The Big Island, Hawaii, is about being outdoors. Mother Nature rules here. On a single 50-mile drive, you can take in volcanoes, waterfalls, black-lava deserts, rainforests, alpine meadows on the sides of snowcapped peaks, and unique beaches, many of black sand. To some, The Big Island appears stark, but its volcanic nature is its allure. It's less tropical-looking than the other islands.

I don't know when you're going, Danita, but every October, the Kona-Kohala coast is the site of the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. The Hawaii Ironman is the holy grail for triathletes. Two of my friends have completed this grueling event, and when you visit the searing black lava fields of Kona, imagine the athletes who attempt the Ironman here each year. They swim 2.4 miles in open ocean, then complete a 112-mile bike ride, and then they strap on their sneakers and run a full marathon. The Kona lava fields always figure big in any Hawaii Ironman competitor's war stories.

Kona Coast State Park has bathing beaches and archaelogical and historical sites. About four miles south is the small White Sands Beach, a rarity on this volcanic island. I've read that one of the most spectacular beaches on the Big Island is Anaehoomalu Bay (the locals call it A-Bay). It has golden sand and is fringed by palms, and there's an area at the end of the bay where you can dive or snorkel down to a spot where endangered green sea turtles gather to have small fishes clean them.

There's lots of smorkeling and kayaking and diving, but some of the more unusual takes include a one-hour submarine ride 100-feet below the sea. Atlantis Submarines is located across from the Kailua Pier.

You'll want to go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Kilauea, one of the park's monsters, is still erupting. You can drive 50 miles of roads in the park and see highlights of the eruption from your car. You get to the park either from Hilo, about 30 miles away, or from Kona, about 100 miles away. There can be about a 20-degree temperature difference between the coast and the high altitude volcanoes, so bring warm clothing. One of the best drives in the park is to the end of Chain of Craters Road, where Kilauea gushes hot lava into the sea, creating a huge steam plume. If you're in the park at night, you can watch the red-hot lava glowing in the dark. You can also hike to the Kilauea crater on the 4-mile, 2-hour Kilauea Iki Trail that begins at the visitor center.

If you're into horses, Paniolo Riding runs an 11,000-acre working cattle ranch, and you can ride across pastures and through groves of trees with the wranglers.

There are Humvee expeditions into the rainforest and the Kohala Mountains. HMV Tours is located in Kohala.

The Big Island is less about tropical beaches than it is about the power, fury and beauty of a volcanic landscape that is still very much alive. And Danita gets to see it up close and personal. Should be thrilling. Just don't touch the lava.