I’m on Spring Break from school, so John and I planned ad adventure to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – one of the last three remaining for us to see that are only visitable by plane.
Getting to the Big Island is no joke from Ohio – 18 hours door to door with a 6 hour time difference. It is one of the 8 Hawaiian Islands. It has a population of about 185,000, and an area of 4,000 square miles. On the east is Hilo which is wet and tropical with more than 200 inches of rain annually. On the west is Kona, which gets less than 10 inches of rain per year. It is the biggest Hawaiian island, the youngest, and the most volcanic. Kilauea located in the east is the world’s most active volcano. It has been adding rivers of lava since 1983, creating more real estate for the island each time. It also has the world’s tallest mountain. Mauna Kea measured from the sea floor stands 13,796 feet. At the top of this mountain stands the world’s largest telescope. South Point at the bottom of the island is the southernmost point in the United States. And last fun fact, the world Luau competition is held every year in Hilo and was happening while we were visiting.
The waters are crystal clear…you can physically see the fish from the water without even snorkeling (we did snorkel as well as night swim with Manta Rays which was a spectacular experience). We saw beaches with all kinds of volcanic rocks – green, whilte, black and red. Everything was green and lush. And it was surreal in ways to be so close to an active volcano that is just a normal part of life for the people of The Big Island. Houses are destroyed, more land is created, the god Pele is worshiped along with other spiritual beings, and life goes on. We were everywhere…. snorkeling in Kaelakekua, National Historic Sites, Volcanoes National Park, South Point, Green Sand Beach, Black Sand Beach, Rainbow Falls, Waipi’p Valley, Pololu Valley, and the top of Mauna Key.
We came here to travel the entire island counterclockwise and see and do as much as we could, arriving and leaving from Kona in the west with a layover in Honalulu, Oahu. Our layover home was long enough for us to rent a car for 4 hours and travel around Oahu to see the a few sights as well – Pearl Harbor, Byodo – In – Temple, and Waikiki.
I have such a greater appreciation for the spirituality of the Hawaiian people, their connection to the gods, the evolution of our colonization of their land, and the importance of taking care of the Earth. We met some interesting people, some of which made their way from the mainland to start a simpler life. The volcano was not active while we were here unfortunately, so now we have a reason to come back!
And if you were wondering, the last two national parks on our list are American Samoa and Virgin Islands. We would love to stay, but the Solar Eclipse and our life left behind is calling.
