Our 50 states (and provinces/territories)

In 2001 there was a really cute waitress at the Blythe Denny's.

 

Thanks. Until I retire and buy an RV, my quest is probably on hiatus. Those western states aren't exactly a hop, skip and a jump away.
It's amazing, too, how difficult some of these places are to just randomly pass through. Kentucky is like a black hole. I managed to visit every state around it, and I think I even got there once without realizing it by having a layover at Cincinnati's airport, but otherwise barely came within 50 miles.

 

My visit was a few years before that. Had I known, I might have eaten a Grand Slam instead of just grabbing a Coke.

 

Driven a car: California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio.

Other states I've been, but have never driven in: Hawaii, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Idaho

 

Here's a depressing, yet timely, one:

States where I've filed a state income tax return
Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Idaho.

(NOTE: Washington does not have a state income tax).

 

States/provinces where I have driven a car: Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ontario. (Passenger only: Idaho, Utah, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Manitoba).

 

Because of my obsession with road trips/hatred of flying, I have been to all 50 states, but you're right that some are really hard to hit unless you make an effort. Kentucky is one. The northern prairie states are tough. Idaho was my last one (I've now been twice), and it felt pretty good to do it. Worth making a run for all 50 if you're close.

 

State/provinces in which I've driven a car: Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, California, Ontario, Quebec.

States in which I've crashed a car (although I was at fault only once): Alabama, Florida.

States in which I've been ticketed (not including parking): Illinois, Florida.

 

State where I've been in three auto accidents while stopped dead at a red light: Massachusetts, as if you had to ask.

 

Mods gave me permission to post this ...

States where I've had more than one hole-in-one: Texas.

 

States I've driven or been on a road trip through: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Michigan, Louisiana, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Mississippi
States I've lived in: Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, New York, Illinois, Virginia, Georgia and Mississippi
Racetracks I've run laps: Sebring, Road Atlanta, Lime Rock, Road America, Nelson Ledges, Memphis Motorsports Park and Virginia International Raceway
Places with ex-girlfriends: Alabama, Mississippi, Great Britain, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Washington D.C. and California
Places I've fished: Haiti, Costa Rica, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas
Countries I've visited: Bahamas, Haiti, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Belize, Mexico, Cuba, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Bahrain, Israel, Egypt, UAE, Bulgaria and Romania
MLB ballparks: Pittsburgh, New York (Shea and old Yankee Stadium), Atlanta (Fulton County and Turner), Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis (both old Busch and new Busch), Kansas City, Houston, Miami (old Joe Robbie), Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago (both Wrigley and Comiskey), Detroit (old Tigers stadium), Montreal and Toronto.

As an aside, I collect official ball caps from minor league teams and my collection is now up to 75 hats. My favorites are the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Montgomery Biscuits and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

 

States I've lived in: California, New Mexico, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.