We just got back from the Big Island and Bellows Cabins last week, we were gone about 10 days. I'll post later about the beach cabin. The first night (Friday) we got in later in the day, about 6pm. It's a short flight (only 45 mins) and so we got our luggage and rented our car. That all went very smoothly, Hilo is a very small and cute airport right next to the ocean.We drove up the volcano, from sea level, to our cabin on the volcano at KMC (Kileaua Military Camp), which is inside Volcano National Park. The cabins were at 4000 ft and it was very chilly and cool outside! We went from about 80 degrees when we landed in Hilo to 56 when we checked into our cabin! We got settled and hit the hay! ]The next day we got up fairly early and finally got a good look around the property (we couldn't see it much at night, they have low-light policy up there on the volcano) and were amazed at how awesome it was. We could clearly see the smoke coming out of the vent! And it was close! So we got a backpack and hit the trails across the road from our cabin. We hiked about 6 miles that morning (NEVER AGAIN LOL) but saw so many awesome things! We hiked around the crater and then over to Thurston Lava Tube and back. We went back to the cabin and rested and then about 6pm we drove down to where the lava is reaching the ocean and hiked out to that (about another 4 miles!) That hike was NUTS, it was over a lava field and it was pitch black! We had flashlights,etc but it was very scary as you couldn't hardly see your hand in front of you, it was that dark out there. Big Island doesn't have much on it, especially on that part! We could see the red flow of the lava but couldn't get that close, which is probably a good thing!! :lol Sunday, we drove to see the black sand beach and to the southern most point in the US (it's not Key West), then we came back and drove down the Chain of Craters road all the way to the ocean (as far as you can go, lava has covered the road.) Later that night we went to Jagger Museum to see the crater at Kileua glow red (they think it will erupt soon.) On Monday we took it a little easy after all that hiking and driving. We went to the winery, drove down and saw the lava flow in daytime and stayed until dusk, then drove back up to the volcano and went to Jagger again to see the crater glow red.

Tuesday was checkout and leave day. We checked out and drove towards Hilo (where the airport is) and went to Moana Loa Nut Factory, Rainbow Falls, Akaka Falls, some bay that was pretty and a really pretty scenic drive, it was gorgeous! Then we flew back about 6pm. Video of Akaka Falls (400 ft!) it was awesome!!