This time of year, most of us are dreaming of tropical beaches and swaying palm trees — anything that can take us far, far away from the woes of winter. While you needn’t bemoan the frost much longer, as spring is just around the corner, perhaps you could derive a little inspiration for the forthcoming sunshine from this footage of Hawaii’s Chain of Craters Road.
Situated along 23 miles of the Big Island’s ever-forming coastline, this wonderful road takes you on a scenic tour of pit craters, dormant and active lava flows, lava tubes billowing plumes of sulfuric gases, and even lava trees, comprised of columns of lava that hardened around living trees while the tree burned within, leaving only a hollow well behind. Many parts of the road have been covered over by lava flows throughout time, but the parts you can drive will lead you through lush tropical rainforests, surreal fields of hardened lava, and to the edge of the island’s cliffs where they meet the sea in a constant display of destruction and rebirth. In short, the Chain of Craters Road is more than just another tour of a tropical destination — it’s a journey through the creation of Earth.
Image via GOC53
