Half Way!

You may be wondering where I’ve been? I’ve not given up on this blog and the Fifty State Project I’ve just been busy. Lame excuse, I know, but true. Coming soon are posts on my New York visit (final state from the New England blitz) and the Florida lighthouse, Disney & wedding extravaganza. Soon, I promise - Coming to a computer near you very, very soon!

The picture at the top is not The Hollywood Bowl on fire. It is the best I could do to capture spectacular 4th of July Fireworks presented at the Bowl in conjunction with a LA Philharmonic concert celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the Dodgers move to Los Angeles. Fireworks, baseball and good music. All that was missing was the apple pie! Though I can offer no complaints about our picnic fare.

I’ve visited twenty-five states in the first half of 2008 and feel that is a tremendous accomplishment in this age of escalating travel costs. When I first embarked on my travel frenzy there were still $100 round trip airfares to the East Coast available. What a difference in six months! Let’s not even talk about the price of a tank of gas. Local travel has become all of the rage and travel publications choc-a-bloc full of tips for making the most of your travel dollars and exploring the sites close to your home. This has brought so many great destinations to my attention. If only I had the resources to truly explore our country, not just to flit from place to place manically.

Trips to thirteen more states are scheduled. I’ve faced weather & logistic snafus in the past so am cautious about counting them as definites to visit this year. That leaves twelve on the planning block. Will I be able to pull it off? Maybe. I’m going to try but I’m not going to go broke or beat myself into a pulp while doing so. I’ve got 5 ½ months to put together what I can.

Along the way I’ve adopted two additional Fifty State Challenges. The United States Mint released the first of the state quarters in 1999. The forty-ninth & fiftieth quarter will be released later this year. Release dates are scheduled by order of statehood. Delaware was the first quarter because on December 7, 1787 it became the first State in the Union. Alaska & Hawaii quarters will complete the cycle. With the help of my friends I’ve collected 45 quarters so far. I still need Idaho, Alabama & Arizona so please check your pockets! The designs of the quarters give a quick snapshot of the history and unique attributes of each state. I am planning a display to commemorate my Fifty State Project so stay tuned.

There are a couple of resources that I’ve latched onto that deepen my reach into each state. 50 States of Literature and 50 States, 50 Books are designating a book or author for each state. This has given me ample reading material for those untenable airport delays and introduced me to books I may not have read.

To wrap up my midterm report I want to thank you all (all three of you!) for your interest and support of this project. I’ve learned a lot along the way and hope to introduce new challenges and enhance my blog in the second half of the year.

Happy Summer!