And so it was that we returned to Hana Hou, in the little town of Naalehu.

It's just a little place, perfect for a special breakfast to get us ready to see more lava .

I gotta tell you, that macadamia nut cream pie really is special.  Oh my oh my.  See that flaky crust with the thin layer of caramel and then the thick layer of macadamia nut cream and the even thicker layer of whipped cream?  What a way to start the day!  And then we drove right back to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where we took the road down to the ocean.

It's about an 18 mile round trip from the Kilauea Visitor Center down to the ocean where the road is closed by lava flow.

See?  The road just stops right here at the handy dandy outhouses.  We sure were glad to see them as there aren't many big bushes in these parts.

Mostly all you see around here is lava. Look: there's a little bit of asphalt and roadside curb that the last eruption didn't get.

Down here where the lava occasionally dumps into the sea, the landscape is very dramatic.

This is called the Holei Sea Arch.

When the waves come crashing it's really a sight to behold.

Otherwise, if you want to be impressed by the landscape around here, you'd better like lava.

Because that's about all you're going to see in this lunar landscape.

All the roads and foot paths are carved right out of the lava.

Miles and miles of lava.

As we drove from the ocean back toward the Visitor Center there were a number of volcanic craters along the way.

I think we stopped and took pictures at every one of them.

The more recently formed craters had very sharp cliffs.

And very little vegetation.

While the older ones were practically overgrown, sometimes almost unrecognizable as craters.

Some were deep.

While others were practically full of lava.

One last stop overlooking Kilauea.

Now let's get out of here and head to Hilo where our helicopter awaits.