I am not to sure there is a good place at the volcano, is there? What is the cleanest, nicest, place at the volcano? Thanks!

I don't think that you have much of a choice - the Volcano House is pretty much the only place to stay inside the National Park. The view is great, its reasonably clean, but the rooms are a bit small and worn. I'm not sure what you mean by THE volcano, as there are several volcanos on the Big Island, most notably Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. There are several smaller subsidiary volcanoes, including the current active site P'u O'o, and the recent active sites of Kilauea and Mauna Ulu.

Thank you for responding to my post. I don't know which volcano it is that gets the most attention on the Big Island. I was there last summer, but the 2 days that I was at the volcano, the lava flow was in a "remote and isolated area" so we couldn't see it...I thought there was only one volcano that is currently erupting, that people go to see, on the Big Island...We stayed at Kileaua Lodge (spelling incorrect), in one of their private homes, but the kids found it too isolated though it was roomy. This was a year ago. So, maybe the Volcano House then? Which volcano do you recommend we try to see next August and where to stay to better see the lava? (I know it's hard to predict within a year but I need to start making the reservations now). Hopefully we'll be lucky. Sometimes I wonder just when the volcanos are going to stop flowing!

I just found a great link that gives a current update on the eruption on Kilauea: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/.
Check it out...

Yes, that is a good site. All recent eruptions have taken place from various vents on Kilauea. Pu'u O'o is the current vent, but it is tough and potentially dangerous to get there. If you want to see lava, your best bet is probably to take the Chain of Craters road to its end, then walk along the coastline to where new lava is entering the ocean (here's a photo: http://www.justlikebeingthere.com/pu...&image_id=2316). You might just see some steam, but if you are lucky, you might see lava dripping in. The best (albeit expensive) thing to do it take a helicopter ride. If the vent is currently erupting, then this is a worthwhile expense. Here's a photo of lava running underneath the hardened crust of a recent flow: http://www.justlikebeingthere.com/pu...&image_id=2479

The Volcano House is one of those quirky old national park type hotels, but the only show in town if you want to stay up at the volcano. By "volcano" I actually mean "Volcano National Park" which contains several craters, I think. I wouldn't plan to spend my entire vacation up there though. One night would probably be sufficient. Even if you can't see lava or an active crater, there are interesting things to do such as walk through the lava tube. Remember never take a souvenir rock unless you want to deal with Madam Pele! If you are bringing kids, find a hotel on the Kona coast. There's every sort of accomodation there including a Ritz Carlton. We had the thrill of seeing a lava flow from the air on one trip to the Big Island, but it's so unpredictable I wouldn't plan my whole trip around it.