Trip to the Big Island

Thank heavens for frequent flyer points! We've been saving up our Hawaiian miles for a while and we got a free trip to the big island of Hawaii. That's the island that's actually named Hawaii. We wanted to keep expenses low so we flew out for just a day trip. One destination was on our mind: the volcano

The day started early. We are talking 4:30am early. My enthusiasm was somewhere between half living and extremely excited, but mostly just sleepy. We only packed a backpack with diapers, epi-pen, iPads, and the girls' empty water bottles. We had everything ready the night before so it was easy-peasy getting out the door.

We walked right through security and our gate was less than 50 yards away. I love hanging out by the gate with Harper at this age. She is so excited to see the planes and her excitement always brings lots of smiles from onlookers, which puts me in a good mood!

The flight was just about 45 minutes. I love flying Hawaiian Airlines. We were on a little plane, but SO much legroom!

When we landed in Hilo the weather was much cooler than what we left in Honolulu. I was rejoicing since 1, I'm always hot, and 2, Mr. had convinced me to wear jeans. I compromised with capris and it felt great!

After a little rental car drama we drove off in our red jeep. The drive from the airport to the volcano national park is about 45 minutes. The drive was beautiful and we were surrounded by a lot of lush greenery. It was wonderful to see the calmness of this island as compared to our home.

The first thing we visited, besides the visitor center for their restrooms, were the steam vents. I am a science nerd, but come on, seeing huge plumes of steam rising from the ground is pretty cool. We also got a pretty cool view of the crater. We were all blown away.... almost literally. Look at our hair! ha

We hopped back in the jeep and drove a few more miles to the Jaggar Museum. It wasn't too big but had lots of amazing photos and this little feature that E loved. A working seismograph. We all took turns giving our biggest jumps and watching the needle move. We also got a closer look at the crater.

Back in the jeep for a drive through the jungle and the next stop was the lava tube. It was a little bit of a walk, but we didn't mind, it was gorgeous!

The entrance to the cave greeted us with a lovely bridge and lots of hanging vegetation. If I could have designed the entrance to a cave to feel mystical, this is how it would look.

It took about 5 minutes to walk to the end and up a flight of stairs.

The end of the lava tube for us

Mom always makes us stop for a photo

We then took a drive to the coast and I wish I could have truthfully captured it. We saw a massive plume of smoke coming from the ocean were the lava pours into its waters. It was absolutely amazing to witness. Here is a short video clip that only slightly shows what we saw.

On the drive back we stopped at a few lava flow sights and walked around on the rocks. I have seen lava rocks before but I didn't realize how unique they are. They felt dense, but hollow. When we dropped them to the ground they kind of made a twinkling sound. Several of the rocks had color variations, which I didn't realize was a thing.

That concluded our volcano tour and we had time to do one more, small thing. The famous black sand beach was too far out of reach so we attempted to find another. Unfortunately, it was a wild goose chase, but we did find this pretty little spot. Get this, those little puddles were perfectly clear. I could see all the way to the bottom and all the little fish swimming around, just as if I were looking into an aquarium. I say this little place was just what we needed to see to cap off our wonderful day!

The Hilo airport was a pleasant surprise. It was small and cozy and very slow going, but not in the stressful way a slow airport usually is. It was very relaxing and filled with these comfy couches. People were lounging around like they were at summer camp!

Quick little tip that I should have mentioned in my travel tip post. Here it is in action. The Brica Roll N Go: my #1 travel-with-kids gadget! It makes dragging that bulky carseat around the airport a breeze. Little H LOVED getting a ride as well. We have used this thing more times than I can count and have loaned it to friends even more. Everyone that uses it loves it!

Check out that exhausted little grin

Our day trip to the Big Island is one we will not soon forget! I wonder what adventures we will have next. Stay tuned! ;)