A Day Trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Southwest Hawaii - Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Bob got up at 5 am to work with his clients in Texas (where it was 10 am). He is dedicated to getting the job done. 

After breakfast, we left our timeshare in Keahou, Hawaii, and drove two hours to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We made a stop at Naalehu for the Punalu'u Bake Shop. Anytime we go to this part of the island, the Bake Shop is de rigueur. Bob is doing a wellness program, so he skipped the bakery products and had a big green salad with chicken. I'm really proud of him for sticking to his guns. I had a Bismarck malasada (like a cream puff) with chocolate ganache frosting on top. For a snack later, I bought a pineapple/peach turnover.

The interior of Punalu'u Bake Shop, 
Naalehu, Hawaii.

The placid koi pond at Punalu'u Bake Shop.

The gazebos are for relaxing and eating.

Information on Punalu'u Bake Shop.

This bush had huge hibiscus!

From the bakery, we continued to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. At the Visitor Center, we watched two movies and made our way around the museum. 

This is a World Heritage Site.

We are at the Kilauea Visitor Center. Kilauea Volcano has its own vent. It is not part of Mauna Loa. Currently, there are no eruptions at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. That's fine with us. In 2016, we saw lava flowing into the ocean at night. We do not have to deal with vog (volcanic fog) on this trip.

Bob in front of a display at Hawaii Volcanoes
 National Park, Kilauea Visitor Center.

A diorama of rainforest birds
in the Kilauea Visitor Center.

Waves and wind carried some life to Hawaii.

Wings transported most life to Hawaii.

From the Visitor Center, we drove four miles to the Uekahuna parking lot. A short walk along the rim of the Halemaumau Crater revealed the destruction of the crater by the most recent eruptions. The crater used to be round, but now it's all broken up. No lava pool is visible at the bottom of the crater, but the steam vents are smokin'.

The volcanic landscape at Halemaumau Crater.

Halemaumau Crater...it smells like sulfur here!

The Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park brochure describes the park's volcanos:

"Volcanos are land builders - they created the Hawaiian Island chain. Kilauea and Mauna Loa, two of the world's most active volcanos, still add land to the island of Hawai'i. Mauna Loa is Earth's most massive mountain, with an estimated volume of 19,000 cubic miles.

"Today's summit of Mauna Loa volcano stands about 56,000 feet (17,000 m) above the depressed sea floor - over 27,000 feet (8,230 m) taller than Mt. Everest.

"Unlike explosive continental volcanoes, the more fluid and less gaseous eruptions of Kilauea and Mauna Loa produce fiery fountains and rivers of molten lava. Added layer upon layer, the flows created a barren volcanic landscape that became a foundation for life. Wind and water carried hundreds of species across the vast Pacific. Some survived, adapted, and prospered on the isolated archipelago, making it a showcase for evolution. Humans from other Polynesian islands, Europe, and elsewhere also introduced plants and animals, drastically altering the natural balance that once prevailed..."

We had limited time in the park because we wanted to stop at the Bake Shop, South Point, and check out a beach park we had never been to. Highway 11, part of the Hawaii Belt Road from the national park to Naalehu, runs the gamut of landscapes: new lava, old lava, native rainforest, grasslands, and small towns. This is Ka'u, the largest and southernmost district of the Big Island of Hawai'i. Ka'u is larger than the island of Oahu and less than 6,000 inhabitants are registered in the district.

The Punalu'u Bake Shop was the logical place to have lunch since we love it. I had a foot-long, smoked turkey sandwich on Hawaiian sweetbread. 

While Bob drove to South Point, I ate my sandwich. South Point is technically the second southernmost point in the United States. (The most southern point is the U.S. territory of Palmyra Island.)  It is the place where the first Polynesian settlers made landfall by sailing canoe in the Hawaiian Islands. 

The scenery is spectacular once you reach the end of the road at South Point. There are lava rocks and then the deep sapphire blue of the ocean. Rugged cliffs have been used for fishing and cliff diving. [Bob has jumped off the 44' cliffs multiple times in the past, but not today. Not me, ever!] The currents and wind typically are strong at this location. Swimming is not recommended. 

These wind turbines are on South Point.

The road to South Point, then the ocean.

The road to South Point.

The cliffs at South Point.

Bob on the lava rocks at South Point.

A view of the wind turbines with Mauna
Loa in the background.

We hung out at South Point for a half-hour, drove back to the Belt Road, and continued our journey on Hwy. 11, heading back toward Keahou. We stopped at a scenic viewpoint to look at the lava, the South Point peninsula, and the ocean.

South Point peninsula as seen from the scenic 
viewpoint. Note the newer and older lava flows.

Our last stop on the way back to our timeshare was a STEEP, five-mile paved road from the Hawaii Belt Road down to Miloli'i Beach Park. This is a completely new park to us. Snorkeling was on our mind, but the only snorkeling here is a small, shallow, crystal-clear pond that is 2-3' deep. We didn't see any fish at all from the lava rocks. Still, it's a gorgeous piece of coastline!

[*pono is a concept that encompasses a range of balanced, proper, and good actions that restore order and balance, even if it's a small action, i.e., picking up someone else's garbage. It's recognizing how personal actions impact everything as all is alive and interconnected.]

The pond and coastline at Miloli'i Beach Park

Here's a cute church by the Miloli'i Beach Park.
Early New England missionary wood construction.

This crazy yard art was next to a 
local farm stand.

Our day trip came to a close when we returned to our timeshare. It wasn't long until sunset and it looked like there weren't clouds on the horizon. We took a short walk to where we could clearly see the sunset. These were perfect conditions to see the "green flash." 

We watched as the sun dipped to the horizon line and, just as it went out of sight, we both saw the "green flash." We lived in Hawaii for five years and knew exactly what to look for and when. It's not something you see often, so we get excited when we see it!

Murals at Kona Coast Resort.

This is the building we're in.

For dinner, we had chicken stir fry and a mixed green salad. Later in the evening, I had hot chocolate with the pineapple/peach turnover. That was yummy!

That's it for today. TravelBug out.