Revisiting the great state-border-crossing challenge

When I posted this at the beginning of 2020, the pandemic hadn't cut into any travel plans and I hadn't really identified paths to getting to the last bunch of state border crossings I needed. However, after crossing a few more in the last year, being close but not too close to a few others I was missing, and especially talking to more folks interested in this idea, well, the quest has gained some traction.

One of the things that remains both fun and frustrating about this venture is how recently it came into my consciousness. Decades of road tripping led me so close to some of these state borders I'm still missing. If I had any inkling this would be something I'd end up pursuing, at least another half dozen crossings would have been completed. But it's also a reason to go back to some of these areas, which works well with other travel goals. After all, I keep finding more things to do in many states—NPS sites, ballparks, breweries, etc.—so I know I'll be planning road trips in these areas.

Here is how the list looks now: 

Alabama	Florida
Alabama	Georgia
Alabama	Mississippi	✅
Alabama	Tennessee	✅
Arizona	California	🙁
Arizona	Colorado	✅🥾
Arizona	New Mexico	✅🥾
Arizona	Nevada	✅
Arizona	Utah	✅🥾
Arkansas	Louisiana	✅
Arkansas	Mississippi	🙁
Arkansas	Missouri	🙁
Arkansas	Oklahoma	✅
Arkansas	Tennessee	✅
Arkansas	Texas	✅
California	Nevada	✅🥾
California	Oregon	✅
Colorado	Kansas	🙁
Colorado	Nebraska	✅
Colorado	New Mexico	✅🥾
Colorado	Oklahoma	✅
Colorado	Utah	✅🥾
Colorado	Wyoming	✅
Connecticut	Massachusetts	✅
Connecticut	New York	✅
Connecticut	Rhode Island	✅
Delaware	Maryland	✅
Delaware	New Jersey	✅
Delaware	Pennsylvania	✅
Florida	Georgia	✅
Georgia	North Carolina
Georgia	South Carolina	✅
Georgia	Tennessee	✅
Idaho	Montana	✅
Idaho	Nevada
Idaho	Oregon	✅
Idaho	Utah	✅
Idaho	Washington	✅
Idaho	Wyoming	✅
Illinois	Indiana	✅
Illinois	Iowa	✅
Illinois	Kentucky	✅
Illinois	Missouri	✅
Illinois	Wisconsin	✅
Indiana	Kentucky	✅
Indiana	Michigan	✅
Indiana	Ohio	✅
Iowa	Minnesota	🙁
Iowa	Missouri	✅
Iowa	Nebraska	✅🥾
Iowa	South Dakota	✅
Iowa	Wisconsin	✅
Kansas	Missouri	✅
Kansas	Nebraska	✅
Kansas	Oklahoma	✅
Kentucky	Missouri
Kentucky	Ohio	✅🥾
Kentucky	Tennessee	✅
Kentucky	Virginia
Kentucky	West Virginia	✅
Louisiana	Mississippi	✅
Louisiana	Texas	✅
Maine	New Hampshire	✅
Maryland	Pennsylvania	✅
Maryland	Virginia	✅
Maryland	West Virginia	✅
Massachusetts	New Hampshire	✅
Massachusetts	New York	✅🥾
Massachusetts	Rhode Island	✅
Massachusetts	Vermont	✅
Michigan	Ohio	✅
Michigan	Wisconsin
Minnesota	North Dakota	✅🥾
Minnesota	South Dakota	✅
Minnesota	Wisconsin	✅
Mississippi	Tennessee	✅
Missouri	Nebraska	🙁
Missouri	Oklahoma
Missouri	Tennessee
Montana	North Dakota	✅🥾
Montana	South Dakota
Montana	Wyoming	✅
Nebraska	South Dakota
Nebraska	Wyoming	✅
Nevada	Oregon
Nevada	Utah	✅
New Hampshire	Vermont	✅
New Jersey	New York	✅
New Jersey	Pennsylvania	✅
New Mexico	Oklahoma	✅
New Mexico	Texas	✅
New Mexico	Utah	✅🥾
New York	Pennsylvania	✅
New York	Vermont	✅
North Carolina	South Carolina	✅
North Carolina	Tennessee	✅
North Carolina	Virginia	✅
North Dakota	South Dakota	✅
Ohio	Pennsylvania	✅
Ohio	West Virginia	✅
Oklahoma	Texas	✅
Oregon	Washington	✅
Pennsylvania	West Virginia	✅
South Dakota	Wyoming	✅
Tennessee	Virginia	✅
Utah	Wyoming
Virginia	West Virginia	✅

I added some, but had to subtract one (UT–WY) that upon further consideration I started doubting. I sit at 88 where I have no doubt, and like that I am now within 20 of completing this quest.

About those with those sad faces:

AZ–CA: In 2019, now aware of this state-line crossing idea, I had thoughts of crossing their shared state line twice, once by continuing east past Joshua Tree and then doubling back (foiled by not having the right connecting cable for my phone for the first part of my trip that morning), and a second time by trusting my memory a wee bit too much and continuing too far south from Visalia on my way to Las Vegas. I was sure I had to go past Bakersfield, but when I saw the mileage to LA shrinking, I knew I blundered. Silly me.

AR–MS: In 2015, my AAA map was leading me across this state line on the way from Hot Springs AR to Pearl MS, but my GPS ended up routing me farther south, to cross into MS from LA. Had I checked the GPS route, I would have followed my map, since I had previously been on the I-20 bridge over the Mississippi River and liked the idea of traversing the river on a point north of where I had already crossed it.

AR–MO: In 2008, on a Civil War Battlefield tour in northern AR, I noted how close I was to MO, and Branson in particular. I thought about heading up, but decided to just stay in AR and do the scenic drive I had in mind.

CO–KS: I discuss this in the video shared below. Long story short, when driving down the east side of CO last year, I noted a few places where I could check off this state line. The first was when reaching I-70 in Limon CO. I knew that Goodland KS was 90 minutes away. That town was familiar as I recalled my parents staying there on a road trip they took in the early 90s. But, it seemed too far for checking off a state line, even if I didn't need to venture quite that far into KS. A three-hour round-trip drive just seemed too pointless. Then, as I got farther south and east, the KS border got closer. At one juncture, it was 30 miles away on dirt roads. I passed again, deciding to await a more solid reason to cross it.

MO–NE and IO–MN (and honorable mention for NE–SD, for a much shorter distance): Look at this picture. Look how close I drove along one side of the state line. Coincidentally, these close calls were on the same road trip. A few-minute detour in each case would have satisfied these crossings. Oh well.

With some slightly better recent planning and luck, I should be over 90 already. In fact, had I been aware of this quest when I started road tripping all over the country, I may well be over 100.

Conversely, contemplating the 19 that I am missing, my eyes widen a bit as I look at the map and recall the many MiLB ballparks, NPS sites and so forth previously on my radar that suddenly seem even more appealing than they did before. Yes, once it feels safe to hit the highway, I'm thinking of such road trips as the following: From the Cumberland Gap NHP (KY–VA) to the Gulf Shore NS (AL–FL); from the Homestead NM (MO–NE) to the George Washington Carver NM (AR–MO and AR–OK); from Fossil Butte NM (UT-WY) to the Agate Fossil Beds NM (NE–SD); or from the ballparks of the Rome Braves (AL–GA) and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (AL–FL and AL–GA); or from the slopes of Norway Ski Mountain (MI–WI) to those of Warner Canon (ID–OR), etc., etc., a path to 100 of these crossings is in rather reasonable view, and would vanquish most of those sad faces above at the same time. 

Final thought on that: I'll probably remain somewhat judicious in pursuing these for no good reason for the next dozen, but once I get over 100 and the finish line is in sight? Well all bets will then be off for how far I'll drive to finish this chase.

The only remaining question becomes which one I will cross with my questing buddy R. Scott Jones. That's right, I'm not the only one committed to this. He posted his list last year too. Of the 20 I'm missing and 12 he's missing, there are six we both need, and we have agreed to cross one of them together. Stay tuned.

For good measure, here's my discussion with Scott on this topic. It really has turned into a fun quest to think and strategize about.