Camping Club Trip #1 - Namakani Paio Cabins!!!

Just got back from our 2-night stay at Namakani Paio (the cabins at Volcano National Park). Overall, we had a good time (big plus- because of the cold...no mosquitoes!), but the following list will help to ensure that camping will remain a once a year activity for our little familia:

1. I finked on a group of screaming, swearing, drunk punks at 2am to the park rangers! This made me quite the local celebrity 'round the communal sinks the next morning among the other campers!


2. As much as I whine about living in such a hot, sticky locale...apparently, I don't handle bone-chilling* cold very well either. The first night in bed, I looked like a bundled Eskimo (Roy wore a short-sleeved top and boxer briefs). I did my best to steal the sleeping bags on top of us all night long and still shivered horribly most of the night. *For me, this untolerable temperature is about 50 degrees. Brrr!!!


3. Age has not yet rendered me mature enough to deal with icky toilets or showers very well. I still did my best to 'hold' as much as possible (though that effort did not extend to reducing my intake) the entire weekend until we were near clean toilets I could dash into.


4. Packing and unpacking for camping will always take about four times longer than the actual camping trip itself.


5. Even though I'm from Hawaii, I'm gonna go ahead and say that the volcano is definitely one of the top 3 or 5 parks in the US (and I've been to a lot of parks in 48 states). Check out these photos!

Roy & Rizzie walking in Thurston's Lava Tube. Clearly Ryan is having a great time.

Roy, Rizzle & I hiking.

Roy & Ryan in the rain forest.

Ryan taking a bath at the cabin with daddy & cousin Riki.

Roy & Ryan at the steaming crater!