We just returned from a whirl wind trip to the big island of Hawaii. We packed it all in....we left the hotel at about 8 am each morning and didn't return until 10 or 11 pm. We had a great time and now we need a vacation to recuperate from our vacation.
WARNING: This is a very long post, there were so many pictures that I wanted to add. This is just a small fraction of the pictures we took and believe it or not I tried to be picky and choosy about the ones I added.
AKAKA FALLS
POLOLU BEACH - BLACK SAND BEACH
Black sand is formed when lava hits the sea and shatters into tiny pieces.
HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Kilauea
There were steam vents everywhere, you could feel the warmth they put off.
Crystals formed by volcanic gases seeping from the ground.
THURSTON LAVA TUBE
Lava tubes are formed when an active low lava flow develops a continuous and hard crust, which thickens and forms a roof above the still-flowing lava stream. Tubes form in one of two ways: by the crusting over of lava channels, and from pahoehoe flows where the lava is moving under the surface.
Just a little lovin' before we go inside :)
Inside tube
Lava tubes are formed when an active low lava flow develops a continuous and hard crust, which thickens and forms a roof above the still-flowing lava stream. Tubes form in one of two ways: by the crusting over of lava channels, and from pahoehoe flows where the lava is moving under the surface.
Entrance of the Lava tube.
Just a little lovin' before we go inside :)
Inside tube
HOLEI SEA ARCH
LAVA FLOW
In 1983 lava flow covered a 10-mile stretch of road (this was one of the coolest areas in my opinion).
Road closed.....ya think?
PU'U LOA PETROGLYPHS
Our book said that when the Hawaiians had a baby they would come here and carve out a hole, they would put the umbilical cord in the hole for good luck. Never thought about trying that???
At this point, we had been hiking all day...Havyn and Cole taking a break while Steve and I looked at petroglyphs.
SOUTH POINT
These pictures were taken on the southern most tip of the United States.
Arch is 90 ft. tall
LAVA FLOW
In 1983 lava flow covered a 10-mile stretch of road (this was one of the coolest areas in my opinion).
Road closed.....ya think?
PU'U LOA PETROGLYPHS
Our book said that when the Hawaiians had a baby they would come here and carve out a hole, they would put the umbilical cord in the hole for good luck. Never thought about trying that???
At this point, we had been hiking all day...Havyn and Cole taking a break while Steve and I looked at petroglyphs.
SOUTH POINT
These pictures were taken on the southern most tip of the United States.
KALAPANA LAVA FLOW
Steve and I both wanted to get close to a lava flow. There are some hikes that you can do that will get you close, but they would have been too much for the kids....perhaps another time. We did make it to an area that opens up in the evening to watch the lava flow into the ocean as it gets dark. It was a pretty spectacular sight!
You can see this plume of smoke all day
These pictures show the glow of the lava and the lava flow as it progressively gets darker.
The hillside where the lava was flowing from
MAUNA KEA
Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in Hawaii at the summit it is 13,796 feet. It is above the tree line, quite cold, and very desolate (looks like mars). During the winter months there is snow here.
This is the marker at the summit
Steve hiked over to the summit, I stayed with the kids. That is his little tiny body at the top of the mountain. He came back huffing and puffing from the high altitude.
RAINBOW FALLS
5 comments:
Amber, talk about some AMAZING pictures! WOW!!! It makes me want to go back to the Big Island and take full advantage of everything it has to offer. Isn't it so different from Oahu??? You'll have to tell me what you think? How long did you stay, where did you stay, have you since recuperated? I'm glad you posted almost as many pictures as me; it's too hard to choose from such a vast amount of pictures. No worries, I loved them all! I'm glad you had such a fabulous time and that you were able to get away, even if you're now exhausted! :(
Keep updating your blog - it's awesome!
-Alex
Wow. It is so cool that your kids are able to have these kinds of experience at such a young age. :)
I wish you were going to be at the reunion!
What a great trip. I think we saw that lava flow when we were there. We also saw the lava flowing into the ocean, from the cruise ship. Cole is sure getting big, he's almost as tall as the girls. I loved all the pictures, it didn't seem like a long post at all, I was entertained the whole time. Hey, you were even wearing pants and jackets, I didn't ever think that would happen. So much fun. I'm so glad you're able to go out and explore. Just wish I could do it with you.
Ok so now Im WAYYYYY excited to come out. Should we bring a pair of pants and lights jackets? You know we are relying on you to be our tour guide right? We cant wait!! See you soon!
WOW! FUN. FUN. FUN. Your vacation looked awesome! I am seriously counting down the days until we come visit you (I know I still have a long way to go.) Havyn is getting so big. Thanks for the great pictures. I am hoping to have a little more time to blog, now that school is approaching.
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