The Volcanoes National Park, the hunt for the lava part 2

After a relaxing day at the beautiful beach of Hapuna Beach Park and a round of golf for Vreni, we receive the news that the lava is flowing into the sea again and we can proceed with our booked tour.

Great, finally. We want to combine the lava boat tour with a visit to the Volcanoes National Park. So we pack our cooler box with lots of delicious things for a picnic in the park and we start early in the morning, the lava hunters, for another lava hunt.

In a good mood and with fantastic weather, we reach the Isaac Hale Beach Park, from where our boat tour starts.

We have also already spotted our boat. Finally, let's get started. The captain welcomes us and wants to have a short meeting with us.

Meeting? Why a meeting? We are dressed appropriately, have taken our travel tablets, it can start, we think.

Unfortunately, the captain doesn't mean that. He informs us that the lava has stopped its flow into the sea and the tour cannot take place.

He didn't really say that, did he? Oh no. We will not see any lava again. Is there a curse on us? Did someone bring bad karma with them to the island?

Well then, never mind. We make our way to the Volcanoes National Park.

Nowhere else in the world do you have the opportunity to experience volcanism as closely as here, without any significant dangers.

Due to the low gas content of the lava, there are only gentle eruptions here. The Hawaiians call them eruptions with ALOHA.

The volcano Kilauea is constantly active and there are eruptions at various locations.

Everywhere you can see the different lava fields from previous eruptions.

The entrance to the park costs $25 for a car and the ticket is valid for 7 days. Great!

Here we go. We embark on the Chain of Craters Road. Here you can stop at various points and see the signs of volcanic activity.

The hiking trails are well marked with length indications. We see, among other things, the Steam Vents, where hot steam emerges from the ground, the Thurston Lava Tube, a huge lava cave through which lava flowed in 1960 and whose entrance is lushly overgrown with ferns, the Devastation Trail, where pumice was thrown 600 meters high into the air during an eruption in 1959 and large parts of the surrounding forest were covered with debris up to 3 meters high.

At a dreamlike viewpoint overlooking the Pacific and the cooled lava fields, we enjoy our picnic and while sipping a glass of wine, we once again consider how we can still find the flowing lava. Maybe we should hunt the lava on foot.

At the end of the Chain of Craters Road, there is the possibility to see the flowing lava on a hike.

Hm, about 13 km on foot, at 30 degrees Celsius in the shade, without a hat, with too little water and already a sunburn. Should we really dare that? Reason prevails. We decide to do a wine tasting at the nearby Volcanoes Winery instead and spend the day comfortably without fractures, abrasions, sunstroke, and other injuries.

At the nearby winery, there is a selection of local wines to taste. 7 wine tastings for a price of $5 per person is a good deal.

The taste of the wines varies from 'yuck' to 'delicious'. A bottle of wine also accompanies us on the journey home.

On the way back to the house, we make a stop at the southernmost bar in the USA, a pretty dive. Here we have a coffee and soon reach our accommodation.

Satisfied? Yes, already, if only this darn lava wouldn't always bother us.

Whether we will see it again......