I Made It To All 50 States

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a goal to visit every US state before I turned 30. Between 2 cross-country road trips, carefully planned weekend getaways, my honeymoon to Alaska, and so many other adventures I finally accomplished this goal in 2022.

Well, I accomplished it with a slight asterisk.

My 30th birthday was in April 2022. At the beginning of the year, I just needed to visit Hawaii and had a trip planned for February 2022. I’d already canceled one Hawaii trip in 2020 due to the pandemic and was really looking forward to making my dream a reality. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way and I canceled again due to omicron concerns.

I finally made it to Hawaii in September 2022. Yes, after my 30th birthday but still in my 30th birthday year. And since we’re living through a pandemic that put travel on hold for so long I’m still very proud of this accomplishment.

Today I’m celebrating and reflecting on my journey to visit all 50 states. Come along with me!

My Adventures in All 50 States

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Alabama

Sadly I couldn’t find any pictures from my time in Alabama. But growing up in Tennessee, I traveled to Alabama a bunch to visit family friends in Birmingham. One of my most memorable high school cross-country races was held in Birmingham, too.

Alaska

Austin and I took an Alaskan cruise for our honeymoon in 2015. Wandering around Ketchikan and traveling through Glacier Bay National Park were highlights of that experience.

Arizona

I’ve visited Arizona twice – once as a tween with my Gran and again in 2016 with Austin. We stopped to explore Petrified Forest National Park, Horseshoe Bend, the Grand Canyon, and Antelope Canyon on our road trip from Tennessee to California.

Arkansas

I stopped in Arkansas in 2016 during my road trip from Tennessee to California. I wish I had a picture because I stopped at a TCBY here – in the state where TCBY started. In case you didn’t know, I love all things ice cream and TCBY was an obsession in my family. (Ok, it’s still an obsession but TCBY locations are so much harder to find these days!)

California

My most memorable trip to California was in the summer of 2016. Austin and I spent that summer in Los Angeles. He was completing a grad school internship and I was on summer break. Every night and weekend we devoted ourselves to exploring Los Angeles. Over the 4th of July weekend, we drove up the PCH to visit San Fran and Yosemite National Park.

Colorado

Colorado was one of the last states I visited but also one of the most exciting. In August 2021, Austin and I flew to Denver, rented a car, and made a road trip up to North Dakota, over to Yellowstone, and back into Denver. During the trip, we spent a day in Rocky Mountain National Park which was just as breathtaking as I imagined.

Connecticut

Living in New York made it easier for me to get to Connecticut. In 2019 I visited Yale during a long-weekend trip to Rhode Island with my family. And Austin and I have taken a few day trips to Connecticut – specifically to Mystic and Stamford.

Delaware

Delaware was one of the last 10 states I visited (despite living so close). I finally made it in December 2021 but forgot to take any pictures. On the way for a weekend in DC, Austin and I stopped in Wilmington for dinner at a delicious Mexican gastropub called Del Pez.

Florida

I grew up going to Florida and since my brother now lives there I’ve visited the state more times than I can count. While my trips typically revolved around Disney World, my visits to Miami and to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral were especially memorable.

Georgia

Growing up in Tennessee meant frequent trips to Atlanta for concerts and IKEA hauls. Most recently I visited Savannah for a few days after Christmas 2022.

Hawaii

My 50th state! Hawaii was a dream come true. I finally made it to Kauai and Maui in September 2022 to reach my goal of visiting every US state.

Idaho

My stop in Idaho wasn’t very memorable mostly because it came at the end of a long road trip from Tennessee to Washington State. But I stopped for coffee and crossed off another state.

Illinois

Most of my time in Illinois has been spent in Chicago. In 2021 I took a long weekend to visit Wisconsin and Michigan (two states I hadn’t been to yet) and spent a few nights in Chicago during that trip.

Indiana

Most of my trips to Indiana were for family reunions – including this 2013 trip – but in 2022 some of my best friends got married in Bloomington and I was so excited to be part of their special day!

Iowa

Iowa was a quick coffee break in 2017 on our cross-country road trip from Tennessee to Washington State. Not the most memorable state but I count it if I stopped and purchased something in the state.

Kansas

After spending the night in Kansas City, Missouri, Austin and I drove to Kansas City, Kansas for some doughnuts.

Kentucky

I feel like I keep saying this but growing up in Tennessee made it easy for me to visit Kentucky a few times. (After all, Tennessee is bordered by 8 states). In 2016 Austin and I took a quick trip to Mammoth Cave National Park where we got to explore a part of the state I’d never experienced before.

Louisiana

Some of my best friends surprised me with a trip to New Orleans for my bachelorette party in 2015. This was a joint bachelor-bachelorette party weekend filled with lots of laughter, late nights, and delicious beignets.

Maine

I made it to Maine for the first time in 2019 and ended up going twice that year. Acadia National Park is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been and seeing this landscape during the fall is absolutely unforgettable.

Maryland

I spent a few days in Friendsville, Maryland in 2018 for a family reunion. This was one of the last times I saw my Gran before she passed so the trip holds some special memories for me.

Massachusetts

I’ve been to Boston a few times but Salem always stands out as my favorite place in Massachusetts. I’ve visited Salem twice in October and it’s always fun to feel that spooky vibe while I’m there.

Michigan

Michigan was one of my last few states to visit so I planned a Midwest long weekend in 2021 and spent a few hours at the Hickory Creek Winery in Buchanan.

Minnesota

I don’t have a great photo of my time in Minnesota but this state was crossed off during a family reunion in 2005. My grandfather grew up in Minnesota so my extended family planned a trip to his hometown which was really special.

Mississippi

I took a brief day trip to Oxford, Mississippi in 2014 with Austin and one of my best friends.

Missouri

During our 2017 road trip to Washington State, we stopped in St. Louis for this family photo-op. We spent the night in Kansas City, Missouri, and enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner there.

Montana

I’ve been to Montana a few times and it was actually one of the first states I visited as a baby. However, I don’t count that trip since I have no memory of it. As an adult, I made it to Bozeman, Montana during my 2016 road trip to California. And in 2021, we spent the night in Livingston, Montana before going to Yellowstone.

Nebraska

As you can probably guess from this picture, Nebraska wasn’t a big stop for me. But during our 2017 road trip to Washington State, Austin and I stopped for lunch in Nebraska. This was my first time trying Taco John’s.

Nevada

I went to Nevada for the first time for my 21st birthday – a girl’s trip to Las Vegas with a family friend and our moms. I’ve been back twice since and while it’s never been quite my scene, I’ve always had a good time!

New Hampshire

In 2018 I visited my aunt who lives in Vermont for a cross-country skiing weekend. She took me and Austin to Bretton Woods in New Hampshire for a crash course!

New Jersey

I moved to Jersey City, New Jersey in 2021 and while this wasn’t my first time in the state it is certainly my most memorable experience!

New Mexico

New Mexico holds a special place in my heart. My Gran took me to New Mexico for an Elderhostel (essentially a week-long educational summer camp for grandparents and their grandkids) when I was in elementary school and I had the chance to go back in 2016 for a brief stop during my cross-country road trip.

New York

I came to New York for the first time when I turned 13 for a girls trip with my mom and another mom-and-daughter duo. The city stuck with me, I returned countless times, and I finally moved to Manhattan in 2018.

North Carolina

I’ve spent a lot of time in North Carolina since it was so close to where I grew up and I cherish the memories I’ve made with so many of my friends in this state – from the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh to New Years celebrations in Asheville.

North Dakota

North Dakota was not my 50th state despite the numerous gas station magnets I saw with phrases like “saving the best for last” but it was one of the most surprising. Austin and I visited in 2021 during our road trip from Denver and we spend a day exploring Teddy Roosevelt National Park. This was the first time I had seen so many wild bison and let’s just say I was pretty terrified.

Ohio

I have family in Ohio so I grew up visiting and last year I had the chance to go back for my cousin’s wedding. I added some days to the trip and spent some time in Cuyahoga Valley National Park before checking out the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Oklahoma

I stopped in Oklahoma on my 2016 cross-country road trip. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from that stop but Austin and I spent the night in this state for night one of our adventure from Tennessee to California.

Oregon

Moving to the Pacific North West in 2017 gave me the chance to explore Oregon. I spent some time in Portland and Crater Lake National Park while I lived in that part of the country.

Pennsylvania

I took my first trip to Pennsylvania when I was in high school but since moving to New York I’ve taken plenty of weekend trips to Philly. Running up the Art Museum steps Rocky-style never gets old.

Rhode Island

In 2019 my family took spent Labor Day weekend in Newport, Rhode Island. We toured Gilded Age mansions and spent plenty of time walking on the beach.

South Carolina

Growing up, my family took tons of beach vacations to Kiawah Island in South Carolina. We often stopped in Charleston on the way and I have fond memories of seeing Rainbow Row as a kid. I went back in 2019 for an epic Bachelorette party.

South Dakota

South Dakota was an unexpected highlight of my 2017 cross-country drive from Tennessee to Washington State. Austin and I stopped at Mount Rushmore but we also spent time driving through Badlands National Park and even got to squeeze in a short hike.

Tennessee

My home state! I grew up in Tennessee and have explored almost all of it. Some of my favorite places here include Chattanooga and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Texas

I stopped in Amarillo during my 2016 cross-country drive for some roadside attractions and Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery were two over-the-top roadside attractions that I’m glad I didn’t miss.

Utah

Utah was a highlight of my 2016 cross-country adventure. Austin and I spent a few days here exploring Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

Vermont

One of my aunts lives in Vermont and I have a great childhood memory of visiting her. In 2018, Austin and I went for a visit (which I mentioned in the New Hampshire section!) and we spent time cross-country skiing on her property. One of the best parts of the trip was going outside at night to see the stars.

Virginia

I went to Virginia a few times growing up for trips to Williamsburg and Virginia Beach. In 2022, Austin and I spent our anniversary weekend in Harrisonburg so we could hike in Shenandoah National Park.

Washington

Austin and I went to Washington State for the first time on our honeymoon in 2015 and then we moved to Seattle in 2017 and spent the next few months exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I’ll always be grateful for my time in that part of the world and it still amazes me just how incredible the hiking is there.

West Virginia

My grandparents lived in West Virginia so I took tons of trips to see them as a kid. We did some exploring on those trips and I visited New River Gorge before it became a national park.

Wisconsin

In 2021 I finally checked out Wisconsin which was one of the last states on my list. Austin and I spent about a day in Milwaukee enjoying cheese curds and beer.

Wyoming

Wyoming was one of the most beautiful states I’ve explored. In 2021 I camped for a few nights in Yellowstone National Park before driving through Grand Teton National Park.

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I hope you enjoyed reading about my successful adventure to visit all 50 states. What’s up next? I’m slowly working my way to every US National Park.

If you are looking for more, here are some highlights from my journey to all 50 states:

7 Places to See in Acadia National Park

Your Go-To Guide for a Perfect Charleston Bachelorette Party Itinerary

What to Do in Charlotte: My 48-Hour Weekend Guide

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