Two of the highlights in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are Crater Rim Drive + Chain of Craters Road (which branches off of Crater Rim Drive). We stopped by the visitor center, hoping that it would be open just before 6 a.m. even though we knew there was no way. Even if it isn’t open (which it wasn’t) it’s a good idea to stop because the outside of the center can still have loads of info. We looked at some of their outdoor displays and maps along with the map they gave us at the entrance gate. We got on the Crater Rim Drive near the visitor center and began our journey that would eventually lead to the Chain of Craters Road. We stopped at one of the first pullouts that was a small trail through the rainforest that looked out over some steam vents and you could see the white plumes of smoke coming from the caldera in the distance. It was tough to hold my excitement and continue on this road, knowing it would be time to get there eventually. That white smoke that’s going up and blending with the clouds is the steam coming up is Kīlauea! The steam vents looked pretty cool and we […]