A nighttime visit to Mount Kilauea…Astounding!

This was my favorite shot of the evening with the backdrop of the glow from Mount Kilauea.

Yesterday, at 5:15 pm we all piled into our vehicles and heading up the mountain to see the volcano at Mount Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii. As the crow flies, it may have been a 20-minute drive. However, based on the roads that have been closed due to the crossing of lava, it took us nearly an hour.

Preferring not to use any flash to avoid disturbing others, Tom is a little muted here. 

Here is a link to live webcams from Mount Kilauea.

Shortly before the sun went down, we were separated from the family and unable to get a group photo as we’d hoped. Instead, Tom took this of me and the telescope. Oh, well.

It is this very volcano from which the lava has been flowing toward Pahoa that attributed to our concern these past months and the evacuation of the Pahoa Marketplace.

 
As darkness fell, we had a better view of the glow.

Seeing firsthand the source of that flow was indescribable, to say the least. The pleasant drive to an elevation of only a little over 4000 feet caused some ear-popping but wasn’t felt by the nature of the smooth and easy to navigate roads.

The crowd roared with excitement as it became more visible.

We’d expected to find only a handful of visitors to Volcanoes National Park and were surprised to find the parking lot jammed with vehicles and anxious tourists. 

Then, the glow was in its full glory.  What a sight to behold!

Darkness fell within minutes of our arrival. However, while there was still a little bit of light we were able to get a good perspective of the vastness of the park and the volcano. 

At one point, these trees provided a backdrop and I attempted to take advantage of that fact.
The intensity of the glow changed as the magma at the crater burst into many explosions.

Moments later, it was pitch black with the only light from the hundreds of cameras held over the heads of the excited visitors attempting to get a peek and a photo.

The trees impeding a portion of our views ultimately gave us a better perspective of the glow.

Of course, a determined amateur photographer that I am, I diplomatically maneuvered my way to prefect spots aided by my equally determined husband Tom. We weren’t getting out of there without some great shots.

Inside the visitor’s center, we took the time to appreciate local artwork. Here is a rendition of Madame Pele, the fire goddess.

Experiencing this once in a lifetime adventure as a family was rewarding and fulfilling. Our grandchildren loved it and were fearless and in awe as were all of the adults.

Perhaps, how it may have been for seafarers seeing the Hawaiian Islands for the first time, as the molten lava flowed to the sea, creating new land.

So, dear readers, we share these photos with all of you, with considerable enthusiasm and joy knowing we have this arena on the web to bring all of us together in however a small way, as our travels continue on.

Its Saturday! May sunshine and smiles brighten our day.

                                          Photo from one year ago today, December 27, 2013

Nothing like stopping for the crosswalk in Marloth Park, one year ago today. For details of that day’s post, please click here.