See the whole world

I love to travel and would like to "see the whole world". The parade of nations during the opening ceremony of the Olympics showcases the large number of countries and their diverse history and culture. I am reminded each time that I have not visited most of these nations. My current tally is 31 out of a total of 195 countries in the world. An average of one new country every 2 years of my life so far. I am not going to see the whole world at this rate :-)

What is a good goal to achieve in the future? Seeing all of them does not seem feasible or even enjoyable. Should I visit at least 2 new countries each year? Visit at least 3 countries in each continent? Is this even the right metric to assess my travel experience? Increasing the count of countries visited is not a primary goal for right now, it is a likely side effect of my travels. My decision about the next travel destination is currently based on the experiences it offers - natural beauty, treks, architectural marvels, history and culture. If it happens to be a new country, great!

I have lived 20+ years each in two countries - India and USA. I have traveled extensively in both, but there are still many states that I have not visited. The maps below mark the states I have been to so far. I don't think I will ever reach a point where I can say that I have seen it all in India and US. There are still so many beautiful places to explore and things to do.

Update: As a result of my road trip across all lower 48 states in the US in Sept/Oct 2022, I have now visited all 50 states and the whole map is now "blue".

States visited as of August 2022:

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Day 14: Enjoyed with Friends in Minnesota

A long drive from Bismarck, North Dakota to Minneapolis, Minnesota today. The drive was mostly on the I-94 interstate freeway, so it was very smooth, high speed limits and lots of Tesla superchargers along the way. The first three hours of the drive was through heavy rain, which was for the first time during the trip. It was nice to transition from the dry grasslands of North Dakota to the lush green trees and grasses in Minnesota, the land of 10000 lakes. During the drive, I reflected a bit on all the different places I had been to over the past two weeks. I have enjoyed each day since it brought something different and unique. However, one thing is sure that my favorite days so far have been the ones in the big mountains of Mt. Rainier, Glacier and Rocky Mountain National Parks. The imposing mountain ranges, snow capped peaks, the lakes, the waterfalls, the rivers and creeks, the tall trees, the fresh air, all combine to create something magical. I can't get enough of it. ...

Day 5: KOA Cabin in Glacier National Park

A long drive today from Spokane to the West Glacier KOA Resort, which is close to the Glacier National Park entrance. I had to slow down or stop many times during the drive due to road construction underway at multiple places. There was also a traffic jam to deal with at one place. Lastly, I had go past the most direct route for about 15 miles to get to a supercharger in Superior, MT and then retrace back. I reached my destination for the day, a cute looking KOA log cabin in a beautiful KOA resort surrounded by mountains. The cabin has electricity, heater, refrigerator and a microwave. Not too shabby, changed my perception of what a KOA kampground is like. The nearest supercharger from Glacier National Park is over 120 miles away. The primary reason I chose to book at KOA is because they provide access to a NEMA 14-50 220V charger. A timeslot for the single outlet they have needs to be reserved ahead of time. I was very relieved when all of this worked and my...

Day 9: Long drive in high desert

Today was a long driving day through the desolate, high desert regions of Wyoming and Colorado. The elevation was above 6500 feet most of the time. There were a few sections with lush pine tree forests, but for the most part it was flat, very dry and full of small shrubs. No interstate freeways today, all undivided state and local highways. The biggest town I drove through was Steamboat Springs, a popular skiing destination. The only crop in this region seems to be hay for feeding the livestock. It is harvested and packed into these cylindrical rolls for storage and transportation. Saw these rolls in several places along the way, either piled up or just scattered in the fields. Fortunately, charging the car was not an issue driving through this remote area. I started with a full charge, thanks to an overnight NEMA 14-50 charger at the motel. Being able to charge overnight is a big benefit for EV owners and I wish more hotels would provide t...

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