How do people visit all 50 states? How long does it take them? Can you visit all 50 at once? While there are endless variations on how travelers visit all fifty states, there are some common themes.
Life Journey to All 50
Cannonball Run
One Epic Trip
Regional Trips
Cross Country
With a Purpose
Life Journey to All 50
Cannonball Run
One Epic Trip
Regional Trips
Cross Country
With a Purpose
life journey to all 50
Most people visit all 50 along their life journey. During childhood states were visited during trips to visit family and family "road trips". During college-age years, people often branch out and travel to new places for school, They meet people from different places which give them reasons to visit new parts of the country. Other opportunities open up for travel. Others join the military and travel to bases across the country and the world. Careers take us to places we never expected to go. All 50 staters are truck drivers, aircraft accident investigators, flight attendants, consultants, music artists. Then as adults we take vacations or trips as a break from the normal routine. Retirement, for many, offers more freedom to travel to places that people have been wanting to go to. Somewhere along the way we start counting how many states we have been to. Many find they are about 35 states and then make plans to go to the rest!
Life Paths to All 50
Alicia Rovey, All Fifty Club President
Chrstine Dell'Amore, Wall Street Journal, I Was Determined to visit all 50
Lori Spangler, author of Miles of Memories
Life Paths to All 50
Alicia Rovey, All Fifty Club President
Chrstine Dell'Amore, Wall Street Journal, I Was Determined to visit all 50
Lori Spangler, author of Miles of Memories
cannonball run
Few people actually do the Cannonball Run method to go to all 50, but most of us are intrigued by the idea of it! How fast can you actually go to all 50 states? It can be calculated! No Grand Canyon, No Golden Gate Bridge. This is gas stop and go! Don't feel too bad for people who travel this way though - it is usually a repeat trip and there will surely be more trips back to states in the future.
Cannonball Runs
50States7Days - Nate Williams, Brian Mehrens, Josh Willis, Chris Watson. Time: 6 days, 17 hours, 31 minutes
Gary and Peter Flanagan - 8 days 20 minutes
Calculation of another fast method.
Cannonball Runs
50States7Days - Nate Williams, Brian Mehrens, Josh Willis, Chris Watson. Time: 6 days, 17 hours, 31 minutes
Gary and Peter Flanagan - 8 days 20 minutes
Calculation of another fast method.
one epic trip
Statue of Liberty, the St Louis Arch, prairies of Kansas, so many places in the U.S. to visit. These travelers decide to see it all! The sights are calling their name and saying the time is NOW! Some people in this category have sold their homes and quit their jobs, then bought and RV and traveled the U.S.A. This route will take much longer than a speed trip through the states because in order to go the main SITES means more than just crossing a state border. These travelers are going to the heart of many states and zig-zagging across the country.
Example Epic Trips
All 50 State Capitols
National Park Trip
Optimal Landmark Trip by Randy Olson
RV Trip
Afif Abla - from JFK to LAX and LAX to JFK
Example Epic Trips
All 50 State Capitols
National Park Trip
Optimal Landmark Trip by Randy Olson
RV Trip
Afif Abla - from JFK to LAX and LAX to JFK
regional trips
The U.S.A. is full of so many sights to see it is very difficult to determine what where to go let alone how to go to many places on one trip. Also small things like having to work and having to pay for the trips get in the way. A 50 state journey can be more obtainable by breaking it up into multiple trips. Some travelers are very intentional about these trips by mapping out their trips from the onset - with a 10 year plan.
Example Regional Trips
Example Regional Trips
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Alaska and Pacific Northwest - 3 states (AK, WA, OR) Many flights to Alaska route through Seattle so travelers can incorporate a visit to the state of Washington and nearby state of Oregon before or after a trip to Alaska. Alaska and Pacific Northwest Travel Blog |
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Yellowstone Trip - (ND, SD, MT, WY, ID). This trip incorporates some of the most popular national parks. Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons. |
CROSS COUNTRY
Going all the way from coast to coast or border to border allows you to experience the vastness of the U.S.A. Most people may do a cross country trip by car or train, then take regional trips to complete all 50. Really long road trip across the country tend to be the most memorable - bound to have some unexpected experiences!
Example Cross Country Treks
Example Cross Country Treks
I-40 map from Wikipedia
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Interstate 40 - 8 states, (Barstow, California to Wilmington, North Carolina) Major sites: Lake Havasu City, Grand Canyon, Alburqueque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, LIttle Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Smoky Mountains, Asheville, Wilmington, North Carolina
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Southwest Chief Map by Amtrak
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Amtrak Train Southwest Chief - 8 states (Los Angeles, CA, AZ, NM, CO, KS, MO, IA, Chicago, IL) incredible scenery, cross country train experience. Southwest Chief Travel Story |
 Route 66 map by guideantravelfiles.wordpress.com
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Route 66 - 8 states. (Santa Monica, CA, AZ, NM, TX, OK, KS, MO, Chicago, IL), unbelievable scenery, nostalgia, history |
with a purpose
Some 50 staters began their journey not to visit all 50 states but to instead to take a passion to all 50 states. These diverse and unique accomplishments are listed on the Travel Goal Getter/All Fifty Club Record Holders Page.
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What to do after all 50
What to do after all 50? This question will be answered in a future blog, but part of the answer is to go back to all 50 again via a different theme! Regardless of how you get to all 50, you become a 50 stater, a member of the All Fifty Club and accomplished a lifetime achievement with travel memories.
Photo Credits
51capitolsin51days
Mount Rushmore picture from creative commons Collins_Family
I-40 map from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40
Amtrak Southwest Chief map from Amtrak www.amtrak.com/southwest-chief-train
Route 66 map from https://guideandtravel.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/route-66-map.png
