Return to the Big Island - Day #1

One special thing Art wanted to do for his birthday was to bring his children and grandchild back to his birth island.

And so it was that we got up extremely early and headed out from the Honolulu International Airport for Hilo International Airport on the Big Island.

There we rented a van so we could all go in one car.  Mom was happy to stay home instead of doing more traveling.  She was worried about the swelling in her legs after returning from Hokkaiko.

We grabbed a quick breakfast at Cafe 100 in Hilo.

Yes, yes, I know it's not healthy, but we don't count calories very religiously when we travel.

Our next stop was Rainbow Falls in Hilo.  The waterfall was brown and strong due to heavy rainfall which would plague us intermittently throughout the day.

We drove on Saddle Road.

Route 200, known locally as Saddle Road, traverses the width of the Island of Hawai'i, from downtown Hilo to its junction with Hawaii Route 190 near Waimea. The road was considered one of the most dangerous paved roads in the state, with many one-lane bridges and areas of marginally maintained pavement. Most of the road has now been repaved, and major parts have new re-alignments to modern standards. The highway reaches a maximum elevation of 6,632 feet (2,021 m) and is subject to fog and low visibility.
                 -- Wikipedia

Art says he thinks it's called Saddle Road because it sits like a saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.

We arrived at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy.  Ellison Onizuka is the Big Island astronaut who perished in the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy.

Art, Tif, Ed, Keola and Sarah were planning to go up to the top of Mauna Kea to see the observatories there.  There's often snow at the top.  Mauna Kea means White Mountain in Hawaiian.  I stayed at the Onizuka Center with KC because it is advised not to take children up to such a high elevation.

Art said it was so overcast at the top that they couldn't see a single thing.

KC and I had a great time as she explored the gift shop for all the things she would beg her parents to get her once they returned.

OK... I confess.  I bought this mug. Someday, I'll have to bequeath it to KC.

Rain started falling but we needed to visit the Thurston Lava Tube.

A lava tube is a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. Tubes can be actively draining lava from a volcano during an eruption, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long, cave-like channel.
                       -- Wikipedia

There were lots and lots of puddles that we had to jump over.

Devastation Trail was the next stop.  We let the younger crew walk the trail in the rain while we took KC in the van to meet them at the end.

Art had made reservations to stay at the Kilauea Military Camp.  For a very reasonable price, we were able to rent this 3 bedroom cabin for the night.  It was absolutely fabulous!  I would love to have stayed there for the rest of the trip.  I wish we'd known about this place when our kids were little.

After drying out, KC wrote postcards to her friends and we grabbed a buffet dinner at the Crater Rim Cafe.  All in all, it was a wonderful day!