The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
Picture this: You’re in rural New Mexico and, after a long, tedious drive you are about to check in to your motel for the night. But something’s wrong—the reservation you made weeks in advance isn’t showing up in the system. Even worse, you have no phone service and your laptop/iPad is dead. Now you’ve got tired kids and a short temper, and no way to prove that you pre-paid for a room. There’s one … [Read more...]
Montana is simply put one of the most beautiful states in the entire country. We were lucky enough to explore the southern and western regions following some of Lewis and Clark's trail and learned so much about Montana's incredible history. Shaped by four types of people as depicted in the State Capitol Building in Helena-the Native American, the explorer and fur trader, the miner and the cowboy, each has left an … [Read more...]
Wow, I'd we we'd had more time here to explore. I would have loved to have spent some time on the Snake River, checked out a paper mill or a potato farm but we just didn't have the time. Idaho is like the shy sister whose beauty is not as as celebrated as her more popular sister Montana. Because Idaho Falls was our starting and stopping point for our loop which took us through some very pretty scenery, we did get … [Read more...]
In the Atlanta suburb of Buckhead sits a real gem of a museum, The Atlanta History Center. There is so much to learn here about this amazing city and its special place it holds in this region. The kids and I found this museum really interesting for a variety of reasons, but what was most insightful for us west coasters was learning about Atlanta's significance during the Civil War. One of the most important … [Read more...]
Time to explore the Georgia Capitol Building. Ever eat a dish that didn’t have enough salt or spices? That’s how Georgia’s capitol building is—bland. The building is pretty from the outside and as we drove up we were super excited to run in and see what treasures lay in store for us inside.. Sadly, inside there just wasn't a lot going on in fact it couldn't hold a candle to some of the more elaborate … [Read more...]
The South is wonderfully lush and beautiful. From the green Kudzu plant that covers everything, to the smoky BBQ, to the twangy accents peppered with “y’all,” you know you’re in a culturally rich, interesting, and unique place. We were very excited to explore, but really had no idea what to expect. When I think of Georgia and the Carolinas, I think of lemonade on the porch, biscuits and grits, and weeping … [Read more...]
Our 50th state, Hawaii is comprised of a group of islands all different and uniquely beautiful. On this amazing trip we had the opportunity to visit Kauai, Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii and Oahu. We learned about natural wonders like black sand beaches, volcanoes and the abundant sea life that inhabit the water surrounding the islands. We learned about Hawaiian history and culture, how the Polynesian peoples … [Read more...]
When I think of Florida, I think of fun in the sun, heck it’s called the “Sunshine state” right? All the retirees who affectionately call themselves ‘snow birds” flock to Florida in the winter to escape the cold. Well, we thought it would be just grand to head to Florida on winter break, spend some time at the beach, which we love, and turn it into a road trip taking in the sites along the way. Just as … [Read more...]
During the planning phase of this trip, the theme sort of came to me just by looking at the activities and historic sites. Many things had to do with waves of different groups who came to settle in these states to begin a new life far from the foreign lands they’d come from. It’s what makes cities across this area so interesting and unique—places like Chicago, a wonderfully diverse city where you can explore … [Read more...]
Texas is the largest of the contiguous 48 states but its bold spirit and larger than life character almost overshadow its enormous size. Because there was so much ground to cover we decided to explore Texas on it’s own and in 9 days we still didn’t get to see all of it. I really would have like to explore places like Amarillo in the north and Padre Island to the far south but it just wasn’t possible to do it … [Read more...]
