Michelle & Lars

We will join in on one of the best celebrations in Hawaii at the beautiful Royal Kona Resort for a traditional Hawaiian luau. Between the fading sun and the breeze off the Kona coast, we’ll dance and dine the night away. When the sun fades, the tropical breeze will sway the trees to the beat of the drums, to create an easy rhythm to start our luau the right way. With a breathtaking backdrop of glittering waters of the Kona Coast, our oceanfront setting encompasses Polynesian culture.

We will get our hike on with a Park Service certified guide on our Kilauea Hike 'n Glow tour. This is a specialized tour designed for adventurous guests looking to get off the beaten path and head off to unique areas of the Park not normally visited on organized tours. Starting at our resort in Kona, our guide will pick us up and drive us through the "saddle" between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes. We will make a quick stop at a store in Hilo for provisions before heading off to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Here we will discover what makes this unique place a UNSESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Preserve. We will start with a visit to the Kilauea Visitor's Center and a picnic-style lunch. Next we will visit the Jaggar Museum, and then on to the Thurston Lava Tube, hike down into the Kilauea Iki crater through the rainforest and across the still-steaming crater floor. This 4-mile hike culminates in a walk through the Thurston Lava Tube. Next we will visit the famous Volcano House. The Volcano House is a landmark which inspired the likes of Mark Twain and Jack London. Then we will enjoy a delicious dinner with Kilauea Volcano safely erupting in the distance through the picture windows. Our adventure will end with a stop at the Halemaumau Crater to view the glow up close before returning to our hotel.

While acclimatizing and dining at the Mauna Kea visitors center , you'll find out why the world's largest telescopes are located on this spot. And you'll learn a bit about the lives of astronomers who work there. Before leaving the visitors center we issue parkas and gloves (the warmest available) and engage our four wheel drive for the steep 1/2 hour drive to the summit area. On the summit, your guide will point out the observatories as they begin to open and rotate into position. You'll learn about famous observatories such as Keck, Subaru and Gemini. There is plenty of time for photos while the sunset transforms the area into a beautiful and quite unearthly spectacle. When the best of the color has past, we descend to mid-mountain, where the sky is equally clear but the climate and air density is much more comfortable for stargazing.

Dinner at Kona Brewery with beer!