posted by Travel Cat on Mar 8
North America is such a vast place, with something different in every corner for you to see from huge mountain ranges, vast wildernesses and sprawling cities. And to be honest most of us have been to a few states already, either for fun or for work.
But, have you ever felt the urge to visit every state for no other reason than to tell all your friends that you have?
Well look no further – here are some easy travel tips to help you achieve your rather peculiar ‘dream’.
All in one go? – If you decide to do it as one great trip, you can easily meet your target by using national transport. You may laugh, but you can actually buy a self-renewing ticket on the Greyhound buses that allows you continued travel from the date of it’s first use until the end of the package you brought.
I recently did this for 14 days myself, travelling from Florida, across to Texas, up to Chicago (to visit my Nan), then wound my way back to the Keys! About 20 states in total, although I didn’t get off the bus for most of them to be honest!
Depending on your preferences, you can arrange accommodation for every night, but we just slept on the night buses. We usually freshened up on board, as they have restrooms on the long-haul vehicles (check ahead though), or at the next services. We met some nice people at the bus depots too, but many stations were down-town, so it could be a bit of a walk to the main city centers, especially as you have to carry your own bag around all day.
A similar deal can be had with Amtrak; with the trains being faster than buses and the stations being nearer the action; but not so many run overnight, so you will need more places to stay this way.
Done this Year? – How about setting yourself the target of visiting a few every month, that way you could have them all crammed into the next 12 months!
Check out a map for adjoining state boundaries where you can get to at least 4 without really trying – perfect if a 5th state is only a few hundred miles away too then set off. There’s a whole bunch of states up around New York to hit together, with the west being a bit more spread out.
Or, depending on where you are based, it’s possible to get a plane to the most distant state, then catch a train back to where you started. Check out the best deals either way, and make sure your connecting trains actually connect without having to get accommodation overnight if you don’t have the time (or want to spend the money). For example if you’re starting in Texas; you could catch a plane to Florida on the Friday night, and have zig-zagged your way back thru about 6 or 7 states over the weekend. Same next month, but fly to California – there’s another 5 states done.
Try to travel off peak if possible, this will not only reduce your costs, but will prevent you getting squeezed off a train due to families with giant prams or business travellers with laptops everywhere, making your whole journey much more enjoyable.
Keep on at it through the year and you will be able to tell your friends all about it by Christmas 2008! Maybe even collect a postcard from every state you visit, with the date on the back for each one to prove you did it.
Nice and Slow – Alternatively, you may want to ‘soak up the atmosphere’ of every state and actually travel within each area rather than just flit through them, checking boxes. Obviously, this will take time (aim for 3 to 5 years realistically), but you could have it down to an art if you plan it well.
Best to take short weekend breaks by car or train to neighbouring states, then add in a few mid-week breaks to those further afield. It will be easier to start with those closer states, but make sure you stick to your schedule and make a further trip at least twice a year otherwise you will find these dragging on, possibly never being visited. It goes without saying that if all the states you have left to visit are in far flung corners you will never want to get to any of them in a hurry! You’ll drag your heels and have nothing to boast about to your friends and family!
Make a plan and stick to it. Ideally involve other people in this to keep you motivated – or actually ask other people to come along, cutting the costs and doubling the fun (depending on your friend – my friend snored!). It is also easier to stick to plans when you have made them with someone else, as it’s a bit difficult to talk yourself out of it if someone else is really excited about the whole thing!
Whichever you choose, good luck with it and stay safe if travelling alone.
Feel free to write to me here, on the blog, with your story and you might just get yourself published on one of my Readers Postcards post!
I’ll let you know when I’ve got round them all myself, with a special self-congratulating blog post of course!
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