Eat, Drink, And Meet Pele

Hawaii Island is all about volcanoes, and the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea, is home to Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. To some, Pele is a symbol or metaphor for the power of the volcano, to others she’s a mythic being with a rich tradition, and to still others she is living goddess as real as the rock. In whatever form you conceive of her, she is clearly present at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park — the state’s only World Heritage site — has become Hawaii ‘s most popular attraction, its whopping 330,000 acres stretching from sea level to the summit of Maunaloa, earth’s most massive volcano at 13,677 feet.

You’re going to need nourishment to take this all in. Make the drive from Hilo to the park into a culinary scavenger’s hunt. If heading out in mid-morning, let the Warrior point you to free samples at Big Island Candies factory. The chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies are wildly popular with locals and visitors. Next stop, the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. Mac nut nuts can look through glass at the processing job, and try free samples of roasted and flavored varieties.

The fertile rainforest climate of East Hawaii is ideal for growing the huge variety of produce found at Big Island farmers markets, grocery stores and on restaurant menus. Coffee, commonly thought to be a Kona specialty, also thrives here. In fact, nearly 6,000 acres of coffee flourished in East Hawaii before sugar proved to be a more profitable crop. Stop by the plantation-style headquarters of the Hilo Coffee Mill in Mountain View for the latest scoop on the East Hawaii coffee revival, and for a free taste of 100-percent East Hawaii coffee.

Love hard-as-a-rock cookies? Visit Mountain View Bakery to sample the famous Stone Cookies, which some wags say are like milk bones for humans! Locals love them.

Or maybe you prefer orchids. The East Hawaii climate is perfect for growing exotic flowers and other ornamental plants. Feast your eyes on the nurseries that dot the highway between Keaau and Volcano, specializing in many varieties of anthuriums and orchids. Stop at Akatsuka Orchid Gardens for a free orchid blossom, and marvel over the thousands of diverse and gorgeous plants.

Let the Warrior guide you to another unexpected diversion, the Fuku-Bonsai Cultural Center in Kurtistown. Not only does the center have an excellent collection of miniature tropical trees, but also micro-lobsters being raised as aquarium pets. Drop by Dan DeLuz Woods in Mountain View for beautiful Hawaiian woodcrafts. And when it’s time to “wine down,” drive up to the Volcano Winery. These enthusiastic vintners offer free tastings every day of the year. Try a sip of Macadamia Nut Honey Wine, an ambrosial dessert wine created by honeybees that stomp not on grapes but macadamia nut blossoms.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The park was unveiled in 1916, and has since been showing off as home to the world’s most visitor-friendly volcano. Volcano goddess Pele has been putting on a non-stop show since 1983, making the Big Island still bigger. Each day, hundreds of visitors drive to the end of Chain of Craters Road, then hike onto the lava to see the glowing river of lava flow into the sea. The eruption may go on for hundreds of years — or it may have already stopped for now as you read this.

But there’s a lot more to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park than the eruption. There’s the steaming, sulfur-painted crater at the summit, Halemaumau. There’s the lush rainforest with plants and birds that exist nowhere else on the planet. There’s the geological history book spread across the volcanic landscape. There’s the culture of Pele, the tempestuous goddess who resides in Kilauea.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a hiker’s paradise, with many miles of trails through an amazing variety of environments, ranging from seaside lava plains, lush rainforests and dripping lava tubes to an upland desert and remote, icy mountaintop. Check with the rangers about guided hikes, and the latest status of the eruption.

The park also has a newly renovated visitors center with great displays, and a wonderful art gallery, the Volcano Art Center, whose home is in a historic building. Virtually all the pieces here are from Hawaii Island’s artists, and a thriving art community is inspired by the volcano’s creative energy. The art center also organizes musical and cultural events throughout the year. The outdoor hula performances in this special place so close to Pele are always amazing.

Hot Tip: Plan a volcanic sunrise. Drive to the bottom of Chain of Craters Road before dawn and face the sea. Watching the sun rise forth from the ocean, in the face of a live volcano, is monumental. Ditto for the full moonrise.

Yum: If you’re in Volcano early on Sunday morning, take a tip from local residents and check out the Farmers Market at Cooper Center. Besides fresh produce, there are prepared foods, fresh breads and pastries, crafts and a great library of used books.