Pull on over.

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is an interesting place in our world.

See something you want to see with a sign attached to it and you pull right onto the shoulder. No parking lot necessary.

Balancing act.

And so George Three listened to Scott’s veteran advice, and the five of us wandered on a lava rock bed.

How does this happen?

Life adapts, I saw.

Testing, one-two-three.

I got the idea that scientists want to know why around here.

Ahoy out there.

Several other spots had lookout platforms to best experience the expanses. Windy it was for the siblings.

Steam release.

One stop led us for the hole in the ground that released steam right up to our eyes. Faithfully.

Greens, browns and blue.

Closer we got to the ocean.

Cliffhanger.

We drove to the end of the road. Loads of cars were parked on both sides. Only a walking path continued. Brace folks could hike another 12-plus miles, some over lava rock, to get a glimpse of where the hot lava spills into the ocean.

Natural high.

We just walked across lava rocks to a lookout point.

Making waves.

So much to see right here.

Unforgettable.

This is what we live to experience.

We knew we had an appointment back at the top of the mountain, with several more stops to make.

There’s the meeting place.

One spot allowed a downward view of that spot where the lava hits the ocean.

Lights out.

We needed to visit the lava tube, the place where hot lava had left a chute to explore, much like a cave.

Flooding, though, caused a problem with the park’s tube lighting system. They only let you in if you had a flashlight. Scott had brought his. We followed him closely. I didn’t try to take any photos in the darkness, though.

What we saw.

Lush life, too.

The chute was surrounded by a tropical rain forest.

Growing.

The path was marvelous. Bright in the looming dusk, I’d say.

Tomorrow: Red hot spectacle