Downtown on Main: Hawai’i Pt. 4 // Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

One of the things I love most about the Big Island is the all of the incredible lava rock that the entire island seems to be built upon. It’s everywhere you go. Deep black rock. It covers the island from shore to mountain creating massive cliffs and fields and valleys of once-flowing lava. And although it’s not exactly easy on the feet like sand is (I found out the hard way) it sure is beautiful. But what astonishes me even more than that lovely rippled lava rock is the source of it all. The volcanoes.

This summer, when Honey and I were in Yellowstone I was constantly holding my jaw in an attempt to prevent it from literally hitting the ground. It was incredible. It still is. I expected Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to be like Yellowstone with her bubbling geysers and steamy vents. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was steamy, that’s for sure, but what blew my socks right off (just kidding, I wasn’t even wearing socks) was the awesome experience of actually SEEING that lava and HEARING the thunderous roars from deep deep deep within the Earth. Seriously. Uhhhh-mazing. We got to the park in the evening because we were told that the lava is easiest seen from dusk to dark. Duh. So we wandered around the visitors center while patiently waiting for the sun to go down. As it grew darker, that big bold volcano made herself known, and I’ve never seen anything like it. It literally lit up the sky and turned the billowing clouds of vog (volcano fog) from a dark gray to a bright blood orange showing off that beautiful volcano in all it’s glory.

It was by far the highlight of my trip. I have a bucket list dream of visiting all (okay, as many as possible) of the National Parks in America, so naturally I HAD to see the volcano, but it was so much more than one step closer to checking off that bucket list. It was truly awe inspiring. It was a humbling reminder of what a beautiful and powerful planet we live on and a sweet renewal of my love for this place called Earth. I sure wouldn’t want to spend my years anywhere else.