Volcano, HI
Yesterday we visited Volcano, HI on the Big Island of Hawai’i. This is a must visit part of Hawai’i if you want to see something extraordinary! This was our first stop on our Big Island adventure. The city of Volcano is where Hawai’i Volcanos National Park is located.
We stayed at a local Bed & Breakfast near the Volcanos National Park – My Island Bed and Breakfast Inn. This was my first stay at a bed and breakfast, and it was pretty great! The rooms were quaint and clean, and a decent place to stay for an evening. The breakfast though, was amazing. They made all of their own bread and jams, and the fruit was delish.
Outside the My Island Bed and Breakfast Inn, highly recommend this place if you’re going to be staying in the area
Delicious breakfast!
We took a hike on the Kilauea Iki Trail to start off with. The Kilauea Iki Trail started in the rain forest on the crater’s rim. The trail then descended through the forest to the crater floor. We then crossed crater floor, some parts of it still steaming. The end was a fairly challenging hike up back up to the crater’s rim. The whole hike took about 2.5 hours and we were pooped at the end! It was definitely worth it though, we got to hike on volcanic rock!
At the top of the volcano crater
Now, on to the best part of our visit to Volcano. The lava viewing at dusk. The lava flow and direction will change so find the most current lava information here. When going to the lava viewing, the best thing to do is to arrive right before sunset and stay till after the sun has set. That way you’ll get to see the lava in all lights, it’s amazing. Make sure to bring the following:
- comfortable hiking shoes because there will be a .75 mile (or so) hike to the viewing area from the parking lot.
- a flashlight – it will be pitch dark if you stay after the sun has set
- camera/camcorder
- optional: light dinner – sandwiches, etc. you may be out there for a couple of hours so a snack may come in handy.
Hiking to the lava viewing area
Kualoa Ranch: ATV Tour
I had never been on an ATV before.
Surprisingly since I grew up in rural Southwest Virginia and currently reside in Georgia!
This was our first adventure activity on Oahu. We decided to do the ATV tour at Kualoa Ranch, on the east coast of Oahu. Kauloa Ranch is famous for being a location where many movies and television shows are filmed, including Jurassic Park, Lost, 50 First Dates, Godzilla, Pearl Harbor, and many others. Once you witness the beauty of the landscape here, it’s easy to see why so many films are shot on location here.
We were lucky enough to have one of our guides capture some video footage of the last part of the tour, enjoy!