Resonant Constellation

Day 6: Volcano & Area
8:00 PM
Today was another busy day, though we left a little later than hoped. We began our venture heading south towards the southernmost point in the United States. Though we didn’t stop there, we stopped at a restaurant claiming to be the southernmost restaurant in the U.S. The food was adequate, but not stunning.

Along the way, we also passed through Captain Cook, which is a town near the place where the real Captain Cook was killed. Apparently when Hawaii was made a part of the U.S., the Queen gifted the small plot of Captain Cook Death Scene land to the English, though you don’t need your passport to go there. This gives new life to the old saying, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.”

From south point, we headed to Kilauea crater, which has been continuously erupting for several years, though at varying intensity. At the main crater, we saw an enormous sulfurous plume rising from a mysterious hole in the ground, and many side vents periodically turning off and on throughout the whole time we were there. The smell of sulfur was not pervasive, but it certainly was present, and would have been much worse had the plume been blowing towards us (though if it had, we probably wouldn’t have been allowed out of our cars).

Our next stop was the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory further north towards Hilo. This stop was greatly anticipated by all, though it didn’t quite live up to expectations as the factory itself was closed for the holidays, and the self-guided tour suffered immensely from this. We still visited the shop, which I believe is the main attraction, and had some wonderful ice cream outside. The entire day, we had been passing coffee and Mac nut plantations, so seeing one from the inside was interesting, and learning how they worked is even more fascinating.

Content with our visit, we headed back to Kilauea, and took the Chain of Craters road past all of the many lava outlets towards the point where the road becomes…inaccessible. Apparently, this road used to connect all the way through to Hilo, but recent volcanic activity wiped out large sections of it. We were actually able to see the vapor plume a few miles down the coast where the fresh lava was hitting the water, though the park guides wouldn’t let anybody very close to the lava. We stayed out where the lava crossed the road until just before sunset, then headed back to the parking lot where we walked a short ways out to a sea arch. Imagine a black volcanic version of an Arches National Park arch, and you’ve just about got it.

The lava that we walked on was itself fascinating, with strange patterns and folds all over the surface. There were also many large cracks which afforded a view down into passageways the lava could flow through. While walking on it, I was half afraid that I would step on a hollow piece and break through, though I guess there’s no real danger of that.

We started back up from sea level just after sunset, and our drive back through the jungle to the highway was shrouded in a dense fog. The combination of this poor visibility and the jungle itself encroaching upon either side of the road made for a very eerie time, though in reality we were soon out of it. When we got to the highway, I noticed that the reflectors on the roadway were extremely bright in our headlights, and when we had long straightaways or interesting intersection ahead of us, they would light up like a christmas tree or an airport runway.

Then, of course, there’s the matter of the other drivers. I’d say about half seem fine-courteous, relatively skillful, and inoffensive. The other half seem to be the worst kind of jackass driver you always encounter, with perpetual hi-beam headlights, excessive speed, and tailgating reminiscent of New Mexico freeways. They never seem to want to pass, but to force you off the road into a pullout so that they can speed past and honk in annoyance, as if ten over the speed limit is far too slow.

But now we’re almost back in Kona, and though it’s late and I’m tired and sore from being in the car all day, I have to say, it was a wonderful experience. Tomorrow should prove to be just as busy, and let’s hope it’s just as fun.
LJS-8:40 PM