Big Island tour - day 1

Our first day on the Big Island, Lauren and I hit the South Highway around the island. We first went down a very bumpy, one lane road past two windfarms (one old, one working) and many cows to South Point, the Southern-most Point in the US (not the Florida Keys). We then stopped at the southernmost bakery for sweetbread. On to Pulanau'u black sand beach, where there were a few turtles swimming in the cove. The black sand made pictures tough. Afterwards, we had lunch with some of Lauren's family and then continued on to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We felt the heat of the volcano at the steam vents, walked through an old lava tube, drove down a road that was covered by lava, and watched the current crater emit a plume of sulfur dioxide. Definitely my favorite NP of the islands. I will be going back to camp there and hike into the Kilauae Iki crater (not the one with the plume). Before sunset, we headed down to the oceanside lava viewing area. It was pretty awesome to see the glowing plume plunging into the ocean and the surface flow glow brighter and brighter as it got dark. Once it was dark, we headed back up to the crater to see the glow of the lava. According to the AP,

"The summit of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is glowing brightly as molten lava swirls 300 feet below its crater's floor, bubbling near the surface after years of spewing from the volcano's side. The expanding vent of Halemaumau crater helps confirm scientists' belief that the lava is close to the surface of the summit, said Janet Babb, a geologist and spokeswoman for the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Kilauea has been erupting for more than 25 years, with its lava creating a plume of steam as it spills into the Pacific Ocean. But this recent activity is coming from the top of the volcano, not its sea-level side. This is the strongest glow coming from the crater since October, but scientists don't know if lava will ever erupt in a fountain from within the crater, Babb said."

One goal of this trip was to see lava. Though I wasn't able to get close to it, what I did see was still pretty awesome! Hopefully when I come back, nature will have brought the lava to a place with easier access.

'Diving' off the southernmost point in the US

Old Windmill and cows

Southernmost Bakery in the US

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach

Aloha!

Feeling the heat of the volcano at the steam vents - groundwater pools on rocks, which is heated by the lava and evaporates into steam. It's hot!

Me and the Halema'uma'u Crater

Crater and plume of sulfur dioxide

Mauna Loa and our ugly silver PT Cruiser (same car I had on Kauai)

Thurston Lava Tube - did you know lava is porous, so there usually aren't waterfalls in area of new lava formation? The water seeps down into the tubes.

Lava flow that covered Chain of Craters road a few decades ago

Life comes through the porous lava rock

Smooth lava aka pahoehoe lava (jagged is aa)

I conquered the lava field (it was super windy)

Driving down 130 to the lava viewing area, there are still houses standing in the lava field. If your house survived the lava flow, but everything around you was destroyed, you wouldn't be able to collect insurance since the house is still liveable.

Steam plume as the lava cools in the ocean. These rocks are younger than I am!

Brightest the crater has been since last October - great timing!!