Vacation to Hawaii

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On Tuesday, our adventures included driving from Kailua-Kona to Hilo, the opposite side of the island. We drove back through Waimea, then along the northeastern coast of the Big Island.

Our first stop was at Akaka Falls Park. Short trails lead to the spectaular view of Akaka Falls, a waterfall dropping 420 feet.

The vegetation is certainly more lush on this side of the island.

The paths take you through bamboo groves, past wild azaleas and many other flowering shrubs and plants.

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Our next stop was at the Hilo Airport where we had booked the Circle of Fire plus Waterfalls tour with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. This was my first experience flying in a helicopter, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Leaving Hilo, we flew over Rainbow Falls State Park on our way to the East Rift Zone. Kilauea has been in its current active state since 1983. The southeastern coastal region has been mostly engulfed by lava flow. Miraculously, an occasional building (such as the tin-roofed barn pictured) survives.

Our pilot, Ray, made sure to give all passengers good views of open lava vents and the Kilauea Caldera. Once we arrived at the coast where the lava flows into the ocean, we made numerous passes over the massive steam clouds. It is already evident that Hawaii will have more black sand beaches as the waves of the Pacific erode Kilauea's lava fields.

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