We started the day off heading to Leilani Estates, the site of the 2018 eruption.It appeared that the trip might be a bust but saw on the map that there was a “tour” locally and called the number. She said she could meet up with us in 30 minutes and to park in her yard, grab a soda. We killed some time in the area by watching steaming piles of hardened lava. She has the main cinder cone from fissure 8 in her backyard! Around 700 structures were ruined or buried by the lava and around 2,000 people displaced. Our “tour” guide, Melissa, arrived with two adorable dogs, Coconut and Orchid. We chatted and watched a USGS video on the background of the eruption and then headed out. We drove past a barrier for residents only and parked. It appears we may be walking up the cone!Residents who still own their land (it never occurred to me that they would go back and I don’t know why) had made a road to access it and start planting. One had even raised a greenhouse. They have an HOA and we we shortly greeted by an angry man. Angry man had bought another plot in what Melissa called his goal of becoming the fissure king. He eventually went away and we proceeded to walk up the “road”Melissa called these smaller cones “baby 8s” and that was adorable. Private property. No trespassing. Pahoehoe flow as we walk up the crater. Oh hi there! 🌋Melissa gave us a Pink and Green Heliconia plant to offer Pele at the rim. Looking down the fissure to the baby 8s in and towards Kilauea. We shortly parted ways with our guide and headed to the bigger crater. This was such a wonderful experience.Another National Park checked off the to-do list!Visibility wasn’t great. But one outlook gave us a volcanic steam rainbow. There is a lava lake somewhere down there. Buildings at the last outlook were damaged after the 2018 collapse. Some fresh snapper and ahi for dinner. And a lovely walk home along the banyan trees!
Shoo & Ky's Road Trips 