Viewing a Volcano from the Air and by Land
Plus Candy and Orchids
22.06.2010 - 22.06.2010
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Summer, 9-11-2001 - and then the 2nd time down the ICW
& 2010 Yellowstone and Hawaii
& Bermuda
on greatgrandmaR's travel map.
June 22, 2010
We have two excursions today - one the Circle of Fire Helicopter, and the other going to the Volcano National Park. We don't have time in between to go back on the ship for lunch. Since we didn't do the Tora Tora Tora tour in Honolulu where black clothing was suggested for lack of reflection, I wore black for this one.
View of the island from the ship
Harbor
Our meeting time on the pier is to be 9:00, so we went up to the Aloha Cafe for breakfast about 6:30.

When we got back to the room, I figured that I could order something from room service to take with us in addition to the two rolls that I put in my pocket. So I ordered grilled cheese sandwiches and put them in a napkin in my bag.
Then we went out on the pier to meet with our group. While we waited there was electric ukulele music (very loud) and hula dancing.
Loud electric ukelele on in the pier June 2010
A black dude came into the terminal and weighed us on a scale. The rules said that if you were over 250 lbs that you would be charged extra. My grandson weighed 85 lbs - less than I had guessed (I guessed 100 lbs) and I was more than I had put down (but of course I'm usually weighing in the morning before breakfast when nude), but not over 250 lbs. We got into a van and they drove us to the airport.
We did this tour out of the Hilo Airport. Known as General Lyman Field prior to 1989, Hilo International Airport occupies 1,391 acres about two miles east of Hilo, on the eastern shore of the island of Hawaii. The airport has a couple of shops, a newsstand, a cocktail bar and a restaurant. Arriving passengers at Hilo International disembark through jetways to the second level of the terminal. They can take an escalator, elevator or stairs to get to the ground level baggage claim area, rental cars and ground transportation. Signs will direct them to the correct baggage carousel. A Visitor Information Booth is located in the arrival area to assist passengers.
I understand that there used to be helicopter tours right from the park, but they are no longer available as there were safety concerns. We walked to the Blue Sky Helicopter place and they gave us a safety briefing and handed out the little life preserver/fanny pack. I couldn't get mine on because it had been put away wrong.
We were lined up in groups - my grandson and I were in the first group - he was #3 and I was #4. Two of the others were two women from Australia, and there was also a young couple. They walked us out to our helicopter - they took me on a golf cart.
Blue Sky helicopter tour June 2010 and Controls of the helicopter
It was raining and we got wet. Our pilot was Julie. The young couple sat in the back on the right side, and we sat on the left side with my grandson next to the window.
Julie took off and flew toward the volcano.
As we are taking off
There were raindrops on the windows and there was a rainbow out the right side
Rainbow in the rain
Julie flies to the coast
Coastline


Houses on the lava plain and smoke or steam from a vent from a helicopter

barricade over the road
We flew over the house of the man who wouldn't evacuate,

Bed and Breakfast - closed off by lava flows
Because it was cloudy, we could see the red glow from the lava around the edges of the flow.
Glowing red
Glowing lava

Hot lava


Lava from the air
Shiny lava is recent - has more silica
She also flew around the edge of the crater with steam coming out.

Mauna Loa Volcano from the helicopter
Old and new lava
Sulfur or iron deposits
Island of trees and reflection in the window of the life jacket
My grandson got some really good photos (he was next to the window). Then she flew over some waterfalls on the river -
waterfall from helicopter
River
Waterfall
this part was a little rough for him as it was more bouncy and he was less interested.
University
Pride of America
Hilo
Airport tower when we came in for a landing
Julie took a photo of us with my camera,
and they also had cameras in the helicopter which showed where we went and had Julie's narrative.
We got back to the airport - the sun was out but I was still a little damp around the edges from the rain earlier. I got a ride on the golf cart back to the gate. I ordered the DVD of our ride (one for him and one for me). It occurred to me that we could probably get food at the airport, so I told him to go buy something and he got himself a hamburger. I ate one of the grilled cheese sandwiches and the rolls while I was waiting for the DVDs to be finished. Then we were driven back to the ship. I used the bathroom on the pier
Sign on the inside of the bathroom on the dock
before we assembled on the pier for the Volcanoes National Park Tour. We had a driver named Rob this time
Park in Hilo
Leaving tsunami evacuation area
First he took us to a candy company where we could see candy being made and we bought some.

I don't remember what we bought and we ate it before we got back to the ship. Their website says: Our ..original products – such as our Chocolate Dipped Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies are world renown. All of our products are made with the finest of ingredients, such as locally grown macadamia nuts, 100 percent Kona Coffee along with island eggs, real butter and high-grade chocolate
Entering the park

Blurry photo of the military camp from the bus
Our next stop at the National Park was the Jagger museum.

This time I had brought the NPS passports and we each got a stamp.
We looked at the seismographs and exhibits.
Seismographs at the VNP


Observatory
Volcano watch
The Museum is next to the main crater, Halema'uma'u.
We took pictures of it.
From the visitor's center


The Hawaiians believe Kilauea and Halemaumau to be the home of Pele

Mauna Loa sign
I also took photos of the sign asking us not to feed the Nene (the Hawaiian goose-an endangered species)

Sign about Nene
because then they are attracted to the roads and parking lots and get run over and killed. I wouldn't have fed one, but I would have liked to see one. But they were all away from the tourist areas.
The driver (and signs at the museum) attempted to explain the difference between the two kinds of lava - Aa which is very jagged and rough and may be 10 feet thick, and Pahoehoe which is smooth and only one of two meters thick. The differences are caused by the temperature of the flowing lava. Hotter lava flows smoothly and spreads out more.
He said that it was best just to evacuate and wait for the lava to do its thing - because none of the things that people have done worked. Building dams to deflect it, - doesn't work. Putting water on it to cool and harden it - doesn't work. (Don't fool with Mother Nature - or Pele)
When we were there, Kilauea was Active at two Locations - the Summit and East Rift Zone
Eastern Rift zone
The most recent flow in the park had gone across the end of Chain of Crater's Road and part of the Crater Rim Drive was closed also.

Sign explaining how to access the lava flow
The place to see the hot lava flowing though was outside the park boundaries and it was most visible at night.
We loaded back in the bus. Rob stopped at the steam vent which has a railing around it. I didn't see but one of the steam vents because I didn't walk past the one that is in the parking lot. Rob explained that ground water seeps down to the hot volcanic rocks in this area and returns to the surface as steam. It is warm, but it isn't hot like a steam iron. At least this one wasn't. It did fog up my glasses.
Steam vent
The bus took us down through the tropical rain forest (where it was raining)

Tree Ferns and Ferns
and down into the temperate rainforest (it was still raining).
Forest
We went down to the where the lava had closed the road by flowing over it. F
J.s photos of Old lava flow up close
Then we came back up to the lava tube. I stayed on the bus but my grandson got off at each stop.

Inside the tube

Inside Thurston volcano tube
We had one more stop at the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens.before we went back to the ship.

Orchid garden


Going to the gardens is free and they hope you will buy some of their products from the gift shop.
Grandson photographing orchids
Orchid
Succulent
They also sell through the internet and ship. The gift shop features orchid and floral-related products and made-in-Hawaii gifts, including Akatsuka Original Magnets-clay replica magnets designed after the orchids. You can also buy the plants which are certified for US Mainland travel and can be purchased and shipped from our counter or packed for carry-on.
We got back to the ship about 5 pm - it was to sail at 6. The dinner tonight was prime rib and they had it up in the buffet as well as the dining room. It was the Captain's night, so I changed into a long dress and decided to eat in the upper level dining room. My grandson went to the buffet. I told the people at the desk that I wanted to eat with other people so they had me sit in a chair until they found someone else to share with me. I got a couple who normally cruise with Renaissance - they were astonished at the extra price restaurants.
I had
Chicken egg drop soup
Roast beef, baked potato, onion rings. It came with carrots and peas which I didn't eat
Cappuccino chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup
My grandson went to the show, and then came back and fell asleep. While he was out the room steward made a towel animal.
Rabbit towel elephant
Since there is no way to get the announcements in the cabin (a major annoyance), I did not hear when they said that you could see the red lava on the shore, but I looked out and saw it and saw people at the rail. I was already in my nightgown and my grandson was sound asleep, so I didn't wake him up, and I couldn't take a picture from the room very well.
Lava on shore
This was disappointing, but we saw lots of lava earlier today
Full moon reflected in ship
Tomorrow our port is Kona
Posted by greatgrandmaR 19:48 Archived in USA Tagged volcano orchids lava candy helicopter seismograph Comments (0)