I work at a university with international students. I had one student ask me if I would be taking them on a tour of all 50 states while they were here for the semester. I had to break it to him that the US is far too big to cover all the states in just a few months. But I understood the feeling since one of my bucket list items is to visit all 50 states. I feel fortunate to have seen all the places I have. I’ve seen most of them, in fact it is getting to be easier to list the states that I haven’t visited then to list the states that I have visited. But even with the states I’ve been to, there is always going to be more to see and explore within that state. I have called 3 states home and still there is a mile long list of places I still need to see in my home states.
As of right now, I have visited 33 of the 50 states. We have some end of year trips planned which will add 2 or 3 more to my list (Ohio, Connecticut, and maybe Vermont- can’t wait to see them!) and we are hoping to add a few more states next year. Most of these trips will be taking us north into the Midwest and the North Atlantic states. And at some point I still need to visit the nation’s capital of Washington DC.
So today I want to share those 17 states that I have yet to visit and some of the points of interest that I hope to see when I go there.
{Connecticut}
Whenever I think about Connecticut I think about Yale University, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the country. I would love to take a walk through the campus and admire the architecture. Also on my Connecticut list would be the Mark Twain House & Museum dedicated to the famous author and take a tour of the oddly wonderful Gillette Castle where mystery novels come to life.
{Delaware}
At the top of my list of things I want to see in Delaware is the Neamours Estate. This French inspired estate has been wowing guests since the early 1900s. After that I would head to the beach to soak up some of the beautiful coastline that the state boasts of.
{Hawaii}
Hawaii is filled with gorgeous beaches and amazing hikes. I would want to visit all of the national parks on the islands (all 9 of them) and also make a visit to the Pearl Harbor Museum and the Polynesian Cultural Center.
{Illinois}
I really want to go and stand beneath the giant Bean sculpture in Chicago with the city behind me. I would also want to visit the Lincoln Home National Historic Site to learn a little more about President Lincoln.
{Iowa}
Amid all the beautiful farmland of this state, there are some places that I would love to visit such as the future resting place of Captain James Kirk of Star Trek and the Lovers Leap Swinging Bridge.
{Maryland}
There are quite a few places I would love to see in Maryland including the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Museum, take a walk through the beautiful town of Annapolis, and visit as many of the beautiful state parks possible.
{Minnesota}
Thinking of Minnesota just brings to mind a wealth of places to see all the natural beauty of the state. I would visit Voyageurs National Park and as many state parks as possible. And I’d make a stop a stop at the Mall of America just to see this immense icon.
{Nebraska}
Admittedly, Nebraska doesn’t have a long list of places to see. But I would love to see the natural wonder of Scott’s Bluff National Monument and then some of the more quirky places such as Carhenge , Museum of the Fur Trade, and the Roller Skating Museum.
{New Jersey}
After spending a day on one of the boardwalk amusements parks, I would take another day learning at the Thomas Edison National Historic Park and then go visit the lighthouses that line the coast.
{New York}
Ah, the Big Apple. My list of places I’d visit in NYC is quite extensive with a visit to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty at the top. But outside the city, I would like to see the Roosevelt National Historic Sites honoring both Theodore Roosevelt and Elanor Roosevelt. Then I’d go upstate to soak up the all the natural beauty that sometimes is overlooked compared to the excitement of the city.
{North Dakota}
At the top of my list is a visit to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park with its dynamic landscapes. Then a visit to the National Buffalo Museum would round out my visit.
{Ohio}
I’m quite excited that the next state to be added to my list will be Ohio with a visit to Cuyahoga National Park. Here’s hoping that the leaves have changed by the time we get up there so I can see the park in all of its fall glory.
{Oklahoma}
Oklahoma is home to a number of museums that I want to see including the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, and the American Banjo Museum. Also the state is filled with beautiful state parks just begging to be explored.
{Pennsylvania}
My history loving heart would have a heyday in Pennsylvania with visits to Liberty Hall and getting to see the Liberty Bell and trips to Valley Forge and Gettysburg. If you need me, I’ll be lost in history for a few days.
{Rhode Island}
Because Rhode Island is home to a prominent school of art and design, I would probably spend a lot of time in the art museums and then wandering through the beautiful seaside towns that have been inspiring artists for ages.
{Vermont}
Fall is for discovering all the covered bridges through Vermont. I could spend all my time just driving the back roads and taking endless pictures of all the covered bridges that I find.
{Wisconsin}
Grabbing a picnic lunch with some of the local cheese that the state is so famous for I would then take to the trails along the rocky shores of the state parks. Every view just makes me want to be immersed in the beauty.
There is just no end of places to explore in every state. Thanks for coming along today on a brief look at the states that I have yet to visit. Can’t wait for the day that I can say that I’ve been to all 50 states! 33 down and only 17 to go.
Wow, you’ve covered so much of the country already! Looking forward to reading about your journey as you make your way through the rest, eventually. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 Every part of the states is so different
Thank you 🙂 Every part of the states are so different. So its always fun to see what makes them so unique.
You’ve covered a lot of ground and you’re well over halfway to your goal! Our country is beautiful and diverse, and every state has something to offer.
Thank you! There really is so much in every state that I think it is impossible to see everything. But I am sure going to try 🙂
You’ve done really well to have covered so much ground. How exciting that the end is within sight and you can start picking them off over the next years. I have done 7 ha ha. We would love to take our roadshow to The States and really focus on perhaps one or two states for an extended period. But it’s complicated, as Sladja would need a visa and boy, which states would we choose?!?! We have a few frontrunners in mind but I suspect will continue to travel vicariously through you for the foreseeable future.
Thanks Leighton 🙂 It is exciting to be getting closer and closer to seeing them all. I bet the visa process is right mess right now. Even the students I work with say their visa approval is hit or miss. Here’s hoping that you can take your American roadtrip one day. Although you probably would need more than one roadtrip because each area of the country is so different. Which states are your frontrunners for this future trip?
I’d say top three (in no particular order) would be California, Colorado and Maine. And yeah, it would be a really hard thing to pull off, but we’ll keep it in mind for further down the line.
Just 17 to go then. 33 is not a bad total to date, I’m just a little bit behind. Well, thirty behind, to be exact…!
You will just have to come back for another American road trip and add some more states to your list 😉 The music scene in Tennessee might be a good place to start!
Meg, we should be traveling together! The states you haven’t visited almost matches the ones we haven’t visited. You’ve got a great list going!
That’s amazing that our lists almost match. We should be traveling together! What a blast we would have exploring all these states and marking places off in the national park passport book! 🙂
Most definitely!
Best of luck trying to visit each and every state. That’s something on my travel bucket list as well, although I have a bit of a ways to go as I’m only at 21.
That’s great! You’re almost half way there! Next on my list will be to see all of Canada 🙂
Awesome! You’re getting pretty close. I lived in Connecticut for 6 years, so if you’re looking for some ideas of places to see while you’re there, there are a few posts about the state back in the archives of my blog. Mark Twain house and Gillette Castle are both worthwhile stops. There are also some pretty state parks down on the coast.
Oh that is great to know! I will definitely go and check out your posts for some ideas of what to see in Connecticut 🙂 I hope you have a great weekend!
I love this post! So glad you’re excited to come to my neck of the woods. Maybe we can meet up when you come to Minnesota!
Id love that! All the more reason to visit Minnesota 🙂
Fun idea to write a post about places you haven’t been to! You’ve covered far more states in your travels than I have, perhaps unsurprisingly since you live in the country 😆 But I see a couple of states on this list that I have been fortunate to visit – Vermont, New Jersey (we spent a lovely week in Cape May) and New York. I’ve visited NYC twice and would love to go back one day! Meanwhile I hope to add Illinois to my own list next year as I have plans to visit Chicago 🙂 I’ll look forward to hearing about your Ohio trip as that’s a state I know very little about.
Thank you, it was a fun way to start making some plans so I could see more of them. How exciting to have Chicago on your list for next year! I’m looking forward to reading all about it 🙂
Many adventures left for you Meg, interesting to note that I’ve been to New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin. I loved Minnesota, we were visiting a good friend there. My hubby would have happily spent three days in the Mall of America!
Oh that is good to know! All the more reason to go and visit it and we can compare notes 🙂
You’ve done well so far!
33/50 is great! I hope you visit the rest too
Thank you! It feels so close to seeing all 50 🙂
You’ve seen a lot already Meg and I’m certain your travels will, over time take you to the remaining states. Hopefully I’ll get back to the US in the next year or two and see more myself as your posts are so inspiring! Have a great weekend. M.
Oh thank you Marion 🙂 I’m really looking forward to being able to say I’ve been to all 50 one of these days. I hope your next US adventure brings you to the south!
I hope so too!