Volcanoes National Park

Oral tradition says that when Polynesians set out from the Marquesas Islands in search of new lands, they steered their canoes toward the fire burning in the night, toward the sign that their god Pele sent to guide them.

They may have landed on Hawaii, the Big Island, which is home to five volcanoes, with Kīlauea being the most active. It has been erupting continuously for the last thirty years.

On the day we were there, the magma/lava at the bottom of the crater was easy to see.

After leaving the visitor's area, we drove on Crater Rim Drive between fields of lava and craters.

All the black area you can see in the middle of the photo is new land that has been created by lava flowing toward the sea.

Below, you can see the steam created where the hot lava meets the water and cools. Awesome.

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100 miles or less: Rattlesnake Saloon

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