My parents wanted to show my sister and I the US when we were kids so we sent every other summer driving all over the western half of the country. Once we made it to Illinois from California and back in two long months. Since then I’ve driven through most of the Great Plains for football and I work for a company based in Alabama.
The only states I’m unsure of are Oklahoma because we played a team from Panhandle State but I don’t remember playing there and Alaska since we stayed in a hotel there on a layover once. Without them I’m at 22.
I think we balance out. I thought I was voting 41-45, but the poll shows me in the next category up. I’m missing Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Alabama, Mississississippi, and Florida, but I think I’ve been everywhere else (though I’m not completely certain on Iowa).
The standards I use for having officially visited a state are the ones my sister came up with: You have to buy something there, and you have to use the restroom. Using the “airports don’t count” criterion doesn’t change anything, though, since the only one at risk for me is Utah, and I’ve stood at Four Corners.
I don’t think that most people have seen more than 20 miles or so of Delaware. Both I-95 and Amtrak pass through the hook at the top of the state, where Newark and Wilmington are.
I’ve lived in every New England state except Vermont (if you count month long camps and college as living), currently live in New York, and spent the first year of my life living in South Carolina. I also spent a month living in hotels in Washington State last year for a work project. Also, as the OP of the thread which inspired this thread (thanks for stealing posts from me!) stated, I’ve been to every east & west coast state, as well as Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, and Colorado, and I have been to Vermont (Mt Stowe).
Michigan
Indiana
Ohio
Illinois
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Pennsylvania
New York
Massachusetts
Iowa
South Dakota
Wyoming
Colorado
Utah
Nevada Arizona
California
New Mexico
Virginia
California
North Carolina
Washington, D.C.
Fifteen — Minnesota (home), North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Montana, Wyoming, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
I didn’t read the OP completely before voting. That brings me down to 48 from 49, since I’ve only been at the airport in Minnesota. The other state I’m missing is North Dakota.
Most have been hit during my annual baseball park trips. There’s a team in Pawtucket that I hope to see within the next couple of years (perhaps I’ll write a limerick about the experience); and Mrs. Wheelz and I will get to the islands one of these anniversaries.
Alaska, I dunno. Some people I know have taken cruises there and had good things to say, but it doesn’t really sound like my thing. Maybe after I’ve been to RI and HI, I’ll make an effort to get to AK just because.
Let’s see, by region…
I’ve been to Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhodes Island, Connecticut, and New York, but not Vermont or New Jersey. That’s 6 out of 8.
I’ve been to Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, but not Delaware or Wisconsin. That’s 15 / 19.
I’ve been to Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, but not North Dakota. That’s 24 / 29.
I’ve been to Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, but not the Carolinas or Oklahoma. That’s 32 / 40.
I’ve been to Utah, Nevada, and California, but not Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington or Idaho. That’s 35 / 48.
I’ve been to Hawaii, but not Alaska. That’s 36 / 50.
What I can remember off the top of my head. This may not be a complete list. A lot of these were just driving through:
Louisiana
Arkansas
Texas
Kansas
New Mexico
Arizona
California
Nevada
New York
Pennsylvania
Iowa
South Dakota
North Dakota
Montana
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Indiana
Florida
Missouri
Nevada
Utah
Virginia
Illinois
California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.
By my personal criteria, only 12. I don’t count Indiana and Ohio because I just spent the night at motels near I-80, during the course of various road trips between IL and NY. I really don’t feel I experienced anything characteristic about either state.
Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming in the west via car trips. Add to that plane trips to Hawai’i, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.
Montana consisted only of West Yellowstone, and North Carolina was only because I flew into Raleigh-Durham when visiting relatives in Virginia Beach, but I did get out of the car during the drive.
I hope to visit my brother in Colorado soon, and I’d like to take a road trip on the old Route 66 to Chicago.