nuts in the package. We also took a short break at their concession stand and got a cup of ice cream - one scoop of mango and one scoop of coconut. It was good! We then enjoyed browsing through the gift shop. Here we are with our purchases.
Leaving the nuts behind we headed south on highway 11 towards Volcano, HI, and the Volcano National Park.Volcano Inn
On the east side of the Big Island, we stayed in Volcano, HI, which is obviously near the Volcano National Park. The map shows you Volcano Village on hwy 11.
Here's Rosie at the local post office.
While in Volcano, we stayed at the Volcano Inn. Instead of a single building, the Volcano Inn is a series of small cabins or duplexes scattered around the area. Our little cabin was call the Nene.
Here's the path back to our cabin.
Ah - the little cabin in the woods.
The inside was nice.
We felt like we were living in a rain forest. In fact the room had a dehumidifier that they suggest you run if the windows get wet on the inside. Ours did so we ran the dehumidifier.
Our little complex also had a hot tub. We tried it one night, but it wasn't quite hot enough to be really relaxing.
The Volcano Inn was a nice place to stay and very convenient to the National Park. We also found some very good restaurants in the area. We can highly recommend the local Thai restaurant; both the food and service were excellent.
Here's Rosie at the local post office.
While in Volcano, we stayed at the Volcano Inn. Instead of a single building, the Volcano Inn is a series of small cabins or duplexes scattered around the area. Our little cabin was call the Nene.Here's the path back to our cabin.
Ah - the little cabin in the woods.
The inside was nice.
We felt like we were living in a rain forest. In fact the room had a dehumidifier that they suggest you run if the windows get wet on the inside. Ours did so we ran the dehumidifier.Our little complex also had a hot tub. We tried it one night, but it wasn't quite hot enough to be really relaxing.
The Volcano Inn was a nice place to stay and very convenient to the National Park. We also found some very good restaurants in the area. We can highly recommend the local Thai restaurant; both the food and service were excellent.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Volcanoes National Park
The Kilauea Visitor Center to the Volcano National Park is off Hwy 11.
Pele is considered to be the goddess of Hawaii's volcanoes. Herb Kawainui Kane developed a widely used pictorial characterization of Pele.
The Kilauea caldera can be seen from many parts of the park. Here's a picture of the caldera from the Jagger museum.
We also visited the museum at night. We could see the red glow of lava in the caldera.
At the Jagger museum there was a display describing the formation of the Hawaii Islands. The Pacific plate (and therefore the islands) are moving northward at a rate of about 4 inches per year. There is a "hot spot plume" below the surface. As an island moves away from the hot spot (i.e. further north), it loses volcanic activity. The most northern islands, Kauai and Oahu have no volcanic activity. Here's the picture from the museum:
Along the rim road we also stopped to see the steam vents. The steam vents occur where water seeps into the ground and comes in contact with molten lava below the surface. The water vaporizes and comes up as steam.
There are also places where the SO2 level is fairly high. The smell is easily detected. Vents where high levels of SO2 escape grow yellow sulfur crystals. They're really neat looking. Almost looks like yellow teeth.
The National Park also has an art gallery. The building that houses the art gallery used to be a hotel. Mark Twain stayed there.
From the Crater Rim Drive we took the Kilauea Iki Hike. It's a 4 mile hike and took us about 2 hours. The worst part was the last uphill climb. From the upper rim, the area we're going to hike looks neat.
The Kilauea caldera from the hiking trail is impressive looking.
Here we start off across the lava covered bottom of the crater.
The landscape is very interesting.
The Volcano National Park is a great place - there are a lot of sites. We stayed busy for about 2 days at the park and didn't see everything. Our only disappointment was NO LAVA FLOW. Maybe next time.
Pele is considered to be the goddess of Hawaii's volcanoes. Herb Kawainui Kane developed a widely used pictorial characterization of Pele.
The Kilauea caldera can be seen from many parts of the park. Here's a picture of the caldera from the Jagger museum.
We also visited the museum at night. We could see the red glow of lava in the caldera.At the Jagger museum there was a display describing the formation of the Hawaii Islands. The Pacific plate (and therefore the islands) are moving northward at a rate of about 4 inches per year. There is a "hot spot plume" below the surface. As an island moves away from the hot spot (i.e. further north), it loses volcanic activity. The most northern islands, Kauai and Oahu have no volcanic activity. Here's the picture from the museum:
Along the rim road we also stopped to see the steam vents. The steam vents occur where water seeps into the ground and comes in contact with molten lava below the surface. The water vaporizes and comes up as steam.
There are also places where the SO2 level is fairly high. The smell is easily detected. Vents where high levels of SO2 escape grow yellow sulfur crystals. They're really neat looking. Almost looks like yellow teeth.
The National Park also has an art gallery. The building that houses the art gallery used to be a hotel. Mark Twain stayed there.
From the Crater Rim Drive we took the Kilauea Iki Hike. It's a 4 mile hike and took us about 2 hours. The worst part was the last uphill climb. From the upper rim, the area we're going to hike looks neat.
The Kilauea caldera from the hiking trail is impressive looking.
Here we start off across the lava covered bottom of the crater.
The landscape is very interesting.
The Volcano National Park is a great place - there are a lot of sites. We stayed busy for about 2 days at the park and didn't see everything. Our only disappointment was NO LAVA FLOW. Maybe next time. Thurston Lava Tube
The Thurston Lava Tube is off the Crater Rim Drive. Here's how a lava tube forms.
Since the description is hard to read, here's what they say:
Starting at the Top Left: Most lava tubes form in molten pahoehoe lava flows.
Top Right: Exposed to air, the top portion of the lava stream often solidifies and insulates the underlying fluid lava which continues flowing beneath its hardened crust.
Bottom Left: As eruptive activity diminishes, the supply of new lava stops.
Bottom Right: The molten lava then drains out like water from a shut off hose, leaving behind a hollow tube.
Here I am at the entrance to the Thurston Lava Tube.
I'm walking down the lava tube - it's pretty big.
Here's a view of the ceiling and wall.
The area outside the lava tube is rain forest. Here's Rosie walking around the rain forest.
Since the description is hard to read, here's what they say:Starting at the Top Left: Most lava tubes form in molten pahoehoe lava flows.
Top Right: Exposed to air, the top portion of the lava stream often solidifies and insulates the underlying fluid lava which continues flowing beneath its hardened crust.
Bottom Left: As eruptive activity diminishes, the supply of new lava stops.
Bottom Right: The molten lava then drains out like water from a shut off hose, leaving behind a hollow tube.
Here I am at the entrance to the Thurston Lava Tube.
I'm walking down the lava tube - it's pretty big.
Here's a view of the ceiling and wall.
The area outside the lava tube is rain forest. Here's Rosie walking around the rain forest.
Chain of Craters Road
The Chain of Craters road is an 18 mile long drive from Crater Rim Drive to the Holei Sea Arch. Due to SO2 levels, the road was closed at about the half-way point on the day before we went down. Luckily, it was open all the way to the ocean on the day we drove it. Interestingly, the evening of the day we drove the Chain of Craters Road, it was closed again. Can you spell CANARY?
On the drive we passed pit craters. They're formed with the ground over an empty chamber collapses.
We also got some excellent views of where the lava had flowed down the mountain.
The lava has also created a significant amount of new land. The island has really expanded.
We stopped to see the petroglyphs - which are basically prehistoric writings in picture form. Here are some examples.
The next two photos are a learning opportunity. There are two basic kinds of lava flow: pahoehoe and a'a. The pahoehoe is hotter, and the rock is more molten. When it cools, it has a shiny surface. The a'a lava flow is cooler with the rock not completely melting and ends up with a grainy appearance when it cools. TEST: Which of the two below is pahoehoe and which is a'a.
As I mentioned we got to drive all the way to the end of the Chain of Craters road or at least to the point where it was blocked by a 1984 lava flow. At the end of the road we got to see the Holei Sea Arch.
From the parking area we walked to where the 1984 lava flow went over the road. Here we are standing on the lava flow. TEST 2: What type of lava are we standing on?
If you said pahoehoe, you're correct!
On the drive we passed pit craters. They're formed with the ground over an empty chamber collapses.
We also got some excellent views of where the lava had flowed down the mountain.
The lava has also created a significant amount of new land. The island has really expanded.
We stopped to see the petroglyphs - which are basically prehistoric writings in picture form. Here are some examples.
The next two photos are a learning opportunity. There are two basic kinds of lava flow: pahoehoe and a'a. The pahoehoe is hotter, and the rock is more molten. When it cools, it has a shiny surface. The a'a lava flow is cooler with the rock not completely melting and ends up with a grainy appearance when it cools. TEST: Which of the two below is pahoehoe and which is a'a.
As I mentioned we got to drive all the way to the end of the Chain of Craters road or at least to the point where it was blocked by a 1984 lava flow. At the end of the road we got to see the Holei Sea Arch.
From the parking area we walked to where the 1984 lava flow went over the road. Here we are standing on the lava flow. TEST 2: What type of lava are we standing on?
If you said pahoehoe, you're correct!Sunday, March 27, 2011
Volcano Winery
As we were heading out of Volcano, HI, we stopped at the Volcano Winery. It's about 2 miles past the entrance to Volcano National Park. They're known for their macadamia nut-honey wine. We tasted it and decided to pass. However, we did buy a bottle of guava-grape wine. It was very sweet and light.
Here's Rosie at the Winery entrance.
A great sign leading to the parking lot.
Here I am in front of the wine shop.
From here we headed south. Destination: Punalu'u Black Sand Beach!
Here's Rosie at the Winery entrance.
A great sign leading to the parking lot.
Here I am in front of the wine shop.
From here we headed south. Destination: Punalu'u Black Sand Beach!
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