Comments

1. #1 Joshua Zelinsky

   January 11, 2009

   You haven’t been to Alaska? You should hurry and get there. The glaciers are amazing.

2. #2 Mike Haubrich, FCD

   January 11, 2009

   My version of the world map showed me to be rather limited in my travels. Three countries, all part of the North American Union.

3. #3 Stacy S.

   January 11, 2009

   I only got 70% USA and only 4% on the world map.

4. #4 mr P

   January 12, 2009

   Only made 32% of the states, but made 14% of the world. I guess 6 years in the Navy helped that one a lot.

5. #5 Trin Tragula

   January 12, 2009

   48.

6. #6 CyberLizard

   January 12, 2009

   So what exactly constitutes a “visit”? I’ve driven through several states, does that count? Or does one have to spend the night in a state for it to count?

7. #7 Cal Harth

   January 12, 2009

   Greg,
   I am impressed by your travels. You missed the Dakotas though. Badlands in both states are amazing and the fossiles are very impressive. An exit off I-90 in ND has some of the best plant fossiles on earth in a road-cut just a little way away from the freeway.
   A back-country camping trip in open bison range will leave you feeling a little vulnerable. Birds, mammals, reptiles, plants, etc. are so different than Minnesota’s biota that it can be a real eye opener there.
   Cal

8. #8 Notagod

   January 12, 2009

   If I could see Russia from my house and I was the christian that would probably mean I had been to Russia, which would be a total of three countries that I have visited.

   I’ve only been in the western states but that would equal about fifty of the eastern states. They say size does matter ya know.

9. #9 chris

   January 12, 2009

   So what exactly constitutes a “visit”?

   I would say you have to stop and get out and actually see something other than the highway rest stop. By the same token, changing planes at O’Hare shouldn’t really count as a visit to Illinois. Just my 2 cents.

   Based on that I’ve visited 48 states (no HI or AK) and 17 countries. It helps that I’ve lived in DC, MD, PA, NJ, AZ, CA, TX, CO, and MN (and visited states nearby) and worked for an airline.

10. #10 Morejello

    January 12, 2009

    I’d advise leaving Utah out for as long as you can. Really, you’re not missing anything.

11. #11 Cal Harth

    January 12, 2009

    Morejello,
    Too bad you don’t like Utah. Everyone has their own way of rating places. Southeast Utah is mostly a blank spot on the map. It has its own form of beauty. Solitude and landscape forms matter a lot to me.

12. #12 Notagod

    January 12, 2009

    I’m rather proud of Greg for not visiting Utah. Yeah, there is some nice geology there but not unlike the surrounding states. Besides, there is a risk of catching the moron illness.

13. #13 elle

    January 13, 2009

    The standard my friends and I use for “visit” means you had to have a shower. But then you could cheat too, like at the Amsterdam airport and get a shower and never leave the terminal. Or, when you drive in the East and those states are TINY you can enjoy areas but shower in a different state. So the shower theory isn’t mayber the best, but a pretty good one and the one i stick with.

    True, it is a countries map, but bonus points should be awared for Antarctica!

14. #14 Greg Laden

    January 13, 2009

    I only included countries with real time: The shortest being Nigeria, could drop that from the list or leave it on. For states, I’ve done something in each state. Nebraska: No shower, but ate, visited tourist trap, etc. Nebraska would be my lease visited state. I think all the other states I lived in, or stayed days in, lots of showers, etc.

    Note I’ve been to the state of Washington but only the airport so I did not count it. I never stayed over night in Idaho but I did get drunk there. Oh, I might have skiied there once too (x country).

    Oh, Burundi. I really have not spent much time in Burundi. One could remove that too … there was no shower but there was food and probably beer.

15. #15 elle

    January 13, 2009

    what were you up to in Nigeria? I saw that on your list.