While in Hilo we stayed at a bed and breakfast. The owner manager was a very gracious person and had day trips mapped out to see the well known spots and some not so well know. Our first day took us south down the coast. As I said, there is lots of lava flows throughout this island. This is just looking west towards Mauna Loa. There was some snow on top from a storm they had a couple weeks ago. You can see the lava rocks and also an area that was spared in the flow in this area. There are plants that seem to find root and then start growing among the rock.
This is one of the bushes that grows in the lava flow areas. It is now just starting to bloom. At the end of the red is a small damp area with very sweet nectar. We did see some bees there.
One of the places we stopped was at this black sand beach. It is one of the few beaches on the island that actually has sand as many are rocky. The sand is ground up lava and sparkles in the sun as it's sides are flat.
After seeing the black sand beach we drove the furthest south that you can go in the United States, to South Point. This area receives little rain so there are few trees and just bunch type grass. It is used for grazing. The land ends with cliffs.
A short distance form here is another place that our host had said was worth seeing, the green sand beach, green because of an algae. It also looks sort of yellow depending on how the light hits it. It was interesting getting to this area. One drives until South Point Road ends. There one finds several well worn four wheel drive pickups with drivers offering to take you to the green sand beach, or you can walk. We opted for the ride and were glad that we did. The ride alone was probably a highlight for some, like those form Japan who were riding in the bed of our truck. It reminded me of when I was a kid and we would pile in the back of our truck and go exploring in the mountains on old logging roads. It was rough, rutted as deep as the truck in some areas, and many many tracks cut in the sandy and rock ridged area. We were in the cab so we were able to talk to the driver. She said that her husbands family runs the business. Each driver has 'their' route that they prefer. The land is granted to the native Hawaiians, much like the reservation for the Indians in the main land. Some want to develop the land, some want to completely close it, and others want to continue as is. We spent about 45 minutes here. It was a hot day, in the mid eighties but with a good wind blowing in off the water. It was also a steep climb down and back up to get to the water. We went down part way, found some shade by a rock overhang, and ate our lunch.
On our way to see these areas, we stopped in at Punaluu Bakery. There is all kinds of bread using the local fruit, so you have golden, purple, pink, etc. colored bread. We picked up rolls with delicious fruit icing, sweet and slightly tangy. We found out it was passion fruit icing; to die for. We even stopped in on our way back to have another roll, they were out of the ones with passion icing, so we bought another kind and a loaf of cinnamon, raisin, macadamia nut bread. It was sweet and so good we would just tear off some and eat it.
In the late afternoon we stopped at Kiauea Caldera. We walked some of the trails, one that goes through a lot of steam vents. It reminded me of Geyser Basin in Yellowstone Park without all the smell. There was also a Sulfur Rocks trail but it was closed.
There is a huge old Caldera that the new vent is in. This is looking out at the old one.
You can see steam coming up in the old caldera as well as from the current crater. These next two are the current active crater. Most of what you see is the steam.
As we were going along the path back to the information center we had these running down the trail in front of us. Just found out that they are Kalij pheasants who are an invasive species.
There were also lots of orchards growing wild in the area, just starting to bloom.
We talked to the park ranger and she suggested that we wait until around eight to drive out to the look out as there would be so many there. So we killed some time and looked out at it from the restaurant's large observation window until we saw cars coming back down the road, then we went to see. You can't see into the caldera but can see it reflected on the steam. If we could have been about three stories higher we could have seen into it.
This is looking toward Mauna Loa the next day. You can just see the white observation station on the very top above the snow.
We stopped in at the warm tide pools along the south of Hilo. These pools are quite large and some snorkel in them. We just took some pictures from the edge of the pools.
We also stopped in at the Kings Hot Pond, once used only by the king. It is fed by a warm spring and has an opening into the ocean. Bob did some snorkeling but I didn't. I just played in the water. Not nearly the fish as we first say. This pond was pretty deep throughout.
From there we drove on down the road until we came to a sign saying Road Ends. There is a little burg there and we stopped in to see about getting some water as we were about out. Instead we had large smoothies. Mine was made with frozen pineapple and coconut water but no banana as they were out. Bob had a Mango. Oh, were they good.
We returned to the road and drove a little further where it ended. From here you can rent bikes or hike out to see the lava flow into the sea. Since I have fun with my balance we decided to walk the four miles. There were a few trail buggies that you could also pay to take you out but you had to walk the last mile on your own.
Back in 1992 the lava flowed through this area, blocking the road and destroying things in its path. Now there is just sheets of flow in all its forms; flat, boulders, lava tubes, etc. They have come in with equipment and put in a gravel road. (It is easy to find rocks for gravel, just crush up what is around.) The sun was reflecting off of the surface of the flat flow rocks.
I guess that resale of the land is not worth much so people are just rebuilding on what was their property. This was one of the larger homes we saw. Most were quite small, just the basics. They had tanks for water and solar panels for electricity. Not sure what they did for septic but it may be a tank also.
Thankfully it was late in the day and it was cooling down or it would have been a very hot hike. Here you can see steam coming out from along the rift.
We could start to see the steam from where it enters the ocean so we knew that we were getting close.
There are boats that take people to see it. There was one there when we got to the observation area where they stop you. That boat would have been in about the middle lower part of my picture, way too close for me.
Sorry that I am not able to make this video a little larger so that you can see it better. It was really impressive.
When we were coming back we were really glad that we had walked. Several were having trouble navigating the gravel road by flash light, head light, and lights on the bikes on the way back. Some of those who have built in the lava flow were out with there cars or trucks offering, for a price, to give you a ride back. It took us right around and hour and twenty minutes to come back. I did get my walking in for the day.
