Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Volcanoes through the #Window – From Seattle to Hawaii
A few weeks ago, we left Seattle for the Big Island of Hawaii and as usual I had the window seat. (Thanks, dear.)
It’s always wonderful to see Mt. Rainier looming above the surrounding landscape.
Did you know Mt. Rainier is an active volcano? Though the last major eruption was over a thousand years ago, geologists closely monitor the mountain.
Six hours later we approached the Big Island, the youngest of the Hawaiian Islands, made up of five volcanoes.
Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano takes up most of the island so you almost don’t realize you’re looking at it. The giant shield volcano has mostly gentle slopes and last erupted in 2022.
Mauna Kea can be seen in the distance, identified by the telescopes on top.
For a look at the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea, we headed to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It’s been spewing lava regularly this year, but unfortunately, we visited in between ‘events.’
But there’s lava of all ages everywhere on the Big Island, from eons of eruptions.
We drove through some old lava fields on the Chain of Craters Road
to the end where it meets the Pacific Ocean.
Flowing lava means the island continues to grow and new black sand beaches are formed.
Punalu’u Black Sand Beach was one of the reasons I choose the Big Island for our first trip to Hawaii many years ago. I still love it.
The black sand made of basalt was created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach is frequented by endangered, hawksbill and green turtles which can often be seen basking on the black sand.
I wonder if the turtles choose this beach to rest because they blend in so well.
After a week on the Big Island we flew out from Hilo and once again I scored the window seat
and had close ups of Mauna Kea. The dormant shield volcano is the tallest mountain on earth when measured from its ocean base to peak, approximately 33,500 feet.
We touched down on Oahu an hour later for the next leg of our vacation
and though there are no active volcanoes on Oahu there are remnants, the most notable, Diamond Head.
After 11 days in Hawaii, we were ready for home and touched down in Seattle, where I managed to capture Mt. Rainier through the window again. (Even though I gave Bob the window seat in case you wondered.)
Sharing my #Window views with #Sunday Stills.
I’ll have more to share from our Hawaiian adventures later.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Such beautiful islands, the black sand sounds so good to walk on!!
The black sand beach is wonderful, especially when you’re lucky to see the turtles!
That would be great! Sand is such a good way to clean your feet too. 😂👍🏻
Amazing window shots from the plane, Susanne! Mt Rainier (and Hood) are so well conically shaped! We’ve visited Hawaii’s BI twice. I’m amazed at this young island and its 5 volcanoes. The black sand beaches are almost exclusive to the Hawaiian Islands. Welcome back home to smoky WA!
Thanks, Terri! I had fun taking in the views from above! We love the Big Island, and have visited it the most, along with Oahu. The black sand beaches are my favorites. 🙂 Today we have rain, so I’m hoping that will put out the fires ravaging our forests!
We are looking forward to the rain over here! The smoke from wildfires all over the state have created such poor air quality here!
We visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park but the day we went it was very rainy and foggy with visibility of about 100 feet – so we didn’t see anything! I love your photos!!
Oh, bummer! You never can tell what the weather will be on the rainy side of the island. We’ve been lucky to have good weather every time we’ve visited.
Perhaps on the next visit we’ll get lucky!
This was a thrill to read and see photos. I am so happy you had this adventure and shared it. Thank you
Thank you so much! 😊
Gorgeous photos 😍
Thank you!
You have some great photos from the planes. Love the last Rainier one particularly. I just checked the webcam for Kilauea and it looks like another episode of the current eruption is just beginning. Just some low churning lava and a small flow, but It will likely start high fountaining within the next hour or so.
Thanks, Graham. I dont think we were gone long before she came to life again! Would have loved to see molten lava flowing! I liked getting a closer look at Mauna Kea from above as she was often under clouds while we were there.
I always love to get photos from a plane window and yours are wonderful, especially of Mount Rainier! And the black lava and beaches of Big Island look so interesting and photogenic too 🙂
Thanks, Sarah. I never get tired of seeing Mt. Rainier from the air, and it was fun to see Mauna Kea above the clouds, too. And I love the black sand beaches above and below!
I have never seen a black sand beach except in films and on TV. It must seem strange the first time you actually walk on one. (I always let Julie have the window seat too.)
Best wishes, Pete.
Hi Pete, nice of you to give the window seat to Julie! I had read about that black sand beach on the Big Island, and it helped form our first trip to Hawaii many years ago. It is still one of my favorite beaches anywhere, especially when the turtles are there. 😊
Wonderful images from the plane windows!
Thanks so much! 🙂
Spectacular pictures!! Always a thrill to see Tahoma (I prefer the native name). Amazing how many volcanoes are grouped around those small islands in Hawaii.
Thank you. Hawaii is essentially a chain of volcanoes, their tops forming the islands!
What a perfect contrast: The Big Island is relatively unspoiled while Oahu is very civilized. For my taste, Kauai has the best of all islands.
I’ve been to the Big Island and Oahu more than the others and consider them my favorites. But I also enjoyed our visits to Maui and Kauai.