A sacrifice for the gods

Whittington Park

Headed out to Kilauea Volcano to offer a virgin sacrifice to the gods, but they spit mom back when they found out she was far from it! So we are still stuck with her. Got up early to head out to ensure we were not driving back in the dark. Made several stops along the way the first of which was Whittington Park. A beautiful little stop where we managed to capture some great pictures with the help of our new found photography skills from the course we managed to sneak in before we left to start our adventures.

We also happened upon a wild animal/coffee plantation around mile marker 87 we saw a couple of buffalo, Texas steers and a zebra right by the highway on the ocean side. There is also a small white sign advertising coffee beans. Just a few yards off the highway is a little farm building to the right where a fifth generation Portuguese farmer sells coffee beans under a tent, but also has free running multi colored chickens, peacocks and wild pigs in the yard. OK I know I am all the way in Hawaii and there are many great things to see but this was one of my favourites!

Dennis picking up chicks

Our next stop was the Kilauea Visitor Centre and then out to Jagger Museum. The Thomas A. Jaggar Museum is located along Crater Rim Drive, 3 miles from the Kilauea Visitor Center. Here you can enjoy spectacular views of the caldera and the main crater Halema`uma`u from this view point.

While here we also went through the Thurston Lava Tube. It is a short drive, about a 1/2 mile from the Kīlauea Iki Overlook. This is a 20 minute 1/3 mile walk through a tree fern forest and lighted prehistoric cavelike lava tube awaits you.As you walk through the tube you consider that several hundred years ago a river of red lava rushed through. And that lava currently travels from Pu'u O'o to the ocean in a labyrinth of lava tubes much like Thurston Lava Tube. You have to watch your head in the tube as there are some spots with a low ceiling.

We finished our day back in Kona at the Kona Island Brewery. Good beer and great pizza!