Volcanos erupt on their own TV show
Advertiser Staff and News Services
| • | Volcanic Vacations
What: "Best Place to Watch a Volcano," 2 and 5 p.m.; "Below the Volcano: Mount St. Helens," 4 and 7 p.m. Where: Travel Channel |
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Volcano-watching is dangerous. These are stories from the edge. Footage and interviews of first-hand accounts reveal risky encounters with some of the world's most violent volcanoes. Highlights include a couple that paraglides over a volcano in Indonesia, a man who fell into 2000-degree lava and lived to tell about it, and a cruise ship that sails right past an active flow on the Big Island.
The magnetic attraction of people and volcanoes is nowhere so evident as at Mount St. Helens in Washington state. In the weeks preceding its explosive 1980 eruption, hordes of sightseers flocked to the mountain despite warnings of imminent danger. Twenty years later, they are still coming to see what happened here on the fateful morning when St. Helens shook with a blast that took 57 lives and destroyed everything in its path.
There's a scientific term used for people who chase volcanoes: "crazy."
However, there are places where regular tourists can watch volcanoes from a safe distance, finding fun in the shadow of danger.
Volcano Village, Big Island
There are few places in the world like this for volcano enthusiasts. On the edge of Hawai'i's Volcanoes National Park, Volcano Village is a mecca for everything volcano related.
Volcano enthusiasts can check out the Volcano Rim Run, a series of walks and runs on the rim of the Kilauea Crater. The Kilauea Volcano Wilderness Marathon (26.2 miles), Rim Run (10 miles) and Kilauea Iki Run and Fun Walk (5.5 miles) began in 1983. These events in late July attract more than 1,000 runners every year.
www.americanparknetwork.com/parkinfo/hv/activities/activities.html.
White Island, New Zealand
Amazingly, this active volcano and private scenic reserve is accessible by boat and helicopter. Visitors to the island can walk right inside its main crater, just above sea level, with a minimum of physical effort and without undue risk. This allows tourists to experience at first hand nature's immense power as gas and steam burst up from far below the Earth's crust.
Batur Volcano, Bali, Indonesia
This wildly active volcano is one of many in the region. One very popular activity is the pre-dawn hike to the mountain peak to catch the spectacular sunrise over the Java Sea. Local guides will take visitors for a negotiated fee.
Tabacon Resort, Costa Rica
At the base of the Arenal Volcano, this luxurious resort features a dozen hot-spring pools, connected by a warm water river. Guests sit under the balmy waterfalls and look up at the active volcano.
Mount St. Helens, Washington state
The 1980 eruption sight is still a powerful experience for visitors today.
www.olywa.net/radu/valerie/StHelens.html.
Stromboli, Italy
This small island off Sicily is a favorite destination for volcano chasers. Travelers can hike to the top for a vantage point, where each night the volcano provides its own unique fireworks display.
