Tuesday, May 18, 2010

How Much US Have You Seen?

I never really thought about how much of my country that I've seen until I saw a link to this online mapping generator over at Poppy Brite's LJ:


visited 42 states (84%)


Evidently I do get around. The only states I haven't visited are Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Rhode Island (actually I think I drove through RI at night once but I'm not sure so I didn't check it) Utah and Vermont.

I won't visit Ohio or Utah for philisophical reasons, and the plane trip to Hawaii would be too much for me, but the rest are remote possibilities. I'd love to drive up and see Maine and Vermont someday, maybe in the fall when the leaves are turning colors.

My favorite state is Florida, where I grew up, but I've also loved living in Georgia, Colorado and California. Not so crazy about Texas or Mississippi. Alaska was majestic and astounding but also unbelievably expensive and COLD. One week I spent in Wisconsin was a big surprise; great people, pretty country and lovely weather (all we ever seem to see of Wisconsin on TV is Packer games during blizzards.) If I could go back to one state I've already visited for another vacation it would probably be Washington State; I really liked Seattle.

How much of the U.S. have you visited? Has anyone gotten to see all the states yet? Create your own visited map of The United States

22 comments:

  1. 9 states, but some so little or the memory is so bleary it barely counts. But, Hawaii... I love that place. I went as a graduation present. 17 years old and 6 days all on my mine with zero responsibility = heaven. I stayed at the Marriott in Waikiki Beach. Literally you walked out the hotel and there was the beach. A beautiful place. Not to mention all those military men. Sigh. Would love to go back some day.

    As for the other states, I would love to visit Louisiana. Though Maine has always been my dream place to live. Ireland, France, Italy and Africa are also on the list for places to visit. This subject is making the gypsy in me itch for travel.

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  2. Anonymous12:56 AM

    Please come to Twin Falls Idaho for a book signing at Barns and Nobles then you could mark it off your map. Please.....I will stand in line.
    LD

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  3. I figured up 22 states! Didn't think I'd gotten around that much. Since Iowa is my birth state I highly recommend it. I imagine I think of it as fondly as those of Irish descent do of the Emerald Isle. As much as I miss it, I am content where I am now.

    (A side note: Few months back had talked up a customer- who I learned love sci-fi books- about your SL Viehl books. He snapped a pic with his phone of the cover of Stardoc and said he would look it up. He stayed with us recently and let me know he's read pretty much the whole series now and thanked me.)
    http://flybymoonlight.blogspot.com

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  4. I've managed to hit most of the US except the southern states. I need to get down there. Hawaii is worth the flight, but it really is long. If I went back, I think I'd want to go by cruise.

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  5. I've visited every US State on the Atlantic coast, but no others. You can tell I was a sailor.

    I think my favourite is Georgia, but there are several close runners-up.

    I would love to visit Montana and fantasize about living on a beach in California.

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  6. I'm holding steady at 29 states for the time being. Too bad about not visiting Utah. It's one of those 'nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there' states. (And I did live there for a couple years.)

    Thanks for linking to this, Lynn. It was more interesting for me to see where I haven't been - like the entire west coast. Someday I'll get over there. =o)

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  7. Anonymous9:28 AM

    I've visited 15 states and Washington DC. I love to travel and have been to a few places in Europe as well. If you could ever figure out a way to get to Hawaii, it truely is beautiful.
    I wonder what it is about Ohio that you take issue with? I've only been to Cincinnati, but it was a beautiful city.
    JulieB

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  8. Keita Haruka11:40 AM

    None whatsoever. :D But that will be remedied in September when I come down to visit my partner. I'll be visiting Maryland (where he lives) and Florida (where we will go on vacation) and travelling through whichever states lie inbetween.

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  9. Liz B1:05 PM

    My family has friends who own a cabin in Maine, and we go up every few years. It's so beautiful and peaceful up there. And I literally ran into Stephan King at the grocery store, which was awesome.

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  10. Yeah, what up with your anti-Ohio stance? If you DO change your mind about ye olde Buckeye State, I suggest hitting Columbus, Ohio, most especially the Short North area...chock full of galleries, funky bars, tattoo parlours and rainbow flags. Ohio may not be as unlikable as you think... :D

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  11. I am right at 42%, have been to Hawaii twice and loved it, I take full advantage of living near the West Coast. I get to count Texas and Utah only because I have been there on layovers, but would like to see a little more of the actual states at some point. The closest I have been to the NE is Pennsylvania. I would love to see NY and a few others up there. Fun map!

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  12. Wow, you've been at a lot of US states!! I have been to approximately 25 states and Washt. DC.

    I agree with Tom, Emily, & Brenna. I went to Hawaii a couple years ago and LOVED it. Totally worth the plane trips. You should definitey go. :)

    ~TRA

    http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

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  13. I've visited 22 states, some twice, and I should note I'm a southerner, as in Australian.

    Utah was fab, so was Oregon, Washington and Tennessee. One day, I'll return and maybe see the States I've missed - including Florida and Ohio.

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  14. I managed to visit 16 states, mainly in the South as well as New England. Nothing further west than Texas, though. Still not bad considering that I'm not even American.

    The first time I visited the US as a little girl, I started collecting silver charms shaped like US states for every state I visited plus a few charms depicting notable landmarks. So I have a bracelet to recall my travels.

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  15. 40 states (I haven't visited New England which, if pushed, could be six states - ME,VT,NH,CT,MA,RI - in two days...haha +AK,AL,AR,ND), 11 countries, and four continents (I still need Australia and South America.)

    I think I'll post this on my blog and describe where I've really visited and where I've touched the soil.

    P.S. - I wonder at your philosophical reasons for not visiting UT, but if I had one guess, then I'd say most of ID is off limits, too. I could be wrong about your reasons.

    I do have to say, though, that the Mormon temple in SLC is beautiful at night, all lit up and picturesque and fortress-like.

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  16. I'm in Oregon, and it's beautiful here in the Gorge... but it's not my favorite place to be right now.

    A place without books would be hell, and a county without a library is pretty darn close to that.

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  17. LD wrote: Please come to Twin Falls Idaho for a book signing at Barns and Nobles then you could mark it off your map. Please.....I will stand in line.

    Thanks for the very kind invitation, but at the moment I can't travel or be around crowds of people because of my health issues. I'm hoping someday that will change and more people like me with RA will be able to get out in the world.

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  18. Eugenia wrote: A side note: Few months back had talked up a customer- who I learned love sci-fi books- about your SL Viehl books.

    That's terrific -- thanks for the rec, Eugenia.

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  19. Julie wrote: I wonder what it is about Ohio that you take issue with?

    I have some issues with how they treat women's reproductive rights. Last year, for example, an Ohio state representative introduced a bill that would require women seeking abortions to present written permission from the father of the baby before the procedure could be performed. While I appreciate that many lawmakers in many states want to drag us back to the dark ages of coat hangers and back alley butchers, Ohio seems to be particularly determined to do so.

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  20. emeraldfenix wrote: I wonder at your philosophical reasons for not visiting UT, but if I had one guess, then I'd say most of ID is off limits, too. I could be wrong about your reasons.

    I've never particularly cared for the LDS movement, and Utah is the flagship state. I'd probably get into a lot of trouble if I went there.

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  21. Anonymous11:22 AM

    Thanks for the answer. I had heard of that and had forgotten. The only 4 women (and one man) that I know in Ohio, and the three that I know from Ohio are so similar to me in views of gender equality and fairness that I don't even see the connect there. It does seem to have a political divide at the moment.
    JulieB

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  22. I have traveled to all 50 states. However, I have not been outside of the US, Canada, and Mexico.

    I love California where I live, I grew up in Ohio and much of the state is so beautiful. I also love Oregon, Washington, and Massachusetts.

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