Discussion: 2 to go

Hard to imagine you are missing any, you two so well traveled. I picked up Alaska in 1994 when the US Champs were there. Epic journey with J-J, James Baker and Craig Murray. My last one was Oregon, but I've been there a few times since. The only one-timers are the aforementioned Alaska, Mississippi, Arkansas and North Dakota.

:-)

We hadn't been orienteering long enough in 1994 to consider traveling to Alaska, but we knew about it because of ONA.

We got into a corner of Arkansas earlier this year (when we were in TX), and North Dakota after the SD Rogaine we did a few years ago. Teddy Roosevelt NP is an okay national park, but I liked SD's badlands better. I see no need to go back to ND but would consider visiting the Ozarks sometime if the opportunity presents itself. And to be sure I have TN I'd visit the Great Smoky Mountains or Memphis....

My only trip to ND was also O-related. J-J and I flew into Grand Forks and drove to a meet in Manitoba.

Mike gave me a Christmas present a few years ago: a weekend trip to Mississippi. Yup, that was my last state. We drove to Memphis and spent the night across the border (my rule for visiting a state). Went for a trail run in Mississippi the next morning, then back to Memphis. Maybe there's a reason Mississippi is last for several of us :)

As I've said before, your rules are much more stringent than mine (about spending a night). I see no need to be as tough on myself. :-)

MS doesn't have an O club or notable tourist destinations. I suspect our visit there will be another "drive by."

An overnight is a good rule. I didn't stay in MS overnight, but I did drive across the state, and pulled off to ride my bicycle about 20 miles along the Natchez Trace parkway, which seemed like enough familiarity to count. I spent the night in Arkansas once in a hotel in Little Rock, but it was just driving through, mostly in the dark, as I recall, so that one is pretty questionable.

Drove through MS in about 1954 enroute to TX to see grandparents. Don't remember much but Vicksburg was neat with great views over the river from the fort. Otherwise been to them all. ND was really nice on a road trip - camping in TR NP with bison showing up around the tents. Several other excellent campgrounds along the Missouri R. Landed in Alaska twice - going to and returning from the Far East of Russia, further east than Siberia, in January about 1992. Had several hours between flights and we hired a cab for a tour around Anchorage including a stop at the museum. Interesting place. In the airport there was a cage with huskies in it that would try to attack anyone that came near. The owners tried to cordon off bystanders. Got the rest of the states in the course of time and events. Memory makes some quite fun, others more foggy.

Well done, George, getting to them all. We've made it a challenge to ourselves since we were about in the mid 30s in the state count. I'd have to subtract a number of states (KS, OK, AR, RI, NE, and the recent IA) that I know I/we just drove into or through.

Memory makes some quite fun, others more foggy.

;-) My family went to Alabama (and drove through a bit of Tennessee) when I was 14. Dad had a temporary assignment at the space center in Huntsville. I remember some of the things we did in AL but mostly it's a blur.