I recently visited my 50th state – Arkansas.
While I’ve been a country “counter” for most of my life, I never really counted States. Several years ago, a friend and I spent a week in New Mexico and I realized I was only 5 states away from visiting them all. At that time, I had not yet been to Oregon, and New England.
That next year, I had to go to Oregon for work. It was destiny.
I was now living on the East Coast again, and the following year, a friend and I planned a Vermont Hiking trip that turned into a New England road trip. And as we headed toward Maine and I started to reminisce about all 50 states, I had a horrifying revelation – I don’t think I had ever been to Arkansas…. Unless we drove through it when I was a kid living in Kansas or moving from Tennessee to Oklahoma. Of course I’d been to Arkansas!
Turns out – I hadn’t.
Summer 2024 – that is the point that something I didn’t care about suddenly became an obsession and a priority. But it still took me over a year to get it together. You can read all about my weekend in Arkansas but this post is a look at all 50!
My First State: Kentucky. I was born here but we actually lived across the border in Tennessee. So ironically while it is my first state it is the one where I have spent the least amount of time. It does look like there is some beautiful hiking that I’d like to do one day. I have returned to Tennessee twice since I was a toddler. Here is my trip to Memphis a few years ago.
My Last State: Arkansas. I really enjoyed my weekend, and you can read all about it here.
States I’ve Lived In: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and North Dakota. I’ve had the opportunity to live in several states and regions of the country. Of these, Alaska and Virginia are definitely my favorites. I’ve written a lot about things to do and see in Virginia.
States I’ve Visited Numerous Times for Work and Family: Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Michigan, and Utah. I think we all have locations that we don’t even think of as travel. We go all the time for work or to visit family. I will sometimes visit the sites when here but not always. I’ve only written about Hawaii once the last time I was there for work. And here is an example when we decided to spend the day in Cleveland for the first time when visiting family nearby.
States I’ve Visited as a Destination: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, West Virginia, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Tennessee, New York, New Mexico, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Missouri. I’ve had some great trips visiting different areas of the country. Check out my week in New Mexico, a weekend in New Orleans and my New England Road Trip last year. I’ve been to both New York City and upstate New York several times. One of my favorite trips was just a silly day in upstate.
Those States that I’ve Only Driven Through or spent less than 24 hours (at a time): Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina (I got one of three traffic tickets in my life), and Wisconsin. It’s funny though – as an example, it is approximately 5 hours East-West (and reverse) to cross Iowa. And I’ve done this trip at least half a dozen times on multiple routes so in aggregate I’ve spent more time there but never as a destination.
States I’d like to return to and spend more time: Montana, Alaska, Maine, Colorado, and New Hampshire. It’s interesting to note that I’ve lived in two of these states and still have more I want to do. And of course, I’d like to spend more time and really explore those few states that I haven’t spent as much quality time in. A few years ago, I returned to Colorado after several decades. Here is a look at my trip to visit Garden of the Gods.
Favorite US City: Washington DC. As I’ve said often, Washington DC is one of my favorite cities in the world. There is always something new to do and see. And I love walking the National Mall and popping in and out of the free museums. If you are planning a trip to DC, I have lots of ideas for your next trip.
Least Favorite State: Utah. I just don’t love the desert, the wind and the brown. But Southern Utah does have some magnificent National Parks that are worth visiting. This post is from my last trip to Bryce National Park.
Favorite State: Alaska. I loved living in Alaska and would love to return. It may be one of the most beautiful places on the planet and I love mix of wide-open spaces, green, ocean, glaciers, and mountains. One of my favorite adventures was bear watching in Katmai.
Unexpected Destination: West Virginia and Arkansas. Both states are beautiful with lots of outdoor activities. They are also a little quirky with their own unique culture and traditions.
Most Visited as a Tourist: California, Florida or Nevada (that list is pretty similar to the typical tourist). I haven’t written about California or Nevada but here is a recent look at a girl’s trip to Tampa Florida.
Top of my bucket list: Montana. Several years ago, through work, I interacted with a lot of international visitors who have the opportunity over a year to visit a lot of the US – DC, NYC, Boston, Tennessee, San Francisco, Hawaii, New Orleans, Texas, Florida, Montana and many more on their own. Almost unanimously (besides maybe Hawaii) Montana is always their favorite. I’m drawn to the scenery through movies like “A River Runs Through It” and picture myself on the porch of a cabin by the river and the mountains. I’d love to visit Glacier National Park.
I realize this post didn’t provide a lot of detail or recommendations. But I offer it as an example that every state or destination won’t be equal. It’s hard to “count”. Ironically, I’ve had a meal in every state except maybe where I was born. But how do you not count the state on your birth certificate?! I discuss the art of “counting” in this older post. How many days or hours do you need to count it? Can you just visit one area or do you need to see multiple parts of the location?
It is also interesting to reflect in order to understand your own values. All of the states I’d like to return to and spend more time are due to nature and the outdoors. Those states reflect places that I’ve spent years and places that I’ve only been for a single night.
Similar to my post about my 100th country, I say this to emphasize IT ALL COUNTS. It all counts if it helps you explore the world and learn more about yourself.
P.S. My next goal is the 5 US territories. I find their distinct history and culture fascinating. I’ve been to three of the five. The U.S Virgin Islands should be fairly easy but American Samoa will be trickier. But that is half the fun! Wish me luck!
Life Kinetic Travel Research 