Imagine the swarms of coworkers around you as you recount your visit to all 50 states during your two week vacation. If your boss is around, she'll probably promote you on the spot for “proactive innovativity” (whatever that is). Or, one of coworkers will tell an uncle in the publishing business who will offer you a fat contract writing travel guides. The possibilities are endless, so grab your road atlas and let’s go!

NOTE: Travel books are at the end of this guide.

FRIDAY: MA

+ Slip out of work a little early
+ Take a late flight into Boston.
+ Rent a car (be sure it has unlimited mileage!)
+ Head into Beantown for the night.

SATURDAY: ME, NH, VT, and RI

Your 321 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Bunker Hill Monument (Boston).
+ Kittery ME—Maine’s oldest town.
+ Keene NH—the epitome of small-town New England.
+ Brattleboro VT—jammed with bookstores, galleries, cafes.
+ Providence RI—more buildings on the National Historic Register than anywhere else.

SUNDAY: CT, NY, NJ, and PA

Your 276 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Mystic CT—historic seaport.
+ NYC NY—Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square
+ Princeton NJ—Princeton University.
+ Philadelphia—the Liberty Bell and Philly cheese steaks.

MONDAY: DE, MD, WV, and VA

Your 382 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Wilmington DE—Market Street Mall, Kalmar Nyckel (tall ship).
+ Baltimore MD—Inner Harbor, National Aquarium.
+ Harper’s Ferry WV—National Historic Site.
+ Roanoke VA— City Market.

TUESDAY: NC, SC, GA, and AL

Your 602 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Charlotte NC—Speedway, NASCAR sites.
+ Greenville SC—Art museum has finest collection of Wyeth watercolors in the world.
+ Atlanta GA—Peachtree Street, CNN Center, Coca Cola.
+ Montgomery AL—1st white house of the Confederacy.

WEDNESDAY: FL, MS, LA

Your 644 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Pensacola FL—Seville Square historic district, Fort Pickens.
+ Biloxi MS—Lighthouse and casinos.
+ New Orleans LA—French Quarter, Bourbon Street.
+ Winona MS—Pit stop for the night.

THURSDAY: TN, AR, MO, KY, and OH

Your 657 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Memphis TN—Graceland, Beale Street.
+ Highway 61, the Great River Road follows the mighty Mississippi River.
+ New Madrid MO—epicenter of the largest earthquake in U.S. history.
+ Louisville KY—Churchill Downs, Col. Sanders Museum.
+ Cincinnati OH—Art museums, Cinergy Field

FRIDAY: MI, IN, IL, AND WI

Your 689 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Detroit MI—Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.
+ Indiana Dunes IN—Dunes in Indiana? Whoda thunk it!
+ Chicago IL—Sears Tower, Michigan Avenue, Wrigley Field.
+ Madison WI—University of Wisconsin.

SATURDAY: MN, ND, SD, and IA

Your 770 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Minneapolis MN—Guthrie Theater, Mall of America.
+ Wahpeton ND— America's only restored bonanza farm.
+ Sioux Falls SD—Great Plains Zoo.
+ Sioux City IA—Chief War Eagle’s grave.

SUNDAY: NE, KS, OK, and TX

Your 815 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Omaha NE—Old Market, Western Heritage Museum.
+ Wichita KS—Old Cowtown Museum and Wichita Art Museum.
+ Oklahoma City OK—Oklahoma City National Memorial.
+ Amarillo TX—American Quarter Horse Heritage Museum.

MONDAY: NM, AZ, CO, and UT

Your 884 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Four Corners near Farmington NM—visit NM, AZ, CO, and Utah in a few steps.
+ Salt Lake City UT—Mormon Tabernacle.

TUESDAY: WY, MT, AND ID

Your 728 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Yellowstone Natl. Park (takes in WY, MT, and ID)
+ Coeur d’ Alene ID—The lakeshore.

WEDNESDAY: WA, OR, AND NV

Your 854 mile journey today takes you to:
+ Spokane WA—Riverfront Park.
+ Lakeview OR—Goose Lake, Perpetual Geyser.
+ Reno NV—The casinos.

THURSDAY: CA

Your 2,615 mile journey today takes you to:
+ San Francisco CA—Chinatown, cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge.
+ Turn in rental car!
+ Fly to Honolulu HI.

FRIDAY: HI

Your 4,123 mile journey today and tomorrow takes you to:
+ Honolulu—Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor Memorial.
+ Catch an overnight flight to Anchorage AK.

SATURDAY: AK

+ Anchorage AK—Rent a car and explore the nearby national parks.

SUNDAY: GO HOME!

+ Fly home.

Three cheers! You’ve just visited all 50 states and travelled more than 15,000 miles.

Travel Guides for the Trip

'Mobil Travel Guide: Mid-Atlantic, 2004 (Mobil Travel Guides (Includes All 16 Regional Guides))'
'Mobil Travel Guide: South, 2004 (Mobil Travel Guide South (Al, Ar, Ky, La, Ms, Tn))'
'Mobil Travel Guide: Southwest, 2004 (Mobil Travel Guides (Includes All 16 Regional Guides))'
'Mobil Travel Guide: Northwest, 2004 (Mobil Travel Guides (Includes All 16 Regional Guides))'
'Mobil Travel Guide: Northern Plains, 2004 (Mobil Travel Guide Northern Plains (Mt, Nd, Sd, Wy))'
'Mobil Travel Guide: Southern Great Lakes, 2004 (Mobil Travel Guide Southern Great Lakes (Il, in, Oh))'
'Mobil Travel Guide: Great Plains, 2004 (Mobil Travel Guides (Includes All 16 Regional Guides))'
'Lonely Planet New England (Lonely Planet New England)'
'Lonely Planet New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania (Lonely Planet New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania)'
'Lonely Planet Great Lakes (Lonely Planet Great Lakes)'
'Lonely Planet Rocky Mountains (Lonely Planet Rocky Mountains)'
'Lonely Planet Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah (Lonely Planet Southwest)'
'Lonely Planet Pacific Northwest (Lonely Planet Pacific Northwest)'
'Lonely Planet : California : Life Is Great in the Golden State (Lonely Planet California)'
'Lonely Planet Hawaii (Lonely Planet Hawaii)'
'Lonely Planet Alaska (Lonely Planet Alaska)'
'Frommer's New England (Frommer's Complete)'
'Fodor's New England (25th Edition)'
'Frommer's American Southwest'
'Lonely Planet USA (Lonely Planet USA)'
'USA (Eyewitness Travel Guides)'