Jaime in Hawaii in July: Visiting Volcanoes

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Touring the Top of Mt. Kīlauea

I am on top of the world! Actually, I am standing at the top of the live, but not currently active shield volcano, Mt. Kīlauea. I visited Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and drove along the Crater Rim to see Mt. Mauna Loa (13,678ft) and Mt. Kīlauea (4,091ft), Hawaii’s two most active volcanoes in the world. This was the 49th state I have driven through in one year (I have yet to visit Alaska). 

Chain of Craters Road

I ended up driving from the top of the Kīlauea caldera, down the mountainside creeping into craters, steaming up my glasses at the geothermal vents, walking on past lava flow eruptions, peering at Pu’uloa Petroglyphs, and at the ended by the Pacific coastline, I was watching waves crashing into the Hōlei Sea Arch. There were many highs and lows driving up and down the volcanoes. The skies were mostly bright blue, but very gray, moist, and foggy at the top. The wind was brutal, but the views were absolutely breathtaking. 

Thank you for reading and viewing,

Dr. Jaime Brainerd, Ed.D.