the funcrunch files - States visited anecdotes

A meme courtesy of my high school friend Matt's blog: Recount a one-sentence anecdote for each state (of the U.S.) you've visited. (You can get a list and make a visual map at the Visited States page.)

I'm not counting states I only drove through or transferred at the airport, and I'm using the term "anecdote" loosely...

Edited 4/12 (forgot Arizona!)



Arizona - Ran into a Gay Pride festival in Phoenix on the way back from our honeymoon in Mexico, October 2004.

California - Got graduate fellowship to Cal in 1992, enrolled, got sick, dropped out, stayed here anyway.

Colorado - boyziggy proposed to me en route to Aspen, Nov. 2003. :-)

Connecticut - Stopped at same McDonald's four years in a row on summer vacation drive from West Virginia to Cape Cod, Mass., 1976-80.

DC - Stayed with my grandmother and had a great time playing with my cousins many summers during my childhood.

Florida - Saw ospreys building huge nests, and had a great bike ride in Palm Harbor with Ziggy and my Dad, Mar. 2006.

Hawaii - Went from 80 degree paradise to 20 degree shivering on the Big Island in the space of two hours, going to the summit of Mauna Kea, Jan. 2006.

Illinois - Got a solid undergrad education and BA in American Culture at Northwestern, 1988-92, though later ending up in a career having nothing to do with the liberal arts.

Iowa - Attended a conference for a summer research training program geared toward undergrad minority students, ~1989.

Maryland - Saw the Photon lasertag arena which Ziggy designed and co-operated in Laurel, Sept. 2002.

Massachusetts - Enjoyed two-week summer vacations in Cape Cod cottages rented from 1976-80.

Michigan - Presented research on censorship at aforementioned summer research training conference, ~1990.

Minnesota - Again presented research on censorship, at a different conference, geared toward undergraduate research in general, ~1991.

New Jersey - Visited relatives, got to see a great-uncle for the last time before he passed away.

New York - Found the Big Apple to be world mecca for vegetarian restaurants, on two vacation visits with Ziggy, 2004-05.

Ohio - Vaguely remember meeting a dentist-friend of the family sometime during my childhood.

Oregon - Visited relatives of my now-ex-husband on train trip from Emeryville to Seattle for our honeymoon, 1997.

Pennsylvania - Born and partially schooled (middle- and high school) in Pittsburgh, 1970-74 and 1982-88.

Virginia - Had a couple of nice visits with Ziggy's sister and her family, 2002 and 2004.

Washington - Honeymooned with my now-ex-husband at the Westercon 50 science fiction convention in Seattle, 1997.

West Virginia - Had a happy childhood in West Liberty, 1974-82.

Wisconsin - Visited a good friend from high school in Madison, ~1995 (?)