How do RVers get Hawaii on their map?

When we started our full-time RV lifestyle in 2020, we began with a blank U.S. map. We decided that to add any state sticker to the map, we had to sleep in our rig in that state. The map includes the state of Hawaii, but how do RVers honestly put Hawaii on their map? 

We’ve heard about some creative ways to add the 50th state to an RV map. Some RVers have taken a picture of their rig with them when visiting Hawaii and hung it above their heads while sleeping to say they slept there in their rig.

Small RV rentals, such as camper vans available on the islands, offer another possibility. Some RVers have left their traveling homes in the contiguous states and taken the camper van rental route to get Hawaii on their RV maps. 

We decided to forgo putting Hawaii on our map, but that didn’t prevent us from visiting the beautiful state. We did so by embarking on a cruise from Long Beach, California, with stops in Maui, Honolulu, Kauai, Kona, and Hilo. We slept on the cruise ship every night, so we technically didn’t sleep in the state anyway, even if we had taken a picture of our rig with us. 

Island Allure

Millions of tourists are drawn to Hawaii’s volcanic islands every year for their tropical climate, bountiful flora, colorful sand beaches, captivating volcanoes, abundant sea life, expansive pineapple plantations, and plentiful hiking and surfing opportunities.

Having taken the same cruise on the same ship eight years earlier, we were drawn by the 15-night sailing, our love of cruising, and easy accessibility to Los Angeles from Arizona. After a very busy year, a cruise offered a much-needed getaway for us to disconnect from technology, unwind, and refresh. 

After relishing four relaxing sea days, being rocked to sleep every night by the ocean waves, we toured volcanoes, paid our respects to the soldiers entombed in Pearl Harbor, basked in the Hawaiian sun, dined on fresh seafood, and admired uncommon-to-us sea life. 

One of the things we enjoy about our full-time RV lifestyle is the myriad opportunities we get to visit friends and family across the country. We had that same opportunity in Kauai, where Bob’s brother Rick and his wife, Carolyn, were vacationing. We spent a wonderfully easygoing day with them — and even saw sea turtles and whales.

Making Memories

The highlight of our Hawaii visit was renting a Mustang convertible in Maui and driving to the top of Haleakala Crater, a national park with a summit that rises 10,023 feet above sea level. As the car ascended the switchback road, we found ourselves high above the clouds without being in an airplane. We even looked down on a rainbow, a truly unique experience (but unfortunately didn’t get any pictures of it).

When we reached the visitor center shortly after the park entrance, gusting winds made us shiver — and close the car top. A few miles later, at the summit parking lot, the outdoor temperature registered 48 degrees. 

Pushing the car doors open against what felt like 35 mph winds — and dressed in only shorts and short sleeves — we braved the cold, passing ice on the ground as we approached an overlook building. Closed, it offered no respite from the cold blasts. We quickly snapped some pictures overlooking the crater and ran back to the car to return to the visitor center.

After descending the volcano and reaching normal altitude, we opened the top of the car to enjoy the Hawaiian sun. With some of our favorite Petra tunes blaring, we drove toward a black beach off the beaten path. In Hawaii, all of the beaches are public. Despite that, we had this one virtually all to ourselves. 

Of course, we had to go into the water. We had originally planned to snorkel here, having read about the coral reef not too far from shore. But the wind had made the waves choppy and the water murky. We swam for a while and then sat in our beach chairs to dry as the sun neared the horizon, thankful for an amazing day, time together, and God’s beautiful creation around us.

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