Hi Dennis,

Be careful when walking around on the lava at Volcanoes National Park. The lava in places is quite smooth and "glassy" and it also gets covered with a powdery pumice. It gets very, very slippery. Carol slipped and fell while we were there and got a gash on her knee that bled like crazy. Had to take her to the ER of a hospital in Hilo and after done there had a long drive at night in the rain back to where we were staying in Kona on the other side of the island.

You might consider taking a helicopter ride on Hawaii that goes over the active volcano. We didn't do that while there but heard that it was awesome. The last time we were there you could see the steam pluming up from where the lava was dumping into the ocean. I have an extra National Park Service Hawaii Volcanoes brochure w/map .. if you're interested I can bring it along to the Grand Rapids Regional for you, or if you would like it sooner, I'd mail it to you if I had your address. Let me know.

Another place I'd recommend going to while on the Big Island would be the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park located on the southern Kona Coast (i.e. west side of island). It's right on the ocean, is very scenic, and has a very nice self-guided 1/2 mile walk that is quite interesting.

In Kailua-Kona, if you're into the shopping thing, there's a Gallery called the "Rift Zone" at 75-5801 Alii Drive that has beautiful arts and crafts done by local Hawaiian artists. Some of the very thin wooden bowls that are carved from Norfolk Pine are translucent and beautiful when they are backlit.

Hawaii .... you'll love it. Carol & I have been there twice before and are planning to go back for at leat two (2) weeks next January.

Dan