Day 2, Lava Tree Park and Ahalanui Park

Today we went to the Lava Tree Park near Pahoa. In case you're wondering, a lava tree happens when lava sweeps through an area and makes molds of the tree trunks. Here's what they look like.


These lava trees are scattered throughout the park. Also scattered throughout the park are signs like this one.


And in case you are like, ‘wtf is an earth crack?’, here you go.


They’re actually kind of scary, and we did not veer off the path. I think my favorite thing about the park was how a lot of the vegetation didn’t even seem real. It seemed more like something out of a movie.

Jurassic Park, for instance.


Or Resident Evil (why, hello there, creepy man-eating shrub).


Here's one of Zack doing his best Sampson impression.


And here's one of the spring fed pool we went to afterwards. Ahalanui is volcanically heated and has little fish swimming in it. It was the perfect way to recharge before our evening hike through lava fields (see next post).