I love to travel. I know some people who love to travel, but I LOVE to travel. I love to dream about a trip. I love to plan a trip. The day before we leave is my least favorite day of the process…It’s always a little stressful. I love to hop in the car and pull out of the drive way and get on the road.

I am also a map nerd!

Around 2003 or 2004, Brent and I made a travel goal for our family. We wanted our kids to see all 50 states before they graduated from high school. We were not sure how to make that happen, but the idea was put into place.

In January of 2004, Elizabeth was 5 and Jonathan was 3. By this point, they had been to New Mexico and California (to see family) and a road trip to Florida to visit Disney (picking up Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama on the way). Elizabeth had also been to Colorado and Arizona before Jonathan was born.

Everyone was so excited in this picture!

So…we began our 50 states journey. In July 2004, we were planning on attending a family reunion in Sedona, Arizona. We decided to take the “scenic route” from southeast Texas to Sedona by way of Mount Rushmore. Just think about that for a minute. That is a looonnnggg way out of the way. But we did it…and learned many things (good and bad) along the way. 10 days….11 states….4,620 miles. (New states: Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Arizona).

On July 26, 2015, we stepped off a cruise ship in Ketchikan, Alaska…State number 50 for Brent, Elizabeth, Jonathan and me. Alaska was number 43 for Timothy. This was the summer before Elizabeth’s senior year of high school.

Ketchikan, Alaska and the partial completion of a goal! 🙂

This month, we are travelling north to complete Timothy’s 50 states….Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Friends and family have been asking me for years to explain how I plan vacations. Now is the time! Who is with me??