We made it to Hilo but lost the sun!

Sunday we took a drive to Mauna Kea which is the highest mountain on the island. It's quite impressive at 13,796 feet. That not much less than Pike's Peak at 14,115. There is an observatory on top of this mountain that has about ten different telescopes of varying sizes and technologies. They are some of the most powerful in the world and the mountain is one of the top viewing spots anywhere. We drove to the visitors center at 9,000 feet and the road to the summit was closed. We toured the visitor center and then ate lunch and then the road up was open!
We took a hike at 9,000 feet and when we got back in the car we didn't make the drive up. I know it's a rental and they normally go anywhere, but they didn't recommend taking the trip up without four wheel drive. For the first time in my life I listened.
After enjoying the mountain and the cool weather (56 degrees compared to close to 80 near the sea), we drove down and wound up at Spencer's beach near Kawaihae. We enjoyed the sun and then drove back to our Hawi cottage.
Monday morning was our move to cottage number two near Hilo. We did some sightseeing on the way and the closer we got the cloudier it became. Rain in Hilo, rain at our cottage, and rain all night! The rain and gecko's and tree frogs were a chorus that was very hard to sleep through.
Today we took a ride to Volcanos National Park and did the tour to see the sights there. Again we had rain, but it was on and off so we could get out and take walks to see the attractions. We didn't see any active lava, but the entire area is lava fields and craters. The main crater and a couple of smaller ones were blowing steam, but no lava. The valcano has been pretty quiet lately.

Hills on the way to Mauna Kea.

The top of the mountain in the background with snow at the summit.

At the visitor center they had a telescope set up to view solar activity.

Hiking at 9,000 feet in Hawaii

Somehow they discouraged me from taking the mustang convertible to the summit.

A memorial to the people who died in the tsunami of 1946 at Laupahoehoe. In all 159 people died that day. We saw this on the way to Hilo on Monday.

Our cottage for the next four nights.

Everything we need for a base camp

Nice screened in lanai for breakfast and dinners

People viewing the main crater at Kilauea volcano.

Lava flows. See the cars driving on the park road.

The Nene' is Hawaii's state bird. This is our fourth time in Hawaii and the first time we saw them!

An arch on the coast.

Another arch further along.

Life takes hold in the lava. 

Petroglyphs carved by ancient Hawaiians.

Flowers along the rim of one of the craters.