Big Island of Hawaii


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Our next phase of the tour led us to the big island of Hawaii. Our stop over on this island was to see a live volcano and to get as close as possible to photograph it. When we arrived on the island, we heard that due to an increase in the volcanic activity the park was closed. Our fearless leader immediately got on the phone and started trying to find a way to get us close. Unfortunately, we were blocked at each new avenue we explored. The boat ride, was closed due to repair work being completed on the marina. Helicopter and boat traffic was also being stopped from going near the site, due to the large amount of gas in the area. Undaunted, we continued to hope. After additional research we found a new viewpoint, run by the county, near the lava flow but we were not able to determine if the site was open for viewing. We decided to give it a try. We could see the steam plume from quite some distance away. This got us even more determined to get as close as possible. As we got close to where we thought the viewpoint would be located, we ran into this signpost. TALK ABOUT CONTRADICTING ITSELF! Determined to get close to the volcano, we drove around the sign and continued toward the steam plume.

As we continued our drive, we started to see others that had ventured past the sign. We finally arrived at a parking lot with quite a few people and a gate that led onto the hardened lava. The gate had just opened and everyone was walking back toward the ocean and the steam. Our walk took us about 1/2 a mile back and gave us a wonderful view of the lava pouring into the ocean.
As we watched the steam, we started to see the cinders explode into the air. As the sun was setting, the sky began to fill with color.
As darkness fell, we were able to see the glow of the lava as well as the cinders into the air.
Although the day had begun looking like it would be a disappointment, it was actually better than we could have ever imagined. Thanks to Lightchase Photography - Mark!
During our day on the island, we visited Akaka Falls. The walk back to the main falls had several smaller falls.
Our second night on the island we returned to the volcano viewing area. On the way back, we stopped to buy some bottled water from a local man. He started telling us that we should have been there the night before because it was the best it had been in years. We just smiled and said, WE WERE! Our second night did not end up being quite as exciting as the first. The wind was blowing just a little bit different and the main area had shifted slightly. The cinders were not in direct view. We could see a few of them flying through the air within the steam. The glow was even brighter than it had been the first night and the steam made some interesting patterns. As I was going through the photos, I started noticing faces in the steam. Can you find any?
Some very good friends of mine have been taking panoramic photos so I decided to give it a try. This is made up of about 7 vertical shots. The second leg of our adventure turned out to be an incredible experience. I couldn't wait for the next island. The next day, we were headed for Kauai, the garden island.