After six days at sea, we finally spotted land: Hawaii, the Big Island, straight ahead! The state of Hawaii encompasses hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles. At the southeastern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, the eight main islands are – in order from northwest to southeast – Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and the the Big Island of Hawaii. A volcanic hot …