Anybody Else Collect States?
Oct 18, 2004, 2:23 pm
#62
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Originally Posted by Mehdron
There was also one state that I traversed in a boat, without setting foot on shore (this is a candidate for the travel trivia thread ... anyone care to guess what state it is? The traverse was east-west, a total of about 11 miles.)
Originally Posted by Middle_Seat
I am puzzled by Mehdron's crossing of one state by water...can't figure out where it would be.
Oct 18, 2004, 2:45 pm
#63
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Originally Posted by USAFAN
This reminds me of those guys who run marathons in every state. I did the Des Moines 1/2 last weekend, and saw two guys at the start who were running the full marathon to pick up Iowa. It was number 40 for one of them and something like 29 for the other.
All of these people can tell you exactly how many states they have and exactly when they will hit #51. One of their specific rules is that you cannot double- or triple-dip: if you run an interstate race (which several big marathons are) you have to pick which state it "counts" for.
Oct 18, 2004, 2:55 pm
#64
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Last edited by choster; Jul 20, 2011 at 6:02 am
Jul 20, 2011, 1:30 am
#66
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48 states down...2 more to go
I have been to all but ID and MT. I will be staying in ID next month and am trying to convince my wife to spend a few hours in MT. Any ideas on how to celebrate #50? Anything I should do near I-90 in western MT?
Jul 20, 2011, 9:40 am
#67
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I thought that I had reached 49, omitting only Idaho, but one of my little sisters alerted me to the fact that back when I was 12, during a family vacation, we had cut across a corner of that state on the way home (We were a great family for summer travels by car, Texas to far way US places).
In a parallel sort of venture, I long ago spent much of a decade planning and carrying out visits to as many of the sites of the earliest European "settlements" in the US. There's far more than Jamestown and Plymouth colony out there to see, and hazily-located failures were far more numerous than the few successes, often because other Europeans reacted badly (and aggressively) to the thought of neighbors of different national, ethnic or religious backgrounds - no less harshly than the intolerance displayed toward the extant original local folks).
I must admit, Iowa, SD and ND left little impression in my brief moments in each.
In a parallel sort of venture, I long ago spent much of a decade planning and carrying out visits to as many of the sites of the earliest European "settlements" in the US. There's far more than Jamestown and Plymouth colony out there to see, and hazily-located failures were far more numerous than the few successes, often because other Europeans reacted badly (and aggressively) to the thought of neighbors of different national, ethnic or religious backgrounds - no less harshly than the intolerance displayed toward the extant original local folks).
I must admit, Iowa, SD and ND left little impression in my brief moments in each.
Jul 20, 2011, 9:57 am
#68
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I just read the whole thread.
I am totally a state-counter, and have been doing this since my teenaged years. I am now at 49. Idaho is my one missing state. Interesting to read so many messages that similarly mention Idaho as unvisited.
Earlier this year, I picked up South Carolina and removed the "airport only" asterisk from North Carolina. I flew to Greensboro, NC, visited a cousin, then drove to Charleston, SC, for a delightful two days. Then, over to Greenville, SC, to see a college friend, then to Burnsville, NC, to see another friend and back to Greensboro, NC. It was a great trip. We also swung through Tennessee, so a companion could add TN to his list!
I love "state counting" because it forces me to get off my tush and go visit places I've never been. I have definite plans for Idaho next spring, then I will re-visit places that I found interesting. New Orleans is tops on that list. I went there when I was 10, and have always wanted to go back!
I am totally a state-counter, and have been doing this since my teenaged years. I am now at 49. Idaho is my one missing state. Interesting to read so many messages that similarly mention Idaho as unvisited.
Earlier this year, I picked up South Carolina and removed the "airport only" asterisk from North Carolina. I flew to Greensboro, NC, visited a cousin, then drove to Charleston, SC, for a delightful two days. Then, over to Greenville, SC, to see a college friend, then to Burnsville, NC, to see another friend and back to Greensboro, NC. It was a great trip. We also swung through Tennessee, so a companion could add TN to his list!
I love "state counting" because it forces me to get off my tush and go visit places I've never been. I have definite plans for Idaho next spring, then I will re-visit places that I found interesting. New Orleans is tops on that list. I went there when I was 10, and have always wanted to go back!
Last edited by QueenOfCoach; Jul 20, 2011 at 8:47 pm Reason: why is asterisk so tough to spell?
Jul 20, 2011, 2:11 pm
#70
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State collecting, what a great way to put it. I'm a proud member of the "50 States Club." 
My current goal is to go back to the 3 I don't remember well, as I drove through them as child, which would be the chunk of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. I've technically been through them, but, alas, I was young and have not been back. The other states from my young roadtripping days I've hit again as an adult.
My other current goal is to collect photographic evidence of them all. Gee, guess I have to go back to a bunch of them...
My current goal is to go back to the 3 I don't remember well, as I drove through them as child, which would be the chunk of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. I've technically been through them, but, alas, I was young and have not been back. The other states from my young roadtripping days I've hit again as an adult.
My other current goal is to collect photographic evidence of them all. Gee, guess I have to go back to a bunch of them...
Jul 20, 2011, 2:27 pm
#71
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I've been holding at 46 since last year. Still missing WY, SD, AL and AK. I got lucky and picked up Mississippi on a business trip two years ago and ticked off MT, ND and MN on an Amtrak trip last year. I also notched AR on a road trip last year (I even got gas there instead of Tennessee so I actually did something there!). On the train trips, I made sure to hop off and walk around every chance I got.
The last four are going to be tough!
The last four are going to be tough!
Jul 20, 2011, 5:11 pm
#73
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Wow, seven years later....
I'm currently at 47 and my wife is at 49. I only did one toe-tap (drove Menomonee Falls to MKE via Dubuque on a 6-hr detour) and she did two (rented a car during a layover in MEM and hit AR and MS).
We both have ND remaining.
Every county in the US - that's real dedication, bordering on obsession.
I'm currently at 47 and my wife is at 49. I only did one toe-tap (drove Menomonee Falls to MKE via Dubuque on a 6-hr detour) and she did two (rented a car during a layover in MEM and hit AR and MS).
We both have ND remaining.
Every county in the US - that's real dedication, bordering on obsession.
Jul 20, 2011, 5:48 pm
#75
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My usual standard for visiting is to have eaten a meal in the state - but not fast food. Preferably a local restaurant or watering hole. I have been successful but with a few strange meals.
I added Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas on a trip this spring and only Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, (I landed in Fargo once but that doesn't count), Wyoming, Nebraska, and Alaska remain.
My plan is to take the Empire Builder from Minneapolis to Seattle to take care of three of those, maybe drive up to Wyoming on my next visit to Denver, maybe a mileage run to Anchorage if fares ever allow it, but Nebraska? I don't know...
When I was living in Vermont years ago I was a member of the Vermont 251 Club (http://www.vt251.com/) and made it to about 140 of the cities, towns, and gores in Vermont.
Cheers,
Pogopossum
I added Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas on a trip this spring and only Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, (I landed in Fargo once but that doesn't count), Wyoming, Nebraska, and Alaska remain.
My plan is to take the Empire Builder from Minneapolis to Seattle to take care of three of those, maybe drive up to Wyoming on my next visit to Denver, maybe a mileage run to Anchorage if fares ever allow it, but Nebraska? I don't know...
When I was living in Vermont years ago I was a member of the Vermont 251 Club (http://www.vt251.com/) and made it to about 140 of the cities, towns, and gores in Vermont.
Cheers,
Pogopossum