Where do I start?
From the grand orientation to this gem to the attention to details, to the comfortable seating and amazing views from the bed— if I could give this a higher rating than 5 stars I would have.
Mike was amazing and gave us awesome tips about navigating the park during busy times (and when to actually go see the Lava Glow)! He also stocked the kitchen with cereal and the fridge with 2% milk and fresh pineapple juice to get us through the next morning.
The rain jackets he had prepared just in case we showed up without them (and that’s exactly what happened) came in handy because the summit and the majority of our stay was rainy!
This truly was a home away from home. After hiking more than we thought we would in a 2 day span, to be able to come back and drink a cup of hot tea while warming our feet next to the propane heater provided so much comfort and peace. That, coupled with the Bluetooth speakers playing the Hawaiian music Mike set up for us or our favorite songs, made the experience so surreal. Waking up with the forest and the birds— surrounded by trees and raindrops made us wonder: is this even Earth?
This was a dream come true for us and we hope to be able to relive this dream soon!