When it comes to Homeschooling field trips, this Mommy wants to not only show her kids an educational experience, but also wants to share something she loved, as a child.  I am privileged to live in the Land of Volcanoes.  As a child, I grew up fascinated by lava flows and even had the opportunity to discover my own Obsidian.  New Mexico happens to be the only place on the planet that has every type of volcano in existence.  Our arid climate actually allows for volcanoes to keep their shape and form, unlike other places on Earth that get affected by climate and weather.  Scientists, Geologists and Volcanologists all come here to study because it is the best place to study volcanoes!  So naturally, my Husband and myself thought we would take our kids to see a volcano that none of us had ever seen.  We chose Capulin.

Cinder Volcanoes

Capulin happens to be one of the most perfect Cinder volcanoes in the world.  Cinder volcanoes are the most common type of volcano there is.  They usually are formed from an explosive eruption.  There are many types of volcanic cones, which include: stratocones, spatter cones, tuff cones and cinder cones.  Cinder cone volcanoes can stand hundreds of meters tall and Capulin happens to be 2,495 meters high or 8,182 feet tall!  Luckily we didn’t have to climb to the top, by foot.  We were able to drive to the very top and climb down into the crater.  The views from that distance were absolutely stunning!  Take a look from our view and see what you think!

Mega Size

When it comes to size, Capulin volcano definitely measures up!  The circumference of the base of this volcano is a whopping 4 miles!  The actual crater size is 1450 feet in diameter.  Being allowed to climb into the crater was an awesome experience for all of us!  I have hiked up to some volcanoes that do not allow anyone to go into the crater zone and that is just so disappointing to any volcano fan.  Sure, there could be an unfortunate collapsing of the ground underneath, but fortunately for us, we were safe and sound.  Standing within this mega sized volcano was an experience we will never forget.  The sheer size of some of the boulders that are located in the crater were impressive to say the least.  Not only was this eruption highly explosive, but the amount of energy that came out of this eruption, was a VEI level 5 (volcanic eruption index) which is equal to Mt. St. Helens in 1980.  This is equivalent to 24 megaton nuclear explosions! That’s 1,600 times the size of the Atomic Bomb!

   At the heart of the crater!

  Don’t mind the land deformations

  Volcanic rocks, everywhere!

  Cooled molten lava, how awesome!

Evident Lava Flows

Gigantic Boulders

Here you can see my son leaning against the enormous boulders that were ejected during the eruption.  It just made the experience all the more fascinating!

Family Time

The best part of Homeschooling is the quality time spent with your family.  Sure, you’re always together, but when learning is fun, it sticks.  These are precious memories that we will look back on and always remember.  We drove nearly 4 hours to see this volcano, but the pictures simply don’t do it justice.  If you have thought about seeing Capulin volcano, I would highly encourage it!  The views are spectacular and the wildlife you see is just as amazing, so don’t be surprised to see a bald eagle swoop by.  The altitude just makes for a great experience of hearing only silence and truly taking in what magnitude of energy this sleeping giant must have released at one time.  The visitor’s center is great and there are plenty of souvenirs, but the real take away is the volcano, itself.  The drive is fantastic and the memories are even better!  Be sure to like or share with someone you know that loves volcanoes or Homeschools too!