This post is really long because it was drafted while taking a long road trip mixed with trips down memory lane. We had so much fun thinking back on all of our trips and are amazed at how many states we've visited together since our first trip back in February, 2006. We are excited to finish my 50 by 30 mission and come up with a new goal. I've on,y got 4 states left and we have plans to see 3 of them already set. When, oh when, will I get to North Dakota?!?
Alabama- They've got a rest stop with an old rocket ship displayed that was amazing as a young girl. Jackson got to go to space camp here. (Do I sound jealous of this? I am. It was one of my biggest wishes growing up to get to go to space camp and it never happened. Jackson rubs it in. Often.) Alabama is also home to one of my favorite college football teams...Roll Tide!
Alaska- this is scheduled to be our final state hit on this quest. We plan to be in Alaska on Jenna's 30th birthday!
Arizona- Listen, the Grand Canyon is pretty and all but don't plan to spend a ton of time looking at a huge hole in the earth or you may get bored. Phoenix is certainly worth the visit and if you make it to the top of Camelback Mountain I salute you. (We intend to return one day to finish that monster hike.)
Arkansas-Well, we stopped here. Jackson swears that the western side if the state is actually much nicer and pretty. Blytheville didn't have much to offer and it was the "big city" in NE Arkansas. I'm sure there are nice areas, but the state just looked tired. The interstate wasn't well maintained and that matters to road warriors.
California- We LOVE Cali. It is such a diverse state. So. Cal is crowded and hot but full of awesome things to do and see. We highly recommend hiking Runyon Canyon to get some awesome views of the area. San Diego is a little overrated, in our opinion. No. Cal is just gorgeous. San Francisco is one of our all-time favorite cities. Pebble Beach's 17-mile road is one of the prettiest we've ever driven. We feel like we could spend months exploring California. We still want to see Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, Palm Springs and Lake Tahoe to name a few.
Colorado- We also love CO. Denver will always have a piece of our hearts and we'd be open to living there again. The Rockies are some of the most beautiful mountains ever and we loved climbing them!
Connecticut- Hartford is a miss. New Haven, home to Yale, is certainly a redeeming quality of this state. We'd still like to spend some time on the coast where the rich people of New York spend their downtime.
District of Columbia- (Ok, I know D.C. is not a state but it is worth mentioning.) I think every American should spend Independence Day there at least once in their lives. I cannot begin to explain how awesome it was to see fireworks going off over our nation's capital. We love the Georgetown area of the city and really enjoyed some of the museums around town. The customer service in DC is absolutely terrible, though. We think it has something to do with taxation without representation since they're fired up about that enough to complain about it on their license plates.
Delaware- Don't go to Rehoboth Beach (or at least don't go on the 4th of July like we did). As far as we could tell there wasn't much going on in Delaware and we're ok with not making a repeat trip. If you beg to differ please recommend places to go or things to do there.
Florida- We love Florida. The UF Gators are my #1 favorite college team- CHOMP! CHOMP! GO GATA! Palm Beach is one of our favorite spots to vacation to and we'd love to live there one day. We weren't terribly impressed with The Keys. While we prefer the metropolitan feel of the Atlantic Coast, we do love Siesta Key on the Gulf side. Jackson wants to point out that he enjoys watching me in misery as we cross the monstrous Sunshine Skyway bridge. I think he's an ass for that comment.
Georgia- There was a long pause while we contemplated what to say about this state. We've driven through it quite a few times and hated it each time (Atlanta's traffic sucks 24/7, we'd swear it). Jackson says that Atlanta's Buckhead district is super nice as he worked in that area a couple of times. I'm not buying it. And whatever you do, do NOT go to the underground mall in downtown ATL. We would like to get to Augusta one day to see The Masters played, but its placement during during tax season makes it tough to plan such a trip. Oops- we forgot about Savannah! It is a really cute little city with beautiful homes and fun tour guides (we'll never forget you PoohBear).
Hawaii- I've been and Jackson hasn't (take that, space camper!!!!!!). I flew to Honolulu on September 25, 2001 as in a mere TWO WEEKS after 9/11. It was the longest flight of my life- not in actual duration of course but it felt like an eternity. I've still never been happier to land. My Mom and I enjoyed seeing the city and visiting my Uncle Derek. We hated the food (mainly sushi) and nearly starved. (Ok, that's a little dramatic.) We'd like to visit Maui and we wouldn't mind doing this sweet photography tour through Oahu that we got for my Mom for Mother's Day as she is going back in a couple of weeks.
Idaho- Check back with us in September and I'll tell you all about it. Rumor has it they know their way around a potato ;)
Illinois- Jackson once lived in Champaign and he will tell you ALL about it. He honestly only lived there from ages seven to ten but manages to reference it nearly once a week. It happens so often that I actually exclaim "DING!" whenever it happens much to his chagrin. He now has a memory lane tour on his mind and is searching for our first free weekend to go for a visit. Great. ;) My first trip to Chicago as a child was a disaster as my Mom couldn't figure out how to get to our hotel from the interstate and we must have taken this one loop 10 times before successfully exiting. Now we love Chicago especially in the summertime as river cruises and Cubs are quintessential summer activities. The only things we have left to really do in the city are to dine atop the Hancock Tower and visit the Shedd Aquarium.
Indiana- We're both from here so it is near and dear to our hearts. We bleed crimson and cream for our Indiana Hoosiers (No, it doesn't bother me in the least that Ball State signs my paychecks and they're not my favorite Indiana collegiate team.).
Iowa- We have both driven through it and didn't see anything worth stopping for- ha! I actually stayed the night there once on a drive from Denver to Indy (I took the long route to visit Iowa and Nebraska, in fact) and met more Hawkeyes fans than I ever cared to. ;)
Kansas- We love Kansas. Jackson's paternal side of the family lived in and around Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk! If you've met us you've likely heard that there is a Petefish drive on campus (actually named for Jackson's great-uncle who was an attorney for the University and still has a law office with his name on it in town years after his death) that makes the school one of our favorites. Lawrence is an awesome college town and we'd love to catch a game in Phog Allen Fieldhouse one day. Jackson's grandparents, Mary and Art, lived in Ottawa when he was growing up and he has fond memories of hanging out at his Uncle Howard's farm outside of that small city. We also love to stop in Colby, Kansas at a rest stop with fake palm trees that calls itself "the oasis on the plains" whenever we drive through on I-70.
Kentucky- I'm actually composing this entry as we drive through Kentucky. (I had to have to distract me from Jackson's driving. At one point he actually had his shoes off and feet crossed as we navigated through traffic. What the heck?) We loathe the University of Kentucky Wildcats. They are in fact our least favorite professional basketball team. (They're supposed to be a college team but since they pay their players we classify them as professionals. #WatShot) We each have fond memories of visiting the lakes down here- Dale Hallow for me and Kentucky Lake for Jackson- when we were younger.
Louisiana- I finally got to see New Orleans in late 2012. The city was so neat that it almost made our first (and last) cruise worth it. The beignets at Cafe DuMonde are worth the trip by themselves. A word of warning: beware of the powdered sugar walk of shame. Ha! Also, if you manage to eat all three that come in an order by yourself you may feel genuinely awful afterwards. (No, no, we're not speaking from experience. Of course not. Ha!) The city felt very European and was quite different than any other city we've visited in the United States. We'd like to explore more of the Gulf Coast someday, but those people can keep their rabbit and sausage gumbo!
Maine- We adore Maine. The first time we visited and saw a sign proclaiming Maine as "vacationland USA" we scoffed. Now we understand. It is a gorgeous place. The lobster is cheap. (So cheap that they actually have laws about how often the state's prisoners can be served lobster in a week because it used to be served nearly daily. Isn't that wild?!) Maine is also a huge state so we've only really explored the southern coast so far. We fully intend to spend a lot more time there in the future. I am determined to see a moose while visiting sometime!!
Maryland- Annapolis was a quaint town. Security officers at the Naval Academy took themselves so seriously that it was almost comical. We were thoroughly unimpressed by Baltimore the one time we visited. I've since heard good things about the city but we've not had to desire to give it a second chance just yet.
Massachusetts- Boston is one of America's best cities in our opinion. It is so rich with history and American pride. We enjoyed (most of) our time there and regret not living there longer. I'd always wanted to see Plymouth Rock so we made that trip once. Warning: it is a very small rock that isn't terribly impressive. We may be the only former residents who actually applaud the city for the "big dig" project. Those tunnels made life a lot easier in a crowded town filled with aggressive, angry drivers. The Boston Marathon was one of our favorite events held in the city and we hope that this year's terrorist attack won't put a damper on such a special tradition.
Michigan- First, the visit Michigan commercials are amazing and should win awards every single day because they make me want to go so badly! Anyway, we spent an Independence Day in St. Joseph one year and had a great time. It was an adorable little town. Detroit isn't much to write home about. We'd really like to get to Traverse City and Mackinac Island in the near future.
Minnesota-The home of the Mall of America. It was a huge mall, that's for sure. I had a good time shopping there but I don't need to return. ;) Jackson's family rented a lake house up there once and he had a nice time.
Mississippi-Goodness. Where do we even begin? Admittedly we only visited the Ole Miss campus and shopped around Oxford's courthouse square for one afternoon. It seemed to be stuck in the past...like in 1950s or 1960s. We don't mean just stuck in the past as far as appearances (though it was), but in attitudes towards racial equality too. That's not ok with us. We've never visited another place so completely different from the rest of the United States. I was really disappointed.
Missouri-I've been up in the Arch in St. Louis. Jackson hasn't. (I went when I was younger. I don't think I would go up again. It was very sensitive to the wind!) We've never been terribly impressed with Missouri to be honest. Maybe we are missing something but we found St. Louis to be a dirty, tough city.
Montana-We'll see this gorgeous state in September, too. I am so excited! (Jackson has been here when he visited Yellowstone as a kid and hid from buffalo- ha!)
Nebraska-I loved Nebraska for its people. I drove through in August, 2010 by myself with my convertible packed full of luggage since we were moving from Denver to Boston. I packed a lot of my clothes with me because I was spending two weeks in Indiana before the move. I'd just finished graduate school and was 26 years old (man, I just don't age!!) but must have been asked 5 times if I was starting school at the University of Nebraska. You guys- those people saw my inner youth. I loved them! I always will. I wear my HUSKERS shirt with nothing but love for those people. I actually thought Omaha was a pretty cool city and understood why Warren Buffet called it home. Jackson was a part of the National Junior Olympics held in Lincoln, NE in 1987 running the 4x4. He stayed at the Cornhusker hotel and loved it.
Nevada-If you want to experience Las Vegas in all of its glory you must travel with my Dad and step-mom, Diana. We joined them in Vegas after I finished graduate school and they put us up at Caesar's Palace. We made a ton of Hangover references during our stay, of course. Anyway, Dad and Diana were favored guests at like every casino in town so we all got treated like celebrities everywhere we went. We are so spoiled now that going back on our own would be lame! I'd been to Lake Mead on an early trip and saw the Hoover Dam then. It was pretty cool.
New Hampshire-We really like Hanover and found Dartmouth's campus to be quite charming. (As it turns out, I didn't find Hanover charming enough to relocate there to work at Dartmouth after receiving a job offer. Oops.) Portsmouth has a really adorable downtown that feels like it hasn't changed since the colonial days.
New Jersey-Princeton may be the only redeeming quality that this state has in my opinion. The campus is gorgeous and the surrounding town was just beautiful. Jackson would love to play Pine Valley Golf Club if anyone can get him an invite. ;) (I'd like to tell the members of that old boys' club just what I think of their "exclusive club" that only allows women to play on Sunday afternoons. Gag me. Douchebags. End of rant.) We do try to fly out of Newark when we have connecting flights because we love the view of NYC's skyline when taking off from that airport.
New Mexico-White Sands was really pretty. I visited on a youth group trip when I was younger. (I wanted to see it because Boys II Men shot a music video there. Goodness, some stuff never changes. That sounds like something I'd request even now. Ha!) Jackson's been to the four corners. We've always wanted to go to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta but we've just not made it out yet.
New York-NYC is it, baby. We love "the city" and try to visit at least once a year. There is just something about the energy there that makes it so fun to visit. We feel like we could go there 100 times and still not experience everything. We've also been to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo where the buffalo wing was "invented." They're good, but other restaurants have improved on their recipe. We saw Niagra Falls from the U.S. side only because our passports were packed in the back of our moving truck. Supposedly the Canadian side is better which isn't saying much as that area of town was pretty rundown. The Falls are incredible, of course, but the little town around it is lacking.
North Carolina-We love North Carolina! Asheville is home to the Biltmore which is magnificent and was definitely worth the price of admission (we got free tickets) to tour. Charlotte is a great city (they even have Sonny's aka the best BBQ restaurant EVER) that we really enjoyed. The Raleigh/Durham area was just beautiful and home to two of the prettiest college campuses that we've seen (and we've seen a lot of them) as it is home to UNC and Duke. (Yes, Duke has a gorgeous campus. Too bad they fill it with jerks so no one with a heart can actually cheer for Duke.) The Outer Banks is a great place to spend some quiet time. We highly recommend the Nags Head Beach Inn as it is our favorite B&B ever.
North Dakota-WHEN WILL I GET TO SEE YOU?!?!?!?
Ohio-We've hung out in Cincinnati a few times. Kings Island is a prerequisite for being a teenager in central Indiana, too. Cedar Point is better, though. We'd like to get to NFL Hall of Fame in Canton next time we're headed East.
Oklahoma-I went shortly after the Oklahoma City bombing to see the damage done. I'll never forget that devastation. (Yes, we did make a detour on our youth group road trip from Marion to Phoenix just so that I could see the bombing's aftermath. My pastor, Jenny, is still one of my favorite people ever.) Jackson had family there that he visited as a kid. That's a little shaky, but he claims he remembers being there. (Uh huh.)
Oregon-We really enjoyed Oregon. It has some of the most beautifully scenic roads to the coast that I've ever seen. Their trees were just amazing. I love trees and theirs were so huge! We saw Multnomah Falls and were amazed at the beauty. One of our favorite cousins, Dede, lives out there (her former residence was in Boring, OR how cool is that city name?!) and was an excellent hostess for us.
Pennsylvania-Jackson's spent more than his fair share of time in Chambersburg where his maternal grandparents lived. (He and his grandma occasionally butted heads because they were both strong-willed individuals. Note: She must be having the last laugh as my strong-will beats Jackson's 96% of the time.) Pittsburgh's airport is WAY too far from downtown to feel comfortable in a cab alone at 3 in the morning due to a delayed flight while traveling on business. Ugh. That stunk! The downtown was actually really cool, though. We love Philly and all of its historical significance. Jackson will never forget the sandwich he had at Reading Terminal Market either. It is a gorgeous city that one European woman we met called it the U.S.'s version of Paris. We still laugh about that.
Rhode Island-Block Island (minus the ferry ride over on the sea's angriest day ever) was awesome. We road bikes and ate ice cream and it was lovely. The lighthouse on the island was really pretty, too. We spent an afternoon shopping in Providence and visiting Brown University. It was a nice town, but we prefer Boston.
South Carolina-We took our first trip as a couple to Charleston and stayed on the Isle of Palms for Valentine's Day 2006. (We cannot believe it was that long ago!) We really enjoyed the city and all of its culinary offerings. We've been to Hilton Head twice and can testify to it being much more enjoyable during the "off season" due to the crowds. We loved riding our bikes on the beach and visiting Harbour Town.
South Dakota-Bear Country U.S.A. is a stop we won't ever forget. The drive-through zoo where the bears literally rubbed against our car was pretty wild. MacKenzie was certain that the wolves wanted to play. We were certain that they saw her as a treat! We got baby bear cubs eat leftover sheet cakes from the local grocery store which was pretty much the cutest thing ever. We went to Mount Rushmore for Independence Day and got a great photo of the monument right before the fog rolled in and messed up the fireworks display. It was still a cool place to visit.
Tennessee-We were surprised at how much we liked the Memphis area. Germantown has to be one of the nicest suburban areas in the U.S. Nashville is also a fun city that we debated about calling home at one point. Things didn't work out that way, but we still enjoy visiting.
Texas-We've both been to Texas, just not together. Jackson's family lived in San Antonio when he was young. He hasn't returned. I'd always wanted to see Amarillo and I did on my youth group trip. It wasn't anything too exciting. I did see tumbleweed which made my trip to Texas complete. I spent a few days in Ft. Worth with my friend Megan a couple of years ago and thought it was a really cool city. We plan to spend some time exploring the state eventually.
Utah-Jackson gave my name to the Mormons and still laughs about it today. We visited the Great Salt Lake and were surprised at the stench.Jackson did float in the lake but was disgusted by it. I was having none of it. The water was like slime. Park City was beautiful and we'd love to return. Arches National Park was horrible for my allergies but fascinating to see. Moab was an interesting city in that it was surrounded by mountain walls,but the Mexican food in town was amazing. MacKenzie still hasn't forgiven us for Karen's K9 Camp.
Vermont-You really can get maple syrup at ANY interstate exit. It is a beautiful part of the country and worth a visit. We hiked in Montpelier and really enjoy our time there.
Virginia-Jackson was born in Richmond! My friend Megan got married in Radford back in 2005 so I drove out with some girlfriends. It is a really pretty drive and we've done it a few more times to get to Crystal City which is where we stay when we visit D.C. The traffic in Virginia is like some I've never seen anywhere else so I'd never live there.
Washington-Seattle is a lovely city where we'd happily live if the opportunity presented itself. We loved Bainbridge Island as it was so quaint and provided gorgeous views of the city's skyline. We could certainly spend more time exploring the area and eating the world's best chocolate chip cookies from Cow Chip Cookie Company.
West Virginia-We have driven through this state numerous times. We've not spent much time exploring it as MTV's BuckWild really portrayed how we view the area. Maybe that's not fair but that's how it goes. We would like to whitewater raft in the New River but the world is big and that's not at the top of our list.
Wisconsin-I went to the Dells with a friend's family when I was younger and enjoyed a ton of waterparks. Jackson has just driven through. We'd love to attend a Greenbay Packers game at Lambeau Field, though.
Wyoming-We actually think this is one of the prettiest states and we've not even seen the mountainous region yet. You can go for extended periods of time without seeing any signs of life which is kind of refreshing sometimes. Speeding is seemingly acceptable because no one is around. We cannot wait to spend some time at Jackson Hole and visiting Yellowstone.
In closing we think it is clear how much we've enjoyed completing this 50 by 30 quest. We have seen some great places and had a lot of fun along the way! :)
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