Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Hawaii's Volcano Parks Let Visitors Go With The Flow Welcome to TBO.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search , Section Navigation , Content . TBO.com Life TBO.com WFLA The Tampa Tribune Search: Keyword Site News | Weather | Hurricane Guide | Things to Do | Sports | Jobs | Cars | Homes | Shopping | Classified Travel TBO.com Life Travel Hawaii's Volcano Parks Let Visitors Go With The Flow Skip directly to the full story . By TANYA BRICKING LEACH For The Associated Press Published: Dec 18, 2005 ADVERTISEMENT More from this channel: This feature requires the Macromedia Flash Plugin. Please visit http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer to download this plugin. Search our archives: Type keyword(s) 30 days 6 months 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 All Past 7 days most viewed | Tribune archive from 1990 VOLCANO, HAWAII - About the time jagged edges started poking through my T-shirt as I wormed my way through a tight spot in a lava tube, I began to wonder: What am I doing here? We could have been relaxing on the famous Green Sand Beach at South Point of the Big Island of Hawaii. But in the spirit of adventure, we were instead exploring the world underground. I had convinced my husband that it would be neat to go hiking to see flowing lava at the Kilauea Volcano on the first night of our weekend getaway, and then get up early the next morning to go caving in 1,000-year-old lava tubes. He was agreeable, even after twisting his ankle on the initial hiking excursion, which lasted past midnight. Once we got back to our cabin at Volcanoes National Park, we understood why each room had a Jacuzzi. But we weren't about to let our sore muscles get the best of us. Watching the orange glow of waxy-looking lava hiss into the ocean had intoxicated us. We wanted to see tunnels formed by the molten stuff. The Dawn Patrol So we caught just enough sleep to wake at the crack of dawn and drive to South Point in search of a labyrinth of lava tubes at a place called Kula Kai Caverns. To get there, we punched in a pass code and entered a remote neighborhood built on lava rock. Then we saw our guide's landmark, a thatched hut that looked like something out of "Gilligan's Island." Our tour guide, Kathlyn Richardson, led us into the yurt and handed us spelunking helmets, lights, gloves and kneepads to gear up. We looked like coal miners without the soot, and we were about to go on a two-hour spelunking tour. So she tested us a little. Would we like to try shimmying up parts of the cave and crawling around in tunnels? We were game. Let me just say my previous experience in caves was limited to a guided tour years earlier on a heavily traveled pathway at Kentucky's Mammoth Cave. Although it is considered the granddaddy of American caves - and the longest cave in the world - I saw only the easy-access "tourist" part of it. No shimmying through narrow passageways was involved. And I had seen Thurston Lava Tube, a major attraction on the drive around Crater Rim Drive at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. But that was just a peek into a cavelike shell. I had never seen much of caves or could explain the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. Somehow, the idea of exploring a pitch-black volcanic cavern still appealed to me. That's just the kind of tourist Kula Kai Cavern founder Ric Elhard wants to educate. "I started crawling around in caves when I was 12 years old," said Elhard, a California native who bought property on the Big Island because he knew there were caves underneath it. He and other cavers have since mapped out miles of lava tubes that crisscross the area. "We're not doing big numbers, but we saw huge potential," Elhard said. "We want to be more of an educational tour. We want people to learn and understand about the archaeological aspects of caves." Treks Of Your Choice He and other guides lead small groups, even children as young as 5, through parts of the caves on tours that last from easy half-hour strolls to more challenging half-day explorations. When my husband and I were there, it was just the two of us, following Richardson into a braided maze she knew by heart and getting a taste of massive chambers and small spaces formed by volcanic gases rising through cooling magma 1,000 years ago. A National Park tour, it is not. It's a fledgling operation that's loosely organized, and sometimes the battery-powered lights on the well-used equipment go out. But it's definitely an adventure tour. We broke a sweat, despite the cool 68-degree temperature inside the cave, and had to watch our footing navigating craggy rocks that seemed to grow out from above and below. One of the most interesting parts was when we turned off our head lamps and sat in the dark, listening closely to dripping water and the sound of ourselves breathing. I'll admit I liked climbing and scrambling over loose rocks much better than belly-crawling through the tight spots. The crawling part made me think about being swallowed by hot lava as I tried to untangle myself from its pointy fingers. Underground Point Of View But squirming around on my hands and knees gave me a feeling not just for overcoming claustrophobia, but also for looking at a volcanic island from a different perspective. I thought about the cave dwellers who must have used the spaces for shelter. I wondered how long the kukui nuts, which contained oil that Hawaiians used to light like candles, had been left on the rock shelves that we passed. I pictured the lava flowing through the walls I could now touch. The tour captured my imagination. Yes, I could have spent the day relaxing on the beach. What I did instead made me feel like an explorer. And to me, discovering a world I had never seen before made the vacation feel complete. FOR LOVE OF LAVA KULA KAI CAVERNS AND LAVA TUBES: www.kulakai caverns.com or (808) 929-7539. Located off Highway 11 in Ocean View, Hawaii. Tours by appointment ranging from $15 half-hour walking tours to $95 half-day tours. The two-hour spelunking tour is $65. Discounts for Hawaii residents and groups. Wear a T-shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. WHERE TO STAY: For the full Kilauea experience, stay in a B&B in Volcano Village or in a cabin at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. •Carson's Volcano Cottages: www.carsonscottage.com or 1-800-845-5282 or (808) 967-7683. B&B accommodations, from one-room spaces to family cottages with kitchens and storybook cottages nestled in the tropical rain forest. Breakfast is served in a dining room beside the fire. Rates range from $115 to $170 a night. •Volcano House: (808) 967-7321. This historical hotel sits on the edge of a crater, and the rooms are heated by volcanic steam. Rooms range from $95 to $225. Its cabins are among the few available in the park, but the rooms are a bit worn. Cabins are $50. •Kilauea Military Camp: www.kmc-volcano.com or (808) 967-8333. A joint services recreation center in Volcanoes National Park, open to military members and Department of Defense workers and retirees. Rates are based on rank, and accommodations range from dorms to cottages. WHERE TO EAT: After a spelunking tour, drive to the Kona side of the island for food. •The Coffee Shack: A casual coffeehouse with a sweeping view of the ocean. The staff is friendly, and the portions are big. •Cafe Pesto in Hilo: Whether you're in Kawaihae near the harbor on the scenic South Kohala coast or in historic Hilo on the Big Island's east side, find this restaurant. It has gourmet pizzas, an assortment of pasta and seafood. Most items are about $10. •Ken's House of Pancakes: Ken's is like a local Denny's. It's open 24 hours a day, and most items are less than $7. Write a letter to the editor | Subscribe to the Tribune | Place an Ad Online TBO.com AdLinks Site Tools Advertise with us Web site feedback Make TBO.com my homepage RSS Feeds: Feed for this channel All feeds/RSS FAQ Most Popular: This feature requires the Macromedia Flash Plugin. Please visit http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer to download this plugin. 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Hawaiian recipe you mighthave...

Hawaiian Recipes UncleDon's Hawai`ian Recipes Welcome to our Recipe ofthe Monthsection, using local Hawaiian tips and tricks toprepare and serve Hawaiian food. And if you're a local Hawaiian cook,nomatter where you live now, please share any Hawaiian recipe you mighthave... the kind of dishes we all love and eat every day. We'll be happy togive you credit for your recipe and will add your email address to theweb page on which it appears, if you like. Send your recipes to hularecords@hawaii.rr.com . Having lived in Hawaiialmost 70years, it is second nature for me to share any of the thingsworthwhile.I have learned the Aloha Spirit in my years in the islands, and in thatspirit I offer a variety of delicious but wacky recipes. Follow thedirections,otherwise I predict anything from loud laughter to lawsuits. Chinese StyleSteamed Fish FlyLice "Pipi"Stew Cook Ricewith your Finger Fish ChowderLanikai Hee NaluSoup Huli Chicken (3 variations) JapaneseNew Years Fried Chicken KaimukiOmlet Kalua Pig with Sweet Potatoes FriedWon Ton Joe's Special OnoHahd-BoilHuamoa Pua’aStew (PorkStew) Roast Chickena la Budwaizah Salmon FilletsKuuala Tall YellowChicken Feet Soup with Swimming Chicken Wiki Wiki PorkChops Kailua Zousui OTHERGREATRECIPE SITES AuntyAloha's Ono Recipes BettyCrocker BusyCooks Creoleand Cajun Recipes EthnicRecipes on the Internet GreekCuisine HawaiianRecipes HawaiianRecipes 2 KalakupuaHawaii LobsterRecipes LocalKine Recipes: Art Pollard LuauRecipes MedievalRecipes NorwegianRecipes PopularAustralian Recipes Recipe Source Seedsof Knowledge TopSecret Recipes Wesley'sMenu of the Week HawaiiCalls® Inc./Hula Records® 99-139WaiuaWay, #56 Aiea,Hawaii96701-3228 Phone:(808)485-2294 Fax: (808) 485-2296 TollFree: 1-800-756-4852 E-Mail: hularecords@hawaii.rr.com HomePage ~ Hawaiian Music Catalog ~ Hawaii Calls® Radio Show CoconutWireless ~ About Us ~ FAQ's ~ Contact Us SecureShoppingCart: ViewShopping Cart ~ CheckOut ~ SITEINDEX ~ AllContents ©1998-2004 Hawaii Calls® Inc./Hula Records® Exceptwhereotherwise noted. AllRightsReserved

Maui Snorkeling

Pride of Maui-Snorkeling at Molokini [an error occurred while processing this directive] Pride of Maui If you're looking for a very large and very stable catamaran snorkel to Molokini then check out the Pride of Maui. Pride charters has been a member of our snorkel Molokini fleet for many years and it includes a visit to turtle town as well as to Molokini on its daily itinerary. This is an excellent vessel for senior citizens and children with a wonderful glassbottom viewing port and a waterslide. The Pride of Maui even offers deep-sea fishing en-route to all sites. Island: Maui Activity: Snorkeling & Molokini PRIDE OF MAUI a 65' Maxi Catamaran with twin lugger turbo diesels, has a cruising speed of 20 knots, features a top deck high dive and waterslide, glass bottom viewing port, sun deck, fresh water shower, on board aquarium and stereo sound system. Accommodates 149 passengers Other features of the Pride of Maui are a sun deck, fresh water shower, and on-board aquarium, flotation devices, optical masks and camera rental and video tapes are available for purchase. Deep Sea fishing enroute to all sites. Snorkel equipment and flotation devices are included in the ticket price. Optical masks available. Tee shirts, camera rental and video tapes are also available for purchase. SCUBA - 1 TANK $40.00 2 TANK $60.00 SNUBA $50.00 extra to be paid on board. Departs from Ma'alaea Harbor Main Loading Dock (Check in half hour before) ACTIVITY SNORKEL, SNUBA AND SCUBA DIVE MOLOKINI AND TURTLE TOWN - This two destination snorkel/scuba excursion features a continental breakfast en route to Molokini Crater (weather dependent), and a hot BBQ lunch: Cheeseburgers, Hot Dogs, or Chicken Breast. Beer, Wine, MaiTai's and soft drinks are also provided (Scuba and Snuba available on board for an extra charge) DAILY: 8:00am to 1:00pm Regular Price $89.95 Your Price $78.90 AFTERNOON SNORKEL - Visit one snorkel site. Includes lunch, soft drinks and snacks. Cash bar available. DAILY: 1:30pm to 4:30pm Regular Price $41.95 Your Price $37.90 [an error occurred while processing this directive]