50 States before turning 50 (But you can do it before 30, 40, 60, 70 – Anyone can!)

The pandemic reminded me of the beauty and diversity of the USA and inspired me to see all 50 states before I turn 50. Each state has something unique to offer, although many people might not think so. Having an open mind to explore and appreciate the different landscapes, cultures, and experiences is key. My upbringing of road trips and making the most of what was available to me instilled a sense of adventure and appreciation for travel. I hope to keep exploring and discovering, and who knows what other amazing places and experiences I’ll encounter along the way.

For those interested in how I did it, here it is:

I didn’t grow up wealthy and able to travel by plane much, but we did a lot of road trips. However, living in California meant an easy flight to Hawaii. We also took a flight to Florida to go to Walt Disney World. When I was in high school we flew to the Midwest (Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky) to see family. I was also lucky to fly to Dallas, Texas on a school trip, paid for exclusively by fundraising, and then back there again for work.

My parents moved to Las Vegas when I went to college, so we drove around Nevada and Utah when I would visit. My sister had moved to Seattle, so we drove through Oregon to Washington to see her too. At that point I had moved to New York. From New York I have found it easy to see multiple states. Road trips north to Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and a short/cheap flight to Maine were easy. Road trips south to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina were also easy.

My family lives all over the country so at one point we decided on a family reunion in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, although we stayed in Idaho. A business trip took me to Arizona for the first time. More friend trips took me to New Orleans, Louisiana and a family wedding and then a chess tournament took me to Tennessee. After starting my own family, I discovered that easy family trips were skiing so we went to Montana. And then covid hit. We stayed isolated in places like West Virginia and then took a road trip down the entire East Coast to South Carolina and Georgia. At this point I realized that seeing all 50 states would be easy. So we took another family trip to Oklahoma and wound our way North to Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Colorado. Some of my friends then got on board with trying to help me realize my goals. Girls’ trips took me to Minnesota and North Dakota, then Alabama and Mississippi, a great spa trip in Wisconsin and then the Albuquerque Balloon Festival in New Mexico. Recently my family and I flew to Alaska via Seattle to see Northern lights and do some skiing. Finally, my husband and I took a nice Labor Day weekend trip to Michigan and the U.P. using my Delta 2×1.

Although I have now been to each state, I know there is still so much more to see. For example, I haven’t been to the Grand Canyon yet or to Glacier National Park. But I will get there. People have asked me what is what is my favorite state, and of course I respond: California! That’s my birthplace. But honestly, I have found beauty in every state. I hope you can too!