We visited the Big Island of Hawaii in October, 2002.  This is not the island of Honolulu.  It is the newest and largest of the Hawaiian Islands.  The home of cities of Kona and Hilo.  As well as Mrs. Barry's Cookies.

Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983.  The lava is flowing into the sea, and, often, the entry points are easily viewed.  Newly formed lava benches (new land created as the lava enters the sea) are unstable and can collapse at anytime.  It is not advisable to venture out onto a new bench.

An excellant source of up to date eruption info can be found at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website.

Try the Hawaiian sweet bread French toast here:

The island is an extreme of environments.  From sea level to nearly 14,000 feet above.  On top of Mauna Kea, there is a first class astronomy complex as well as chilly temps...Great sunsets at sea level too:

The Kohala coast is a rugged, beautiful landscape...