The environmentally friendly graffiti, dubbed “Rockbook’’ by one visitor, is formed into declarations of love, shout-outs to friends, or pledges to favorite sports teams. On the 17-mile drive to our rental condo on the South Kohala Coast, we rarely went more than a few hundred feet without spotting elaborately designed turtles, sharks, or crosses. Others took a predecessor’s advice: “Keep it simple.’’
“Aloha Leah’’ read one. “Go Terps.’’ “Mahalo ohana (Thanks family),’’ and our favorite: “Out of gas.’’
You don’t want to break down on the Big Island, which got that moniker because, at more than 4,000 square miles, it is twice the size of the other seven biggest Hawaiian Islands combined. The roads can be desolate, and they lead to some of the hottest, highest, lushest, and driest places on earth. Of the planet’s 13 climatic zones, all but two (Arctic and Saharan) are found on this island.
“That’s really what blows people’s minds about the island - its vastness,’’ said Ferracane. “You really need a car to be able to see it.’’
Hot, hot, hot
The largest island in the United States is still growing, thanks to the world’s most active volcano. The lava that has been pumping out of Kilauea since 1983 has added more than 500 acres to the island. At the same time, entire towns have been swallowed by the inexorable flow to the sea.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park sits on the southeast corner of the island, and its big attraction is the spectacle of molten lava (at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit) meeting the ocean. The resulting clouds of steam and blasts of orange light that can reach 300 feet make for a nightly show that attracts hundreds.
We were fortunate to visit on an evening when Pele, the volcano goddess, was generous. We drove through eerie darkness for a few miles before reaching a viewing outpost, complete with people hawking volcano art, freshly-cut coconuts, and bottled water. After using flashlights to guide us as we tramped for 15 minutes over uneven lava fields, we could view the clash of lava and sea from about a half-mile away.
