Alabama
I haven't spent a lot of time in Alabama for reasons that should require no explanation, but I've driven through the state multiple times on my way to other places I was more interested in visiting. I've only really stopped here for gas or for a quick bite, so there's not a lot in my archives to show I've ever been there aside from this picture of a gas pump in Grand Bay, taken in October 2015. I will have to correct for this situation at some point in the future, as this is a very inauspicious way to begin a travel gallery.
Alaska
I finally made the nearly 4,000 mile road trip to Anchorage, Alaska in May 2024. This photo depicts the Matanuska Glacier, seen from the Palmer Highway.
Alberta
My first visit to the Canadian province of Alberta was in September 2016, during which time I spent two days in Calgary and one in Edmonton. This photo shows Calgary's Olympic Plaza, originally created for the 1988 Winter Olympics, as it appeared at the time of that visit. The original structures have since been demolished as the plaza undergoes a renovation.
Arizona
The biggest attraction in Arizona is undoubtedly the Grand Canyon, which I attempted to hike in October 2021. I decided on the more remote North Rim over the much more heavily frequented South Rim.
Arkansas
Arkansas is the home of Wal-Mart, and the butt of plenty of "Bubba" style jokes. It also hasn't ever been a destination for me in its own right. This photo from 2012 captures a Wal-Mart location off Interstate 30 on the way toward Memphis.
British Columbia
Much is written about BC's spectacular campgrounds and mountain ranges, but I have mountains covered a bit later in this collection. I'm going here with a photo of the province's most populous city of Vancouver, seen from Granville Island on a clear night in September 2016.
California
California's southern region gets all the attention, and it isn't hard to see why - it's a gigantic population center with a slew of very large cities and metro areas, not to mention the home of Hollywood and the epicenter of West Coast hip-hop. The drier, more arid north is what I've decided to feature here, reserving a beachfront view for Florida below. This photo depicts the desert in Stanislaus County as it appeared in September 2016.
Colorado
My first visit to Colorado took place in 2021, during the second year of COVID-19 in what was an interesting time to travel. My road trip was constrained to American destinations only, and I used the opportunity to knock out a large number of states in the western half of the U.S. that I hadn't had occasion to visit before. The Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden was a great place to spend a few hours of my day.
Connecticut
The Constitution State is roughly the size of the greater (and extended) Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, as incredible as that sounds. This photo is of the entrance to the rest stop located in Darien, taken in October 2015.
Delaware
No disrespect to anyone from Delaware who may read this, but I found America's "first" state to be one of the least intersting places I've visited. During my time there, I struggled to find much of anything exciting to do, ultimately making do with a visit to the capital city of Dover and some exploration of the areas surrounding the Capitol and other government buildings (I did find one very cool indie record store in Wilmington, at least). This photo showcases a replica of the Liberty Bell, with the state Legislative Hall straight ahead in the background.
Florida
I've been to Florida three times as of this writing, and on each of my visits I've traveled along the state's eastern coast by the Atlantic Ocean. This 2015 photo records the beachside view at Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, captured during the month of October when the weather was still unbearably humid.
Georgia
This photo captures the nasty bathtub surface inside the horrible motel I had the misfortune of spending a night in during October 2019. Incredibly (and very much unintentionally), this appears to be one of the only photos I've ever taken anywhere inside the state.
Hawaii
Hawaii is one of the two unvisited destinations on this list that are unreachable by car. One day I hope to make it there, though exactly how and when has yet to be determined.
Idaho
Due to its not being along a direct route to anywhere I wanted to visit, I didn't make it to Idaho until October 2021. I drove up ninety minutes from the Salt Lake City area to cross the state off my list.
Illinois
The majority of Illinois is more akin to agrarian Kansas or Iowa than to the hugely urbanized Chicago metro area, boasting acres upon acres dominated by corn and soybean fields and a decidedly rural character. While I could easily represent either that rural character or the ambitious, cosmopolitan glitz of downtown Chicago, I've chosen to eschew both in favor of a photo of the Chicago Diner at 3410 N. Halsted Street. The diner was the first restaurant I visited within the state's borders, all the way back in December 2010.
Indiana
I've spent quite a bit of time driving through Indiana, mostly because it's only a few minutes away from my friends' house in Illinois, and directly along the routes I've always taken from their house on the way toward Michigan or Canada. This photo was taken right at the Illinois-Indiana border in October 2017.
Iowa
My first memories of Iowa are of my family staying overnight in a motel during a 1980s family trip to Minnesota. Most of my experiences there have since been from the inside of a car, whether exploring the city of Council Bluffs or just passing through on the way to somewhere else. This photo records a 2022 stopover outside Sioux City, taken near the end of my first day's travel on the way up to Winnipeg.
Kansas
Kansas was the last state I lived in before my family's move to Texas in 1984. It hasn't been much of a travel destination for me since then, being full of wide open spaces and rolling hills and situated in an area of the country that hasn't been much on my radar. I spotted this unique guitar shop in Topeka about half a mile from an unexpectedly good, mostly takeout Indian restaurant.
Kentucky
I visited the historic Locust Grove estate in Louisville as the first major destination of my long 2019 road trip. The site came to my attention following a series of featured videos on the Townsends YouTube channel.
Louisiana
I've been through Louisiana many times, but the visit that most resonates with me was in April 2003, my first time to the state as an adult and my first ever solo road trip. I spent four days in New Orleans, falling in during my final night with an itinerant street vendor who had hitch-hiked there from California. This photo of Bourbon Street at night was taken using Kodak T-Max 35mm film, just before the time when digital photography really came into its own.
Maine
Save for one visit, the state of Maine has mostly served as a stopover location on trips to and from the Maritimes in Atlantic Canada. The visit that was different occurred in October 2015, when I spent a day in Portland and took part in a group tour of the Portland Observatory. That tour turned out to be the final tour of the final day of the season. This photo looking out toward Casco Bay was taken from the historic signal tower, providing a late afternoon view of Congress Street.
Manitoba
I first visited the province of Manitoba in October 2022, just after the Canadian government dropped all COVID-related restrictions on entering the country. I ended up spending three days and four nights in Winnipeg, the province's largest city and capital. While I could use an image spotlighting the city's French Quarter, Red River, or its "haunted" Fort Garry Hotel, I'm going instead with one of the city's most recognizable landmarks, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Maryland
I've always looked at Maryland as being one of two really oddly shaped U.S. states (the other being West Virginia). This photo of the Interstate 895 bypass around Baltimore was taken in 2013, en route to Daytona Beach, Florida.
Massachusetts
Of the various images I could have used to represent my visit to Boston – the subway, the Boston Ballet, the "Deep Ellum" bar apparently founded by expats from my own hometown, and various scenes from downtown – I'm opting to go with this collection of campaign pins for the 1960 U.S. Presidential election. This was taken during my visit to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in May 2013.
Michigan
While I could have chosen a photo of the Motown museum, the riverfront area of downtown Detroit, or even the Detroit River itself as seen from Windsor, Ontario, I'm opting instead for this picture of my friend and her man standing before a Michigan river in June 2012. Michigan is, after all, a state with approximately 11,000 lakes scattered across its territory.
Minnesota
In 2021 I visited Paisley Park, the home and studio of one of Minnesota's most famous residents, the enigmatic and somewhat reclusive Prince Rogers Nelson. Photography is prohibited for most of the tour, save for the large performance venue and personal bar at the end. Inside the performance venue are a number of notable effects, including not only a Corvette, but also multiple displays of clothing items such as the one shown in this photo.
Mississippi
I'm not going to blow smoke or sunshine here: Mississippi is far from my favorite state, situated in my least favorite region of the country. As a result, I haven't spent any real time there to speak of beyond what was absolutely necessary. This 2015 photo shows an Econolodge in Diamondhead, about 17 miles from the Louisiana state line.
Missouri
St. Louis is a city I've stayed in more than once while on my way home from Illinois. It's also the city from which the late Chuck Berry hailed, and where he was known to give an occasional performance at a venue called Blueberry Hill. I never made it to one of those shows, but I did capture this photo of another St. Louis icon, the Gateway Arch, while passing through in 2010.
Montana
Montana is a state known for its wide, open spaces. I captured this photo of a neighborhood on the outskirts of Billings during my first visit to the state in 2016.
Nebraska
I haven't spent a lot of time in Nebraska, other than driving through a couple of times and spending the night there during a longer road trip to somewhere else. That being the case, I'm presenting a photo of the well-known Midwestern Mexican(ish) food chain, Taco John's, as seen in Omaha during a 2016 trip. The equally Midwestern (and somewhat questionably named) convenience store chain Kum & Go is also represented off in the distance.
Nevada
I can't think of anything that better symbolizes the decadence often associated with "Sin City" than this image of the Trump Tower in Las Vegas, viewed through a window of the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in October 2021. Of course, there's much more to Nevada's most famous city than just the Strip, but I couldn't resist choosing this particular photo from my first time in the state.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick has figured into many of my trips through Canada, but overall it's been a somewhat unremarkable part of the experience. I spent a night in Moncton in 2018 while traveling between Quebec City and Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Newfoundland and Labrador
I've had multiple opportunities to visit this province, but have so far refrained due to the length of time required to make the trip. St. John's, NL is about the same distance from Dallas as the town of Whitehorse in the Yukon, and the 110 mile ferry trip from North Sydney, NS to Port aux Basques, NL essentially guarantees a time frame equivalent to a drive to Anchorage, Alaska. The last time I was in a position to make the trip was in 2018 during a visit to Cape Breton Island, but as always, actually making it would have necessitated scrapping the entire eastern seaboard portion of my road trip down the U.S. East coast. Thus, as of this writing, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador remains on my bucket list.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire's state motto is "Live Free or Die." Upon my first visit to the Granite State, undertaken back in 2013, I was welcomed by a big stuffed moose named Max, positioned near the entrance of the New Hampshire Welcome Center in Salem.
New Jersey
This photo records my first experiences with the state's mandatory full service law, which came as a surprise to me this first time I encountered it in 2013. I've since grown accustomed to it and now expect to have an attendant to pump the gas for me, even though I think the law itself is stupid. I especially hate the places where the attendant places your credit/debit card halfway into the reader and then walks off to handle another car. At least in the past the fuel prices in New Jersey were significantly less than in surrounding states, almost making the hassle worth it, but I'm told this isn't the case anymore.
New Mexico
I don't have a whole lot to say about New Mexico. I did have
a harrowing experience attempting to spend the night in a motel in 2021, and I do have a friend from my open mic days who currently lives there, but otherwise I haven't have any real experiences to share in the state. This photo was taken at the Sierra Grande Rest Area off US 64/87 in 2024, during a brief respite on my way to Colorado Springs and, ultimately, Alaska.
New York
New York City is another one of those rich metropolitan areas with a plethora of notable neighborhoods, buildings, art installations, streets, and historically interesting areas. While I could of course go with a photo of almost anything in the city, or in the state itself for that matter, I'm choosing this photo of Lower Manhattan from 2023, taken at the intersection of Greenwich and Albany Streets near One World Trade Center.
North Carolina
North Carolina bills itself as the nation's most military friendly state. I can't personally comment on this, having only spent a single night in the capital city of Charlotte. This photo was taken as I was crossing into the state from Virginia in 2013.
North Dakota
One in three North Dakotans is said to be of Norwegian heritage, a reality acknowledged and preserved by lodges such as this one in Fargo, photographed in 2021.
Northwest Territories
My plans for a brief visit to the Northwest Territories in May 2024 were dashed by the closure of approximately 300 km of the Alaska Highway due to wildfires. It's still possible that I may make it there on the heels of a long drive up through northern Alberta, or via a detour made during a future second road trip to Alaska.
Nova Scotia
The province of Nova Scotia has been a frequent destination of mine, mostly for its annual Celtic Colours music and heritage festival during the month of October. I've thus spent most of my time in the province visiting attractions on Cape Breton Island, but in 2014 I also spent time in New Glasgow and in the capital city of Halifax. I took this photo looking down toward Halifax Harbour in October 2014.
Nunavut
Nunavut presents unique challenges compared to the other areas on this list. While there are roads within the territory, they are comparatively sparse, do not always connect communities, and are generally unpaved and unimproved. For these reasons, and also because of the absence of any roadways directly connecting Nunavut to the rest of Canada, a road trip to there is completely off the table, and even if such a trip were possible, I wouldn't dare attempt it in a compact car. It seems unlikely that I will ever visit this part of Canada's far north, but I'm leaving the door open just in case.
Ohio
Two obvious candidates for my Ohio photo were the Early Television Museum in Hilliard and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Early television history is more of a niche interest of mine, so I've decided to go with this 2013 photo of the bricks in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As a side note, I know I'm not alone in feeling that the institution has discredited itself and its alleged mission by snubbing a great many classic rock and metal acts in favor of rap and modern pop outfits who aren't in the rock and roll genre.
Oklahoma
Given my residence in North Texas, it was almost a given that my first solo forays outside the state would be to neighborhing Oklahoma, and my first trips beyond my home state's borders were indeed across the Red River in the latter 1990s during my teenage years. But this photo is of a much more recent vintage than the ones taken during those earlier visits, capturing the Oklahoma City National Memorial Reflecting Pool during a group trip in February 2019.
Ontario
There are so many possibilities for the province of Ontario, ranging from Toronto's ubran views to the government structures of Ottawa to the Terry Fox statue and scenic overlook in Thunder Bay, and everything in between. I've decided to go here with a 2013 view of Canada's largest city, Toronto, as seen from the CN Tower's SkyPod, 1,465 feet up.
Oregon
Despite what's suggsted by the image below, I have visited this state. The visit occurred during a trip from Vancouver, BC to Chula Vista, California in September 2016. On my way down the coast, I stopped in Portland to meet a friend from Dallas who happened to be there at the same time; despite this, I somehow failed to take a single photo at any point during my time there with either my phone or my DSLR. How this happened I have no idea, but this space will remain bereft of an actual photo until such time as I make it back to the Pacific Northwest.
Pennsylvania
It goes without saying that the city of Philadelphia is heavily steeped in American colonial history, and my choice of photo reflects this. I could go with any of a long list of historical sculptures, landmarks, buildings, the Betsy Ross house, a view of the city streets near where I tried my first (and last) imitation Philly cheesesteak, or even the Rocky statue or the steps leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I'm choosing to go with this shot of the Liberty Bell, one of the most iconic symbols of all 18th century Americana.
Prince Edward Island
PEI's main claim to fame is its connection to the works of L.M. Montgomery and the Anne of Green Gables series of novels. But it should be equally noted for its many picturesque views, such as this one of Hostetter's Viewscape in French River, overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence, taken in April 2014.
Quebec
I admit I was very close to featuring a photo of one of Montreal's infamous (and notoriously widespread) construction zones here, but I'm opting instead to present a view of Place Royale (the "cradle of French North America") in Quebec City, photographed in 2019.
Rhode Island
This 2014 picture captures the very "New England" character of Newport, facing east on Marlborough Street, facing in the direction of the White Horse Tavern. The White Horse Tavern has the distinction of being America's oldest continuously operating tavern, having been open for business since 1673.
Saskatchewan
My Alaska road trip in May 2024 was originally supposed to include visits to the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan as part of the return trip. Unfortunately, the closure of approximately 300 km of the Alaska Highway due to wildfires, and the detour this closure forced, effectively ruled out a visit to the Northwest Teritories, and by the time I made it to Calgary, I had decided to drop Saskatchewan as well. Had things gone as planned, I would have come back to the Lower 48 after a visit to Saskatoon and possibly Regina. Instead, I ended up replacing Edmonton, Alberta with Calgary, and cutting over to Saskatchewan from there would have entailed adding a significant amount of additional time to the trip. Thus, despite having visited the two provinces which flank it – Alberta and Manitoba – I have yet to make it to The Land of the Living Skies.
South Carolina
When it comes to the two Carolinas, I've spent less time here as opposed to its northern neighbor. This 2013 photo of the entrance to the visitor center off Interstate 95, taken well after its closure at 5:00 PM that same day, is emblematic of any of my missed opportunities within the state.
South Dakota
The Dakotas are large, mostly empty states with a distinctive accent and a lot of cold weather. In the case of South Dakota, there's plenty I could feature as far the town of Wall or various wide open landscapes, but I'm opting for the state's most obvious attraction, Mount Rushmore as seen in 2016.
Tennessee
I spent two nights and a day in Nashville in 2015, exploring the area around the Capitol and the city's entertainment district, and visiting the Johnny Cash Museum. I was initially skeptical of taking this green screen photo while on the inside, but the end result wasn't half bad.
Texas
Texas is my home state, and I have of course visited all its major cities and most of its largest attractions. As such, deciding on a single photo with which to represent the state presented no minor challenge. I'm choosing to go with this one at Dallas's Pioneer Plaza, which embodies the ethos and the myth of Texas better than any photo of a downtown skyline, park, or state landmark (other than the Alamo) ever could.
Utah
My first visit to Utah didn't occur until 2021, the year I decided to cross the rest of the unvisited Lower 48 off my list. Among other things, I partook in a disappointing "ghost" tour in Ogden and treated myself to a souvenir glass jug from a coffee house chain in South Jordan. But the one place I'd definitely revisit was this unexpected eatery just outside downtown Salt Lake City, the Vertical Diner. I don't do diners very often, and when I do it's nearly always with a companion over coffee or perhaps a plate of french fries. The Vertical Diner caters unapologetically to a non meat-based clientele, making it an option rivalling DFW's own Spiral Diner when it comes to breakfast fare.
Vermont
Outside of Burlington, it can be challenging to come up with a list of places worth visiting during a road trip through Vermont, but on my first visit to the state in 2015 I had one place top of mind: the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line. The structure sits right on the U.S.-Canada international border and boasts an international staff and a collection of books in both English and French. The border itself is marked by a line of black tape stretched across the floor on the inside. Unfortunately, at the time of my visit the opera house portion of the site was closed for the season. This photo, taken about 200 feet from the Canadian border (just outside the frame to the left), shows the Haskell building just ahead, left of center.
Virginia
While the state of Virginia is of course known for more than just Mount Vernon, I'm choosing to feature here a picture of the home of its most famous resident, George Washington. My visit to the estate was originally planned for October 2019, but soggy weather and the following year's pandemic delayed things a bit to 2023.
Washington
I spent one night in Washington state on my way from Vancouver to Chula Vista, entering the state just after midnight and stopping for the night at a motel south of Seattle. This photo of the side of the Peace Arch was snapped right on the U.S./Canadian border on the way down.
Washington, DC
This photo is of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, taken five months before COVID-19 effectively paralyzed travel and social interactions throughout the country. In July 2020, Rep. John Lewis would lie in state here following his death from cancer at the age of 80.
West Virginia
West Virginia has a reputation for many things, not all of them positive, but one thing it has that I'd very much like to experience is a rich system of state parks and hiking trails. The state very nearly became a major stop on my October 2023 road trip, but it was dropped from my itinerary at a very late stage for reasons related to travel time, fatigue, and the weather forecast. Its parks and hiking trails mean it is still a contender for a future visit. This photo dates to 2014, during a rainy drive from Phillipsburg, New Jersey to Knoxville, Tennessee.
Wisconsin
This photo of Paul Bunyon and Babe was taken outside the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum in Eau Claire in 2021.
Wyoming
If I hadn't been to Alaska, I would describe Wyoming as perhaps the loneliest state I've driven through. There literally are more cattle than people, not to mention wide, remote areas of highway where inclement weather conditions can literally shut down the Interstate completely. I stopped inside a Sheridan Wal-Mart to buy a jacket for my 2016 road trip, and was taken enough with this display of cowboy hats to snap a picture of it.
Yukon
I finally made it to the Yukon in May 2024, it comprising a necessary (and very significant) portion of the route to Alaska and back. Population wise, it's by far the most sparsely settled state or province I've visited to date, with comparatively vast distances between settlements and very few incorporated towns, almost none of which have any real network of paved roads. While I could present a photo of the capital city, Whitehorse, I'm choosing instead to feature something more emblematic of the territory as a whole, a mountain view from a remote stretch of the Alaska Highway.
