A Gen Xer who visited all 50 states shares which to skip — and why he was surprised Alabama made his top 5

20.08.2024 - 11:46 / insider.com

Patrick Forhane, 45, hit his 50th state, Kansas, in 2022. Two years earlier, he wasn't sure if achieving the feat would be possible.

Forhane, a credit review manager for a bank, had a longtime goal of visiting all 50 states, though a serious health emergency in early 2020 put a wrench in his plans. He was out of commission for a few months, then had to postpone travel plans after the outbreak of the pandemic. However, by the end of the year, Forhane was back to traveling to hit his final few states.

Forhane has also been to 45 countries, his favorites being Sweden, Japan, and Chile. He's also traveled to Azerbaijan, Tanzania, Malaysia, and Russia.

"When I was younger, I didn't plan on driving around the country, and I never have still. I've been to all these places randomly, and I'm just surprised at how much there is to see in the US," Forhane said. "It's sad that not everybody knows what's out there."

Forhane ranked his favorite and least favorite states, preferring the colder Northern states to the hotter South.

Forhane grew up on Long Island, where his dad worked for United Airlines. He and his family took vacations in states such as California, Florida, and Hawaii, though he said that his parents "weren't very creative with traveling."

He moved with his family to California, where he attended college and explored the West Coast. He then moved to Seattle for work for seven years, visiting states including Idaho and Montana. He took two trips to Alaska, where he rented a car and explored the major cities.

"When I lived in Seattle, a very large portion of the people I knew had never been to Alaska due to the cost and the remoteness," Forhane said.

He moved to New York City in 2012, getting to visit many New England states he didn't hit growing up. He said he rarely travels for work, meaning he's had to visit many states during vacations or quicker weekend trips, often on federal holidays. Having three airports close by allowed him to take nonstop flights across the country for relatively affordable prices.

While in Seattle and New York City, he would take trips to cities he'd never visited, noting he prefers exploring cities over parks. In each state, he said he would spend a few days attending concerts, visiting museums, and trying the local food scene.

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He said he'd kept trips affordable by taking public transit and staying at hotels on the outskirts of downtowns. He used to rent cars to get out of the cities and see rural areas, though car rental prices have shot up over the last few years.

By the beginning of 2020, Forhane had been to 46 states. However, that January, Forhane had a medical emergency that sent him to the ER.

"I was sitting on a gurney, and one of the things that