The spontaneous day trip we took to Hawai'i was definitely the highlight of our adventure. O'ahu is beautiful but very touristy. Very few dare to explore the other islands of this volcanic chain. Hilo is a tiny town and survives mostly on tourism to the volcano and the Mauna Loa macademia nut factory that was just bought by Hershey.

To really see the enormity of Kilaeau, the most active volcano in the world, we decided to try a helicopter flight. Though we were on a budget, it was worth every penny. In a good aircraft with a decent pilot, flying in a helicopter feels like the most natural thing in the world. Most people equate flying with jets, which are entirely unnatural in their takeoff. Whirly birds are completely different. While there was not much red hot lava to be seen that day, it was still an amazing experience... as was simply walking on the wastelands left by the lava over the years.