Next Traveler HOME

America is made up of 50 states full of amazing people, rich with history, beauty and wonder. In the fall of 2020, our family took a road trip out west. During that 2 1/2 week trip, we drove 5,786 miles, visited 16 states, 3 National Parks, 1 National Memorial and saw mountains with snow and desert with heat. During that trip, the idea to visit all 50 states in my 50th year, was born. At the end of that road trip, I had visited 27 states. Since then, I have slowly been checking them off the list. Here’s the collection of my 50 by 50 challenge.

The 14 Southern States:
Alabama ~ Arkansas ~ Florida ~ Georgia ~ Kentucky ~ Louisiana ~ Mississippi ~ North Carolina ~ Oklahoma ~
South Carolina ~ Tennessee ~ Texas ~ Virginia ~ West Virginia

The 12 Midwest States – The American Heartland:
Illinois ~ Indiana ~ Iowa ~ Kansas ~ Michigan ~ Minnesota ~ Missouri ~ Nebraska ~ North Dakota ~ Ohio ~ South Dakota ~ Wisconsin

The 11 Northeast States – New England & Mid-Atlantic:
Connecticut ~ Delaware ~ Maine ~ Maryland ~ Massachusetts ~ New Hampshire ~ New Jersey ~ New York ~ Pennsylvania ~ Rhode Island ~ Vermont

The 8 Mountain West States:
Arizona ~ Colorado ~ Idaho ~ Montana ~ Nevada ~ New Mexico ~ Utah ~ Wyoming

The 5 Pacific West States:
Alaska ~ California ~ Hawaii ~ Oregon ~ Washington