Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Mauna Loa Lookout!

Last weekend, we took the kids up to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on a Sunday night, as we are currently homeschooling Adara and Bear didn't have school Monday. This is by far one of our favorite locations on the Big Island, as one can camp at Namakani Paio campground and do a night hike to view the lava! During the daytime, there are a multitude of hikes ranging from a half mile to five miles round trip. The Thurston Lava Tube is an exceptional short hike, in which visitors can walk through a tunnel, formed by lava in a matter of a half mile. For a longer hike, Kīlauea Iki, a pit crator and an old lava lake, is a fascinating traverse through Ohia trees and down across a lava rock, patterned by the older formations of molten lava.This hike is three miles total and a great one for kids, as they love to hear about the stories of Pele, the goddess of lava who grew angry and formed the lake! This was a tale we had spun for them as we kept them occupied along the three mile stretch.

During our most recent camping trip, we wanted to teach the kids nighttime navigational skills, and how to find their way using a headlamp and landmarks, such as the rock cairns along the trail. With a campsite as first priority, we arrived at the campground around noon, when hopefully most campers would be leaving from the weekend. Thankfully, we were in luck, as it is first come, first serve and we proceeded to set up our tent while the kids played nearby. The one thing we keep in mind while camping there, is that the grass may hide drop offs, so keiki playing in the grass or on trails should keep that in mind. Another factor, was where we located the tent. The best site in our opinion was the one near the back site 14, up the hill from the others and a path leading up the hill for the kids to explore.
The kids were dressed for the weather, as there were light showers and the temperature kept rising and falling in the sixties. When packing, we plan for rain or shine, as you never know the conditions you will face at that elevation.

After unpacking our gear and setting up our humongous tent, we were ready to go for a hike. We followed the trail up the hill behind our site and started our lesson on navigation using landmarks and a simple path. Adara led the way out and for most of the trail, our six year old did a great job finding the path and keeping us in the right direction. There were several other faintly driven paths, so it was definitely a tricky place to learn, however she did well and with a small amount of guidance from dad found her way back to our campsite. Then, after eating dinner, we hiked the mile up from the campsite, to view the lava with multitudes of other visitors from around the world. Adara again led the way and never faltered in the dark, following each rock cairn and looking ahead to the next sign as dad had instructed. I followed up behind to light the way for Bear