Have a Blast in Volcanoes National Park
November 8th, 2007 by Jim
If you’re planning a Hawaiian vacation, don’t restrict yourself to the beaches and the coastal towns. The interior of the Big Island contains sights you’re unlikely to see the equal of anywhere in the world. Just a short drive away from the comfort of your condo is Volcanoes National Park, home of Mauna Loa, the biggest volcano in the world.
Visiting volcanoes is a real adventure, with real thrills and real danger. Park rangers can advise you on which areas you should stay away from, and you should always be careful to avoid fumes, which can be toxic, but staying out of trouble doesn’t mean missing out on the action. Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano, often spews lava high into the air. Lava runs down its slopes into the sea, where it explodes into spectacular clouds of steam, often catapulting glowing rocks into the sky. On quiet days, there are different attractions available. Tour guides can take you right up to the edges of active craters so that you can peer down into the bowels of the Earth.
Hawaiian legend attributes these spectacular fires to Pele, goddess of the volcanoes, and locals will tell you that she watches over them still. For this reason, it’s extremely unlucky to take lava away from the island as a souvenir. Souvenirs can hardly come close to evoking the real experience, anyway. No visit to Volcanoes National Park is complete until you’ve been there after dark, watching the vivid red lava glow beneath the vast starry sky.
Visiting volcanoes is the perfect antidote to a lazy, beach-bound vacation. It’ll thrill children and give them fascinating stories to tell when they go back to school. If you’re taking a Hawaiian vacation, make sure you don’t miss out on this unique and spectacular experience.