Big Island.....Day 2

Today started out great! We filled our bellies with an awesome breakfast and then headed out for our 5 mile hike around a small crater and onto the volcano floor. We had awesome views and traveled through lush rain forest and hard black lava. Steam seeped from the rock and you could feel the heat. This is an awesome hike and we both really enjoyed it. After the hike we walked through a lava tube which was really cool.



After the hike we got cleaned up and headed to Hilo for some lunch. We stopped at Coconuts Grill and had a wonderful lunch with a wonderful view of the ocean. While on the Big Island you tend to forget about "everything" and are truly relaxed. After lunch we drove to see Akaka Falls which is a 420 foot drop from the top. It's off the main road and through this small town. Once you get to the park it's a small circular hike along a paved path with some stairs. It's a very small hike for such a beautiful view.



We left the falls and drove to Laupahoehoe Point. To many on the Big Island, this park is associated with tragedy. In April, 1946, twenty-one children and three adults were swept away to their death by a tsunami. There is a memorial and many articles from this tragic day. The beach here is rugged and can get a bit rough. The town has moved further up the hill. The lives lost here will not be forgotten.




Our last sight seeing stop for the day was Mauna Kea, which means White Mountain. The summit reaches 13,796 feet and the visitor center sits at 9,000 feet. We drove to the visitor center and watched the sun disappear behind the mountain and you could see a blanket of clouds below you. You truly feel like you are on top of the world. There were many telescopes to view many things such as the moon! It was about 49 degrees and I was very cold! My uncle had a wonderful time and got to ask many questions.