#8, Delaware DE (Been There)

Delaware is one of those states that you really have to plan to visit if you want to see the state. It's pretty much blocked off by water and a couple bridges but you do pass through it if you are travelling along Highway 95 up the east coast. So while we didn't stay overnight or buy the t-shirt we definitely weren't sleeping in the airport. So, this one counts.

I remember one trip in particular where we had left Illinois for Myrtle Beach in the summer of 2009. Following a few days there we decided to drive up to Connecticut where our oldest son was finishing up his final months of his doctorate at Yale University.

Map used by fair-use permission of Nations Online Project

Since it was our first time driving this route my mind thought we would be heading up on Highway 95 which went somewhere into the middle of the main part of New York, then we'd hook a right and head into Connecticut. Some of you are smiling right now since you already realize the absolute nightmare that was the coastal drive through "The City That Never Ends." We drove all day for what seemed like New York City over and over and over again. We drove through Richmond, Fredricksburg, and Arlington Virginia; then through Washington, D.C. which is its own little nightmare; then the greater Baltimore, Maryland, area; then we made it through the northern tip of Delaware which includes Wilmington; next through the greater Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania; then Trenton and New Brunswick, New Jersey; and all of that before reaching what I thought would be the main problem, being New York City, New York. You'd think that I'd avoid the city at all cost, and that was certainly the plan, but in the crazy traffic that is New York City at rush hour we missed our turn and ended smack dab in the Bronx. It was getting dark and we just kept moving along as we passed through Greenwich, Norwalk, Bridgeport, Milford, and then finally New Haven as our final stop in Connecticut. And it was still like New York City. Maybe there's a reason we haven't been back that way since.

We made it through the Highway 95 corridor of Northern Delaware
Map used by fair-use permission of Nations Online Project

So yes, I was in Delaware. I suppose there was a silver lining to that trip that I learned where Delaware was on the map. It's the second smallest state in the United States (at 1,982 square miles), right behind Rhode Island which is the smallest (at 1,214 square miles). For a state that is just 96 miles long it may surprise you to find that the Delaware River, off the east coast of the state, runs 330 miles from Hancock, New York (where the Eastern and Western Branches of the Delaware river meet) through five U.S. states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Delaware. It then becomes the Delaware Bay which funnels into the Atlantic Ocean.

There's more traffic as you head into "The Extended City"

So there you have your little history lesson for today. I could have added a lot more Delaware facts but I didn't. Let's just say that every state has its share of interesting history and places and the like, not the least of which you have access to the Atlantic Ocean!

Until next time,

Arktander

(AKA David Andreasen)

#7, Connecticut CT (Been There)

While I was born in Long Island, New York, we took a number of family trips along the East Coast. We did visit Connecticut but there were a number of times while living in Illinois that we made the trip back there since my parents moved from Illinois to New York upstate and later to Connecticut.

Before retiring my parents moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, for a couple years. We probably stayed there a week or less so my wife and I took one day to make a run through New Hampshire. I'll share that on the New Hampshire page. Another day my dad had to make a quick run to Boston and we tagged along with him to get a quick view of that city. I guess you could say Connecticut became home base for a number of treks including a late afternoon run along the coast to find a beach to go swimming for an hour or two.

But, for the most time spent in Connecticut, it would have to be the trip we made to New Haven in August of 2009. I described the trip here from Myrtle Beach in the Delaware blog. Our son was finishing his doctorate at Yale University and it was a chance to see the picturesque East Coast. There are plaques and memorial markers all over New Haven, and the East Coast for that matter, giving one a chance to seek out the history of the area.

One of many historical markers

While on the campaus of the University we took a tour of the many buildings, including museums, library, and a rare book collection. We were amazed at the history all around us, which was a much better way of describing everything as simply old. It's old because it's survived much over the centuries and it a reminder of how much life moves on.

On the campus of Yale University

My son and wife wanted to have pizza at Frank Pepe Pizzeria, where the "New Haven-based pizzeria is famous for its signature coal-fired White Clam Pizza featuring fresh clams, grated pecorino romano, garlic, oregano and olive oil." That was a quote from The Daily Meal, who as recently as 2020 had declared this "one of the greatest old-school restaurants of all time." You can see the open coal-fired oven and watch as yours gets baked. Even in 2009 it was on everybody's radar as a fantastic pizza and a pizza destination to visit, which is why my son mentioned that we should go try it out. I take those kinds of proclamations with a grain of salt since everybody's tastes are so different. Living in Illinois I have had my share of deep dish Chicago style pizza, and love it, so I personally was none too impressed with the coal-fired pie. But it was a nice experience nonetheless.

Well known around the country for its coal-fired pizza

Students heading to classes at Yale University

From the sign on the table it looks like the original was usually right here

It was truly a memorable trip while traveling through Connecticut on our way back to the Midwest. I"ve got hundreds more photos in my files, and on my DSLR no less as I had just purchased my first smart phone and was none too thrilled with the resolution and clarity of those pictures.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#6, Colorado CO (Been There)

Family played the biggest part in ending up at Colorado, considering the distance for us to travel from Illinois. My sister and my wife's sister both lived out there (still do) so it is not surprising we did a few touristy type things.

Let me take a moment to mention that at this moment I am nearly halfway through writing up a story about all the states. Nine of them are those I never visited so those were short. Then I starting going through the list a second time and worked on all the easy ones that had just a quick visit to the state. Now I'm going back through again working my way in numerical order and doing the best I can with the trickier ones. What can be tricky about some? Well, maybe tricky isn't the word but the point of this for me is to back up my state visits with pictures and I am coming up short on certain states. Which ones, you might ask? Mostly it's the ones that are before 2005 as that is the year I finally bought a simple digital camera to go on a trip to New York City. Now I lived in New York for twelve years so that one's doubly tricky in that I also need to keep it short. It would not be difficult for me to write a novel. But the trouble I'm having before 2005 is that there are no digital photos on my computer to easily sift through and find applicable photos to the stories. At the moment I have right around 38,000 photos from Spring 2005 right up through today. They are all organized by date and all I need to do is sift through the right years. All my smart phone photos are in another folder and usually I can remember if I brought along the DSLR to take great photos, or if I just figured I'd make do with the okay photos of the mobile phone.

Everyone has a stack of these, right?

So, when Colorado came up next as the one to start, I had to think long and hard about when we were there and it turns out it was the 1980's and 1990's. All I needed to do was pull down the right photo album and scan a few photos. Easy Peasy. So I asked my wife where the albums were stored and she pointed up to a shelf in the storeroom. They weren't even organized or marked with dates and I counted thirty of them. If you're one of those who have to go and count yourself, I will tell you that there are a couple not up there and that left stack has a bunch of little ones vertically stacked behind the front ones. So I pulled them all down, lined them all up on a table, and started going through them one by one. After several albums without finding anything about Colorado, I noticed a particular theme going through the books. Almost 100% of the photos were of people, no matter whether they were family or friends or dead. Apparently I limited myself to photographing the people we decided to visit or who decided to visit us. Who needs a photo of scenery or something random! Taking photos of anything and everything would have to wait for the smartphone and its built-in camera. I also wasn't that into photography and didn't have a whole lot of time with a growing family. I must have snapped a few photos and then went back to the matter at hand. Plus, the cost of film and development cost real money and that was in short supply as we started married life. So I just kept going hoping to find a few scenic shots among all the group photos.

I know you're just giddy with anticipation about this photographic conundrum, so I'll get to the point. I did find a few photos of Colorado, even one of Pikes Peak. At least I hope it's Pikes Peak as I really did drive up that mountain. I grabbed every scenic I could find and scanned them into a file for later. I still imagine I will come up short as I near the end, but we'll face that when the time comes.

Pike's Peak in the distance

We took the Pike's Peak Highway and it was not the smooth highway drive I was expecting. There were sharp turns where there was no guard rail and it was so crowded that cars were bunching up making it hard to move. We did stop somewhere on the way up to do something, I don't remember. I was too shaken up by the drive. I looked the Pike's Peak Highway up online and it was very clear that "the entire 19-mile journey is along a smooth, paved surface." That was not how I remembered that drive but nonetheless we made it up one side and down the other. I do remember saying I was glad to have done that, but wouldn't be doing it again.

A tunnel dug through the mountain rock

Wagon wheel ruts from the Santa Fe Trail

Even the drive along the main highways can be breathtaking with endless rock formations and even tunnels bored right through the mountain rock. We also stopped to see wagon wheen ruts from the Santa Fe Trail used by early settlers in the 1800's. They have been pounded so hard and for so long that the dirt is as hard as concrete and is still visible today.

Casa Bonita in Lakewood, Colorado

I also did take a drive into Denver on another trip to Colorado and met my sister at Casa Bonita in Lakewood. It is famous for its pink paint exterior and for the deep pool inside with divers entertaining the diners. I was great to connect with her seeing she is so far from Illinois, and the entertainment of the divers was the cherry on top.

My wife has been back there by herself for other family events so I have heard many stories of her exploits but I don't have an many stories. But I have been to Colorado.

Until next time,

Arktander

(AKA David Andreasen)

#5. California CA (Been There, Sort of)

As I mentioned in my introduction page, my time with California was limited to time spent in the airport on a trip to the Philippines. Pretty much all flights from the Midwest (Chicago was where I flew out from) will stop on the West Coast before heading to the Far East. On our trip out we were supposed to have a layover in Hawaii but nobody needed to be dropped off so, ironically, I didn't have the chance to add that hardest state to my list. But I still count California!

Nighttime at LAX

As I mentioned in the overview of trying to visit all 50 states, there are those who don't feel a layover at an airport is enough to qualify as visiting a state. As I also mentioned, I don't particularly agree with that line of reasoning. I flew a perfectly valid flight on a perfectly valid airplane to the perfectly valid city of Los Angeles which hosts the perfectly valid Los Angeles International Airport. My son and I spent overnight right there in the airport that is right in California. We had to exit the plane with our luggage and hang around for over eight hours. If that's not a visit I don't know what is. After that short "visit" we were on our way to our next destination.

Not very restful

Anyways, I see my total of states visited at 41 while there are some who would only acknowledge 40 of them. Whatever. On my list, the state of California has been visited.

Later,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#4, Arkansas AR (Been There)

Considering how long we lived in Illinois and how close it is to Arkansas this one doesn't seem like a stretch. We did travel through a number of times we had a number of family events that brought us to that state.

We came to Conway to be at the wedding for my brother and his fiancé in 1987. All the family was there. The thing I remember most about that day was going on a hunt for something smelly that was put in their belongings. Don't really remember if we found anything.

While we were at the wedding of my wife's sister in Colorado (see the Colorado page) we did visit them in Paragould for a few days sometime in the 1980 decade. We did a lot of visiting of family back in the day when it was easier to travel, though Arkansas was not all that for from Illinois where we lived at the time.

We also visited a good friend and his wife and family in Hot Springs as he had worked with my dad in the early 1980's. I think my parents were there at that visit and I remember our boys and their boys playing together in park that we enjoyed.

Some pretty fancy stone work

A very nice rest stop

I'm pretty sure my family is not interested in seeing their wedding photos as representing the State, and I just don't have the time right now to peruse the 30 (give or take) photo albums for pictures to scan. That's a project for another day.....or year. So what pictures am I showing from Arkansas? A rest area! Go ahead and laugh if you must but I have endured pathetic rest stops in Illinois for most my life traveling that state. So whenever I find a rest area that is well-done and among the best I've seen, then I take photos of it. You'll find numerous of these rest areas sprinkled among the states and I'm always glad to see them wherever I go. This one has beautiful post and beam lumber, stone work, and a green metal roof. Then there's the Arkansas sign set in granite trying ever so hard not to be a tombstone.

What is the Natural State you say? From the State Symbol website, here's their description: "The nickname for Arkansas is The Natural State. Arkansas is famous for its natural scenic beauty, clear lakes and streams, and abundant wildlife. Arkansas has 52 state parks, three national forests, five national parks, and the nation's first National River (the Buffalo National River, which meanders through the heart of the Ozarks, is America's first federally protected stream)."

https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/arkansas/state-nickname/natural-state

That nickname is also displayed on the state license plates and probably numerous other locations.

Another memory from my younger years was riding in the car with members of the family while my dad was driving. I remember that there were some very winding roads and tight turns along these back roads of Arkansas. I seemed far more scary when driving at night, but I ended up thinking those were some of the most dangerous roads in those earlier years. Or maybe it was just that dad was driving far too fast for conditions. Not sure which one is correct but I no longer see it as any different than any other state as I have gotten older.

Until next time,


Arktander
(aka David Andreasen)

#3, Arizona AZ (Been There)

This was another state that we've only made once but we tried to pack a lot into the two weeks we were there or traveling. This means we made it to the upper Northwest and the Southwest. The trip included the funeral of my nephew but I won't go into detail on that. We spent some time with my sister's family and others who had come for the somber occasion. The year was 2012, the month was August, and the temperatures were sizzling. At least part of the trip had these great views.

Now that's a sunset!

We also had the chance to visit our son and daughter-in-law, now married almost three years. But since we were in Arizona for the first time we all decided to visit the Grand Canyon. I mean, that's one everyone does, right? My son and I came up with the plan to check out the Grand Canyon West Skywalk that was fairly new, a steel and glass horseshoe that extended out over the canyon. It didn't look to be too far from the other Grand Canyon entrance so we headed out on the road early that morning. I don't remember who was driving but when we saw signs for the upcoming Hoover Dam we figured we might have missed our turn. Sure enough it was a couple hours back. But since we were so close to Hoover Dam we decided to push on another half hour. It is amazing to see the sheer size of the dam close up and we of course drove over to the Nevada side since that counts as visiting Nevada (much like me going to the New York and Canada sides of Niagara Falls counts for both places).

Hoover Dam

The Dam Angels

As we drove out of this tourist site we saw signs for Las Vegas saying it was less than an hour away but the wife was upset and we'd ruined her day already. Little did she know what was ahead. We got back on the road and found our turn to get to the Skywalk and within a short time that paved road gave way to a rutted dirt road. We drove on that for an hour or more and finally found what we were looking for. Sort of. First of all, we discovered this was Indian land. Second, we found out this was not a quick free walk out on a glass horseshoe. Third, we had to go through a tour of Native American history. Fourth, a bag lunch was included at the end of the tour. Fifth, you had to leave everything behind before going on the Skywalk because YOU COULDN'T TAKE ANY PICTURES! For that you have to ask the photographer onsite to take them for you and charge you a bunch more money. If I sound cynical, you are right, and I think a lot of us have a right to feel cynical and even angry for being taken advantage of. And sixth, it cost $80 per person! In 2012 dollars which would be $130 in 2023 money! My son and I refused that highway robbery and told the wives we were leaving, which infuriated my wife even more. So the trip to the other canyon entrance took over six hours of angry silence. Would I have gone on the tour anyway, if I could go back? No, not ever, but I should have researched that Skywalk a bit more. My wife called this "The day of which we will no longer speak" and it continues on in family lore.

Better yet I should have headed to the Four Corners Area where it is the only place in the country that four states meet up in one spot. Utah joins Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico with a copper disc marked out in quarters (the mathematical equation, not the coin money). Technically you could cover all four states with one foot. That photo opportunity alone would get me to head down in that direction. Although, I was horrified to find out that they have chosen to charge $8.00 to see a gold disk on a rock. What a crock! No, not the footware, it's the horror. Well, I guess I would have paid for one person, namely me, to go in and get a couple pictures on the disc. That is unless they make you leave your camera behind while they charge you for a professional photographer to do it.

Beyond the barbed wire fence lies the elusive Skywalk

The cow seems unfazed by the dust devil

At least we had a hotel reservation right near the main Canyon entrance, so the next morning we headed into the National Park. This definitely was worth the price of admission. We were on the southern edge of the canyon and we probably walked just a mile or two after dealing with the August heat. Pictures just don't do the view justice and you just can't get it all into the camera frame. But it is at least a reminder of being there.

Welcome to the Grand Canyon

It really is immense

The initial areas near the entrance had hand rails to keep you from the edges but farther away you were on your own. Every year you hear about someone falling to their death at the Grand Canyon and I can see how easily it can happen. The picture below is one place I watched for awhile as others looked over the edge or sat down on the point. As it cleared out I gingerly crept out to the safest place I could find, as far from the edge as I could. It doesn't look that bad as you look at the picture but my legs were shaking the whole time I was out there, especially when the wind picked up. My wife took a bunch of photos to prove I was really out there. A big thanks to all those who encouraged me out there, and I appreciated that applause on a safe return. I don't think I would do it again.

No rails on this stone point

We started back to my son's home later in the day and drove through Sedona and the stunning red rock formations. Again, we took enough photos to wallpaper a house but this was the first time we'd been seeing all of this beautiful landscape. There was a park that we drove into and walked around the lake. Many more pictures.

Red Rocks of Sedona

You may wonder if we saw any cactus plants. Well, wonder no more, as they were everywhere. It's possible that there are some places where they might be considered a nuisance but they were always interesting to see. It's hard to imagine how they can live coming right out of the rocks, but they are a hardy bunch.

Cactus

We spent time together with family and checked out both Tucson and Phoenix. My wife made an excited announcement that we were passing an IKEA store that was between those two cities, in Tempe. I don't remember if we made a stop, but it was the only IKEA store in Arizona in 2012.

More cactus

Let me comment on the heat as I close this post. Everyone told me that it's a dry heat in Arizona so it would be fine. When I mentioned that to someone there they told me that in August they are in monsoon season so it could be very humid. In fact on our trip to the Grand Canyon we ran into a rain storm that turned into rapid streams of water on the roads and in the ditches. When the rain was over it all dried up within minutes but it sure got humid. So I can't give you any sense what what dry heat even means. I imagine hot is still hot. We saw 117 degrees one day and it was incredibly hot. I can see how you could easily fry an egg on the hood of a car. And no, we didn't try it. But our air conditioning went out on the trip and we are thankful to have found a shop that would fix it before our trip home.

117 degrees, not a dry heat

So after a couple weeks of investigating some of Arizona it was time to head back to Illinois. We sadly said our goodbyes to family and drove off into the sunset. For reference, the New Mexico post precedes this time in Arizona.

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#2, Alaska AK (Been There)

This may seem like an outlier considering I've mentioned I haven't really been out West but I would consider Alaska and Washington to be more northwest. It was only one trip out that way but it was to fly out to Seattle, take a bus to Vancouver, and then go on a week's cruise up through Alaska's Inner Passage. Taken together it was a great trip to all the places and we did discover we really like cruises.

There's always a sign

We had received a gift certificate from work towards a cruise and my wife decided she would like to take a cruise to Alaska. Our initial plan was to drive from Illinois up through the northern states states on our way over to Washington, adding as many of them as we could to our states list. We would then drive up to Vancouver where our cruise would begin and end, the drive down to California catching Oregon on the way. We would then head back to Illinois, visiting the Grand Canyon and as many other states as possible, for at least a three week adventure. It sounds exhausting now as I write this but the cruise was for April 2004 so we would have been nearly twenty years younger at that time. Alas, between the time we set up the cruise and the time we were set to leave, we had bought a smaller house and the closing date got moved up so we had only enough time to fly out to Seattle, take the cruise, and fly back. A prime opportunity to visit more states was gone. But we did have a great time on the cruise. 

That's all I got looking for whales

Taking off from Vancouver, this cruise was made through the Inner Passage for a smoother experience. We were on The Radiance of the Seas which was a Royal Caribbean ship that held about 2,500 passengers. I thought that one was big but Royal Caribbean is near to completion on The Icon of the Seas which will be the largest cruise ship around. It can hold 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew and I'm only aware of all these things because friends we met on this particular cruise in 2004 will be going on a cruise next year on this newest Royal Caribbean ship. I thought it a bit ironic that there will be six water parks aboard the Icon while they float......on the water. As they say, whatever floats your boat. I spent some of the time looking for whales while the ship was out on our journey, and the photo above shows the extent of my success. We had three stopovers on the way there and back, in Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan. Considering that this was in April we expected very cold temperatures but we had 75 degrees and sun during the whole week.

Meeting new friends at dinner

I will again bring up that this trip was in 2004, which was remarkable only in that this trip was pre-digital camera ownership. I bought a small Canon Powershot A95 for the New York trip in 2005 (those photos are on the New York state blog) but I probably brought my film camera. There were way too many photo albums to go through so it was just easier to use Craig's photos. Who is Craig you might ask? He is the guy seated on the left, and he and his wife Missy were on this cruise and had been assigned to the same table as us. Serendipity. They are from Australia and we had a great time sharing stories. And he had come with digital DSLR in hand and was a great photographer. Missy asked for a lemonade when they took our drink order, but then nearly spit it when the glass arrived. Turns out that she was looking for Sprite, which they call lemonade in Australia. We also discovered (because our waiter mentioned it to us) that you could have anything off the menu as many times as you wanted. And here I was spending so much time trying to decide what to have. So we had it all, a feast every night. That was when I could really put away the food. One day I ended up eating five separate times, from breakfast first thing in the morning to the chocolate spread late at night and everything in between.

The scenery was breathtaking

There was a lot of things to do on the ship, like miniature golf or shuffleboard or even watching a movie or taking in a comedy show, but I was more impressed by the scenery off the side of the ship and we slowly floated by it. Craig's camera was working overtime for sure.

Mountaintop eagle at Juneau

Since the ship docks at port three times (on this particular cruise anyway) there are a multitude of shore excursions that one can purchase to entertain while on land. We saw Jeep offroad trips, helicopter rides, whale watching boats, and so on. But those were the expensive ones; we bought the cheap trips but we did one on every stop. The first we took a tram ride up the mountain at Juneau to see these eagles on display (not in the wild). It was really cold up on the mountain. The next stop at Sitka and we road a train on the track used for the Klondike Gold Rush and heard stories along the way to the Canadian border. We liked riding the train. The last stop was in Ketchikan and we went to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and laughed our heads off. So good.

View out the dining room window

Somewhere along the way we took a side trip into Glacier Bay, a small body of water where you could see glaciers. Our ship got very close to one of them and did a full 360 degree spin around in the water so everyone could see the glacier no matter where you were on the ship. We grabbed the very front of the ship to see it head-on, as we watched chunks of ice falling into the water. My wife had insisted we get a room with a balcony (which was more the size of a sideways diving board) so we went to our room next to continue watching the glacier and getting more photos, and then we went to Craig and Missy's balcony as they were on the other side of the ship. You try to make the best of every opportunity. Nature put on a show that day.

The glaciers at Glacier Bay

Turns out taking a cruise combines a bunch of my interests. Since you take a week to do it then you must be on vacation and what's better than a vacation? Since you're going somewhere new there are tons of things of which to take photos. There's all the food you can imagine and every imaginable kind of food, an aquatic buffet. There are opportunities to meet new people and share the memories with them. There's the points you get for finally taking your wife to a place she actually wanted to go to, so there's that. There's the calmness of sitting outside on one of the decks just enjoying the boat ride in the great outdoors. There's the excitement of going to places you've never been to before and seeing new things. There was the hilarity of watching Craig shooting golf balls so hard in miniature golf, airborne into the ocean. And, at least for this cruise, there was chocolate. More kinds of chocolate than you knew existed as far as the eye could see. What more could a guy want?

Chocolate Buffet

At the end of the trip we exchanged phone numbers and addresses with Craig and Missy, and they came over to America to visit us several times.  In fact, on one of those trips they got engaged on a Sunday, asked me to marry them that coming Saturday (I am a minister), spent five days getting a wedding gown, securing a photographer, putting together the wedding venue and wedding cake, sending out announcements, and then coming together on that Saturday with other friends to celebrate their marriage. You don't get to say that every day.

Looking down several levels of the ship

Would we take another cruise? Most definitely, if we could ever get the money together. Would we go back to Alaska? Most definitely, especially taking a wilderness trip as part of it. And then there's the money thing again. But, most importantly, did we enjoy ourselves on this trip to Alaska? Emphatically, yes!!

Let's do this again,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#1, Alabama AL (Been There)

Considering I now live in Georgia it's no surprise that I have spent time in Alabama since it's right next door. Yes, it may be on the way to Texas where I have a bunch of family but I have definitely driven through the state.

Convenience Store and then some

Did you know that the state of Alabama is home to four Buc-ee's Gas Station and Convenience Stores? They are located in Robertsdale, Athens, Auburn, and Leeds. We've stopped at the one in Leeds a time or two and on one occasion happened upon Buc-ee the Beaver and managed to get a photo with the mascot. If you have not heard of Buc-ee's yet they are a huge rest stop offering the most fuel pumps I've ever seen in one place. Breakfast and lunch items galore, snacks aplenty, knick-knacks (but no paddy whacks), sports items, clothing, and many other items. But perhaps the biggest reason to make a stop is their huge bathrooms with so many stalls you'll always get right in.

Meeting Buc-ee the Beaver

A little history on Buc-ee's. The founder is Arch "Beaver" Aplin who opened the first store with his partners in Clute, Texas, in 1982. As of July 2023 there are 46 locations throughout Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina. The Buc-ee's name came from how "Bucky the Beaver" had been his nickname, his dog "Buck" and the Ipana toothepaste "Bucky Beaver" mascot. I felt privileged to meet the mascot here.

No waiting here

But I was particularly blown away by the sheer number of urinals in the men's room. I think it was 32 or something like that and that didn't include almost that many stalls. It was a lot of bathroom but it's usually not this empty so I had to take a photo.

Whenever we are on a trip we do our best to stop at Buc-ee's whenever we go by one. My wife loves the candied pecans that are always warm and ready to go. It's always fun to look around and see the unique items they have each time.

Down here in the south,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

Visiting All Fifty U.S. States (A bit of an introduction)

In my younger years I never much thought about such a goal seeing as how there was far too much to do in life with work and family. But as time went along and my list of states visited grew longer I at least allowed myself the thought of dreaming about the possibilities. While I have made it to forty-one states out of fifty it is the remaining nine that have become a lofty stretch of the imagination. I can somewhat imagine putting together a trip that meanders through the eight states out west that are all connected, hitting the high points and taking lots of pictures. But it will always be that final one—Hawaii—that may be the roadblock to attaining victory over all fifty states. While we know friends out there who would be glad to see us, the cost of even the airfare is definitely not in the budget. But we do still think about it.

Wanting to see what others have done with such a quest, I was surprised to find all kinds of websites and stories about what it means to different people. One such website is The All Fifty Club (http://www.allfiftyclub.com) which gives special recognition to those who had reached that milestone. They also allow people to become members after reaching thirty-five states, so that's something I may do. CNN Travel once did a story (https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/50-state-travelers-what-counts/index.html) about travelers and their thoughts in what constitutes a "visit" to a state:

"To “visit” a state, a person has to step outside the airport and breathe the air, according to the organization’s website. Airport layovers mean nothing. 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."

Airport in Los Angeles

It is for that reason above that some say I should be at forty states and not forty-one. In my own mind I had a lengthy layover in California while traveling to and from the Philippines. I still think it counts in my book of reasoning but that would eventually be moot should I take the aforementioned trip out west or an abbreviated form of it. Yet the CNN article also mentions that everybody has their own criteria for this and mine is that I be physically in the state. So I am going to consider myself as having visited forty-one states since I was fully and truly in the state. And no, I wouldn't count a flyover. At least you'll understand the dilemma many people go through in getting themselves to the full fifty.

Yes, this is how I spent my time in the LA airport, but I was there

My life's journey started in New York, moved on to Illinois for the teen years, then Minnesota for college, back to Illinois for much of my life, and now on to Georgia to be with family. That alone would account for quite a number of states but moving to the Midwest did propel me further in that goal for as many states as possible. It I had happened to move to the West Coast instead of the East Coast I may have been able to have a higher number than I do now.

My wife started in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and went on family trips. After we married we were together on our trips most of the time. Since I am looking at this project as a personal one I am only trying to put together those trips I knew I took, whether or not she was in them. It will be clear in most of these stories when I talk about her and I as us. I am often reminded by her that I did not deviate into side trips like we do today. I simply drove straight through in as quick at time as possible.

On another note, we have been to Washington DC several times. Though it's not on the list of states it is a matter of national interest so I simply add that info as a plus for me. So, it is my plan to make a blog page of all fifty states and start filling them out as quickly and briefly as possible. I can always go back and add some extra stories later.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

ICE vs EV (I Just Want To Get There)

As I happen to have an interest in automobiles I at least follow the story of the emergence of electric vehicles. I will tell you right up front that I am not opposed to the idea of electrical vehicles, but I don't believe much thought has been given to the consequences of such a change. The broad strokes are this: politics and governments that are mandating 100% EV usage immediately, limited education on the usage of EV's, significantly higher costs for the consumer, and significant obstacles for a satisfactory EV experience. It would be helpful to all that we be informed before jumping into the deep end. Let's examine these thoughts.

1. Government Mandates

To a great degree the EV revolution (or whatever you choose to call it) is being marketed as the salvation of the world's climate problems. However, the scientists of the world still do not agree on the extent of the "problem." Can we do a better job taking care of the planet and minimizing pollution? Certainly. Will switching to electric energy magically eliminate all pollution? Not in the least. In the middle of all of this, little thought is being given to the cost to the consumer involved with this huge shift in energy priorities. Simply making new laws will not solve all of these problems.

Personally, I have noticed mandates on a global scale which touch every area of our lives. The latest COVID pandemic coerced and forced many to take vaccines if they didn't want to lose their jobs. Plant based foods, including "meat" being produced from plants, is now a priority for those decrying climate change. Teachers are being required to teach subjects that defy sensibility and common sense without regard to their personal beliefs. The list goes on but they all have one thing in common in that more and more of our personal liberties are being taken away little by little. They are often framed in such a way as to make the average person believe it is in their best interests, without regard to personal beliefs, personal preferences, or even personal finances. The latest energy crisis finds itself right in the middle of this.

Obviously we have been using electricity for a long time so it's not like we are unfamiliar with plugging in all sorts of devices. The problem will be if electric-only cars are mandated and gas or diesel cars are banned, then the electrical power demands of the world are multiplied greatly. Yet there is not an adequate supply of electricity for all those new demands, and many studies do not see supply catching up to that kind of demand any time soon. Those kinds of questions are being asked and debated even now and we are discovering that there is no simple solution in this switch to an electric-only future. We are certainly finding out that we can't just make a mandate to an electric car future in ten or fifteen years without regard to the inherent realities of all our energy needs. In my estimation, the powers that be are doing a mighty poor job in making this energy transition.

2. Limited Education

How much do you actually know about electric vehicles? When Tesla came out with their first car the world was amazed at the blistering speeds it produced. The 2012 Model S ran a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds according to the car magazines. I remember when family members got a ride in someone's Model S and the acceleration pushed them back in their seats like nothing they'd experienced before. But, as we are finding out, an electric car is not simply the kind of car we are used to but with an electric motor. It is a completely different animal and many early adopters of the electric car eventually decided that they were unable to live with the downsides. While an electric vehicle can prove economical and useful, it is necessary to recognize some of the limitations before jumping in with both feet.

Most of the cars I owned over the years were nothing more than transportation. Hub caps, roll down windows, push/pull door locks, cloth seats, perhaps even air conditioning. I was thrilled when I got a different car and it had a new feature. Power windows and lock were a revelation. Fuel injection meant you didn't have a carburetor to flood out. It's taken nearly fifty years of cars to reach a turbo engine, fancy wheels, leather interior, heated and ventilated seats, radio options galore in a center digital screen, power tailgate, four wheel drive, panorama sunroof, and safety systems stem to stern. We learned about those year by year, doled out to us one or two at a time.

But with the advent of electric vehicles there has been a steep learning curve. People have made assumptions about electric vehicles without learning about them first. What about the battery for starters? Those go far beyond the 12 volt battery we are familiar with in the engine compartment of gas cars. Battery size for electric vehicles are normally listed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and refer to how much electricity a battery (pack) will use over a certain time. Let's take the battery in the Chevrolet Bolt as an example. It is rated at 60 kWh and will expend that much energy to propel the car to its destination. The Bolt is rated for 247-259 miles with the standard Bolt getting the 259 miles because it is the smaller version, and the Bolt EUV getting less at 247 miles as it is a little longer and heavier. As with gas mileage estimates these are the best you are likely to see if you fully charge up your battery and take off on a drive.

(As we are talking about car batteries here, let me interrupt to give you a link to one of my favorite "commercials." It is a parody of a car commercial done during Saturday Night Live with Julia Louis-Dreyfus extolling the virtues of the "Mercedes AA Class Car." I'm not sure all those batteries could power the car but it is a fun "fake" commercial! Click here >>> Mercedes AA Class Car ).

You would find this 60kWh battery pack a common size on smaller cars like the Bolt. You might find a 1.5 kWh battery in a hybrid vehicle where such a small size might get you 25-30 miles on battery power only. At the other end of the spectrum, Teslas now are using 100 kWh battery packs in their Model S which gets them about 405 miles rated for the 2023 year as they are heavier and larger cars. These battery packs are stored in variety of ways within the vehicle. Most manufacturers have placed them at the lowest part of the car, sandwiched between the bottom of the car and the interior floor of the vehicle. These packs can weigh from 400-1,000 pounds give or take. The electric motor(s) also add weight but normally the batteries and motors do weigh more than the motor and transmission of a gasoline car. This extra weight causes tires to wear out more quickly, though new tires are being developed specifically for electric cars.

What are some of the things that reduce actual battery range from their advertised range? Like a gas car speed will affect range. Driving about 60 mph is normally the sweet spot for driving the electric car, so driving slower in town or faster than that on the highway will reduce range. A full car of people will reduce range, although that is why we buy a car. Yet extra weight in the electric vehicle will affect it more noticeably. Cold weather, running the heater and other electric devices in the cold, or towing all reduce the range. So if you bought that fancy new electric pickup truck to haul your family and a trailer across Montana in January with the heater blowing and everyone plugging in their devices, you will likely see your range drop to one half or one third. That surprises a lot of people.

Let me just touch on the whole "zero-emissions" argument that still rages on. This is another point that is often ignored as it is hoped we will choose an electric car simply because it has no emissions, i,e. good for the environment. The electric vehicle indeed has no tailpipe emissions like the internal combustion engine (ICE) produces. Yet the process of sourcing, mining, building, and transporting the electric vehicle to its final destination affect the environment just the same. It is the degree to which the environment is affected that many disagree with. Mining the various minerals and rare earth metals for batteries (such as graphite, nickel, copper, manganese, cobalt, lithium, neodymium, terbium, and dysprosium) needs high amounts of water, specialized tools, and human labor. Many of these minerals and metals are found in other parts of the world, in countries unfriendly to our interests. That will make it difficult to source enough of these materials, probably leading to other technologies. Tesla is changing the way it makes its motors so that they will use less of these rare materials.

Manufacturing parts for the electric vehicle and building them for sale is just as energy intensive as building ICE cars. The plants need electricity and natural gas to run the machines and all of that produces pollution. Transporting them to their ultimate destination by rail or truck still uses the same energy as transporting ICE vehicles. These various emissions are being tracked and measured and it is generally agreed that, after a specific time period, electric vehicles will start to use less than their ICE counterparts. The electric car contributes more of its energy and emissions up front while the ICE vehicle starts lower but continues contributing throughout its lifetime. From what I've read so far it take four to five years until the electric car has an overall smaller environmental footprint than the ICE car.

( For a more detailed analysis check out this article >>> Comparing Environmental Impact ).

3. Higher Costs

In the argument between electric cars and ICE cars nothing is more contentious than when comparing costs. As they say, nothing here is what it seems. It is like comparing apples and oranges as to which is better. Even trying to come up with a way to compare cost-per-mile between electricity and gas or diesel is a tricky thing. The EPA has come up with MPGe as their way of comparing the two. "The left-hand fuel economy box on the label displays the fuel economy when operating on electricity. This is described in miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe). Think of this as being similar to MPG, but instead of presenting miles per gallon of the vehicle’s fuel type, it represents the number of miles the vehicle can go using a quantity of fuel with the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline." (from the EPA.gov website).

But, as we have said before, we need to consider all the costs of using a vehicle if we want to make a fair comparison. Using only the cost of electricity versus the cost of gas is not a very good comparison, though it is part of the equation. The first thing that comes to mind for me when buying a car is the cost of the car. Even here it continues to be apples and oranges, but I think it is fair to say that electric vehicles cost more than traditional ICE vehicles. 

           Cheapest Vehicle:

           2023 Mitsubishi Mirage ES $17,600

           Cheapest Electric Vehicle: 

           2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV $27,500 (56% higher)

                         Cheapest Compact SUV:

                         2023 Hyundai Tucson SE $27,745
                         Cheapest Electric Compact SUV:
                         2023 Nissan Ariya Engage FWD $44,525 (60% higher)

                                       Cheapest Pickup Truck:

                                       2023 RAM 1500 Classic Tradesman $32,590

                                       Cheapest Electric Pickup Truck:

                                       2023 Ford Lightning F150 Pro $57,870 (77% higher)

Whether or not you fully agree with my list (what makes a compact SUV anyway?) it has been pretty clear to me that the entry price for any electric vehicle is significantly higher than the entry price for the gas model. There's something else that stands out. Even the cheapest electric vehicles start out with more standard equipment than the cheapest gas vehicles. In the case of the pickup trucks, the gas RAM truck is a holdover from a couple years ago with no club or crew seating, whereas the Ford Lightning is a full crew cab with a hefty standard list of options. Again, apples and oranges. But with inflation raging out of control there are many people who are looking for the most affordable option—period—without the extra issue of trying to "save" the environment. So right off the bat you are many thousands in the financial hole if you try to start off with an electric vehicle.

The Chevrolet Bolt

Obviously, the lower end of the cost spectrum is tighter when comparing gas and electric. This is one reason why my son bought the Bolt EUV when looking for a cheaper car. With the rebate that was available at the time it was a good deal because of how he uses his vehicles. This is the one his wife uses and she is able to go anywhere she needs for work and get back home without running out of power. They have a plug-in hybrid minivan that they use for when they all go out together and they can get where they need to and back on those smaller trips within the 32 miles of electric-only range. And for the long trips? The van continues in hybrid mode after the electric battery is used up and gives them over 30 miles per gallon.

For electric only costs, I turned to a website to give me the calculation (EV Charging Calculator) which said it would take $6.32 to fully charge the Bolt EUV 60 kWh battery from empty to full. If you divide that $6.32 by the 247 mile range you end up with right around 2.5 cents per mile. Therefore, it costs right around 75 cents to drive for 30 miles which I figure would be the average MPG for a compact SUV. In fact my Jeep Cherokee does get 30 MPG so an SUV a bit smaller might get 34-35 MPG but I'm using the 30 MPG figure for now. Since gas costs around $3.00 at our Sam's Club gas station right now then the 75 cents for the Bolt goes into $3.00 of gas for the Jeep right at four times. So in my mind, the Bolt is getting the equivalent of 120 MPG since it is four times as efficient as the Jeep. And, as you see from the sticker below, EPA considers the Bolt EUV to get between 104 highway and 125 city for its MPGe. So strictly as a per-mile cost the Bolt EUV costs very little to run.

One of the biggest unknowns right now is the cost of electricity for charging up an electric vehicle. For most of the initial buyers of electric cars, they were just plugged into a standard 120V garage outlet (level one, or L1). Smaller battery packs did not take that long to fully charge and the car was ready in the morning. The Nissan Leaf was one of the first cars to take off even though, at 24 kWh, its battery was on the smaller side. Range was claimed to be 73 miles but nobody ever wanted to run it too close to empty. These worked well for commuting to work and back but nothing else.

As the batteries got larger the charging times got longer and chargers were designed for 240V and 50A (L2). Home charging got a little tougher as homes were not designed for this extra draw. If a home had 100A total then 50A just for EV charging was questionable. The 50A outlet could provide 40A safely according to electrical guidelines (80% of rated circuit breaker). If your wiring was not as heavy you might be able to put in a 40A breaker to provide 32A to the charger. Still, this was not a project for the uninitiated. Adding an outlet like this meant running a 6/3 or 8/3 wire from a new circuit breaker in the electrical panel to the garage, putting it in a large electrical box, wiring it to a new 14-50 dryer-style receptacle, and then purchasing the correct plug-in charger to go from the new receptable to the car plug. Because of the heavy wires and often long distances to run them, getting an electrician was needed and the cost of materials and labor often ran around $2,500. If you wanted two of them then double it. And that didn't include changing electrical service to the house if you needed to upgrade the entire system. In those days it wasn't surprising to hear it turn into a $15,000 to $20,000 project.

Now, we can plan for this possibility. In our home we had the builder add the wires from the panel to the garage because we planned one for each stall. They didn't give us a choice but put in 8/3 wires suitable for a 40A breaker. This cost us $250 installed. It sat there unused until he decided to upgrade his hybrid van charger to 240V and got the Bolt. We got a couple breakers, a couple receptacles, and hooked up those outlets for a cost of about $75. He had to buy one charger for the van, since it only came with the 120V charger, but the Bolt EUV came standard with the 240V charger. Both of those charge at 32A but since they are not super-large batteries they always stay charged. For less than $500 we had two L2 charging stations.

That brings us to the L3 chargers. These were designed for serious charging of around 100A, usually with 3-phase wiring. These could charge up a Tesla full size battery pack in hours instead of days. Tesla has its own chargers for wiring into your garage and it can be set up for two vehicles. Once again it could run $2,500 for a simple installation but could reach even $25,000 if extra electrical upgrades were needed. When you add these costs to the additional initial cost of an electric car you see how you are starting in a negative financial position to a standard ICE car.

While there are advantages to owning an electric car, such as less maintenance and zippy driving, there are also some disadvantages. Batteries only last so long, around 8-12 years, and replacing the battery pack is expensive. Depending on the size it could run from $5,000 to $25,000. Many driver get rid of the car before that happens. Towing is not the same experience with an electric vehicle as it is with a standard vehicle. Those buying electric pickup trucks to tow are finding that range drops significantly to maybe a third. A pickup truck with a range of 300 miles will right now be unable to make much more than 100 miles. Extra charging will be required. And, it is still difficult to find places away from home to charge a vehicle. If an electric car is your only vehicle then a long trip will entail stopping often along the way. The state of charging is hit and miss right now with charging stations not working at times and priced prohibitively as well. Costs right now are between $0.30 and $0.60 per kWh compared to 10 to 12 cents in your garage. Like anything else, once something gets popular it gets more expensive and new charges are getting added to building these charging stations.

4. Satisfaction Obstacles

As of this moment in early 2023 the lack of reliable charging stations across the country is the most frustrating problem facing EV drivers. For those who have decided on their electric vehicle as their only mode of transportation, it adds extra time to trips when they have to drive out of their way to find a charging station. And when they do it adds insult to injury when those chargers are already in use or are not working. No doubt this will be fixed eventually but setting up a charging station is much different then setting up a gas station we are all use to using.

While we have already mentioned the initial cost of electric vehicles themselves, there are other surprise costs. Insurance costs for electric cars are usually more that a similar sized ICE car. In fact, my son's Bolt EUV insurance is higher than that of his full-size van (do we really need to call them minivans anymore?) Prices of those electrical circuit parts are expensive and repairs cost more than regular cars.

Range anxiety tends to cause frustration. Just because the sticker tells you the car will go 250 miles doesn't mean it actually will. You will find that there are many things that lower that number and make it impossible to complete some trips. After some time people get used to it but it's something to be considered.

Right now there are less choices in electric cars, both in models that meet your liking and costs that meet your pocketbook. The electrical vehicles that are available are not the lowest cost models but instead are the top-end luxury models since there is more profit in those models. You may jump in with both feet but there are many surprises along the way.

Finally, I will circle back around to where I started, in the thought that electric cars never seem to be as "green" as you hoped they would. You buy the "green" option electricity but then you find out you can't be guaranteed it's from green sources. And when you finally discover all the "un-green" materials that go into making your electric car, is it really as green as you hoped?

But, as it is often said, this is just the beginning. Time will tell how many of the kinks can be worked out of electric vehicles. Maybe there will be new technologies that will carry the day. But no matter what vehicle you choose, make sure you do your homework so you are not unpleasantly surprised after you purchase that new car.

Arktander

(ada David Andreasen)