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Published: February 10th 2009
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Our "Free Day" just means we have a choice day. Some of our options were Safari Helicoptor tour of Kilauea Volcanic system, Hawai'i Botanical gardens, Astronomy Center, and Tsunami Museum. I chose the Helicopter tour of Kilauea and John chose the Hawai'i Botanical garden. I was able to go to a Weight Watchers meeting to weigh-in. Susan was able to drop me off while taking others to Tsunami Museum and then pick me up on the way back to hotel. Unbelieveable! I lost 2lbs since last weigh-in!!
The Sarfari Helicopter people then picked us up and took us to Helioport and got us all oriented for helicpoter ride. The Kilauea tour was great! and my first helicopter ride too! We could see well - a clear day, and I took many pictures. We saw first the lava flows(some old ones that had hardened, some newer ones that had hardened over top of older layers, and some molten ones that were flowing as we watched!) We also saw many steam vents showing where a lava tube was under the surface about 30' deep. Most spectacularly, we also could see a "window"(in the tube) with red magma in it. Quite exciting to
Helicopter volcano tour
getting oriented and re-fueled think of much less see it!
We then made our way up to the actual crater and could see the edge clearly contrasted against the rising gasses (steam). But we couldn't see down into the crater because of those rising gasses. It's much bigger than I imagined-the crater that is. Then we flew out to the flow front and could clearly see where lava was flowing into the sea. Not actual red lava, but actual steam and gasses rising because of the hot lava entering the cold water. We could also see why we were not allowed to observe the flow front last night. The fumes definitely were blowing back over the land area where we would have been standing. It was still quite impressive!
Our pilot then showed us some areas where lava had surrounded areas of trees and houses had been. There was even one lone house left in an island of trees - no roads in or out. We flew back to Hilo and landed at the helioport. Then they were careful to take pictures of our group with helicopter on each person's camera so we all have our souvenier picture.
John and
our group of 6
Don't you love the life vest packed around our waists? I arrived back at the hotel at the same time and it was time for lunch. We walked (hot and longer than we thought) to the Coconut Grill and had a nice lunch (hamburger for John and chicken salad for me) The rest of the afternoon we rested.
Later we met Ray in the lobby and went to Uncle Billy's steak and seafood restaurant for dinner (next door to hotel). The building had shutters all along the sides which were open to allow the gentle breezes to keep us all comfortable Hawai'ian style. There was also entertainment - Hawai'ian songs and hula dancers with a ukelele mixed in. Quite good too. Not what we expected from the look of the outside of the restaurant . Food was also good so we had good conversation and then went to bed satisfied.
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Patty Stevens
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You are doing a GREAT job telling all of us about your trip! Thoroughly enjoying it!