Today is August 21, 2025. Someone posted one of those ‘On This Day In History’ snippets that mentioned Hawaii became our 50th state on August 21, 1959.
President Eisenhower signed the proclamation making it ‘official’
So while I wish the ‘Aloha’ state a Happy 66th Birthday, I reflected on just how many of our 50 states I have lived in, visited, or drove through on my way somewhere. The list surprised me.
I’ve lived in California (where I was born so don’t hold that against me), Washington, Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming, Oklahoma,West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Mexico, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Alaska and Iowa.
I’ve visited or driven through every other state… except… Hawaii.
49 states. And unless I decide to endure another series of being crammed into a silver tube, trusting a myriad of people with my safety, that experience of laying out on the tourist mecca beaches while eating freshly grown pineapples, will not become reality.
So, I have been a lot of places in our nation, and even experienced other countries, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Great Britain, Spain, The Netherlands, France, Germany, and Portugal (mostly thanks to Uncle Sam stationing me there).
But unlike the old Hank Snow song… I haven’t been… EVERYWHERE!
