We'd been talking about visiting Alaska since we started dating. Getting to Alaska from Europe isn't easy — flights alone cost a fortune, and Alaska is one of the most expensive parts of the USA. Here's what we discovered and the 10 best places to see.

There's a difference between a holiday and real travel. There's a difference between a two-week trip and moving into a car for three months. We felt it every single day of our Western America road trip — searching for places to sleep, cook, and wash.

Postcard-perfect mountains, turquoise lakes, and bluish glaciers opened up before us as we arrived on the Kenai Peninsula — the part of Alaska we all know from those famous, almost kitsch photographs. Before officially entering the peninsula, we stopped at the quirky port town of Whittier on Prince William Sound.

"You know we just smuggled across the border everything we confirmed we didn't have? A weapon (bear spray is considered a weapon), alcohol, fruit, and commercial products." Crossing from Canada's Yukon into Alaska turned out to be surprisingly smooth — and that was just the beginning of our wild Alaskan road trip.

It's been raining for three days straight. We're driving along what's supposedly one of the most beautiful highways in the world — the road to Alaska — but aside from a broken road and bears along the way, we haven't seen a single stunning view.

We spent two weeks camping in Hawaii on the island of Maui — from beachside campgrounds to the Haleakalā crater. Here's what it's really like and how much it costs.