See the USA

To drive and visit all 48 contiguous U.S. states in one trip. That had been my dream for many years. I came close to doing it in 1972 however I got promoted to a new job and spent the summer moving instead.

Well, the dream didn't fade and after my retirement from IBM at the end of 1996, I made plans for the 48 state trip to be done in 1997. Mission accomplished! What you see in the map photo on this web page is the route I took to achieve my goal.

I began my trip from my home in Nevada in May 1997. I swung south to the Grand Canyon and then aimed for the "four corners" where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico share a common boundry. I stopped at Mesa Verde in Colorado and continued north to Wyoming and then South Dakota. I then changed course and headed south through Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma, winding up at my one time home in the Dallas area.

Again, I changed course slightly, seeing Arkansas and then south to Louisiana. I went east to cross the gulf states of Mississippi and Alabama, passed through northern Florida and then headed north up the Atlantic coast. It was a straight shot through Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia. I continued on through Maryland, parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

I passed through the New England states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusets and New Hampshire before reaching my trip's eastern extremity of Maine. I did a u-turn then and headed southwest until I reached Kentucky. From there I went north to Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, through Illinois and north through Wisconsin and Minnesota. From there my journey took me through the Big Sky Country of North Dakota, Montana and onto Utah.

At Salt Lake I turned to the northwest and visited Idaho and Washington before turning south for a final leg through Oregon, northern California and back home to Nevada.

Was it a long trip? Yes, it was. Did I enjoy it? You betcha! Would I do it again? Yes, I have plans laid already.

You can read a full account of my "See the USA" trip elsewhere on my web site.