Last month my mom and I vacationed in North & South Dakota. In addition to seeing beautiful scenery and great wildlife, we each accomplished a life goal: visiting all 50 states. I am still in a bit of awe that I've been able to do this. Our original plan had been to fly into North Dakota and then fly home from South Dakota. However, that quickly changed when my mom came across the "Best for Last Club". We knew we wanted to be a part of this great club. When we checked in at the visitor's center in Fargo, there was a couple there who had also just completed their 50 states, and we even got to meet the lady who was the creator of the club (she has also been to all 50 states). Here is a picture of my t-shirt. It is definitely going in my clothing rotation for future vacations.
Here is a list of FAQs that my mom and I have experienced regarding visiting all 50 states.
1. How long did it take to accomplish this? My whole life.
2. How long have you been working on this? I think this is probably really what people mean when they ask #1. A few years back, my mom and I were talking, and we realized that based on how many states we had each already visited, seeing all 50 states was definitely achievable. My mom traveled quite a bit with her parents as a kid as well as with my dad. I had also been privileged to have visited quite a few states by that time. Starting in 2017, we starting taking a 2 week trip each year with the express purpose of marking new states off the list.
- 2017: Hawaii (and California for me)
- 2018: Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, & Montana
- 2019: Alaska
- 2020: None
- 2021: Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, & Vermont
- 2022: Orgeon
- 2023: North & South Dakota
3. What counts as visiting a state? Our rule was you had to be on the ground. So, flying over a state doesn't count, but being on a layover at the airport does. That is how I marked off California- LA airport on the way to Hawaii. I did see a little bit more of the state last year when we drove into California from Oregon, but the airport was enough initially to move it to the "visited" category.
4. What is your favorite state? I can't give you 1. I can do a top 5. There is just so much to see.
5. (When we told people we were going to visit North & South Dakota as our last two states): Have you been to (insert any of the other 48 states)? My mom and I both got this. If we only have 2 states left, then by extension, we have visited every other state.
I feel very thankful I have gotten to visit all 50 states. I would encourage you to count how many states you have visited. My niece and nephew (14 & 11) can tell you. They've tracked it for several years, and they'll get to add 2 new ones this week. What's your state count?
