SuperShuttle (ExecuCar Express) arrived at my residence around 8:30am PDT, hauling me away to LAX, using Hawaiian Airlines for the first time on a 5-hour flight to Kailua-Kona International Airport, wheels down at 1:25pm HST. Roadtrip start!

And how did I celebrate touching my 50th and final state? I was so excited I literally began to sweat! No wait, that was the insane humidity hitting me like a truck when stepping onto the tarmac. Yikes. Now I remember why I like deserts the best (see: dry heat).

It took a little longer than expected to get going, due to a faulty baggage carousel and glacial car rental line, but by 3:00pm I was on my way using Hwy 11 to head south. I made a quick pitstop at Target to pick up some water and snacks. Obviously with the island hopping I can't stock up too much, but I'm making use of a mini-collapsible cooler for the basics.

I learned two things very quickly. 1) Speed Limits are SLOW. Don't assume 60 equals 60 minutes around here. The island may be small, but vehicle speed is heavily regulated so it will take you hours to get where you're going. Even the fast tracks top out at 55, with lower speeds most of the time. 2) The weather is super localized. It'll be sunny and dry in one place, and 5 minutes later you're driving through a rain-infested monsoon jungle, and then back again. I could see rain being dumped on communities just up the hill, but dry as a bone where I was.

First stop: Kalae/South Point. This is the most southern point in the entire 50 states (fitting), and since I was within a stone's throw, it seemed like common sense to take the extra 30-45 minutes for this. Reaching South Point Road, I detoured 12 (where else?) south. While the road was paved, it wasn't in top condition and eventually shrunk to a one-lane road (with northbound vehicles taking precedence while opposing traffic yielded to the shoulder). The first thing you'll notice upon arrival is the Cliff Dive off to the right. There are several old structures that were once used for diving into the ocean dozens of feet below (although from the signs I don't think that's allowed now). Some folks there were jumping off from a lower (safer) point, but I walked on past that and down to the extreme fringes where a stone wall led to lava rocks being inundated with decent-size waves. It was at this point I reveled in my latitude record and snapped away pics. Boom!

By this time it was almost 6:00pm, which I was already behind schedule with the delays and slow speed limits. I headed back north, reconnecting to Hwy 11 and raced east (as speed limits would allow), but I couldn't make it to the AirBnB destination in Pahoa, HI until well after sundown.

Legions of croaking frogs surround me as I write this, with the occasional downpour. This is quite a unique state, and it's not even the first day yet. Oh what does the future hold?

I must be out of my mind. I had forgotten how traveling solo unshackles you to set your own pace, but in my case that just accelerates speed-run tendencies. I'm instinctively cramming more things in than ever before.

Now aware of the extended driving times on this island, I left Pahoa rather early (7:45am) to get started, stopping by a local attraction just down the road, the Lava Trees State Park/Monument. This was a short loop showcasing dozens of trees burned and filled with upheaving lava from the 1700s, now rotted away and leaving only a column of lava rock behind. It's rather fascinating to view these all over the place, as if ancient statues. Good place for a quickie. Didn't want to doddle too much so only spent 25 minutes here.

Next up was one of the bigger items, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Hwy 11 was once again the artery of the day. Happening upon the entrance, I coughed up US$30 for the Tri-Peaks pass, seeing as how I'll be visiting Haleakala later on and would save some cash this way. Next came the obligatory "Visitor Center/Watch Video/Figure Out Where to Go" business. I jumped in my car and headed to the point nearest the steaming Halema'uma'u crater, which would be Jaggar Museum. Unfortunately there are no clear shots of lava from these viewpoints, although the vast landscape was still a treat.

After this I rebounded back near the entrance and diverged south on the Chain of Craters Road. Now here you get to have a little more fun. There's multitudes of stopping points, mostly for lava craters, or lava flows coming from either Mauna Loa or breaking through the surface. As my mom used to say when she visited here years ago, it looks like you're on another planet.

Down I descended to near the ocean, not stopping until a "Road Closed" at the 20 marker prevented further passage. I saw farther on down the road steaming columns coming from the ocean edge, and I knew that's where lava was currently dumping into the ocean. Unfortunately it was a 10 round-trip hike, and in this sticky weather that's a "hell no" in my book. I made conversation with one of the rangers at that point, where she guided me to Holei Sea Arch jutting out from the cliffs there. The wind was picking up something fierce so I kept my visit brief.

I had skipped a lot of the viewpoints on the way down, but hit a number of them coming back up. (I don't know why that seems more efficient to me.) Plenty of pictures were taken of the lava grounds, craters, and distant views of the steam columns from the ocean.

It was almost 12:00pm at this point and I had to be on the other side of the island in 4 hours. I raced back up and out of Hawaii Volcanoes, but not before stopping at the Volcano House gift shop for the MSP (Magnet/Shotglass/Postcard) and even a new shirt, which I don't purchase very often.

Shortly after 1:30pm I was on my way to the east side of the island. Hilo seemed like a decent place to stop for a bite, so I found a deli and chomped the local food/salad bar while ordering a meat sandwich for later. It wasn't long before I headed away from Hilo using Hwy 2000 west to run into Hwy 200, all uphill at this point.

What's out here? Let me tell you, dear. Something you should do yourself should the time be presented to you. I stopped at the Mauna Kea Recreation Area at 3:45pm and regrouped while waiting for a shuttle to pick me up, and so it did, the Mauna Kea Summit Adventures. I was the last and only one at this pick-up point so got to ride shotgun in the shuttle (very lucky for me!) I know it's a tour group and it sounds kinda hokey, but it really is one of the best ways to get up to the summit of Mauna Kea without attempting to do it yourself. There were two shuttles with two very knowledgable hosts, talking up everything about the mountain.

But first, in order to acclimate to the higher elevation we stopped 9200 up at the Visitor Information Center, where we all de-boarded with an included meal (or someone like me who opted out of that and munched the deli sandwich from earlier). A gift shop and some various other things occupied here, but nothing that caught my attention.

At 5:50pm sharp, both shuttles began heading up to the summit. The first half of the road isn't paved so a bit of bumping and thrashing was at play. The last half, however, was smooth sailing all the way to the top at 13803. Here there are 13 super large observatories that make use of the clear skies almost every night. While waiting for the sun to set, one of the guides explained the history (and possible fate) of each one. They're all for different countries, which is a cool thing as far as assisting world exploration.

Shortly after 7:09pm sunset, the vast amounts of clouds gave way to the satisfying oranges and reds accompanying such a spectacle. My camera batteries must have been screaming something fierce with all the pics I was taking. It lasted a good 30 minutes or so.

After that we left the observatories and scaled down the mountain a ways around 12,000 to find a space for the sky gazing part. They had a pair of 11 Celestron (read: super expensive) telescopes, where we took turns looking at stars, nebulas, planets, all the good stuff. In between that I'm trying to get in my own time lapse images of the stars, with a little success but hoping I have better pics than I think I do.

After 2 hours of that, back down the mountain we came. Luckily I was the first one to be dropped off, so I threw all my stuff in the car and continued west using Hwys 200/190 to the outskirts of Kona to my next AirBnB destination. A lot of downhill driving from this point!

That's all for the Big Island! Time to head to the next destination. I don't think there will be any empty plates on deck. (Good!)

Now who in tarnation thought it was a good idea to bring chickens/roosters to the islands? Even with the windows shut, one jarred me awake at 5:00am, rather annoying but I guess it keeps me on an early schedule, but man it's tempting to go out there and stir up fried chicken for breakfast.

My 2nd AirBnB place near Kalaoa, HI was super cool, providing spectacular views of the Kona valley 10 away. I reorganized personal belongings and left around 7:30am, plunging south to Kona and fueling up the rental before returning to the airport. Once there, it was time to bid adieu to the Big Island and fly over to Island #2 of Kauai. The jet stream keeps in my favor with a 39-minute flight, landing around 10:50am.

The car rental for this round is a Jeep Wrangler, which I'm learning is not quite as spacious as the normal sedans/minivans I'm used to. Still it's nice tooling around the island in one. Just 4 from the airport in Lihue was the first stop: Mark's Place, where you can order a delicious BBQ chicken over noodles with your choice of sides. They have plenty of other things on the menu, so go check that out! After that was getting settled in Koloa, HI, basecamp for the next 48 hours.

Before long before I took off again, heading west on Route 50 to reach Waimea, then turning north on Route 550 for Waimea Canyon State Park. Here are several viewpoints of what some call the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" and man does it impress. The Waimea Canyon gorge goes wide and deep with layers of colors red to green. Helicopters were in view, providing their guests an even more personal encounter.

Moving further up the road reveals different perspectives, including a prominent waterfall. Near the end of the 14 road, those viewpoints turn to the northwest, providing stunning views of the Kalalau valley and also a glimpse toward the neighboring private island of Ni'ihau. There's also plenty of fowl around these parts, so watch for them crossing the road and in parking lots. If you've got a few hours to spend exploring, definitely head up here.

That's all for Day 2, time to explore the northeast part of the island, coming up next...

Another day, another cramming 47 things to do all in the space of 10 hours because I'm loony like that.

Having already explored Waimea Canyon and the south/western part of the island of Kauai, it was time to rebound the other direction and look at the northeastern region. From Koloa, Route 550 was used to once again take hold of Route 50 and head east toward Lihue. A transition to Route 56 will take you all the way to Hanalei, but it doesn't stop there. Changing to Route 560 extends the journey past Wainiha to the northwesterly part of the island. I found the one-lane bridges fascinating, where local courtesy requests 5-7 cars each side take their turns crossing. Now that I've reached the end of the line, it's time to backtrack and start exploring.

At the end of Route 560 is Ke'e Beach, a nice little spot if you want to get some sun but not arriving here until 11:30am will net you thousands of visitors. There was really no room to park so didn't doddle here too long. Along Route 560 are a few caves on the inland side of the road that can be explored. I went into one further down the road and it extends a good 150 into the towering cliffs.

Continuing along, I stopped for a few shots along the western beaches of Hanalei Bay and then continued on through Princeville, HI, to a little hidden spot in the northern fringes. It took a long time to park as spaces were not plentiful, but I found the trailhead that leads to Queen's Bath. It's a rough path with rocks and many roots sticking out of the ground (although they could be used as steps in places) so it's geared for those who can handle it. But at the end you're rewarded with lovely scenery of the rock formations, one area which was shaped to form a pool of water collected from the ocean waves. There were plenty of folk here (mostly tweeners) hanging around, swimming, jumping off cliffs into the water, and whatnot. I snapped my usual shots here, including some sea turtles that happened to be gallivanting for food along the coves. Good stuff.

Next stop was Kilauea lighthouse in the next town over, but before doing that, it was decided to grab some local grub for lunch at Kilauea Fish Market, a little north from downtown Kilauea. Excellent of course (what Hawaiian food isn't?). After that was reaching the lighthouse at the end of the road, and also the farthest north on the island. Being a National landmark, there is a nominal US$5.00 fee to enter (free with a Parks pass). This also happens to be a wildlife preserve, with plenty of fowl flying around, camping out across the small bay. The lighthouse itself is over 100 years old, refurbished plenty of times. There's a little bit of history here for those interested.

Back to Route 56 and down the eastern shores again, the last thing on the list was Opeaka'a Falls off Route 580, but being so late in the day at this point, the sun wasn't in the optimal place and was too shadowy for any decent pics. Oh well, that's how it goes. Back to Koloa I go.

Not a bad little island, definitely has the scenery and lushest green landscapes, I must say. Time for the next island. Keep it tuned here!

Today's travel day was an early one, but that's OK since my biological clock seems to be stuck on Pacific Time. I might as well keep waking up super early every morning, it'll be less painful when it's time to head back.

A quick hop to the Lihue Airport prepared me for the short flight to Kahului Airport on Island #3 of Maui, wheels down at 8:50am HST. After picking up yet another Jeep Wrangler (Safari edition) and getting settled in the neighboring town of Paia, HI, this was an opportunity to kick back on a lighter day, as the heavy-lifting travel days would be over the weekend.

I headed down Hwy 311/Hwy 31 to the Wailea/Makena area. This is the district with the fancy hotels and upscale shopping. I tooled around The Shops at Wailea for a bit and got a bite to eat. Afterward I discovered the Wailea Beach Path and walked amongst a few of the fancy hotels along the coast, such as the Fremont, Villas, and the family-friendly Grand Wailea with a mini waterpark. Would have loved to go in that had I been a guest. A few places were prepping for weddings and luaus. No shortage of stuff around here if all you want to do is lounge about in the midst of all that Hawaii-ness.

The feet were starting to complain so I called it a day and headed back up to Paia. There was a Milagros Food Co with tasty Mexican cuisine. Never had a crab and lobster quesadilla before, but it was delish.

Hold on to your hats folks, because this weekend in Maui is about to get a little crazy. Stick around to see what's in store.

This entire day was reserved for one purpose and one purpose only: the Road to Hana.

Although some say it's difficult to do the whole thing in one day, this speed-runner was determined to prove otherwise. Route 36 would be the starting highway along the northern shores of Maui, but that soon turned into Route 360 and where the fun begins. It's as they say, lots of gnarly curves and hairpin turns, some with a speed limit as little as 10, with many passes and bridges shrunk down to one-lane, thereby making it essential to yield and keep your distance to avoid any unwelcome vehicular contact.

Starting before 8:00am as I did gives you the best chance of a full day round trip. You'll also find dozens of shops along the road, mostly food stands with the locals selling what they've grown. But there are a few gift shops along the way as well. I stopped at the first sizable one I came across. Within a few minutes after walking into the shop, I happen to glance outside and it was suddenly pouring rain like nobody's business. Where did that come from??? Running back to the jeep was the only option.

But you and I should expect this, it's one of the rainiest places around after all. When driving along on Route 360 it will turn from sunny to overcast to drizzly to downpour, with variations on each. This microclimate is fascinating, but also annoying when it hampers your sightseeing. The whole area is virtually a rainforest with some of the lushest greenery around. A few places were notched off the list, such as an old village in Ke'anae, Waikani Falls (one of many falls found on this route), Nahiku Wayside, and Kalahu Point. (These stops can be researched in any Hana guide.) I was sheltered from inclement weather while visiting the Hana Lava Tube, but unfortunately the excessive rain prevented stopping at the black sand beach of Waianapanapa State Park.

A little after 12:00pm, the town of Hana was reached. There's no mini downtown shops here like I was expecting. The only notable thing here is the Travassa Hana resort where I stopped for lunch and there were a few places of business to check out.

After an hour or so of that, it was time to go. But instead of going back, it was decided to press on using the backroad, meaning continuing south along the coastline. The primary goal at this point was to visit the Ohe'o Pools (aka the Seven Sacred Pools) which is part of Haleakala National Park, but when finally pulling up to that location, it was closed for swimming due to falling rocks, plus it was raining at a decent clip anyway, so the idea was ultimately scrapped. Poops. I had seen on the map that Charles Lindbergh (the aviator) gravesite was around here, but trying to find any entrance or sign for it was out of the question as well. Bah! No time to play detective now.

As Route 360 turned into Route 31, the weather and landscape began dramatically changing due to meandering into the rain shadow of Maui's mountain ranges. The rains all but disappeared, lush forests turned into dry prairie fields, winds were fierce, the road was no longer smooth, either gravel or badly paved, and to top it off was only 1.5 car widths, meaning any one coming in the opposite direction had to figure out on their own how to get around each other. No wonder some rental companies forbid taking this road. (The Jeep powered through it all like a champ.) But I enjoyed every minute of this path. It's an adventure if you're up for such challenges!

It took another 3 hours, but came out alive on the other side with Route 37, and found my way back to the north side of the island and returned to home base by 5:00pm. So yes Virginia, you can make the Road to Hana in a day, but only if you prepare correctly and choose your destinations sparingly.

What else is on deck? I have to go to bed REALLY early for this next excursion. Just you wait and see.

My alarm blasted me awake at 3:10am HST. Now why in the world would I do such a thing?

Whelp, this is a necessary evil if you have any plans to watch the sunrise at the summit inside Haleakala National Park. I donned my winter gear and started off for the park, leaving around 3:50am. Because of previous issues with parking and disorder, as of February 2017 the park now requires reservations which can be acquired on the recreation.gov website, and there's only 200 or so spots available. Ascending the summit, there's plenty of warning that you better turn around if you don't have that golden ticket reservation in hand. With my reservation and Tri-Parks Pass, I had no problems sailing through the check-in point.

Once past the gate, there's plenty more switchbacks to reach the top, although the incline isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Each stretch of road was constantly entering and exiting the cloud cover still clinging to the sides of the mountain. Reaching the top, the rangers blocked off access to the peak, forcing everyone into the lower parking lot by the Visitor's Center. With 30 minutes to spare before sunrise, hundreds of people were here already (as crazy as me apparently). Unfortunately the clouds/fog were thick, but I was hopeful it would clear out.

Nope, not so. Although patches of colors in the direction of the sun filled the sky, the fog refused to dissipate and mostly hindered what was supposed to be dramatic views of the landscape. As the sun made its appearance, a few of the locals began a Hawaiian chant as a hush fell over the crowd, giving a special and memorable touch to this moment in time, as obscured as it was. I tried to take pics as I could, but nothing really spectacular.

After grabbing the postcard/magnet business at the now-open Visitor's Center, I did the short hike on the neighboring Pa Ka'oao trail to the nearby summit, offering what would be awesome views of the Haleakala crater below if the blasted fog wasn't in the way. (Somebody give me a 50 fan to take care of this noise!) The ½ drive to the summit was also unblocked by this point so being the completist I am, ascended to the very top, where you'll find an observatory at the 10,023 peak. It was clear enough here to make out the peak of Mauna Kea on the big island 80 away, where I stood just days before.

That's all for that. I descended and made it back to Paia by 8:20am. But that's not the only thing for today. After an hour or two of rest I took off again, this time focusing on western Maui with the primary destination of Lahaina, HI. But of course I don't make things easy for myself and start on the remote northern route of Kahekili Highway using Routes 3400 to 340 to 30. There's a few stretches of road even more treacherous than yesterday's Road to Hana, with tight hairpin turns blocked by cliffs only 1.5 car lengths wide, so you better crawl along in case someone on the other side decides to opposingly come hither. I'm not sure why they can't expand the road in those places, but hey I don't run things around here. There's a few places where visitors can walk down trails to the beach, but I've had enough of that for now.

There were also a few art galleries along this route that were curious enough to meander, and of course more places for local cuisine if you needed some grub. Lahaina was finally reached at 12:50pm, just in time for lunch, which made the first stop at Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant on Front Street and Lahainaluna Road, right on the beach. Good eats here, make sure you stop in! After that was traversing up and down Front Street checking out all the shops, a number of galleries, and of course the foodies. There was a park further south called the Banyan Tree Court which featured a number of Banyan trees with their branches curiously all connected to each other. It was a trip to see. There was a small farmer's market going on here (being the weekend of course) and music entertainment. Great place to stop in and support your local community or charity.

The feet/calves were once again giving me pause to continue, so after a tasty Shaved Ice, it was time to head out, taking the much easier southern Route 30, transitioning to Route 380 to cut across the island back to Paia. I topped off the evening with a dinner at Mama's Fish House, because it seemed like I would be shamed if I didn't stop here.

Maui has been a great weekend destination, but it's time for the final island. Oh where has the time gone?

No more of this waking up early business, it was a nice leisurely pace with breakfast at the Paia Inn Cafe, then heading off to Kahului Airport and another quick jaunt to the final Island #4 of Oahu, landing at 12:05pm HST.

Since my AirBnB check-in wouldn't be ready until late afternoon, I drove the Jeep Wrangler rental straight for Pearl Harbor Memorial, just a few miles away. It's probably better to start here in the morning, as I had to park in the farthest lot from the entrance. You can spend a good half day here learning about all the events that took place in this very harbor. The first thing on the list was checking out the USS Bowfin submarine they have docked here. For US$12.00 you can view the adjacent museum and head outside on top of the submarine, then go down into its belly and across the entire interior for a first-hand look on what its was like to live and commandeer this huge vessel: engine rooms, living quarters, mess hall, the bridge, etc. Never seen so much stuff crammed into a small space. It may not be for the claustrophobic!

Afterwards I headed over to the Theater to begin the USS Arizona Memorial tour. I had reserved a spot for this 2 months in advance (and a good thing I did because it sold out quickly). At 2:45pm the crowd was whisked into the theater for a 20-minute presentation on the events leading up to and including the Japanese attack on the harbor, with real footage used. Following that was an exit to the left, onto a ferry where we flew across the harbor, docking at the famous memorial 5 minutes later.

Some of the USS Arizona is visible, with a few parts sticking up out the water, but most of it is submerged. Buoys mark the edges of the ship. At the far end of the memorial is a giant wall of all the names listed of the fallen, some forever buried directly below us. On either side were the names of survivors that have since passed and wanted their remains to be interred with their fellow crew. Wreaths from a recent interment were present. Definitely a place to pay your respects.

Ferries come every 15-20 minutes, so I took the next one back, made some souvenir purchases and left at 4:30pm. The place I'm staying is nestled in the Moanalua valley, not far from any destination on the southern shores.

Oh but I have to fit in as much as possible. I headed back out once more, and over to Pu'u Ualaka'a State Wayside Park. Here they have Tantalus Lookout, a viewpoint high in elevation giving magnificent views of the southern island, including Diamond Head, the skylines of Waikiki and Honolulu, past the airport and Pearl Harbor, all backdropped with the mountains on the west horizon. Luckily the park wasn't closing until 7:45pm HST today, so me and many others were here camped out for sunset. The camera shutter was once again taking a beating. Even got to witness a sunset proposal. I guess if you're going to propose, this would be a perfect time/place for it. I made it out as the gates were closing and came back to my quarters.

One full day left. Better make the most of it and explore this island to the fullest...

This little bug I've been trying to fight off the last few days seems to have gotten the best of me, despite all the countermeasures in my arsenal. Looks like it's time to dope up on DayQuil/NyQuil in order to power through the rest of this road trip.

Leaving around 9:00am, first thing on today's agenda was in the heart of Honolulu: the State Capitol, which is unique compared to the other 49. Keeping to native architecture, it's the only "open-air" capitol, with the different assemblies on each floor. While it's open to the public, there isn't much to do for the self-touring folk besides gawk around. Had I signed up for a group tour (which wasn't running today) I could have seen inside the Senate and House chambers on the 1st level. Oh well. Doesn't matter, another capitol goal checked off. With a few minutes left on the meter, I went to check out the Hawaii State Art Museum next door, located on the 2nd floor.

With that out of the way, it was time to explore the island. I used I-H1 and I-H2 to lead the way to the North Shore communities. (Amusing that Hawaii gets their own Interstate designations since they obviously won't ever cross into another state.) From the town of Wahiawa, HI, Routes 80 to 99 to 83 directed me to Haleiwa, the first of several North Shore towns. There was plenty to do here if shopping, eating, and beaching are on your to-do list, but I wanted to go farther north still. Soon I came upon Waimea Bay, supposedly where the largest waves take up residence, except this isn't Winter, and the crowds were so massive there wasn't any place close to park. As a consolation prize, across the way was the Waimea Valley attraction, which looked promising but the fee to enter was US$16.00. Hmm, I'm thinking this will take up more time than I'm willing to put in, so I made do with a quick lunch here and pressed on.

Route 83 (Kamehameha Highway) continues northwest through many more communities and State Park beaches. I stopped at a few of those beaches containing decent scenery, either with mini-islands offshore or with backdropped mountain cliffs toward the interior of Oahu. I soaked my feet in the warm ocean while looking for photo opportunities, but the clouds were washing out my pics so nothing ideal around here.

This highway continued to follow the coastline down the northeast side to the southeast side, with more State Park beaches, some of which had adequate parking, inviting me to stop if it seemed sufficient. It took about 5-6 hours total to traverse the entire highway before returning to home base. I would have stayed out longer but I'm not feeling 100% at this point so that's all I can do.

I may or may not do something in the morning, depending on how bad my congestion is. I have to be back at the airport by 12:30pm, so if time allows I may try one of the southern beaches.

Getting sick is lame.

Still not feeling 100%, but I gotta close out this roadtrip somewhat proper.

With hours to spare before the mainland flight, I bid farewell to my last AirBnB around 9:00am HST and headed east on I-H1, to the large city of Waikiki. Luckily I found a metered spot close to Kalakaua Avenue, which runs alongside the coast. I had enough change for 90 minutes so it was time to walk some of the famous Waikiki Beach and take final pics. Plenty of hotels, stores and eateries were lined up and down the street as well, so this could have been a full day by itself. I bought an authentic Hawaiian shirt, but that was the extent of shopping around here.

I think that's about it. I-H1 took me back west, finding a station to fill up the rental before returning to the airport. I got there a few hours early so just found a place to have lunch and hang around until boarding the plane and wheels up at 3:15pm HST, officially ending elapsed time. I arrived in LAX at 11:15pm PDT, with the usual delays and not getting home until 1:05am. Ah, my own bed feels delightful.

It took 12 years since the 48-state road trip (or just under 40 years if starting from the womb) but the primary goal of all 50 states has been achieved, and what a way to go out swinging. I figured if I’m going to finish up the USA, let’s do it properly and hit everything that makes the Aloha State tick. There’s a little something for everyone whether its volcanoes, gardens, resorts, shopping, eating, water activities, or just plain being out in nature. Even going to one island could keep you occupied for weeks, although I gather most come here to relax their worries away instead of rushing everywhere like this guy.

This was the first road trip that had to be broken up into chunks due to the inevitable island hopping, but it felt unique, like a 4-chapter short story. As you may have heard from countless others, each island is unique in its own right, and obviously likes/dislikes will be different for everybody. If you’re not a fan of humidity, then you might not enjoy the islands quite as much. I don’t know if it’s any different in the winter, but a summer visit will keep your pores working overtime for sure. Only if you plan on heading up to the high elevations when the sun is down should you don your winter gear.

Like Alaska, things out here are more expensive than the mainland, although not quite as bad as I was expecting. Grocery stores weren’t excessive, it was mostly retail, restaurants and art galleries that shot for the moon. Being isolated as the islands are, it’s a must to include airfare and car rentals into your budget everywhere you visit. If you’re looking to save some cash with accommodations, give AirBnB a try. You meet some nice locals who can provide advice on what’s best for that area. I didn’t have a single bad experience in this arena.

Favorite Places: You knew this question was coming, and so did I. “What island is your favorite?” you ask. The geologist in me says Big Island while the botanist says Kauai. The adventurer says Maui while the historian says Oahu. Does that answer your question? :) I got my kicks scaling the tops of Mauna Kea summit on the Big Island if you’re asking for the one thing that stood out the most. Everything else just kind of blended together into one nice package.

Least Desirables: There weren’t any specific places that detracted from the Hawaiian experience. I’ve already said my piece about the weather, and oh yes the mosquitoes also come out to play (miraculously I escaped with only 3-4 bites). I suppose if I had to complain about something, it would be the super narrow roads on Maui (I'm lookin' at YOU Hana and Kahekili Highways). I understand the 1-lane bridges that can’t be helped, but would it kill them to put a full 2-lane road where there’s steep cliffs and other hazards? That’s a recipe for a disaster. Granted you’re not supposed to be going very fast on these backroads, but if you happen upon another vehicle and it’s unfortunate enough to be at one of those “special” places, what are you supposed to do?

Statistics:

Individual Miles: Big Island: 376 | Kauai: 229 | Maui: 342 | Oahu: 202)
Total Stops: 29
States Visited: Hawaii (duh)
Capitols Visited: Hawaii (also duh)
National Parks Visited: Hawaii Volcanoes, Haleakala
State Parks Visited: Lava Tree State Monument [Big Island], Waimea Canyon State Park [Kauai], Ha’ena State Park [Kauai], Ahupuaʻa ʻO Kahana State Park [Oahu]

Rental Vehicles: 2017 Chevy Impala (Big Island) | 2016 Jeep Wrangler (Kauai, Maui, Oahu)
Efficiency: 18.97

Total Cost of Trip: $2,522 (includes airfare, shuttle, car rental, fuel, AirBnB, food, souvenirs, and park/tour fees)