4 Wheels 4 Girls

After leaving the campground on July 28, we went to Craters Of The Moon National Monument. When we got there we went to go on a tour [ranger-led hike]. We got everything ready for the walk. When we got there me and Daddy went to the restrooms. We had to keep going back to [the RV] get stuff. After that we started our hike.

We all liked her [the ranger] from the start. She taught us about the explorers. We were in the back so we did not hear that much of what she was saying. We learned about a’a and pahoehoe [both are types of lava formations]. It [pahoehoe] looks like pooh to me but it also looks like rope. A’a is sharp and when you walk on it hurts so you say a’a . We saw a lot of [lava tube] caves on the way. We looked for bats, at least I did.

Inside a lava tube cave

Daddy says lava tube caves are formed when lava is flowing along the ground like a river and the sides cool off and harden like a straw around the lava. The tube gets longer and longer, and after the lava is done flowing, a long cave is left.

When we got to the cave we got out our flashlights and started walking though the cave. It was not cold as I thought it would be. We saw small birds darting here and there. We heard pigeons cowing. It was so so dark in one part. After that the tour ended. We went by ourself [through the rest of the cave]. It was so cool because we came into a cave that had passages on either side. The ceiling was really sharp and I bumped my head into it. It hurt so badly. After that we got out and started following the cairns [along the trail]. We saw a ton of blue in the rocks. It was so pretty. After that we reached the RV and went to the visitor center to get our badges!!

Walking on the moon (actually pahoehoe).