By Tomeka Allgood
Have you ever thought of traveling to all 50 states? The idea never crossed my mind when I was younger, probably because I did not travel much or think about it. The typical summer for me included a trip to an amusement park or visiting family who lived in other states or cities. Nearly all those trips were day trips via car and rarely included a night away from home. The next phase of my life included college, kids, and a “big girl” job. It was then when I heard people talking about their summer or holiday vacation plans that I even thought about traveling for leisure.
Fast forward to being bitten by the travel bug, and then deciding to start this travel blog out of my love for travel. It still had not really crossed my mind. Then I started seeing other travelers speak about visiting all 7 continents or over 100 countries. I work a full-time job and it would be great to do that but again, I work a full-time job.
Would I like to visit all 7 continents? Yes of course, but it may not happen until I retire. However, seeing those posts made me wonder what could I do. Shortly thereafter, I saw someone who had a goal of visiting all 50 states before the age of 50! Once I read that, I had a challenge-accepted moment! My goal will be to check off 50 states over the next 5 years or before December 31, 2029.
How Did I Plan My 50-State Travel Goal?
First thing, as with any goal, it was time to write it down. The next thing I did was write down all the states that I have been to already. Here is my list of the states I have visited so far…
(1) Alabama Alaska (2) Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware (3) Florida (4) Georgia Hawaii Idaho (5) Illinois (6) Indiana Iowa (7) Kansas (8) Kentucky (9) Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts (10) Michigan Minnesota (11) Mississippi (12) Missouri Montana Nebraska (13) Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico (14) New York (15) North Carolina North Dakota (16) Ohio Oklahoma (17) Oregon (18) Pennsylvania Rhode Island (19) South Carolina South Dakota (20) Tennessee (21) Texas Utah Vermont (22) Virginia Washington West Virginia (23) Wisconsin Wyoming
I don’t think there is any way I would be able to start from scratch and finish by 2029. It may be doable; however, I don’t think I would be able to really enjoy it, if I tried it that way. With me having 23 of the 50 visited so far, I only need 27 more over the next 5 years. Based on my calculation, I will need to travel to at least five new states a year to meet my goal.
Visit All 50 States (The “Rules”)
- Only trips to states I have not been to yet count.
- Driving through counts, as long as I stop and spend some time there (eating, park, museum, etc..)
- The airport, flying over a state, and layovers in the airport do not count.
As stated earlier, the goal of visiting the 50 states means more to me than checking a state off the list. It is about the experience and understanding that each state is different. The thrill for me is seeing new places and meeting people from all walks of life. One thing that I have learned in my travels thus far is that you don’t know what you don’t know.
Everyone has their own rules and that is important. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa. This is meant to be a rewarding experience so make the rules that suit you best. This is one challenge that should not be stressful.
Some people take photos in front of each state sign, others may memorialize it in a different way. The goal is to just have fun and enjoy the journey as it is just as important as the destination.
5 Tips for Visiting All 50 States
If you want to start this challenge with me in 2024, then let’s do it!!! Here are some helpful tips that I have found from others who are doing (or completed) the 50-state challenge. I plan to use them as my guide as well.
- Plan a few years out but make sure you stay flexible.
- Think of destinations you want to visit and start a list.
- Plan a road trip where you start in one location and stop in another.
- Keep an eye out for travel deals, so you can save money.
- Take advantage of your home state. Go visit bordering states for quick day or long weekend trips.
In closing, if you have or plan on visiting all 50 states, please share your tips and tricks with me. I will appreciate your input and if you are interested in doing this with me, please let me know how you are doing, and I will do the same here. I will also feature some of your experiences here on the blog to share with others (with your permission, of course). I’m looking forward to sharing this journey with all of you!!!!
