What constitutes having "been to" a state or province? That's a question that has stirred up considerable debate in online discussion forums. It is generally agreed that airport layovers do NOT count nor do fly overs. Drive or ride through a state? That's debatable. I personally DO count it so long as I am awake and aware. For example, you can pass through a corner of West Virginia on I-70 or Arizona on I-15 for all of 15 minutes. I say you can count it unless you were taking a nap at the time but you would definitely be encouraged to do a lot more than that.
Here's another issue: How about if you were taken to a state when you were a baby or a toddler and have no memory of being there? I've always counted it before but now, I'm not so sure. That's part of the reason I want to go to New England next Spring. I have VERY faint memories of Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts but don't remember being in Connecticut or Rhode Island at all. If the most lenient standards are applied, I've been to 49 states with only Hawaii missing but if you only count the ones in which I've done something memorable, my total drops to 42. No doubt that a half marathon race is a significant experience so that's 32 right there. Here's what I've done in 10 others:
Maine- Flew in Bangor and drove to Nova Scotia. Also ran on the State University track on the way back. On a previous visit, I walked on the beach near Kennebunk and spent a night in Portland.
New Hampshire- Rode through the White Mountains and stopped in Concord to tour the State Capitol with an interesting guide.
Vermont- Spent a night in Rutland and had dinner at a local restaurant. Drove through the Green Mountains.
Maryland- Actually lived and worked there for 3 months and spent many happy hours in Ocean City in the summer of 2000.
Delaware- Crossed the border many times from Maryland and spent some time on these beaches when I wanted something different.
New Jersey- Been here several times because I have in-laws who live there. Also ran a Junior Olympic track meet here in 100 degree heat.
Minnesota- Flew into Minneapolis and drove to Fargo. Stopped for pizza at a local restaurant and walked around the Mall of America.
Utah- Spent a night in St. George and hiked/ran in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park.
Washington- Breakfast with an old friend in the Seattle area. Also spent a night in Spokane and ran on the Centennial trail.
South Dakota- Parents took me here on vacation. I was only 8 years old but that's definitely old enough to remember specifically Mt. Rushmore, hiking and fishing.
Clearly, all 10 of these meet the requirements of something significant but there are 7 others that don't. In addition to the aforementioned 3 in New England, I did very little in Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa. In all 4, I did nothing other than stop at a grocery store, a gas station or McDonald's just across the border. All 4 have a lot more to offer than this.
Now on to Canada:
I've been to 7 of the 10 provinces. For the record, my favorite is Alberta but there's a lot to like in all of them so far. I think I meet the "tough requirements" in all of them.
British Columbia- Spent a night here and hiked through 2 beautiful national parks on the epic road trip in the summer of 2017.
Alberta- Toured Calgary and Banff. 2 nights spent and saw some of the most beautiful scenery on Earth on the same epic road trip.
Ontario- At least 3 different visits here, most notably a day and night in Toronto.
Quebec- This is my most questionable province. I was only about 6 years old but I do remember a couple details such as a hike up steep stairs in QBC and being greeted with a "Bonjour" by our waiter at breakfast. As an aside, I encountered a few French Canadians in Alberta who appreciated that I greeted them in French. I intend to be back when I race in Maine/New Hampshire.
New Brunswick- I did not spend a night here but did tour the town of St. John by foot as well as the Bay of Fundy NP and ate at a local restaurant so that's definitely enough.
PEI- Walk on beach, night in Charlottetown with a meal and walking tour.
Nova Scotia- Race in Halifax.
Missing 3:
A drive from South Dakota to Sasketchewan will be tough but do-able and I can come back through Manitoba. Most likely, I will spend the night in the former but not the latter.
Newfoundland will be tough and the best chance is to break up a trip to Europe and slowly adjust to the time change. I hear St. John's is worth the visit.
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3 comments:
Agree pretty much with the travel definition. I tend to think of "driving through" as a "no" unless a stop was made for a specific activity. OR the purpose of the drive through was a scenic drive. (But not "driving into Arkansas from Memphis" just to say I've "been there"...though very easy to do!)
Thoughts on the 3 Canadian Territories? Plan to visit? I admit to not realizing that the 3 territories were NOT provinces (and am pretty embarrassed to admit it, actually)...but I had to look it up when I realized that "Yukon" was not on your visit list!
Hey Melissa. Good to hear from you. Everyone has their own rules as to what counts and I've only recently taken the strict requirements. I'll shore up Michigan and Wisconsin this summer plus the 3 in New England. As for the Canadian territories, never say never but those are not on my bucket list. They are simply too remote with not enough tourist attractions. For example, the largest city in Nunavut has a population of less than 10,000.
Totally get it! My definition get stricter as I age as well and as I have opportunities to create my own experiences. 27 under the strict definition...32 counting childhood...lots to explore!
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