50 States Before 50: My Ultimate USA Travel Bucket List

My ultimate travel bucket list started small—but quickly turned into a big dream: visiting all 50 states before the age of 50. This goal, often called the “50 states before 50 challenge,” has become one of the most exciting and meaningful adventures I’ve ever taken on.

Like many people, it all started with one of those online quizzes—how many states have you visited? (You know exactly the ones I’m talking about!) That simple moment sparked a bigger realization: I hadn’t seen nearly as much of the United States travel destinations as I thought.

How My 50 States Travel Goal Began

Growing up in New Orleans, my family and I took vacations, so I assumed I had traveled quite a bit. But when I really looked at the map, I realized most of my trips were centered around the Southern United States.

We visited a lot of the same places over and over—especially Florida (those beaches are hard to beat!). While those trips created amazing memories, they didn’t exactly help me check off many states on my USA bucket list.

Since road trips were my main way of traveling, it made it harder to branch out and explore new regions. The idea of visiting all 50 states felt exciting—but also a little out of reach.

Overcoming Fear & Expanding My Travel Dreams

Everything changed at age 27 when I finally overcame my fear of flying and took my first airplane trip.

That one flight completely shifted my perspective. ( a small 4 seater plane mind you!)

Suddenly, the idea of traveling across the country—and even the world—felt possible. My desire to explore new places, experience different cultures, and see more of the best places to visit in the USA grew stronger than ever.

That’s when I fully committed to my goal:
Visit all 50 states before turning 50

My Rules for Visiting All 50 States

To make this 50 states challenge meaningful, I created a few simple rules:

• I must spend at least a full day or overnight in each state
• Layovers and drive-throughs don’t count
• Each state will eventually have its own travel guide or blog post

This way, I’m not just passing through—I’m truly experiencing each destination.

My 50 States Before 50 Checklist

Below is my official list of all 50 states to visit before 50, plus Washington, DC. As I travel, I’ll check each one off and link my adventures, travel guides, and recommendations.

States:

✓Alabama
✓Alaska
✓Arizona
✓Arkansas
✓California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
✓Florida
✓Georgia

Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
✓Kansas
✓Kentucky
✓Louisiana
Maine
✓Maryland
✓Massachusetts
Michigan
✓Minnesota
✓Mississippi
✓Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
✓Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
✓New Mexico
New York
✓North Carolina
North Dakota
✓Ohio
✓Oklahoma
✓Oregon
Pennsylvania
✓Rhode Island– ( post coming soon!)
✓South Carolina -2/21
South Dakota
✓Tennessee
✓Texas
✓Utah
Vermont
✓Virginia– (post coming soon)
✓Washington
✓Washington D.C.(post coming soon)
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Follow My 50 States Travel Journey

As I visit each destination, I’ll be sharing:

• Travel guides
• Itineraries
• Food recommendations
• Hidden gems in each state

If you’re also working toward visiting all 50 states—or just looking for USA travel inspiration—be sure to follow along!

How many states have you been to? Any places I should definitely visit?

Starting your own bucket list? Go here

Got the travel bug? Go here

Visiting New Orleans? Go here

Need yummy recipes? Go here

Want to spice up date night? Go here

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