I’ve been a little under the weather the past couple of days, so my brain isn’t really working well enough to write something new. So I figured now would be a good time to pull an old post and update it based on things that have happened since I last wrote about it. Today, I will update The Places I’ve Been that I have posted a couple of different times.
This was a quick little post based on some survey* making the rounds on Facebook asking each person to pick which states they have actually set foot in. What I will do is list all the states and whether or not I have ever stepped foot in them. I will also indicate which ones that I have only flown through (via the airports in my numerous travels) or simply driven through (not counting states that I only stopped for gas). This should be interesting.
*For some reason, the survey has 100 choices, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. There are 50 states people! Las Vegas, Nevada is not a state and “Callifornia” is only spelled with one “L”.
ALABAMA – Knocked this state off of non-visited states when my brother and I made a trek across America a few years back. I believe we actually stayed the night in Alabama, and I distinctly remember driving near Fort Rucker and eating at a Waffle House, so this gets a black emboldening.
ALASKA – Still have not been to Alaska. When I last made this list, there was talk of taking my parents on a cruise to Alaska for their 50th wedding anniversary, but that never happened because of reasons.
ARIZONA – Have visited many times. My father’s brother used to live in Fredonia and I have also flown through the Sky Harbor International Airport on my way to other destinations as well.
ARKANSAS – Visited the Clinton Library and stayed at some roach-y motel in Little Rock during Brothers Across America.
CALIFORNIA – Have been to the liberal bastion that is California numerous times, including the “north” (San Francisco) and the “south” (Los Angeles/San Diego). California is a big deal in my family as it is where my parents both grew up for the most part, and is also where my sister Jen currently resides.
COLORADO – My previous list reflected just a plane stop in Denver, but I have since driven through the state and even stayed the night, so this one is straight emboldening now.
CONNECTICUT – I lived in Nutmeg State from October 2001 until July 2011, and I recently lost my condo to foreclosure in June. My Connecticut life, except for the friends that I made, is pretty much behind me at this point.
DELAWARE – Only driven through Delaware on the way to various places. But it’s small, and I think all that it has there is road anyway. Maybe I’ll actually do something in Delaware someday but I doubt it.
FLORIDA – Another state knocked off the list during Brothers Across America and we stayed with the Army Friend mentioned when this was written before, so it gets a regular emboldening, and we plan on heading back sometime in the future to take the kiddo(s) ti Disney World.
GEORGIA – My big experience with Georgia was Basic Training at Fort Benning. I have been back for work stuff a few times since then, but never as a vacation or anything. And if you fly a bit, it is pretty hard to avoid the airport there.
HAWAII – I went to Hawaii for Jen’s wedding a few years ago. That was pretty cool. I would like to go back, but I would prefer it to happen with a female companion or something. Being in Hawaii for a wedding by yourself is not a whole lot of fun.
IDAHO – Idaho is going to be green. While I have technically set foot in the state of Idaho, it wasn’t for very long (only to look at some temple), but most of the time spent there was en route to visit family in Canada.
ILLINOIS -Previous to my drive across the country, my experience with Illinois was limited to two of its airports: O’Hare and Midway. I actually stayed the night in Springfield on my way across the country, redirecting my route to specifically go to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Edit: Also went to grad school here for a year, and met my now wife while living in Champaign. My mother-in-law still lives here, but we have yet to be back for a visit since I moved Kim to Utah in 2014.
INDIANA -Drove through on my way to Utah, but only stopped for Steak n’ Shake, so it will be bold, but be green.
IOWA – Briefly drove through Iowa on the same trip, and plan to go back to visit when I get around to writing the book about my father…maybe even take him with me to see if he remembers anything. Never got to take my pops back to Iowa, unfortunately, and I received a speeding ticket from Des Moines after returning from Brothers Across America, so it gets credit for being stepped in.
KANSAS – Drove through Kansas on one of my cross-country trips, and it was just as exciting as I was expecting it to be. I-70 in Kansas can be a lonely place.
KENTUCKY -I spent two weeks at Fort Knox for some Army training before deploying, and I have flown through the Louisville Airport once or twice. Other than that… nothing.
LOUISIANA – Still have not been to Louisiana, but I would like to check out New Orleans some day. Except during hurricane season.
MAINE -Maine is the only state in New England that I have never been to. Going to try and rectify that this year. *UPDATE* Spent parts of two days in Maine last weekend when Megan came to visit. Boom!! *UPDATE to the UPDATE* – That was the only time that I have been to Maine. Don’t really see a reason to go back honestly.
MARYLAND – I just spent a day not too long ago in the vicinity of Bowie. If I get the job at The Motley Fool, I might have to live in Maryland to afford to do the job. I’ll be back though, if only to go to a game at Camden Yards.*
*Despite living in Virginia for six months, I never went to a game at Camden Yards.
MASSACHUSETTS – Been to Massachusetts numerous times, so we’ll just include it on the plain bold list.
MICHIGAN -I stopped counting Michigan as a visited state because I don’t specifically remember even a plane trip through Detroit. Could be wrong though.
MINNESOTA – My brother Bill lived in Minnesota for a bit, so Kim and I drove up to see him over a weekend while I was in Illinois, so no longer a fly through state.
MISSISSIPPI –Never been to Mississippi, but it sure is fun to type! Clipped Mississippi on Brothers Across America and it is as fun as ever to type.
MISSOURI -I have flown through St. Louis a couple of times, including the first time I flew to Connecticut over 11 years ago. It was so long ago, the airline that I flew no longer exists. Also passed through it on my recent cross-country trip. Edit: have also added another couple of trips through the Show Me State, including a concert with Ben Folds and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
MONTANA -Only stops in Montana were for food and such en route to Canada, so it only counts as a drive through.
NEBRASKA -Drove through, and stayed the night, in Nebraska. Only thing I remember was that I didn’t have cell reception through the entire state.
NEVADA -I have been numerous places in Nevada, like Wendover and Las Vegas, but I also spent a bit of time driving through the state en route to San Francisco. I have also flown through the airport numerous times.
Las Vegas holds a special place in my heart due to a couple of important visits. The first was when Kim and I stayed there during March 2014 and I proposed and the second was when we went back that September to get married at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.
NEW HAMPSHIRE – I’ve been to New Hampshire a few times for work, I honeymooned and vacationed there one year. I don’t really have a desire to visit, but I will go on occasion.
NEW JERSEY – I lived in New Jersey (Fort Dix) for a few months prior to departing for my longer vacation in Iraq last year. Jersey is not all that bad, but I need a reason to want to go there.
NEW MEXICO – I have never been to New Mexico, but I would like to go someday. Look at cacti or something. Another state visited during Brothers Across America and stayed the night in Albuquerque.
NEW YORK – Spent a total of a few weeks in New York doing various things. I could take it or leave it personally.
NORTH CAROLINA – Spent two weeks at Fort Bragg for annual training a few years back, and have been back since for other Army stuff. An okay place.
NORTH DAKOTA – Missed North Dakota on various trips as I had no real reason to go, so still need to get back through there.
OHIO – I have flown through Cincinnati a few times, but have never really visited. Also drove through on my trip and stayed the night in a hotel there.
OKLAHOMA –Stayed in Oklahoma City on the second night of Brothers Across America, but otherwise an unremarkable place. Might end up here in the future should my Air Force career take me there.
OREGON – Drove through and stayed the night in Oregon on our way to and back from Bumbershoot last September. Beautiful state and would like to go back for a longer visit.
PENNSYLVANIA -Spent a bit of time in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania back in the day. Been to Philadelphia to see Ben Folds once.
RHODE ISLAND -I have been to Rhode Island at least a few times, spending some time at the beaches and whatnot.
SOUTH CAROLINA -Spent around four months or so at Fort Jackson learning how to be a paralegal for the Army. No stops since except flying back from Fort Bragg (see North Carolina). Stopped in a Fort Jackson during Brothers Across America and found my old Army barracks and all that.
SOUTH DAKOTA – Stopped by the Black Hills while on Brothers Across America. Mount Rushmore was amazing, as was the Crazy Horse Monument.
TENNESSEE – Just drove through the corner of the state. Would like to go see Nashville someday just because.
TEXAS – Have driven and flown through Texas, but still A LOT of the state I haven’t seen yet.
UTAH – I grew up in the Beehive State, spent nearly 20 years there. It will always be home, and will be for the foreseeable future. We’ll see where the Air Force takes me once I’m done with this internship program.
VERMONT – Been to Vermont a few times for work stuff, nothing else.
VIRGINIA -I’ve run a few races in Arlington/DC. Also lived in Alexandria for six months while working for The Motley Fool.
WASHINGTON –Went to Bumbershoot in September 2016 and spent some time in Seattle otherwise during that trip. We’ll probably be back, but who knows when.
WEST VIRGINIA – Went to a racetrack casino in West Virginia while living in Virginia. Never stayed overnight however.
WISCONSIN -I have spent many a week at Fort McCoy over the past 6 1/2 years or so learning how to do various facets of my job. Good times for sure, as long as you go between May and September and have a car available to use.
WYOMING – The last leg of my trip from Connecticut to Utah went through Wyoming. Not a pleasant trip in January, at least on one side of the Rocky Mountains.
By my count, I have officially been to 37 of the 50 states for a day or more and driven through nine more. There are now only four states in the union that I have to visit at all: Alaska, Louisiana, Michigan, and North Dakota. Don’t know if I’ll be able to get all those in one trip, but I’d like to get to all 50 states relatively soon.
Until next time…
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