We had been watching our progress on the TV, and it appeared that we were approaching our first port of Hilo, Hawaii, known as the Big Island.
A long breakwater...
Fisherman on the breakwater...it looks like a rocky walk!
Welcome to Hilo! We were happy to see land, although our days at sea had been pleasant and calm.
We were met by our guide, Kyle, and headed out with three other couples. The Grand Princess in the background...
I managed to take a photo of this magnificent umbrella tree with a skinny tree right in front of it. You get what you can when you're taking photos from a vehicle!
Banyan Drive with lava rock and water on one side...
And the beautiful Liliuokalani Gardens on the other...
A stop at the statue of King Kamehameha I, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Hilo has rainfall on an average of 272 days a year, so no wonder it is so lush and green. Interesting bridge...
Our first stop of the day was at the Rainbow Falls lookout.
The falls have been a popular place to visit for over 100 years. Both of us struggling with squinty eyes!
Although not particularly high at 80 ft, depending on rainfall, the falls can vary from a trickle to full width. On a sunny day, rainbows can be seen as the water hits the pool below.
We stopped for coffee (which was surprisingly not that good). Loved the Spanish moss on the tree...great reminders of our winters in Savannah.
There were beautiful flowers all around the coffee shop. Blue hydrangea...
I think this is a ginger flower...
Our next stop was a chance to view the Kilauea caldera and tour the museum...
The caldera is about 2 miles wide and 3 miles long!
While it looks pretty tame in daylight...
This is what it looks like at night...
Our guide, Kyle, with the baseball hat. I had to take a photo of the gentleman beside him, who was on our tour. His jumpsuit was quite distinctive. We saw him several times on the ship and this wasn't his only jumpsuit. Nope...he had it in several different colours.
I believe that the Halemaumau crater lies within the Kilauea caldera...it all got a bit technical. I was just taking in our surroundings...
You can see a lot of steam vents throughout the area...
Enjoying the view!
We went inside the museum...
We passed this stop sign leaving the area, so it was pretty amazing to see how close the lava flow had come in 1972.
Pretty cool...lava trees are formed when a flow passes through a forest and surrounds the trees.
Lots to see and read...
This scientist had a lucky escape...
Pele...the Goddess of Fire
A depiction of the Polynesians arriving to inhabit Hawaii...
With a last look at the caldera, it was time to move on...
Kind of reminded me of Ireland (minus the steam vents!)...
We stopped at a steam vent...
What a rush of heat when it goes off! You get an instant facial.
You'll notice we've all backed off...
Once you started looking, you noticed steam vents in many places...
We stopped at another lookout to get a view of the caldera. After being asleep for 90 years, it roared to life in 1959.
You can walk along the floor...I've circled some teeny, tiny people that someone pointed out.
Then I tested my zoom...
I think you'd really have to watch where you are walking. Pretty happy with my new easy to carry, non-lens changing camera!
Our next stop...the Thurston lava tube.
It was discovered in 1913 by Lorrin Thurston, a local newspaper publisher.
I stopped to admire some flowers along the path...
It was a bit of a steep walk down, but very well maintained
Mike and I at the entrance to the tube...
Can't imagine exploring this without the benefit of the lights.
Red hot lava once flowed through here...we could have walked completely through, but it meant slogging through water and having wet feet for the rest of the day. I passed on that.
Heading back to the entrance...
Loved how you would see random flowers thriving...
Remember that steep descent? Yup, had to do it in reverse now.
They have done a wonderful job with the trail...
And then it was time for lunch! The joy of a private tour is you get to eat at local places. This is one of Kyle's favourite stops, and it was evident they know him well. They had saved him a piece of key lime pie.
Dream about everything, worry about nothing.
The sandwiches were huge. We happily split one...and a piece of key lime pie. It was delicious!
Loved the hanging decorations...
Next stop, the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens...
There were so many different varieties...
I won't attempt to name them all, especially since I think this is actually a hibiscus!
At the laptop computer, you could answer a few questions about yourself and see what type of orchid you are. I am a phalaenopsis! Apparently, not that special, as Margaret got the same answer!
This is me, I guess!
A chocolate orchid...they give off a rich chocolate smell.
Isn't this beautiful? It looked like a fairy with a stunning purple dress.
This photo made me think of one of my online friends. Fortunecat!
Outside the plants continued...so much beauty.
Our last stop, the macadamia nut factory. Yum...bring it on! There were many full bags leaving the store.
You could watch through the glass as these women were sorting cookies.
What a great day! And because it's Hilo that gets 272 days of rain a year, it started to rain.
We sailed away from Hilo amidst showers and fogginess.
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