September 25, 2012

Tuesday, September 25 2012.  Volcano Teapot Cottage, Volcano, HI

Today is check-out day at the Teapot Cottage...after last night's horrible Packer game, I thought I would take advantage of the claw-foot bathtub.

I never got to sit on the beach and read so I grabbed my coffee and my book and took a bath.  I opened the doors and enjoyed the view!  

  

This is the view driving down the streets of Volcano, Hi

Today's plan was to head back to Volcanoes National Park and do some more hikes!

We were hiking the Kilauea Iki Crater trail.

  

It a 4 miles--starts in a rain forest on the crater's rim and then descends 400 feet to the crater floor.  With some interesting wildlife! 

 

Jason on the Crater Floor...and Tami by the 'follow the rocks' sign

 

Funny, in Arizona, we call them Cairns! 

Views from the Crater Floor.  The lava 'sank' after cooling and created this! 

 

Jason going to check out a hole...and a lady who couldn't get off her cell phone.

She was on a tour and they had all left!

 

More views of the crater floor that has crumbled.  And a landslide

  

After the lava cools, the floor drops creating the 'bathtub ring'.  

Another view of the ground--it just buckled.  And a still steaming vent.  

 

Looking back at the Crater Floor 

We then hiked the Devastation Trail--1 mile the ends at the Pu'u Pua'i Overlook.  The original Chain of Craters road use to come thru here until the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption.

The old guardrail is still standing!   

We then went to the Sulphur Banks Trail.  A 1.2 mile trail thru steaming cracks and colorful mineral deposits.   

Sulphur Deposits 

 

Steam Vents 

We weren't planning on hiking the 'Iliahi Trail...but it was going to be about 1.5 miles back to the car either way so we decided to take the scenic route vs the trail next to the road.  

 

We left Volcano's National Park and drove the southern road back to Kailua-Kona.  We pass right by the Southernmost bakery in the USA so had to stop in and try  their Malasadas.  Stick with Tex's..they are way better! 

We continued on the road...made a stop at the South Kona Fruit Stand for some coffee..our next stop was Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park.  Also known as Place of Refuge.  In ancient times, Hawaii had laws that were really strict--woman couldn't eat with men, woman couldn't eat bananas, citizens were not allowed near a chief...this was known as the Kapu System--a way to keep order.  If you broke a law, you were penalized which usually meant death.  If you got get to the Pu'uhonua (place of refuge) you could return home after performing some rituals and all was forgiven.  

Views toward the ocean.  The first part was the royal grounds...Jason is looking at a reconstruction of a temple

 

This was a bowl carved into the rocks.  It was most likely used to hold dye, evaporate ocean water for salt or pound the 'awa root to make a ceremonial drink  

Wooden Images standing watch...and the great wall that separated the royal grounds from the place of refuge.  The wall is 10 feet high and 17 feet thick.  The stones are stacked so tightly that no mortar is necessary.  I am still amazed at how straight and smooth the walls are.   

 

Beautiful views at Sunset... 

This is the thickness of the wall...17 feet--and it's solid. And a springwater and saltwater pond that would have held fish to be eaten by the king.

 

A hawaiian boat fishing boat

We then headed up to Kailua-Kona to check into the hotel.  We stayed our last night at King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel.  Jason had a free night thanks to his stays over the summer in Ohio.  The view from the balcony...and Jason going to move the car.  

 

  

We then headed to Kona Brewing Company for dinner.  They have a really good hefeweizen that you can only get here so I had to come back!  We had dinner and ended vacation the usual way...with dessert.  

 

It was a good last day of vacation.  We were able to do everything we had hoped to today.  We missed a lot of sights on the trip overall but did the best we could!