Which (or how many) states have/haven't you been to?
Mar 9, 2021, 12:36 pm
#16
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Mar 9, 2021, 12:44 pm
#17
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You really should not.
Never leaving an airport property is hardly visiting a state. I'd also say that passing through a state on a drive to somewhere else does not count, even if one does stop for food or a quick overnight stay near the interstate. There needs to be some actual reason to be in the state and some minimum amount of time/activity to count it as a visit.
So, my never visited list under the above rules is restricted to:
AK
ND
SD
MN (have connected through airport)
RI (drove through on freeway, probably didn't stop)
Questionable ones:
NM (have caught flight at ABQ when driving one way from Colorado; also spent night in GUP and stopped for dinner in LRU area during long distance road trips)
MT (passing through West Yellowstone on way to Yellowstone NP which is mostly in Wyoming)
AR (had business purpose for meeting on field at KLIT so technically a visit but I never left the airport property)
I really think that stopping to take a leak or spending the night at a generic roadside motor inn is hardly sufficient to count as a visit to a state.
Never leaving an airport property is hardly visiting a state. I'd also say that passing through a state on a drive to somewhere else does not count, even if one does stop for food or a quick overnight stay near the interstate. There needs to be some actual reason to be in the state and some minimum amount of time/activity to count it as a visit.
So, my never visited list under the above rules is restricted to:
AK
ND
SD
MN (have connected through airport)
RI (drove through on freeway, probably didn't stop)
Questionable ones:
NM (have caught flight at ABQ when driving one way from Colorado; also spent night in GUP and stopped for dinner in LRU area during long distance road trips)
MT (passing through West Yellowstone on way to Yellowstone NP which is mostly in Wyoming)
AR (had business purpose for meeting on field at KLIT so technically a visit but I never left the airport property)
I really think that stopping to take a leak or spending the night at a generic roadside motor inn is hardly sufficient to count as a visit to a state.
I guess “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is."
Mar 9, 2021, 1:49 pm
#18
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Since visiting each State Capitol has been on my bucketlist (hey, I live in Europe, so I need an excuse to visit North Dakota, for example...which State Capitol looks at a regular Deloitte building, but is actually awesome from the inside).
Without calculating airport-only visits (from West to East):
Alaska
Hawaii
Arkansas
Mississippi
Michigan
West-Virginia
Delaware
Vermont
If even counting an airport visit, you can cross off Michigan due to DTW.
I don't know whether I should count Alabama, due to the fact that I spent about 30 minutes there (to just check it off my list), visiting the Hardee's in Bridgeport and then back on my way to Atlanta (from Nashville, TN).
Without calculating airport-only visits (from West to East):
Alaska
Hawaii
Arkansas
Mississippi
Michigan
West-Virginia
Delaware
Vermont
If even counting an airport visit, you can cross off Michigan due to DTW.
I don't know whether I should count Alabama, due to the fact that I spent about 30 minutes there (to just check it off my list), visiting the Hardee's in Bridgeport and then back on my way to Atlanta (from Nashville, TN).
Mar 9, 2021, 2:10 pm
#19
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Mar 9, 2021, 2:17 pm
#20
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paging @GRALISTAIR for "logbook" criteria
All 50 states visited in less than 1 year 3 times
All 50 states visited in less than 6 months 1 time
All 50 states driven in; flown in/out of; visited the capital city of; photographed the Welcome to sign
All 50 states stayed overnight in > 8 nights
12 states to go to stay overnight > 10 nights in
16 states to go to actually stay overnight in the capital city
All 50 states visited with my wife
34 states visited where I have had carnal knowledge of my wife!!
Mar 9, 2021, 2:35 pm
#21
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It usually does!
Yes. I would (previously) call it a no. However...
...upon further review, I think I need to move NM off the list and call it a visited state. I was thinking about it and remembered that on the trip where I crossed the state on I-40 and spent the night in GUP, I ventured off of the highway for a bit to check out El Malpais National Monument. Later that day I also ventured off of the freeway to go into Tucumcari and trainspot for a few minutes (I was a train geek before I was an airplane geek and Tucumcari has special meaning to most railfans/students of railroad history**)
**Bonus OTRQ&D thread question: why was Tucumcari important?
While also a high rise, at least Louisiana's Capitol has some true art deco flair to it.
...upon further review, I think I need to move NM off the list and call it a visited state. I was thinking about it and remembered that on the trip where I crossed the state on I-40 and spent the night in GUP, I ventured off of the highway for a bit to check out El Malpais National Monument. Later that day I also ventured off of the freeway to go into Tucumcari and trainspot for a few minutes (I was a train geek before I was an airplane geek and Tucumcari has special meaning to most railfans/students of railroad history**)
**Bonus OTRQ&D thread question: why was Tucumcari important?
While also a high rise, at least Louisiana's Capitol has some true art deco flair to it.
Last edited by Herb687; Mar 9, 2021 at 2:40 pm Reason: multi-quote
Mar 9, 2021, 3:18 pm
#23
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I was about to mention a 360-degree loop to gain elevation to get across an adjacent mountain pass, but remembered that was Tehachapi ... I'm originally from Albuquerque, and was a bit of a rail fan in my single-digit years, but can't actually make any old-timers' associations with the town in question
tru dat, as the Cajun Country expression goes 
Mar 9, 2021, 3:27 pm
#24
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Ditto.
Although I would confess that my time in Michigan was approximately 90 seconds; drove up U.S. 31 into Michigan from South Bend, crossed the state line, and made a u-turn for the sole purpose of counting it off my list. Did something similar with North Dakota; entered from the south via I-29, took the first exit and went eastward into Minnesota -- probably 5 minutes.
Although I would confess that my time in Michigan was approximately 90 seconds; drove up U.S. 31 into Michigan from South Bend, crossed the state line, and made a u-turn for the sole purpose of counting it off my list. Did something similar with North Dakota; entered from the south via I-29, took the first exit and went eastward into Minnesota -- probably 5 minutes.
Mar 9, 2021, 3:47 pm
#25
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Ditto.
Although I would confess that my time in Michigan was approximately 90 seconds; drove up U.S. 31 into Michigan from South Bend, crossed the state line, and made a u-turn for the sole purpose of counting it off my list. Did something similar with North Dakota; entered from the south via I-29, took the first exit and went eastward into Minnesota -- probably 5 minutes.
Although I would confess that my time in Michigan was approximately 90 seconds; drove up U.S. 31 into Michigan from South Bend, crossed the state line, and made a u-turn for the sole purpose of counting it off my list. Did something similar with North Dakota; entered from the south via I-29, took the first exit and went eastward into Minnesota -- probably 5 minutes.
CT, RI, MN, ND, ID, MT, and AK are on my list. I'd like to save AK for last.
Mar 9, 2021, 3:54 pm
#26
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Ditto.
Although I would confess that my time in Michigan was approximately 90 seconds; drove up U.S. 31 into Michigan from South Bend, crossed the state line, and made a u-turn for the sole purpose of counting it off my list. Did something similar with North Dakota; entered from the south via I-29, took the first exit and went eastward into Minnesota -- probably 5 minutes.
Although I would confess that my time in Michigan was approximately 90 seconds; drove up U.S. 31 into Michigan from South Bend, crossed the state line, and made a u-turn for the sole purpose of counting it off my list. Did something similar with North Dakota; entered from the south via I-29, took the first exit and went eastward into Minnesota -- probably 5 minutes.
Mar 9, 2021, 4:33 pm
#27
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I was about to mention a 360-degree loop to gain elevation to get across an adjacent mountain pass, but remembered that was Tehachapi ... I'm originally from Albuquerque, and was a bit of a rail fan in my single-digit years, but can't actually make any old-timers' associations with the town in question
Also the westernmost point on Rock Island's Choctaw Route (long since abandoned) mainline to OKC and Memphis. I believe there were through cars MEM-LAX on Rock Island passenger trains that would have been carried on SP trains west of Tucumcari.
Mar 9, 2021, 5:08 pm
#28
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