I got to thinking the other day about the number of U.S. states I have visited.
I'm not sure why this thought popped into my head. Maybe it's because we're still in the midst of the summer travel season and I have some kind of latent desire to travel. Maybe I felt like waxing nostalgic about past journeys. Maybe I just saw a map of the United States and it sparked a memory.
Whatever the reason, my number stands at 32. As in, I've been in 32 states. A pretty noteworthy number, I suppose. I'm kind of proud of it. Only 18 more to go.
Most of the states I've been to center in the midsection of the country, as well as the South. Most of the states I'm missing are in the Northeast and the Northwest, as well as California. And Alaska and Hawaii, of course.
The farthest west I've been is Williams, Ariz. That trip occurred when my college roommate and I took a trip down old Route 66 around the time we finished college. We got as far as Williams before we started running out of time and money and decided to turn for home.
The farthest north I've been is Bemidji, Minn. For three summers during my youth, my family vacationed at a rustic resort on the shores of a lake called "Fifth Crow Wing" in northern Minnesota, not far from Bemidji. I think we visited the town to see the giant statue there of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox.
The farthest south I've been is Palm Bay, Fla. My wife and I were there visiting friends while in Florida on one of our trips to Walt Disney World.
My farthest east spot is a little trickier, but I believe it is Yorktown, Va., the site of the penultimate battle of the Revolutionary War. I visited this spot with my dad a few years ago during a tour of historical sites in the area. My dad is a retired U.S. history teacher, and I've always been interested in history myself, so we've taken several history-related trips through the years.
The state I've spent the most time in is still Iowa, where I was born and raised. Although the gap between Iowa and Arkansas is closing quickly. I lived in Iowa for just under 19 years, while I'm now in my 14th year as a resident of Arkansas. It will be quite the landmark for me in a few years when the Arkansas span surpasses the Iowa span. I might have to finally start talking slower.
(For those keeping score at home, I also lived in Missouri for a little over eight years, minus a few summers.)
The state I've spent the least amount of time in is North Carolina, where my visit was limited to a few hours in the Charlotte airport. Some folks might say being in an airport doesn't constitute a true visit to a state, but I'm still going to count it.
The state I haven't been in that's hardest to spell is Connneticut. Or maybe Conncecticut. Or Connecticut. Whatever.
The state I've vacationed in the most is probably either Missouri or Florida. It seems like I've been to St. Louis about a dozen times on various pleasure trips -- it's an easy drive from both Blytheville, as well as my childhood home of Cedar Rapids. My Florida trips have all been to Disney World. I've visited the theme park five times now -- twice with my high school band; once with my wife, sister and brother-and-law, before we all had kids; once with just my wife and kids, when the kids were 7 and 4; and once a few years later, with my family, my sister's family and my dad. Now that I think about it, it sounds like a lot of visits.
The state I've never been to that I'd most like to visit is probably Hawaii. Or maybe somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. The state I've never been to that I'm most likely to visit is probably New York. I really have no burning desire to go there, but I figure a guy can only go so long without setting foot in the Big Apple.
I've run half-marathons in two states -- Tennessee and Missouri. I'm hoping to add to that number in the years to come, with Arkansas being the most obvious locale to add to the list in the year to come.
The highest I've ever been (excluding airplanes) was in Colorado, just last summer. We drove to the top of Pike's Peak, which was quite the thrilling endeavor. For anyone thinking of attempting the same feat, I highly recommend packing a clean pair of underpants.
The lowest I've ever been was probably in Louisiana, where parts of New Orleans, I'm told, are below sea level.
Someday, maybe, I'll be able to boast that I've been to all 50 states. It seems like a worthy goal. And perhaps it's attainable. After all, it only took me about 40 years to see my first 32 states; surely I've still got plenty of time to check out the other 18.
aweld@blythevillecourier.com