50 before 50

By | September 9, 2015

Have I seriously never posted about the 50 before 50 aka visit all fifty states before I turn 50 challenge? Maybe because as of last year, I didn’t think it was going to happen:

States visited as of July 2014

States visited as of July 2014

But 2015 has been very good for my progress:

States Visited: May 15, 2015

States Visited: May 15, 2015

States Visited: September 15, 2015

States Visited: September 15, 2015

With this past week’s trip to New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado (amazing! pics to come), I hit the 30 state mark. If it wasn’t totally cheating, I could even count Utah, but I won’t.

at the Four Corners Monument in September 2015

at the Four Corners Monument in September 2015

The craziest thing? If Labor Day were August this year it would have been an insane number of states as between 7/31 and 9/7 I was in:

  • North Carolina (airport only)
  • Nevada
  • New York
  • Connecticut
  • Rhode Island
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • New Hampshire
  • Arizona
  • New Mexico
  • Colorado

Repeats in August, but still! Also with my 2015 progress I have:

  • hit my first “A” state
  • Finished off the “C”s with Colorado

I don’t think I’ll hit any other states in 2015 so it’s time to think ahead to 2016. I have the National Parks Pass valid through the end of September 2016 so that’s a likely starting point. I could:

  • finish off the Anna Pigeon parks in states I haven’t been to. Would give me: Utah (Glen Canyon), Michigan (Lake Superior’s Isle Royale), Mississippi (Natchez Trace) and Minnesota.
  • Do a spring trip to a location where I could easily get more states, such as Memphis
  • Do others that have been on my bucket list which are a combination of the above and other factors: Yosemite, Salt Lake City, Mt. Rushmore, Glacier. That could definitely/partially be done via the Zephyr, although driving back on the table.

Park hopping is definitely an option, decisions, decisions

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