Statehood.....

It seems like almost everyday, someone asks me, "Pancho, just how many of our U.S. States have you visited?" This would throw me into a flurry of counting on my fingers and toes and by the time I was finished, the person who posed the question would be long gone.

Now, with the power of the Internet I can generate and graphically display a map of the results and know that I have visited exactly 86% of all current U.S. States. I am a little short on New England states, having only been to Connecticut and Rhode Island to visit a cousin who lives there. I'd like to go to Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire...but except for the history have no real desire to visit Massachusetts, cradle of freedom, but now also home of some really whacko liberals. Why I haven't been to North and South Dakota I cannot explain, except that my travels have just not taken me there. And Alaska, I won't feel complete without visiting there. A photo safari someday I hope.

I wish this computer generated map had some means of displaying the states in which I've lived too. I have permanently resided in Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Louisiana, Hawaii and Texas. If you add the temporary residences of at least three months, add in Georgia, Maryland and a summer in Lower Manhattan, New York. All good places while I was there, but would not care to live in Louisiana or Georgia again as an adult, or Manhattan permanently. Manhattan is a great place to visit if you stay for no more than five days in a four star hotel. Don't do it for three months in moderately placed accomodations....on a budget.

Thanks to The Brazos Cantina for pointing out this instructive map link.