The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
As Americans so many of us take for granted all the awesome stuff we have right here in our own backyard. So many folks feel it's not a real travel adventure unless they're going somewhere exotic and far away like Europe, Asia or Australia (I admit, I too have a hankering to discover Australia). How refreshing it was for me to hear from the Richard family, who after trekking through all the Canadian provinces with … [Read more...]
Planning a road trip through a big city like Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York City where you'll need more than one day to check it out? How do you figure out how to manage your time to see as many things as you can? I found myself in that predicament recently in planning our 16th road trip to New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In this post I'll show you step by step how I planned and plotted my way to an … [Read more...]
I've just returned from clear across the country, moving my daughter Lilia, my eldest child, into college on the east coast. It's an exciting and emotional time launching your child into the big wide world. As I stared at the huge mountain of stuff on the curb, besides wondering how it was all going to fit into the small dorm room (which it did), I realized there was so much more I was leaving her with than just … [Read more...]
As a single mom, I know how expensive it can get seeing and doing lots of activities on a road trip. All those great museums, national parks, and other awesome attractions can really add up fast. That's why it's especially amazing when we come across free activities which are most times as good if not better than most of the things we pay for. Here's our list of our top 10 most awesome free activities that we've … [Read more...]
There were many things I was excited to learn more about on our road trip to New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, but by far the one of the things I was most looking forward to was a visit to Ellis Island. So many of us from immigrant stock (myself included) can trace our ancestors first stop here on their way to their new life in America. Although no longer in use as an immigrant processing facility a total of 12 … [Read more...]
From the land of Lincoln, to the Gateway Arch, through Iowa farmland, the wilds of Minnesota to the home of Harley Davidson. Here's a music playlist to keep you humming along as you explore the great Midwest. Enjoy some St. Louis Blues, and a bit of Polka from Wisconsin along with some other hits as you hit the road. "Chicago" Frank Sinatra "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" Jim Croce "You're The … [Read more...]
Every time we take a factory tour we feel it- enormous pride watching hard working Americans doing their best to make a quality product who are proud of what they were doing and eager to share it. This is the spirit that makes America great! Inspiration, innovation, and dedication. My kids and I LOVE factory tours, they are what we most look forward to on any road trip. It all started with a show I … [Read more...]
We love finding people like ourselves who are on a quest to see all 50 states and sharing their story. Most folks haven’t seen them all, but occasionally we meet someone who has been to all 50 like Mark Davidson who we had the pleasure of meeting at the LA Times Travel Show. Mark first became fascinated with the idea of seeing all 50 states at age nine when he played with a puzzle of the 50 states - the same … [Read more...]
Road tripping can be fun and incredibly educational but it can also be a great way to explore a particular interest, pastime or hobby, such as baseball. On my last road trip to New England, I had the great pleasure of meeting the Richmond family who make their home in Boston and are dedicated Red Sox Fans. Larry and Tracy are the proud parents of Caleb and Owen (ages 10 and 8) and their family has taken on the … [Read more...]
As we approached Milwaukee, the kids were starving and we happened upon an amazing Mongolian BBQ place called BD’s Mongolian Grill. It’s a buffet of raw veggies, meats, noodles, and rice with various sauces. You assemble your bowl and then hand it to the cook who stir fries it up on a big flat wok. This place was not only beyond delicious, but it was also fun to do. The kids loved the idea of putting everything … [Read more...]
