Why ALL 50 States?

I find myself asking this same question sometimes while we’re traveling and having trouble finding a parking spot or when I am staring down mileage estimates. Yet, again and again, I am daydreaming of places I’ve never been or blazing the asphalt where I may never be again. Wondering about the history or why something is named as such is often the first draw or spark to ignite research and adding destinations to many of my ever-growing lists.

Coming from the Appalachian hills, rolling along old, beaten paths, backwoods highways, seeing the hidden dells and coves where I grew up cemented my love of exploring the winding highways to see what’s around the bend. Seeing all 50 states, though?

This became more of a dream as I was an adult and in particular after encountering a professional colleague who was a teacher and passionate individual. She was also very close to seeing all 50 states when she was diagnosed with cancer. As the cancer progressed and became terminal, her friends and loved ones rallied and took her for one last road trip to see her goal fulfilled before she passed. That loving gesture, combined with my own love of Americana, history, anything kitsch, National Parks, and the freedom of the open road rolled into something I revisited many years later after I had started my own family.

I had already visited many states myself, as had my partner. However, it dawned on me one day that we had these tiny people to educate and to show the world around them: why not start with their own country? I vaguely mapped out ideas and did some very vague math to settle on the goal of seeing 50 states before the kids turn 18. So, with two children aged two and under, we began our journey.

This Etsy shop caught my eye. Kristin has many different kinds of scratch offs for all sorts of adventures.