50 States, One Wild Ride 🗺️

Why all 50?

I decided to go to all fifty states because I realized just how huge the U.S. really is, and I wanted to actually understand a little bit about the culture and history of each state, not just read about it. I already loved traveling, and I especially love traveling frugally: figuring out the cheapest flight, the best hostel, the way to see the most with the least. I never rented a car either, just public transit and the occasional Uber or Lyft, and I never checked a bag: one backpack, every trip, the whole way.

Most of these trips were solo. That wasn't the point, but it became one of the best parts: I made a lot of friends living all over the country, and this project gave me a real reason to go meet them, state by state. Looking back, I think this whole thing says something about how I operate generally:

The Journey

From a single weekend in Boston to a final flight into Anchorage: the shape of a challenge that grew faster every year.

The Data Behind the Trips

72 trips leave behind a lot of numbers. Here's what they say about how, and how cheaply, this project actually got done. (Figures below cover the 50 states plus a side trip to Washington, D.C.; they leave out international and Canada travel.)

A Few Extras

All 50 States ✅

Every state below was visited at least once, hover any one for the city and date of the first trip there.