Capital: Boston Largest City: Boston Population: 7 million Admitted: 1788 Massachusetts, a state on the eastern seaboard, has an extensive history that dates back before the United States began. The largest city and capital, Boston, is the reason why most people visit Massachusetts. It's most notable for being home to the Boston Marathon which has taken place since 1897. I visited Massachusetts for the first time in May of 2017. Boston and Walden Pond Our visit in May of 201

Capital: Brussels Largest City: Brussels Population: 11.8 Million Currency: Euro Language: Dutch, French, German 🇧🇪 In April of 2019, my husband and I stopped in Belgium on a two-week long trip to several different European countries. I prefer the French name for Belgium - Belgique - so therefore, I'm going to call it Belgique. Brussels, the capital and largest city, is where we stayed while in Belgique. Brussels is not my favorite compared to other European cities we visit

Capital: Columbia Largest City: Charleston Population: 5.1 million Admitted: 1788 In August of 2016, I took a solo driving trip to several states I had never visited. On the list was South Carolina. All I did was stay in a hotel for one night. I wanted to experience more of what South Carolina had to offer, so I returned in April of 2023. It was a very rainy weekend, but I tried to make the most of my visit. I started my trip at Congaree National Park. Congaree is free to ent

Capital: Cheyenne Largest City: Cheyenne Population: 576,000 Admitted: 1848 Our first time visiting Wyoming was in 2019. As we were headed to our hotel in North Dakota, I wanted another state crossed off the list. While there we stopped to see Devil's Tower National Monument and had a stop for a souvenir key chain. Devil's Tower is a well-known landmark as it was used in Steven Spielberg's 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We did not get kidnapped by aliens while

Capital: Nassau Largest City: Nassau Population: 412,000 Currency: Bahamian Dollar Language: English 🇧🇸 The Bahamas is an island country not far off the coast of Florida. It has over 700 islands and cays. U.S. and Bahamian dollars are exchanged freely with a one-to-one exchange rate. Before the trip, I thought about going solo, but given the number of cruise ships that travel to The Bahamas, I figured I would be the only one there traveling by myself. Luckily, my husband a

Capital: Harrisburg Largest City: Philadelphia Population: 13 million Admitted: 1787 I have always been a fan of Pennsylvania. Coming from Michigan where mountains are rare, I have always enjoyed driving through the Appalachian Mountains. My first visit to Pennsylvania was in 2015 where we briefly visited Philadelphia. While there, we saw the Liberty Bell, though we were quite surprised by all the security. Philadelphia: The Eastern End of Pennsylvania Since that initial vis

Capital: Carson City Largest City: Las Vegas Population: 3.1 Million Admitted: 1864 Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps (not just New York City earns that nickname), is a popular U.S. travel destination that I was eager to visit. It's full of lights, gambling, nightlife and sin! Nevada also has more than Las Vegas, especially for the less sinful traveler. First Time: Getting My First Taste of Vegas I first went to Las Vegas in April of 2021. The country was still recovering