My trip to the islands over the last two weeks included a major bonus for me in addition to the military history, hiking, great foods, and great friends. The visit to Hawaii means that I have now visited all 50 states. Indeed, I have now hit most of the territories with the exception of American Samoa (which is long over due for a constitutional lecture).
It took over 50 years but I now have the full set. I can honestly say that I enjoyed every state and found something unique in each one. Indeed, I have hiked in virtually every state with the exception of Rhode Island and Delaware. I have found that each has its own natural beauty and culture. I have also now visited Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas. I was long held up by Alaska and Hawaii but had offers for speeches within one year that finished out the list. While I love traveling internationally, there are incredible opportunities in the United States for exploration. If you like hiking as I do, the different ecosystems and environments are incredible. We have an incredible country for the adventuresome – regardless of whether you are looking for different cuisines or different countryside or both.
Finishing with Hawaii was not planned but could not have been better!
| AL | Alabama |
| AK | Alaska |
| AZ | Arizona |
| AR | Arkansas |
| CA | California |
| CO | Colorado |
| CT | Connecticut |
| DE | Delaware |
| FL | Florida |
| GA | Georgia |
| HI | Hawaii |
| ID | Idaho |
| IL | Illinois |
| IN | Indiana |
| IA | Iowa |
| KS | Kansas |
| KY | Kentucky |
| LA | Louisiana |
| ME | Maine |
| MD | Maryland |
| MA | Massachusetts |
| MI | Michigan |
| MN | Minnesota |
| MS | Mississippi |
| MO | Missouri |
| MT | Montana |
| NE | Nebraska |
| NV | Nevada |
| NH | New Hampshire |
| NJ | New Jersey |
| NM | New Mexico |
| NY | New York |
| NC | North Carolina |
| ND | North Dakota |
| OH | Ohio |
| OK | Oklahoma |
| OR | Oregon |
| PA | Pennsylvania |
| RI | Rhode Island |
| SC | South Carolina |
| SD | South Dakota |
| TN | Tennessee |
| TX | Texas |
| UT | Utah |
| VT | Vermont |
| VA | Virginia |
| WA | Washington |
| WV | West Virginia |
| WI | Wisconsin |
| WY | Wyoming |
| AS | American Samoa |
| DC | District of Columbia |
| FM | Federated States of Micronesia |
| GU | Guam |
| MH | Marshall Islands |
| MP | Northern Mariana Islands |
| PW | Palau |
| PR | Puerto Rico |
| VI | Virgin Islands |
It was Washington DC. The most foreign part of the entire country. Don’t let your Passport and VISA run out in that mess. Might not let you come back to the USA?
Did you like the list of the 59 not 57 States and Territories Federal Districts and partner nations? Count them ….Even getting something right what’s his face got it wrong. Now the question is which two was he dissing Knowing the left wing media will never allow the Bomb to go off on his own without support…PR the partner nation? Picking on tiny little USVI? My oh my what part of the leg o’ chicken of the sea was he NOT referring to? Cant’ have it both ways Juan….THAT”S IT San Juan Williams the secular Archbishop of hate speech. OK here’s your answer. It wasn’t Seig and it wasn’t Heil. But it could have been Stefanie Applesaurce.
Thank you. I am half way to getting published. We made love on the snooker table, and the balls went all all over the place.
Steve57 – this is gay porn? 😉
Visiting 50 states means nothing. Many people have done that. Until you have visited all 57 states, then you may make claim to having visited every corner of the United States:
I wondered what you meant by that until I saw the obvious answer….. Was he counting NY and CA as worth an extra seven?Prelude to a recount? HAHAHA LMAO
How about the new taxcuts excluding those who got a 15% pay raise in one year while the rest of us lost 30% buying power in 2008. Speaking of ObamaramaDingDong and all the HiHo’s!
I think he was counting the 7 territories? I have been to all 50 states and 2 territories,that milestone accomplished some time ago. I’m working a plan for another cross country trip that will take me to more national parks and monuments with revisits to many of those I have already visited. There is an exquisite 9 hole golf course in the redwoods of northern CA that I hope is still there.
It’s on the Redwood Highway tucked away in the mountains I used to live just over the border until Oregon became a bedroom county to California. then I moved to Florida in disgust. Oregon is also known as Appalachia West and has had no economy except exporting high school seniors until their latest venture in home grown Farmaceuticals. Not much else to recommend it. Too Californicated.
Thats great JT, now start all over again just so you won’t have to write about the crimes Trump is pulling on the American people.
I thought all you left wing fascisti were supposed to be on a ten day vacation?
Fooled you again
Somehow I’m glad I didn’t think of saying that.
PESD termed clinically and politically incorrect it’s now PISD. The first term, Post Election Stress Disorder, can be mistaken for a racist term against Latin Americas and was outed. Besides one military veteran explained they really are victims of self induced post inauguration stress diaper failure so its not only politically correct it’s clinically correct. I Pis’d myself and theiy fell off. (had to work in the failure part at the end. The other suggestion was replacing post with pink.
Makes as much sense as any of that Lucy level psychobabble to combat veterans but the pshrinks are always in – Five cents please.
Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee on Saturday, defeating Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, 235 votes to 200 votes, in their respective bids to chart the direction of the national party.
Looks like my favorite part of the Democrat Party took home the trophy! Vecinos Distante No Mas!
Mr. Turley –
Congratulations on achieving one of your personal goals (and, thank you for the use of this forum). Glad YOU (and maybe other users here?) like to explore strange new worlds. Here are some of MY feelings about travel:
“… Enter M’sieur
Lay down your load
Unlace your boots
And rest from the road
This weighs a ton
Travel’s a curse
But here we strive
To lighten your purse …”
– “Les Miserables”, ‘Master of the House’ (abbreviated)
As I’ve said in the past, you must have been a travel writer/photographer in a past life. You do both very well and we all benefit by vicariously participating through your photos and commentary. Keep traveling, JT, and I will go along from my armchair. PS. The trip I enjoyed the most, was your trip to Sicily you made a few years ago. Keep up the fun and we will go along!
Congratulations on visiting all 50 States! That is a great milestone. I still have 3 States left: Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. But I have four trips around the world under my belt and many other international trips. Travel is great. So glad you shared your trip with us.
david – when you finally decide to go to Montana, North and South Dakota, let me know and I will give you some hints on places to go or see. When you make this trip, set away a lot of time.
“The Samoans are lovely people. ”
Yes they are.
“Lose weight ask me how.”
Honolulu, 2004
I s*** you not. On a three hundred pound Samoan woman who was the nicest lady ever.y ni
I’ve had my mind blown too many times to count.
Airport Hilton.
They have cactus in Montana too!
That’s good Can I steal that?
Certainly. I found that out parachuting into a nice field of snow only to get a cactus spine in my foot. That was adding insult to injury…
Serves you right. I have never, ever left a perfectly good aircraft. Barbarian!
There are times when you have to exit the aircraft.
I would be remiss in not saying so.
http://acepilots.com/korea_hudner.html
“…Jesse L. Brown
He was born on 13 October 1926 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He grew up in Hattiesburg, the son of a sharecropper. Brown wanted to attend Ohio State University, in part because the famous Olympic athlete, Jesse Owens, had gone there. Despite advice that he select a Negro college, he applied and was accepted to OSU. While at OSU, and later at Pensacola, he encountered racist resistance to an African-American studying aeronautics and aviation. Nonetheless, of 100 candidates who started the program at Pensacola, he was one of only six to complete it.
He enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve on 8 July 1946, and on 15 April 1947 he accepted an appointment as a midshipman in the U.S. Navy. He attended the Navy pre-flight school in Ottumwa, Iowa, followed by flight training at Pensacola and Jacksonville, FL.
VF-32”
Michael Aarethun – there is a lot of prickly pear in Montana, don’t remember about any of the others.
Michael – you must have sat on some. 🙂
The Samoans are lovely people. They look like the thing they most want to do is rip your arm off and eat in front of you, but they really are very sweet. Great football players, low center of gravity. Not sure if they need a lecture, but a talk would be nice. 🙂
As a military child and since I’ve been fortunate to have been in every state except one, Alaska.
I’m always thinking if I had all the cash I needed where would I most like to live.
I think Santa Barbara probably wins. If not Stonington ME.
Split time there and winner winner lobster, abalone dinner.
Though, with the right amount of cash Manhattan is pretty fantastic.
With the proper “Survival Kit”, a visit to Chicago could be on one’s itinerary also:
“… one .45 caliber automatic; 2 boxes ammunition; 4 days concentrated emergency rations … antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills … one hundred dollars in gold; 9 packs chewing gum; 1 issue prophylactics; 3 lipsticks; 3 pair nylon stockings …”
– “Dr. Strangelove”, http://www.moviequotes.com/fullquote.cgi?qnum=17460, #4108 (abridged).
Kodiak is a nice town. I can show you a bear, as they show up on time, at the dump friggin on target. The SEALS have a training station.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Special_Warfare_Cold_Weather_Detachment_Kodiake
I realize I have invited everything I deserve.
Congrats, JT. I have 2 states to go[Oregon and Hawaii]. I’ve only made it to Puerto Rico for the outlying jurisdictions. There is no better education than travel. As much of a pain in the ass it is, we have lugged our kids from the time they were small all over this country and abroad.
“There is no better education than travel.”
*********************************
Socrates might disagree. He only left Athens three times — and then only to fight in a battle.
Two hints. Take your nose plugs. the two tuna factories dump offal straight into the harbor entrance area and the water is sort of a sickly paris green and smells really bad. StarKist and Prudential Insurance owns the other one.
Second….In American Samoa, a welfare state, they talk about Fa’a Samoa the Samoan Way with one hand and the other out in the international symbol/sign for begging. Next door in the country of Samoa they live that tradition….now that’s worth visiting. Robert Lewis Stevensons home Vailima and his grave site for which the Home is the hunter poem was written as his eulogy are found at the end of a hiking trail.
Getting to the two Samoas. American Samoa including US Post Office (package or mail may or may not be there ) etc. is all routing out of Hawaii etc. Then there is a ferry to Apia and the country of Samoa. From there it’s all routing out of New Zealand and that direction. But barring the clothes pin the country of Samoa is a beautiful place to visit and not to be missed. Where else would you see police officers wearing skirts?
Washington is not a state. It is a nation state that is not part of the United States and not subject to our President or Commander in Chief. Read the recent opinion and court orders from those federal judges out there regarding border patrol. Go there at your own risk. Same can be said for any sanctuary city. We need to post a list of those places on here.