Our next port was on the Big Island, but unlike our other two days on islands, this time we traveled overnight from one side to the other, instead of staying put. Our 4th day on the cruise fell on the 4th of July and was our first stop on the Big Island, in Hilo. It's a little weird being on the ship over the holiday, because not only did we miss our usual Waterstraut Olympics at home (stay tuned for a better-late-than-never installment of that), but we also wouldn't be having any normal fireworks. However, we did get to spend the day with nature's fireworks, at Volcanoes National Park.
All of us were going to be spending the day together, so we were up early to make the most of our time. We decided the best course of action for breakfast would be room service. And what better place to eat that room service than out on our balcony?
We later spied Garrett snacking on our fruit bowl, he had snuck over from his balcony on the other side of the partition. I told him it was fine though. Nobody else was eating it, and that boy loves his fruit.
We got off the boat with mom, Cort, Holly, Gwen and Garrett to find Clint and Jess waiting with two mini vans to take us to our stop for the day: Volcanoes National Park. Mom and Jess must have drawn the short straws, because they got a van full of kids. Clint, Asa, Cort, Holly, Peyton and I had the nice quiet van.
Clint and Jess had flown from Maui to the Big Island the night before and headed up to check out the park at night. It was the only port I never planned anything for, because I figured Clint would take us all the cool places, and I wouldn't have to worry about it. We stopped at the visitors center first to get an overview of the park. (That whole area around the volcano is closed because the air is too dangerous to breath, so that's fun).
Peyton also found something else fun when we reset his phone. How often does it say your location is 'Volcano'. He loved it.
I was so proud of myself for remembering the boys national park books to stamp. Mom has one too, so she also got a stamp.
After the visitors center, we got back in the vans and headed up to the Jagger Museum (named after some geologist). The museum itself is informative, though not too mighty in size.
Mom and Hayden enjoyed stomping their feet in front of the Seismograph and getting it to register.
But the coolest thing about the Jagger Museum is the overlook to the Kilauea Caldera. Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes (if not THE most active volcano, depending on where you get your information from). It is the youngest and most active Hawaiian Shield Volcanoes. From the overlook you can see the Halema'uma'a Crater. Get ready for an onslaught of pictures that don't really do the place justice.
During the day, it just looks like steam. But at night, you can see it glowing red. Clint showed me some pictures from the night before, and it looked pretty awesome. I just lifted one from google to show you.
After the Jagger Museum outlook, we got back in the vans and headed to the Kilauea Iki Trail.
Kilauea Iki is a pit crater, or basically a solid lava lake as a result of an eruption in 1959. You start the trail at the top of the crater in a cool, rainforest type area. But, about 400 feet down, you have hard lava, and hot steam. Again, these pictures don't really show the gravity of where you're about to climb down to. You could see people walking along the crater, but they looked like little tiny ants.
Calib was kind enough to give Garrett a piggy back ride until it got too steep that it didn't seem safe enough.
Because I mean, you really go down there. Sometimes you have steps, sometimes I slid along my butt. I had to get brand new tennis shoes right before we left, and they just weren't as broken in as I would have liked.
Once you finally get to the bottom, you're told to stay on the trail. But, it's kind of difficult to decipher exactly where a trail is. It's basically just what looks like miles of rock, and the way to 'stay on the trail', is to follow the pile of rocks. Some were obvious, some not so much.
After the initial part of the trail, it gets pretty flat and easy to walk. It was even flat and safe enough for a dip kiss picture. (Asa and I have to be two of a very select few who have taken a dip kiss picture in a solid lava lake, right?)
It isn't all flat though. There were lots of depressions and cracks along the trail as well.
In some of those cracks you could see (and feel!) steam coming out. I guess that is a result of rainwater steeping down to where it is still very hot and letting off the steam.
It's not all desolate either, that rock is decently fertile soil for plants that are growing up between the cracks.
When you hit the end of the lava lake, it's time to head back up. We all took some family pictures here, including one of a few that will probably make mom's Christmas card, so be on the lookout for that.
Oh, and you might be in the middle of Volcanoes National Park, traveling across solid lava, but there are still Pokemon to be hunted.
After the hike down and across, it was time for the most dreaded all of parts- the hike back up.
Calib gave Garrett a piggyback ride for a bit, until he got tired- because no matter how tiny Garrett is, it's an awful steep climb to be carrying more weight than you need.
We took some breaks along the way. (Look there's Hayden and Gwen! They walked so far ahead with Holly and Jess that I didn't get to see them walking the trail hardly at all, until we all caught up for a picture).
When we got most of the way to the top, we found the sign for the trail. Good thing my kids didn't see this before hand. These boys will walk way more than that on any given amusement park day, or wandering Washington D.C. or something- but they aren't really 'trail hiking' kids. They were troopers, for the most part though.
Before we went the rest of the way to our parking lot, we veered off to do a smaller trail to the Thurston Lava Tubes (a cave/tunnel which was formed by lava flow) that you can hike through. We headed down the trail, through the tube, and back up the steps.
We were still a little ways from the car at the exit of the Lava Tubes, so we had to continue our hike. I still didn't have complaining kids though, so two thumbs up for that.
From the top you could see the same view we had earlier at the Jagger Museum, just a bit farther away. You can also kind of see the warn trail where we had just walked across.
The park is about 45 minutes from the ship, so there was no way to get back in time for lunch- and the kids were all pretty hungry after hiking for a few hours. Options for food up that way are pretty limited, so we stopped at this tiny little store and grandma bought the kids a 'boxed' lunch. Basically, it was all the snacks they could grab.
Remember how I said my kids were troopers? I mean, they were, for the most part. We're not hikers. I mean, sure, we'll do trails here in Florida (on flat ground, where were never too far to abort the mission), but we're surely the least hiking/nature/outdoorsy family of my siblings. Sure we camp occasionally, and have been know to paddle down a few springs in our day, but compared to them, we're 'city folk'. So, that being said, Calib, by the time we got to the store was dying. He just wanted his Gatorade (and was not thrilled when everyone stopped to take a picture of grandma and the 'boxed lunch). But then, he couldn't get it open. Panic ensued, and he had a mental breakdown right there on the porch of the little general store. Don't worry, I, of course, had my camera ready for documentation. Asa came to the rescue though, and we all ate and hydrated. Calib, I'm pleased to announce, survived.
After lunch we only had a few hours left before we had to be back on the ship, so my indecisive family (see, it's not just me) spent way too long deciding on a plan. Eventually we deferred to Clint, who suggested a few more (shorter) trails. So back in the vans we went.
I did have a request to stop at one of the 'Hawaii Volcanoes National Park' signs, so Clint obliged and pulled off to the side of the road.
I do want to note something though, this picture, too, will probably make the Christmas card. But, I took pictures on the other end to show just what goes into the making of a Sattler Christmas card. There's arguing, waiting, complaining, directing, cameras sitting on top of boxes, and Cort always setting his timer and running into the picture. But, we do get it done!
Our next stop was the steam vents. Another view like the Jagger museum, and then you can walk along all the steam seeping out. It doesn't photograph nearly as impressively as it looks in person, but I had to try.
These trails were much better for my kids, shorter, and flatter, so *most of them* were happy with that.
Which one was my hold out? Well, that would be Peyton. He twisted his ankle and his knee weird somewhere along the way, and was ready to be done for the day.
And then we went to the Sulfur Banks, where volcanic gasses and groundwater steam seep out of the ground. These gasses are rich in carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. It also comes with some hefty warning signs.
At this point, Peyton is like 'what are we doing here?!' Asa, as a child had asthma. He doesn't have any symptoms of it today, but Peyton was trying to use that affliction to get out of the trail.
It also makes for that awful rotten egg smell. Peyton spent most of the trail plugging his nose.
He powered through, though, and stinky as it may be (this anosmic girl didn't mind), it makes for colorful mineral deposits along the rock. Some of it is crystals, some of it is clay.
When you get to the halfway point, you can go back the way you came, or continue back up the trail to the visitors center. Peyton was very happy when Uncle Clint and Aunt Jess offered to take the u-turn to go back to the parking lot to get the cars, and meet us back up at the visitors center. That meant he didn't have to deal with the rotten egg smell any longer. It's kind of weird though, one minute it's sulfer, or rock, or hard lava, the next minute it's like a lush jungle.
As we waited up by the visitors center, Asa and the kids took to the grass stage to show off some dance moves.
By then it was time to head back to the ship, we had front door service with Clint and Jess dropping us off.
And, per usual, we returned to our towel animal of the day..
..and our afternoon snacks. Peter even left us a nice note for the holiday. Asa isn't big on me keeping mementos from our trips, but even he asked me if I kept this note. He thought it was awesome Peter signed it 'Peter (your Butler)' as if we would have confused him with anyone else.
We were back on the ship in time for the 4th of July pool party. Everything was decorated up for the holiday.
It was packed on the pool deck, but that was part of the fun. They had lots going on, with singers and dancers, Popsicles, hot dog eating contests, and face painting.
Calib and Garrett got themselves some balloon swords (which one of the Splash Academy Counselors made for them while they sat in the hot tub), while Hayden, Gwen and Asa watched the ice carving.
The pool party wrapped up and headed back to the room to meet up with everyone for dinner.
Since a lot was up in the air in way of timing, we didn't have any dining reservations. We decided to just hit the Cadillac Diner early enough that we wouldn't have any problems getting a table, or rather, a car.
Cort, Holly, Asa, and I sat at a table just across from my mom and the kids, and we mostly just shared a bunch of appetizers. The Cadillac Diner was complimentary and one the only place on the ship you could visit 24/7, so Holly and Asa took the kids a couple of times on their way back from kids club at night. I wish I had gotten to go a few more times. The cheese fries were awesome.
The kids enjoyed it, complete with multiple pops and a (free!) jukebox to pick what music played. (There was A LOT of Taylor Swift).
We sailed away from the Hilo side of the Big Island that night.
But, our night wasn't over yet. The big exciting thing for the evening was sailing past the lava from the volcano we had just visited. It's one of the most longest-lived eruptions on earth, as it's almost always oozing lava into the ocean. Unfortunately, the viewing wasn't on our side of the boat, which meant we couldn't watch from our balcony. We got to the top of the ship a bit late to have one of the good little cabanas looking directly out, but we did get one over the pool, so we decided we'd probably be able to see it from there ok, too. We parked it, brought up another bottle of champagne, some of our snacks Peter had left us, and later, some snacks we collected from the Aloha Buffet.
Again, my pictures don't even do it justice. In fact, it looks so ridiculously unimpressive in my pictures, I almost didn't post what it looked like as we sailed past the lava. My camera is old, and broken (I was shocked it survived the trip), but I did what I could. They dimmed the lights on the boat as we sailed past, and you could see the lava falling into the ocean and the steam that was being created as it fell. We might not have gotten normal fireworks on the Fourth of July, but we did get nature's fireworks.
Next Up: Kona Day on the Big Island
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