Meet at Hilo hotel (3:30pm) or (Mauna Kea Hunter Station4:15 pm), leave for Mauna Kea on a 4wd passenger van, learn about island geography, geology and natural history along the way. We will make first stop at Onizuka Visitor Center at 2800m, let our body progressively adjust to the high altitude, and put on the parkas and glove provided by our company.Leaving visitor center for the summit, our 4WD vehicle roar on limited access unpaved road, in about 30 minutes, we will see 13 scattered observatories such as Keck, Subaru and Gemini. Arrive at the observation deck about 30 minutes before the sunset, see the color changes while the sun drops below the horizon, a beautiful and quite unearthly spectacle. (The weather could get below freezing point, and if the unpaved road is closed due to icy and slippery, our activities will be limited at the Visitor Center area only) Back to visitor center and enjoy snacks and hot drinks. At complete dark, we forward to the stargazing area, where the tour guide will setup the astronomical telescopes for you to get closer look at the stars, and have the professional camera setup for your galaxy background picture. Before the extreme cold weather hits, we will leave the location back to hotel (arriving Hilo ~ 10pm).
