Volcano National park

We had divided our 5 night trip on the Big Island (true to its name, by the way!), into a night close to the Volcano National park and 4 nights in the touristy Kona district to avoid being on the road for 4+ hours in a day with to and fro from the Volcano National park. The damp dark morning had dampened our "Aloha" spirit and almost tempted us to head out to the warmer and sunnier part of the Island! Nonetheless, we were so glad we stuck to our original plan and entered the Hawaii Volcano National park at 9.30am today!

First stop- Kilauea Visitor center to chart our visit to the park to optimize the short half a day we had here. Parishi managed to complete her activities required to earn her 3rd Junior Ranger badge and was proudly pronounced one by the park ranger with a honorable public announcement! Although viewing molten lava flowing wasn't a possibility this time, we walked through the lush rain forest into the famous Thurston Lava tube formed when the outer crust of river of lava started hardening, but the liquid lava beneath the surface continued to flow through. We explored the Volcanoes National park with further stops at the Jaggar Museum to view the smoking Halema'uma'u crater, aptly called 'a crater within the crater' plopped in the middle of the Kilauea Caldera. The 20 mile scenic drive along the Chain of Craters road took us through changing lava terrains ending abruptly on the Puna Coast offering stunning vistas of the Pacific ocean.

Although a few hours at the most active volcano in the world do not do justice to its grandeur, we were able to see the highlights before heading out to the Kona coast to check-in to the Sheraton resort and Spa at the Keauhou bay.