Where the Gods Began Creation

ALOHA! And a good morning to all! We're up pretty early, with plans to go to The Volcanoes National Park...just up the road. A little coffee, bacon & away we go, with a slight climb to 4000' in about 30 miles to the entrance. A short line to get in the park, with our Senior Pass! (NC) And up to the Jagger Museum, thru some road construction, but no VOG. The Halema'uma'u Crater is steaming, but no lava flowing at this spot. There is lava but it's below the Pali (ridge) and not flowing into the ocean at this time. A few shots here & a cruise around the museum & chatting with rangers, and some purchases of course. I give Geoff a call to clue him in as to where we are today. Then off we go to some steam vents & more overlooks of the Kilauea Caldera & KK struggles to hike to the visitor center & I meet her with the auto. It's under construction here too..a new parking lot, so it's a mess, but we prevail & go in to watch the film about the volcano & Hawai'i. Now we're hungry, but the Volcano House is closed, so we exit the park & go to the Volcano Village and find a neat spot: The Kiawe Kitchen. Looks good, and is good! We get a oven fired pizza, the Margherita, with sausage & green peppers & two cheeses...it was awesome! OK, back to park to see the overlook & the Thurston Lava Tube, from an old lava flow that has turned into a tunnel for us visitors. It's Monday and there are two guys helping to park cars, as you have to wait for a spot..we go on. Since KK's foot is hurting we go back to the overlook & I walk back to the tube as it's one of my favorite places. The Tree Ferns here are enormous! They look like they're trying to be Palm trees, but they are 20' tall ferns! It's actually a tropical rain forest at this location & quite incredible. Back to the auto & southward toward the condo & this time, down to sea level & a poolside "pupu" party for all of the owners & guests (us). A nice gathering of about 50 people and most people are here for months, not just weeks. A lot of folks from Oregon, Washington, Canada. KK stays to load pics & rest her foot & then we have a "leftover" supper, and it's good! The PC looses the wifi but KK perseveres and gets it back! Good job! OK, let's blog! See yinz tomorrow...oh and speaking of yinz, I chatted with a guy from Homestead today, with a Steeler shirt on!!! Kevin, did ya hear that! (Joe Chioda--the bar in Pitt!)