Volcano – Todd and Cindy's Travel Blog

Big Island Adventure – Final Blog

For the second year in a row, we were in Kona for St. Patrick’s Day. Aline, Dave, Todd, and I went to Quinn’s. Although not as “happening” as last year, there were lots of fun people, lively music, and good food.

On one of our road trips, we travelled south to visit The Painted Church (a.k.a. St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church). The church in its current location was built in 1899.

A cemetery surrounds the small church on the hillside overlooking the ocean.

Six scenes are painted on the wood side walls within the church. These were painted in the early 1900s by the Father of the church who was a self-taught artist.

The painted scenes within the church were used as teaching tools as many people at the that time could not read or write.

St Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata.

Cain and Abel-with great anguish and violence.

Temptation of Jesus. The devil is being cast down along with a crown, a scepter and bags of money.

A couple of times walking by one of the restaurants near our condo, we saw a truck parked out front with a huge fish wrapped in ice taking up the entire truck bed. Todd talked to the fisherman who goes out almost daily. This marlin weighed 383 lbs.

On the Saturday prior to the Hawaiian Prince Kuhio holiday, the Daughters of Hawaii hold a fundraiser at Hulihe`e Palace. The palace is free to tour and artisans populate the grounds. The highlight is the entertainment with traditional songs and dances being performed.

I booked an Island Circle Tour with Big Island Air on a Cessna for us on our 3rd week here, but after they rebooked us twice for different reasons, we ended up going on our final week and for sunset (an upgrade).

What a great experience! Our pilot/tour guide, Darryl was professional, friendly, and very informative. We headed north to where the coastline isn’t accessible by car (no roads).

After the sugar mills shut down, a Japanese company leased thousands of acres of land and planted fast-growing Eucalyptus trees for lumber. The timber is mainly shipped to China where it’s made into a variety of products including plywood, pallets, industrial flooring, and furniture frames.

It was amazing getting an aerial view of the Island and seeing the differences in landscape, from desert to semi-desert to evergreen forests, to rainforests….

Once again, we got to visit Volcano National Park, but we saw it from a whole new perspective. The ring of fire in the Caldera was stunning.

Looks like Pele is smiling up at us !

Sometimes a little un-nerving looking out and seeing a helicopter right below us.

The flow into the ocean is blocked a bit now, but we were still able to see the lava through the plume of steam.

As we travelled south and rounded the island towards the west, it became quite voggy. Vog is made up of volcanic gases and dust and it is prevalent in this area because of the active volcano and the trade winds.

We completed our flight just as the sun was setting. Wow!

A couple of days after our plane ride, we did the Big Island Duck Boat Adventure with Dave and Aline. (Note that this also had to be rebooked due to ocean swells…. flexibility while travelling is a must…). The Hydra-Terra is a state-of-the-art amphibious tour bus.

This was a lot of fun! We travelled up Ali’I Drive where historical buildings and places were pointed out, and we played a trivia game for a fun way to learn more about Hawaii and the Big Island. Along the route, we greeted people and used our duck whistles. So silly…

The water part was excellent. I thought we would just hang out in the habour, but we went out into the ocean and travelled up the coast a bit.

We passed a few boaters, had a great view of the coastline, and saw some ancient fishing ponds.

The excursion was informative and lots of fun!

The past couple of Thursdays have been pool nights.

We met up with Doug and a few of his friends, fun times are had by all!

Dave said he hadn’t played in years, yet I think he and Aline were scamming us judging by the moves they used so he could make his shot.

Hawaii life is lanai life. There is so much to see…. Locals on the rocks fishing, crabbing, and Opihi hunting.

Kids surfing and boggie-boarding in the waves.

Watersports.

Birds coming to visit.

….And always the beautiful sunset.

We love Hawaii life…already booked for next year.

The Big Island Post 1

This is the third year in a row we’ve been to the Big Island; it has become a second home here in Kona. We meet up with our friends from B.C., Aline and Dave, and we reconnect with local friends.

Two years ago, we did a tour that ended with a visit to Volcano National Park. This year we decided to go ourselves, spend the night (Volcano House Hotel), and explore at our own pace going to places we had not been. We arrived at the park just before noon and it was already packed with people (tons of tour vans and busses). Our first stop after the Visitor’s Centre was the steam vents which surround the volcano crater.

They are much more active than when we saw them back in 2005 or even two year ago.

Next, we went to the Jaggar Museum, where we had a great view of the Kilauea Caldera.

We stopped here as part of our cruise excursion in 2005 and could walk right up to the crater’s edge. It became active again in 2008 and the road has been closed since. According to one of the rangers at the museum, the area we once stood has collapsed into the crater.

We returned here at night and were treated to a bit of a show.

As the lava sputtered up, lots of oohs and aahs came from the crowd.

Here is a time lapse video Todd made from a group of shots he took.

Because of Todd’s ankle, we didn’t do any hiking; that will have to wait for a return visit. We drove along Crater Rim Drive where markers detailed the various years that lava had flowed over the area.

There are two types of lava and they are easily distinguishable. The smoother, dense lava is called Pahoehoe. It looks like gentle waves. The other lava, A’a, is porous and jagged and appears as individual rocks.

As we continued towards sea level, descending 1128 m, the temperature rose 11°C. In the distance, we could see this huge billowing of smoke. Smoke? No, it was steam!

We knew to get anywhere close to the lava flowing into the ocean, you had to hike in about 8 km…and that wasn’t happening. So, we were quite satisfied to see the forces of nature at work from a distance.

Because we spent the night at the hotel in the park, we were able beat the crowds the next morning. We returned to the Jaggar Museum outlook for a clearer daytime view of Kilauea Caldera.

We did a return drive towards the ocean and the end of Chain of Craters Road, taking pictures along the way.

But the main attraction of course is the steam plume. When hot lava touches the ocean, it evaporates water, forming an impressive steam plume, and heats the surface water to temperatures capable of causing third-degree burns.

Our final stop was at the Thurston Lava Tube. We were the only ones there! Amazing! The rainforest area around the tube was totally serene…only the birds could be heard. (Click play below)

The ferns growing around the lava tube have huge (as big as your head) fiddleheads starting!

The Thurston Lava Tube is estimated to be about 500 years old.

Lava caves like this are formed during lava flows. The outer crust begins to harden while the inner lava continues to flow. Once the flow stops, the tunnel formation remains.

Volcano National Park is truly unique. We witnessed the past and present impact Pele has on the Island. It is amazing – the beauty in some of the plants that thrive in the lava!

While this is our 3rd visit to Big Island, it is the first time we have rented a car; and that turned out to be a good plan because of Todd’s swollen and sore ankle. We are doing a lot of driving and seeing the sites. On one of our drives, we headed to Waimea and stopped for lunch… at a Korean restaurant (Yong’s Kalbi). I had the Chicken Katsu and sides including pickled daikon that was very good. (Going to get Todd to make some pickled daikon back home.)

Todd had Mandoo Noodle Soup and sides.

After lunch, we went to Parker Ranch. Parker Ranch was founded in 1847 by John Palmer Parker, from Massachusetts. He married the granddaughter of King Kamehameha I, and they purchased two acres of land (for $10). Rows of eucalyptus trees create a tunnel along the entry way and horses graze in the fields.

Today, the ranch is the 5th largest independently owned ranch in the United States at 130,000 acres.

The property allows visitors a look into the past. We toured Mana Hale (House of the Spirit). The original house was built in the early 1800s by John Parker. Later, his great-great-great grandson, Richard Smart, had the home disassembled and reconstructed where it sits now.

The house, made entirely of koa wood, is quite impressive.

The rooms are filled with pictures, documents, and household items from the early era of the ranch.

The second floor, shows what the bedrooms would have looked like.

The other house available for visitors to tour is Puuopelu. It was the home of the Ranch’s sixth-generation and final heir from 1960 to 1992. The Parker Ranch property was left as a beneficial trust when he died.

There is also a museum on the grounds with old carriages and tools on display.

On another drive, we went south to Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park.

This is the site where Hawaiians met Westerners when Captain Cook arrived in 1779.

On the large rock platform, various ceremonial structures once stood. Over the years, it has had to be rebuilt due to damage from high surf and tsunamis. It remains a sacred area.

While on the Island, our friend Doug, who we met here 3 years ago celebrated his 40th birthday. We met him and some of his other friends at Bongos.

Then we made our way upstairs to play pool and have some beverages and snacks.

Doug’s dad also came by.

The guys enjoyed playing each other, and pairing up to play others wanting to play. We had lots of fun celebrating with Doug and his friends on his birthday.

Todd was the only one willing to have a shot of Patron tequila with Doug to end the night!

We got to experience another full moon on this vacation (first one was in Poipu). The sky was clear and made a great background for the brilliant moon.

We continue to take sunset pictures.

Just when you think, okay we have enough sunset pictures, another stunning sunset comes….and we have to take more pictures.

Hawaiian Adventure Maui Final Post

After what we were told was a highly unusual whale tour Tuesday (hanging on for dear life in the 4 foot swells while protecting our cameras), we decided to give it another shot. We booked Saturday…what a difference! The weather was clear, waters were calm and no one got wet.

Although we didn’t see any huge breaches, we were treated to numerous sightings.

We saw a lots of dorsal fins breaking the surface,

lots of pectoral fins waving,

and lots of tail slaps.

The next 2 pictures show the scarring on the back and tail of this male that looks like he has been fighting pretty hard for the attention of his possible mates !

Two of the most exciting sightings included a whale peeking out of the water close to the boat,

AND a whale actually swimming right under the zodiac we were on. When there is a whale, the water turns turquoise and the white is the underside of the whale. Without actually jumping in the water for a really good pic, I tried my best to capture it, leaning over the side of the zodiac.

We can see why whale watching could get addictive (talked to lots who go out multiple times each vacation)…

Monday we took a drive to Haleakala National Park and took the long windy road up to the summit. After the Road to Hana, Todd said this drive was a breeze.

Haleakala summit is 10,023 feet (3,055 m) above sea level and the temperature dropped dramatically.

The volcano is currently dormant. In the picture below you can see two volcano peaks on The Big Island peaking through the clouds !

The views are stunning, even if the clouds get in the way.

One of the most interesting plants we saw was the Haleakala Silversword, only found here on the summit. It lives for 15 – 50 years and only blooms once.

After some pics and a walk about, I said, “Okay, enough of this cold, back to the warmth.” The temperature was about 20°F cooler. On the way back down, we stopped at The Visitor’s Center (9,740 ft / 2,969 m above sea level).

Each stop along the way down offered different views. Kalahaku Lookout (9,324 ft / 2,842 m) was impressive with the colours and shapes of the land.

It was interesting watching the clouds roll in as we drove through them. Our last stop down was at Leleiwi Overlook (8,840 ft / 2,694 m).

Tuesday night was a partial eclipse of the sun. The moon was to cover 68% of the sun. Unfortunately, clouds got in the way for a really clear view. The video is a time lapse of what we did see over a 2 hour period. You can notice about ½ way through, it gets really dark (eclipse time), then lightens a bit for the sunset.

Wednesday we drove towards Kihei to go to the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge and walk the boardwalk through the marshlands. Just our luck – the boardwalk was closed for repair… So, we carried on south to Makena Beach State Park where we got out to walk the beach.

It was extremely windy, but the landscape was beautiful with volcanic rock sticking out of the sand.

While in the area, we made a pit stop at Maui Brewing Company’s brewery. We didn’t do a tour, but enjoyed sitting on their patio for a couple of pints of small batch beers craft beers that are available only at the brewery.

Todd contributed to his t-shirt collection. Too bad he didn’t buy it at the beginning of our visit, his beers would have been $2 off…

So, we spent our last day on Maui very low key – some packing and prepping for the morning exodus. We did walk into town so we could get a couple of Red Dirt Shirts (very Maui…).

Then we did our final stop at The Hard Rock. Todd has been quite impressed with their display of memorabilia. He asked if it was actually real and it is. This Tony Iommi jacket (Black Sabbath) is insured for $200,000 by Hard Rock.

The car above the bar was an actual functioning boat at one time – amphibious vehicle…

Usually, I post a lot of dinner pics from restaurants we have eaten at, but this trip so far, we have eaten just about all out meals on the lanai after sunset. Can’t really justify the cost of eating out and the views from the lanai are beautiful, plus Todd is an amazing chef!

We have definitely enjoyed our time at this waterfront condo in Lahaina. Maui has been beautiful – warm, sunny, gorgeous sunsets, lots to see and do, and also very relaxing.

Next up – the Big Island where we will meet up with our friends, Aline and Dave.