Saturday, April 8 Hilo, Big Island

 Saturday, April 8

We check out early this morning since we are going to the other side of the Big Island - about a 2 1/2 hour drive.  The sun is rising as we leave Kona and head for the Saddle Road which goes across the center of the Island. Rugged grasslands intermixed with rocky lava landscape.  Very little development. 

We reach the outskirts of Hilo, stop for breakfast and then turn south to Volcanoes National Park.

The Visitor's Center is busy this morning.  We listen to a ranger pointing out highlights of the park on a road map and then head out Crater Rim Drive. We stop at Steaming Bluff where various steam vents are releasing stinky steam (sulfur).

Then on to Kilauea Caldera overlook.  The caldera is deep and steaming.

Some unusual plants in this area.

This group of women set-up and perform a dance near the edge of the caldera.  It was more of a personal thing for them than a performance for others.

We are about 17 miles from the top of Mauna Loa, which is 56,000 feet above the sea floor - over 27,000 feet taller than Mount Everest.

 We learn that there are many, many craters in the park and many areas are marked as to when lava last flowed there - Some before the 1920s, 1950's, many from the 1970's and 80's.  Lava was flowing as recently as a month ago, and could begin again any time. Scientists have studied this area more than any other volcanic area and can usually predict coming eruptions - but, not always. 

Next we head down Chain of Craters Road, which will drop 3700 feet to the ocean shore, crossing various old lava flows and craters.

 We stop near Nahuku and walk through Thurston Lava Tube - a huge dark tunnel (with a few orange lights) formed by ancient flowing lava. To reach it, we traipse through tropical rain forest with huge unfurling ferns as well as other type of ferns, trees and other dense vegetation.  Not difficult to imagine a dinosaur tramping through here! Temperatures are comfortable and insects rare, thankfully!

This "bud" is about the size of a dinner plate!

Back on the road, we pass numerous craters and you can see the paths of lava flows, newer lava against the old. And the lava is filled with swirls and flow lines.

We finally reach Holei Sea Arch where the pounding waves are wearing away lava cliffs. The road ends here due to lava flows from 2018!

Time to head back north to Hilo, where we'll spend the next two nights at the Grand Naniloa Resort (A Doubletree Hilton Hotel).  We check in and are assigned room 337, which is pretty lame.  Our view is a roof full of solar panels and the water never gets above lukewarm.  It is clean, though, and bed is comfortable so we will put up with it for 2 nights. Another case of a once grand hotel struggling a bit to keep up and living on the Hilton name.

We have a drink in their open-air lobby which has a nice view of the manicured grounds and the Pacific.   Then we walk to a restaurant called Coconut Grill where we have a great waitress and not-so-great food. The best thing was a free appetizer of spinach-artichoke dip. There are many huge banyan trees along the street (Banyan Drive) with names of folks who planted them back in the 1930's.  And lots of cats.  

Greg goes for a stroll later and finds this man taking care of the cats.