We had a great 10 days on the Big Island. Highlights included:
- A tour with Hawaii Forest and Trail to watch sunset 15 feet shy of the top of Mauna Kea. After the sunset we had a great star gazing lesson.
- Scuba diving in Garden Eel Cove and a night dive with eels, squids, and a giant manta ray with Kona Honu Divers.
- Kayaking with spinner dolphins
- A ranger lead tour of a lava tube that only 12 people a week get to enter.
- Watching lava glow at the Halema’uma’u crater and at the viewing area 1/2 a mile from the lava entering the ocean.
- Snorkeling in several locations including with a sea turtle
- Hiking throughout the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (spotting some nenes, the Hawai’i state bird), to the Green Sand Beach, and in the Waipio Valley (but fortunately someone offered us a ride up the 25% grade road)
Unfortunately we had two lowlights:
- Forgetting our camera was in my pocket while we were crossing a river
- Having our lava boat tour canceled because lava stopped flowing through the lava tubes.
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- Waipio Valley
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- Nenes in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
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- Green Sand Beach
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- Kilauea Iki, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
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- Ranger in lava tube
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- Lava glow while entering the ocean
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- Lava stalactites in the lava tube
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