States Visited Only Once

There are only a few states that I have visited only once.  Depending on the standard used, that number is either 3 or 7.  In each case except for one, I was there for a race but usually combined it with other tourist attractions.  In order to qualify for multiple visits, 2 separate trips must be done.  For example, going back and forth from Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota does not count.  

Here are the states with only one visit under the lenient standard:

North Dakota- My first and only visit came in 2009 for the Fargo Marathon, where I set a then-PR of 3:43 for my first of 3 sub-3:45 marathons.  I did little else but yes, I can envision myself coming back.  There is Government Bay outside of Bismarck and Theodore Roosevelt NP.  I want to combine it with a visit to Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  I expect that to be underwhelming but I need only 3 provinces in hit all 10 in Canada.  This trip will not happen until Disgustin' Justin lifts the vackseen mandate to enter Canada.

Alaska- I have unfinished business here without Cara's boyfriend.  I was there for the Mayor's Midnight Sun half in 2016 and finished in 1:54.  We saw a good portion of Anchorage plus Denali NP and Talkeetna but missed out on the glaciers in the south around Seward as well as Denali State Park, which has better views of Mt. Denali.

Hawaii- I was just there last winter without a race and feared that it could be my only chance because of a potential vackseen mandate.  Fortunately, that has been lifted and I'll be back in November.  I am DREADING the race but the rest of the trip to Oahu will be fun.  I'd like to see all 4 major tourist islands.  I've only been to the Big Island.  I'll still need Maui and Kauai after this.

Strict standard-

Kansas and Nebraska- In 2016, I did the Scout Challenge half at the Kansas Speedway just outside of Kansas City, Kansas in a time of 1:45.  I also saw a Royals game and the Truman Library on the Missouri side.  I had one prior visit but did nothing  except get gas and eat at KFC.  As for Nebraska, the race was the Autumn River Run in 2018 in 1:57.  I also stopped at a lake and the Scottsbluff Monument.    Again, I had a prior visit in 2010 as a Denver detour but did nothing except make a small purchase at a grocery store.  

A return trip could be a good one.  I'd fly to Denver and drive roughly 7 hours to Lincoln, Nebraska for a night on the town then work my way back with stops at the Eisenhower Library, Little Jerusalem and Gypsum Hills in Kansas plus the Great Sand Dunes NP and Garden of the Gods back in Colorado.

Idaho- My first visit came in 2011 for the Coeur D'Alene half mary, where I clocked a strong 1:33 at mild altitude on a course that may have been a tad long.  It was part of a road trip that included stops in Spokane, Washington and Missoula, Montana.  I did return in 2017 for a photo op outside of Yellowstone but was only there for a few brief minutes.  

I've only really seen the panhandle of Idaho so I really haven't done justice to this state.  A return in planned for next winter in which I will go skiing and see Boise, Shoshone Falls and the Snake River Mountains.  It looks beautiful on YouTube.

Wisconsin- My first visit came in 2008 on a Chicago detour.  I did nothing except eat at McDonald's so needless to say, that doesn't meet the strict standard.  I returned 10 years later for a race near Madison and combined it with a trip to Minnesota and Iowa.  I clocked a 1:50 and have not been faster since then.  The highlight was Door County, which included Whitefish Dunes and Cave Point County Park.

A return trip will be a Milwaukee/Chicago tour.  Milwaukee is one of the only cities with at least 2 pro sports teams that I have not seen.  The Miller brewery will be worth a stop and though rare, surf can pick up on Lake Michigan.  A session with Chicago skyline views could be really cool.   I definitely want to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.