So I was watching a movie in passing the other day (I think it was Crazy Stupid Love) and a girl says something like "Yes, Maine! I've been to Maine, so that makes six states that I've been to." Then I thought to myself, "Six seems like a very small number." I think I've been to most of the states in the US, and actually spent meaningful time there (ie, not "connected through on a flight"). So I'm going to figure out my number right here, right now. I guess we'll just go alphabetical?
Alabama - Driven through many times and now spending plenty of time there, where TheWife went to high school.
Alaska - Never been.
Arizona - Been a few times with the family to Sedona, and also spent the better part of two weeks in Scottsdale this year for a conference and a wedding.
Arkansas - Used to play in U-10 and U-12 soccer tournaments in Crossett and El Dorado. Amazingly, both quite forgettable places! Also, spent a summer in Arkansas at Camp Ozark, which was basically Vacation Bible School on steroids. Yes, I'm Hindu.
California - Lived there for two years.
Colorado - Plenty of elementary and middle school ski trips to Denver/Winter Park. Recently, even had a business trip there.
Connecticut - Living in it right now.
Delaware - Driven through many times during my drives up and down the east coast. Not sure I've ever spent a night in DE, but I could be wrong. I think driving through an entire state is good enough, though.
Florida - Family vacation destination during childhood, even though we would routinely get turned away as the hurricane du'jour barreled towards us.
Georgia - Visited BigSis when she used to live there, and also now spending tons of time in Atlanta (work) and West Point (TheWife).
Hawaii - Crossed this one off the list last September, when TheWife and I headed to Kauai with my family. Toured the Na'Pali coast, took a helicopter ride over the island, and of course, attended a luau and drank plenty of mai tais. Great time.
Idaho - Drove through the state on my drive from NC to WA in 2004. Stopped in Coeur d'Alene for pho, which was fantastic. And I don't think I've seen a more picturesque place than Coeur d'Alene in my life.
Illinois - Been to Chicago plenty as a kid and recently for work. Also, drove through in 2004. Was blindsided by the amount of aggressively Christian billboards and signposts along the highway. But hey, I guess that's Middle America!
Indiana - Drove through the state in 2004 on the way to WA and I think spent a night outside Indianapolis during that drive. Also, drove through in 2008 on my way from WA to GA. I'm counting it.
Iowa - Drove through in 2004 and in 2008. Both times, I think I covered just about the entire state. Very polite people. Very aggressive Christian signage.
Kansas - Spent a night in Wichita in 2001, when I drove with Ro from LA to WA. Drove through the entire state as well. Fondest memory - getting through KS, stopping in CO to fill gas and noting that Ro's black vehicle was littered with dead bugs and at this point could only be described as "vomit yellow." I asked him, "Why are all the bugs so yellow when they hit the car?" His response: "I don't know? Corn??" It sounds ridiculous, but it has to be the answer, right?
Kentucky - Drove through in 2004 on the way from NC to WA. I distinctly remember passing the lights of Louisville. I'm counting it.
Louisiana - Grew up there.
Maine - Never been.
Maryland - Been to Baltimore many times for work, visiting friends, attending a wedding, etc. Never saw Stringer Bell, though.
Massachusetts - Been to Boston many times, driven through the state on the way up to Vermont.
Michigan - Went to a wedding in 2006 in Colon, MI. Flew into Battle Creek, which is apparently the cereal capital of the world because General Mills is there. Learn something every day! Also, visited a good friend there in Grand Rapids in 2008.
Minnesota - As many times as I've connected through MSP on a Delta flight, I've never actually gotten out and visited the state. And surprisingly, in my many cross-country drives, never touched Minnesota. Can't count it.
Mississippi - Played a few soccer tournaments in Greenville, MS as a kid; attended a writing workshop in Jackson in high school; plenty of garbas attended at Mom and Dad's behest in Jackson; plenty of praying done at the Jackson temple, which was the closest temple to us in Louisiana. And of course, have driven through umpteen times on the way from LA to NC and other places.
Missouri - Visited a friend in St. Louis for a long weekend back in 2006 and also attended my uncle's wedding in St. Louis in 1998. But I think that's about it.
Montana - Drove the entire state in 2004. Entered at mile marker 551 or something astronomical and had to go all the way down to 0, where I hit Idaho. Filled gas in Billings or Bozeman or Butte--can't remember.
Nebraska - Attended a Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, NE in 2008. Also, drove through on many of my cross-country trips.
Nevada - Vegas. Enough said.
New Hampshire - Spent a weekend in Nashua visiting some family friends back in high school. Also, drove through and destroyed a coyote last summer. Count it! Arie 1, New Hampshire Wildlife Protection Services 0.
New Jersey - TheWife has plenty of relatives in NJ. We're probably there once every month or two.
New Mexico - On the drive from Los Angeles to Omaha in 2008, spent a night in Grants, NM. That's about all I can say, other than the customary "drove through the entire state" on a few occasions.
New York - Beyond NYC, drove all through upstate NY in 2008 on my way from Chicago to Cooperstown for the baseball hall of fame. Some of the most beautiful countryside in the entire US, and I think I'm qualified to make that judgment. Straight Last of the Mohicans shit going on off of Route 17. My only regret is that I drove through the Finger Lakes region at night, so couldn't fully savor all of it. Spent a night in Oneonta, visited the baseball hall of fame, saw a Howard Johnson hotel, which I didn't think still existed.
North Carolina - Went to undergrad there. Plenty of visits now that Bashon and Bashali live there as well.
North Dakota - Never been.
Ohio - Spent a long weekend for New Year's this past year in Solon, OH. Also, went to Cincinnati in high school to visit some family friends and visited the football hall of fame in Canton in 2008. Drove through multiple times.
Oklahoma - Drove through the entire state in 2001 on the way from LA to WA with Ro. Again, unfortunately, we drove through at night. From what little we could see, we missed some really tall rock canyons and such. It actually may have been nice to witness in the daylight.
Oregon - Spent a night in Baker City, OR in 2001 before the last leg up to Seattle. Also, headed down to Sand Dunes National Park in 2006 to ride dune buggies, where I drove one off a 20-foot sand dune, somehow survived, and then had to pay $250 to fix the damn thing. Never going back.
Pennsylvania - Visited Pittsburgh and Philly in high school with the family; went to a wedding recently in Philly; accompanied TheWife there for an interview a few months ago. Great food in Philly.
Rhode Island - Visited Providence in high school, when BigSis was thinking of applying to Brown. Did not happen upon Peter Griffin, Adam West, or Quagmire, sadly.
South Carolina - Drove through tons of times on the way from LA to NC and back. Also, spent a weekend there in high school with some family friends who lived outside Greenville.
South Dakota - Drove through the entire state in 2004 on the way to WA. Not much to the land, as it's very flat, but it's peaceful and beautiful. Farmland as far as the eye can see.
Tennessee - Was there recently for some work. Also, drove through a few times in childhood. Good BBQ, but that's about all I know about TN.
Texas - Went there a ton as kids, when we'd go see Texas Rangers games and go ice skating at The Galleria. Also, have driven through the entire state many times and even spent a few days in Harlingen, TX, right on the Mexico border, for some work a few years ago.
Utah - Drove through most of the state in 2001. Saw the Great Salt Lake from the highway. It really looks like a huge basin of salt with some water in it. Apparently, if you live in Seattle, your nearest Chick Fil A is in Ogden, UT. So what if I looked into this when I was living in Seattle? I was just curious! I don't have an addiction!
Vermont - Spent a couple of days in Bretton Woods last summer at the Mount Washington resort. Beautiful but also spooky area. Saw a black bear about 50 yards from me. Hit golf balls at him.
Virginia - Driven through many times, been to Richmond for business and to visit friends, and also spent plenty of time in Alexandria and Fairfax, where some friends used to live.
Washington - Used to live there. Absolutely beautiful, especially in the summer. And the beer! Oh, the beer.
West Virginia - Drove through in 2004. Stopped at a TCBY I think. All I remember were some very windy and steep roads and some extremely thick "Appalachian" accents. Very scenic state to drive through, though.
Wisconsin - Drove through the state on the way to visit a friend in Madison in 2008 and even got a 20k checkup on my car in Fond du Lac. Spent another couple of nights in Milwaukee visiting another friend. Right up there with upstate NY in terms of sheer natural beauty on the drive in southern WI. Odd, I know, but you'd be surprised at some of the rock formations and hills among the vast expanses of flat green farmland there. And Madison is a beautiful, charming little town. Great place. Except for the 6 months surrounding January, I'm guessing.
Wyoming - Spent some family vacations as a kid in Jackson Hole; also spent a night in Gillette in 2004. Big mining town, apparently, and it was about 38 degrees in early May there. Fun fact: apparently WY has more cows than people.
So that leaves me with Alaska, Maine, Minnesota and North Dakota left to visit. Maine is achievable in the near term, seeing as I live in CT. Maybe one day I can convince TheWife to take an Alaskan cruise with me. Minnesota, I have no idea. Maybe a Final Four or Super Bowl will be there one day and I'll make my way there. As for North Dakota, I have no clue. But I'll get it one day and be at 50.
Alabama - Driven through many times and now spending plenty of time there, where TheWife went to high school.
Alaska - Never been.
Arizona - Been a few times with the family to Sedona, and also spent the better part of two weeks in Scottsdale this year for a conference and a wedding.
Arkansas - Used to play in U-10 and U-12 soccer tournaments in Crossett and El Dorado. Amazingly, both quite forgettable places! Also, spent a summer in Arkansas at Camp Ozark, which was basically Vacation Bible School on steroids. Yes, I'm Hindu.
California - Lived there for two years.
Colorado - Plenty of elementary and middle school ski trips to Denver/Winter Park. Recently, even had a business trip there.
Connecticut - Living in it right now.
Delaware - Driven through many times during my drives up and down the east coast. Not sure I've ever spent a night in DE, but I could be wrong. I think driving through an entire state is good enough, though.
Florida - Family vacation destination during childhood, even though we would routinely get turned away as the hurricane du'jour barreled towards us.
Georgia - Visited BigSis when she used to live there, and also now spending tons of time in Atlanta (work) and West Point (TheWife).
Hawaii - Crossed this one off the list last September, when TheWife and I headed to Kauai with my family. Toured the Na'Pali coast, took a helicopter ride over the island, and of course, attended a luau and drank plenty of mai tais. Great time.
Idaho - Drove through the state on my drive from NC to WA in 2004. Stopped in Coeur d'Alene for pho, which was fantastic. And I don't think I've seen a more picturesque place than Coeur d'Alene in my life.
Illinois - Been to Chicago plenty as a kid and recently for work. Also, drove through in 2004. Was blindsided by the amount of aggressively Christian billboards and signposts along the highway. But hey, I guess that's Middle America!
Indiana - Drove through the state in 2004 on the way to WA and I think spent a night outside Indianapolis during that drive. Also, drove through in 2008 on my way from WA to GA. I'm counting it.
Iowa - Drove through in 2004 and in 2008. Both times, I think I covered just about the entire state. Very polite people. Very aggressive Christian signage.
Kansas - Spent a night in Wichita in 2001, when I drove with Ro from LA to WA. Drove through the entire state as well. Fondest memory - getting through KS, stopping in CO to fill gas and noting that Ro's black vehicle was littered with dead bugs and at this point could only be described as "vomit yellow." I asked him, "Why are all the bugs so yellow when they hit the car?" His response: "I don't know? Corn??" It sounds ridiculous, but it has to be the answer, right?
Kentucky - Drove through in 2004 on the way from NC to WA. I distinctly remember passing the lights of Louisville. I'm counting it.
Louisiana - Grew up there.
Maine - Never been.
Maryland - Been to Baltimore many times for work, visiting friends, attending a wedding, etc. Never saw Stringer Bell, though.
Massachusetts - Been to Boston many times, driven through the state on the way up to Vermont.
Michigan - Went to a wedding in 2006 in Colon, MI. Flew into Battle Creek, which is apparently the cereal capital of the world because General Mills is there. Learn something every day! Also, visited a good friend there in Grand Rapids in 2008.
Minnesota - As many times as I've connected through MSP on a Delta flight, I've never actually gotten out and visited the state. And surprisingly, in my many cross-country drives, never touched Minnesota. Can't count it.
Mississippi - Played a few soccer tournaments in Greenville, MS as a kid; attended a writing workshop in Jackson in high school; plenty of garbas attended at Mom and Dad's behest in Jackson; plenty of praying done at the Jackson temple, which was the closest temple to us in Louisiana. And of course, have driven through umpteen times on the way from LA to NC and other places.
Missouri - Visited a friend in St. Louis for a long weekend back in 2006 and also attended my uncle's wedding in St. Louis in 1998. But I think that's about it.
Montana - Drove the entire state in 2004. Entered at mile marker 551 or something astronomical and had to go all the way down to 0, where I hit Idaho. Filled gas in Billings or Bozeman or Butte--can't remember.
Nebraska - Attended a Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, NE in 2008. Also, drove through on many of my cross-country trips.
Nevada - Vegas. Enough said.
New Hampshire - Spent a weekend in Nashua visiting some family friends back in high school. Also, drove through and destroyed a coyote last summer. Count it! Arie 1, New Hampshire Wildlife Protection Services 0.
New Jersey - TheWife has plenty of relatives in NJ. We're probably there once every month or two.
New Mexico - On the drive from Los Angeles to Omaha in 2008, spent a night in Grants, NM. That's about all I can say, other than the customary "drove through the entire state" on a few occasions.
New York - Beyond NYC, drove all through upstate NY in 2008 on my way from Chicago to Cooperstown for the baseball hall of fame. Some of the most beautiful countryside in the entire US, and I think I'm qualified to make that judgment. Straight Last of the Mohicans shit going on off of Route 17. My only regret is that I drove through the Finger Lakes region at night, so couldn't fully savor all of it. Spent a night in Oneonta, visited the baseball hall of fame, saw a Howard Johnson hotel, which I didn't think still existed.
North Carolina - Went to undergrad there. Plenty of visits now that Bashon and Bashali live there as well.
North Dakota - Never been.
Ohio - Spent a long weekend for New Year's this past year in Solon, OH. Also, went to Cincinnati in high school to visit some family friends and visited the football hall of fame in Canton in 2008. Drove through multiple times.
Oklahoma - Drove through the entire state in 2001 on the way from LA to WA with Ro. Again, unfortunately, we drove through at night. From what little we could see, we missed some really tall rock canyons and such. It actually may have been nice to witness in the daylight.
Oregon - Spent a night in Baker City, OR in 2001 before the last leg up to Seattle. Also, headed down to Sand Dunes National Park in 2006 to ride dune buggies, where I drove one off a 20-foot sand dune, somehow survived, and then had to pay $250 to fix the damn thing. Never going back.
Pennsylvania - Visited Pittsburgh and Philly in high school with the family; went to a wedding recently in Philly; accompanied TheWife there for an interview a few months ago. Great food in Philly.
Rhode Island - Visited Providence in high school, when BigSis was thinking of applying to Brown. Did not happen upon Peter Griffin, Adam West, or Quagmire, sadly.
South Carolina - Drove through tons of times on the way from LA to NC and back. Also, spent a weekend there in high school with some family friends who lived outside Greenville.
South Dakota - Drove through the entire state in 2004 on the way to WA. Not much to the land, as it's very flat, but it's peaceful and beautiful. Farmland as far as the eye can see.
Tennessee - Was there recently for some work. Also, drove through a few times in childhood. Good BBQ, but that's about all I know about TN.
Texas - Went there a ton as kids, when we'd go see Texas Rangers games and go ice skating at The Galleria. Also, have driven through the entire state many times and even spent a few days in Harlingen, TX, right on the Mexico border, for some work a few years ago.
Utah - Drove through most of the state in 2001. Saw the Great Salt Lake from the highway. It really looks like a huge basin of salt with some water in it. Apparently, if you live in Seattle, your nearest Chick Fil A is in Ogden, UT. So what if I looked into this when I was living in Seattle? I was just curious! I don't have an addiction!
Vermont - Spent a couple of days in Bretton Woods last summer at the Mount Washington resort. Beautiful but also spooky area. Saw a black bear about 50 yards from me. Hit golf balls at him.
Virginia - Driven through many times, been to Richmond for business and to visit friends, and also spent plenty of time in Alexandria and Fairfax, where some friends used to live.
Washington - Used to live there. Absolutely beautiful, especially in the summer. And the beer! Oh, the beer.
West Virginia - Drove through in 2004. Stopped at a TCBY I think. All I remember were some very windy and steep roads and some extremely thick "Appalachian" accents. Very scenic state to drive through, though.
Wisconsin - Drove through the state on the way to visit a friend in Madison in 2008 and even got a 20k checkup on my car in Fond du Lac. Spent another couple of nights in Milwaukee visiting another friend. Right up there with upstate NY in terms of sheer natural beauty on the drive in southern WI. Odd, I know, but you'd be surprised at some of the rock formations and hills among the vast expanses of flat green farmland there. And Madison is a beautiful, charming little town. Great place. Except for the 6 months surrounding January, I'm guessing.
Wyoming - Spent some family vacations as a kid in Jackson Hole; also spent a night in Gillette in 2004. Big mining town, apparently, and it was about 38 degrees in early May there. Fun fact: apparently WY has more cows than people.
So that leaves me with Alaska, Maine, Minnesota and North Dakota left to visit. Maine is achievable in the near term, seeing as I live in CT. Maybe one day I can convince TheWife to take an Alaskan cruise with me. Minnesota, I have no idea. Maybe a Final Four or Super Bowl will be there one day and I'll make my way there. As for North Dakota, I have no clue. But I'll get it one day and be at 50.
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