Big Island....Day 1

My uncle Greg flew to Hawaii,from Houston, TX Saturday afternoon for his second visit to Oahu. I thought a trip to the Big Island would interest him, especially to see the active volcano.Waking up bright and early we arrived to the Big Island Sunday morning around 9:15. We flew on a very small plane which is always exciting when flying over large amounts of water ie the Pacific Ocean! I also love how you walk to the plane and use the stairs. I told Uncle Greg I would snap a photo of him on the stairs and he could wave and act like the President. We both chuckled!

We arrived, got the luggage and rent car and off we drove seeking out breakfast. We ate at Ken's in Hilo which is a favorite for the local people. Breakfast was fantastic and our bellies were now happy. We forgot rain jackets back home so I was happy to hit a Ross where he found his jacket and Wal-Mart where I found mine. He needed a new jacket and hey I could use more than one moving to Seattle area.

We finally made it to Volcano National Park and checked into the cozy little cabin. The temp here is awesome. In the sixties during the day and low fifties at night. We went to the visitor center, Jagger museum and checked out all the amenities that the cabin had to offer. The cabins are operated by the army. They have a general store, post office, bowling lanes, lounge, fitness center, activity center with video games, pool tables and air hockey. Quite the hook-up for being in a National Park!

We had lunch and then headed down Crater Dr which much lava was visible and could be hiked on. Further down the road were spectacular views of the ocean. We were at three thousand feet and drove all the way down to the ocean. Its a feeling of being on the moon at times, the way the lava looks and the mass quantity of it. He hiked about six hundred yards to wherwe the lava covered the road back in 2003. It was amazing! We headed back to the cabin and was near dinner time. I went to the gym for a bit and he went to the lounge for a couple cold ones. Later we met and went to the cafe and enjoyed a nice hot meal. It was getting late so we watched a little TV and then off to bed!