Lava, Lava & More Lava

 Started the day by watching the NCL "Pride of America" pull into the harbor, right past our room. Then off exploring.  We stopped of at the Mauna Loa Macadamia farm, which turned out to be a little disappointing.  The last time we were there they had a tour that told about the process from tree to store. Now it is no more that a store where they give you a few samples.  We learned that the other big seller you see in the stores "Hawaiian Host" is part of the same company.  We did leave with some to take home.

 






Next it was off to the Lava Tree State Park.


Lava had wrapped around trees incinerated them then the drained leaving molds of trees of various sizes the forest regrew around them leaving these pillars 




The diversity of plants here was amazing




A tree fell and plants took hold of the Root Ball


In Pahoa we went to see where the 2018 Eruption went through the landscape



In a short time the vegetation has already taken hold.



There are three flows between me and What appears to be a wall which is part of Fissure 8 that was responsible for a lot of the flow.  That wall of lava is about 15-20 feet tall

The Lava Flows went on for miles and miles

All the way to the ocean


Eventually another Black Sand Beach


Back to the hotel and for a dip in the tide pools lots of fish and black crabs


Hawaii Trip 2023 Hilo Day 4


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