Hawaii, USA
The Aloha State (50)
Capitol: Honolulu
Admitted into Union: August 21, 1959
State flower: Yellow Hibiscus
State bird: Nene (Hawaiian Goose)
State tree: Kukui (Candlenut)
Population: 1.3 million

Want to get away? Hawaii has its own time zone and 10 different climate zones. Hawaii is also the most isolated population center on earth: almost 2400 miles from the rest of the US, nearly 4,000 miles from Japan, almost 5,000 miles from China, and over 5,000 miles from the Philippines. When you want to get away from it all, our sunny Hawaii Weekender will make any short trip feel like a tropical getaway.

Betcha didn’t know: Tip to tip, Hawaii is the widest state in the Union. Hawaii is actually a volcanic chain of 132 islands, reefs, and shoals that stretch across the central North Pacific for more than 1,500 miles. It could reach from San Francisco to western Louisiana! The high islands at the eastern end of the chain—Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Kahoolawe (listed in order of size)—span nearly 350 miles.

Lava lover’s paradise: Mauna Kea on Hawaii, the highest peak on the planet, rises only 13,796 feet above sea level but measures 33,476 feet from its base on the ocean floor. The active volcano Mauna Loa is the largest mountain in the world, with a total volume of nearly 10,000 cubic miles. It last erupted in 1984. Maui’s Haleakala Crater, the world’s largest dormant volcano, features a moon-like surface and supposedly (some say Mauna Kea) served as a training ground for Apollo astronauts in the 1960s.

Pretty enough to eat: Hawaii’s very diverse climate zones are perfect for growing its chief products: cane sugar, pineapples (one-third of the world’s supply), and exotic flowers. Bananas, mangoes, and macadamia nuts are also prodigious. Maui onions are some of the sweetest on the planet. Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee beans. Oddly enough, it’s been alleged that Hawaiians are the most voracious consumers of Spam.

Whew! The southernmost point in the US is on the Island of Hawaii at Ka Lae, where a 31-mph wind blows east to west, 24/7, every single day.

Translation station: In Hawaii, everyone’s a minority! The largest subgroups are Caucasians (34%), Japanese-Americans (32%), and Filipino-Americans (16%). Twenty percent of Hawaiians are fluent in a language other than English.

A matter of degrees: The endangered Pacific Green Sea Turtle lays her eggs in a nest on a beach. All the hatchlings are born either male or female, depending on the temperature of the nest (cool for males, warm for females).

Gotcha! The Kauai cave wolf spider lives in lava tubes and, instead of spinning a web, chases down its prey and grabs it. Munch!

Hollywood sweetheart: Kauai’s dramatic vistas and diverse climates has made it a favorite shooting location for decades. South Pacific, Blue Hawaii, Donovan's Reef, King Kong, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Honeymoon in Vegas, Jurassic Park (I and II), and even George of the Jungle were all shot there.

What a drip! Kauai’s Waialeale Mountain, the wettest spot on earth, averages 488 inches of rain per year.

Tongue twisters: There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet: A, E, I, O, U and H, K, L, M, N, P, W.

Royal digs: Iolani Palace in Honolulu, the only royal residence in the US, was the official residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom's last two monarchs: King Kalakaua, who built it in 1882, and his sister successor, Queen Lili`uokalani.

Famous Hawaiians: George Ariyoshi, Tia Carrere, Amos S. Cooke, Father Damien, Sanford B. Dole, Jean Erdman, Hiram L. Fong, Don Ho, Daniel K. Inouye, King Kaahumanu, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, Kings Kamehameha I and V, George Parsons Lathrop, Queen Liliuokalani, Ellison Onizuka, Kawaipuna Prejean, Chad Rowan Yokozuna, Harold Sakata, Don Stroud