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Together the Holmes family of Pennsylvania has traveled to 40 states. “I was sure to send Tom a card,” Carswell recalled. Sent to San Francisco on business in 1998, he extended his stay to rent a car and drive north to Oregon. I needed to take matters into my own hands,” he said. It took seven more years for Carswell to visit Oregon, the one state he needed. Carswell was still two states shy of completing his goal, making sure he followed the criteria they set when they first made the bet.

The bet lasted 15 years, until Carswell received a postcard from White declaring he had reached his 50th state.

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In order to count a state as “visited,” the two men agreed that they had to spend at least one full hour in a state during the day, be outdoors at least part of the time, set foot on the actual ground, and go beyond the state’s border. Here’s how it’s done:īack in 1976, Don Carswell of New Jersey, now 53, and his friend Tom White made a bet to see who would be the first one to set foot in all 50 states. Those who are truly passionate about making it to all 50 states often have their own criteria for crossing them off the list, from a hard-core requirement of staying in a state for more than a month to simply hopping out of the car to snap a picture at the border.ĬNN asked avid 50-staters to run down their requirements. To “visit” a state, a person has to step outside the airport and breathe the air, according to the organization’s website. In fact, anyone who knocks 35 off the list is eligible for membership in the exclusive All Fifty Club, an organization that recognizes individuals who make it to every state with a plaque or certificate to commemorate their accomplishment. For those on a quest to visit all 50 United States, each one is like a jagged piece of a very large jigsaw puzzle.įitting in all 50 states is an impressive achievement.

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