Big Island Day Four

From resort luxury to rustic living! We stayed at Kilauea Military Camp in Volcanoes National Park, right at the top near the caldera and were relieved to park directly in front of our cabin instead of having to take a tram or boat to our spacious room(s). We were also pleasantly surprised that the air was brisk and chilly, making the fact that we had a fireplace an attractive option. We arrived just in time for a hula show in the dining lodge and we were in need of some homestyle all-you-can-eat buffet as was offered. The camp had a bowling alley, movie theater, tennis courts, etc. none of which we got to use because we spent our short time there taking in the incredible volcano hikes, scenery and exhibits.

Avery was a little disappointed that it was Kilauea and not "Killer Whale", like she had thought she'd heard (she'd be even more disappointed to know that her parents saw humpback whales frolicking while she slept the day before...we tried to wake her up). But she was impressed to see the steam and the hardened lava. The different formations and lava flows from various years were really cool. I thought some of it looked shiny and cracked, like the top of a pan of brownies after it cools, and others looked like intricate designs of rope or stretched taffy. It is nature at it's awe-inspiring finest. If you like lava, you'll love this slideshow: