Volcanic view point...

The observation tower at the research center, off limits to the public, unfortunately! On the edge of the crater, so as to keep a close eye on any changes in activity. There was certainly plenty of activity to observe the day we were there!!

A volcanic warning!!

Parts of the road around the rim of the crater was actually closed while we were there due to the presence of toxic gas. This was an awesome day! Witnessing the power of the volcano was something i will never forget!

Madam Pele strikes no fear in the heart of THIS guy!

Fish... not impressed by the power of ancient Hawaiian myths!

Gearing up at the Scuba Shack...

getting our gear sized and fitted at the shop before heading out on the boat for our big Discover Scuba day! I am already laughing.... because this "class" was a joke! Despite the instructors lack of concern, it was still a good learning experience. And I got some super sweet snorkeling out of the deal!! But a big "ARGHHHH! Avast ye salty dogs!!!" goes out to Jay and Capt. Dennis for being WACK!!

Lessons on the boat?!?

Capt. Dennis decides to give the dive instruction quiz on the high seas. Really?!? Asking people to focus on words and charts while they're bobbing on rolling waves is asking for sea-sick trouble!! Believe me! These dang lessons should have been given on land!!

This ain't Sea World, it's as real as it gets...

Ready to test the "calm waters" off the Kona Coast! Brave Treva was the first to jump in!!

Lava flow from the dive-boat

The classic lava-flow coast line that makes up much of the Big Island.

Hualalai view...

The oldest and smallest of the three volcanic mountains on the southern portion of the Big Island. Hualalai is a beautiful, rugged ridge, rising up behind Kona town. This is a view up-mountain from a lava flow at the oceans edge.

Jeepin it to Makalawena Beach

The huge ruts and drop offs on this trail through a large lava flow made it an exciting adventure through the torturous a'a fields of Western Big island!! At least we were on wheels... imagine the ancient Hawaiians making this trek on barefeet!! Ouchhh!!!!!

Jeepin it to Makalawena Beach

Watch out for the a'a!! Carefully, slowly but surely Scott guided our rig through the lava desert! We were all anxiously watching the ocean grow closer with every bend in the trail!

Makalawena Beach.. sunset time!!

This is the sight that greeted us after the long, arduous jeep ride and a sweet 15 minute ocean front walk!! What a spot! Worth every bump and bounce the jeep had to endure to get us here! A true paradise, all to ourselves for the evening!!

Makalawena Beach

This beach was comprised of several smaller to larger coves, seperated by arms of lava. Ava found herself a nice quiet cove to test the waters in! The swimming was good along the whole stretch, but the 3rd beach in had the best swimmability!

Arriving to the beach at Makalawena

Makalawena

... exploring tide pools. There's mad eels in here ya'll!!

Sun Setting

Evening sky

... tropical sunset playing off of island clouds! The sky was changing colors by the second! It was right about this time we saw a humpback whale jump completely out of the water and splash back down again, just off shore!

Makalawena fun

Makalawena Beach

... a rare treat! One of the more isolated and lovely beaches on the island. Crystal clear, calm ocean, a few fresh water pools for rinsing and cooling off, and the fact that you must walk to this beach make it a pristine sight, despite it's close proximity to Kona town.

Sunset at Makalawena Beach

The setting sun turns the water into a liquid rainbow as it disappears. Swimmin in POG...

Scenes from Honaunau Bay

This spot is one of the coolest places on the Big Island. So much to see in one place, and always something different and very exciting happens! This time, the snorkeling was the magic that happened! So many varieties of fish, of infinite and brilliant color... HUGE coral formations which are very alive, vibrant and healthy, and also of infinite color! Pristine coral, thousands of fish and an easy entry/exit to the water... Honaunau Bay has now taken its place in my list of top spots on the planet!! I think Ava was hoping for a sunny beach, not so much a breezy overcast lava-rock bay. Instead of snorkeling, she went for a stroll and found a few sea turtles resting in the shallow cove! This place always delivers amazement!!

Honaunau Outrigger team

After we had finished snorkeling among the AMAZING coral gardens off 2 Step on Honaunau Bay, a large group of 13-17 year old Hawaiian youth showed up, and then proceeded to launch and climb aboard these large outrigger canoes. I talked to one of the Moms and found out it was a team practice, and outrigger racing is gaining popularity amongst Hawaiian youth. Truly a beautiful sight to see young folks embracing their roots through ancient cultural traditions while living in this modern American society.

It's the Eye of the Tiger

Just ask Ava! She was singing this rock anthem at inspirational volume here! "Rising up, back on the streets.."

Lounging on the lanai...

Our last few moments of island time! This was a great spot for morning coffee and plotting our days!