Welcome to Exploring States

Exploring States

Vacations started as solo adventures—just me, exploring the world on my own. As life changed, so did the way I traveled. What began as solo trips soon included my then-girlfriend (now wife), and over time, family vacations became the new norm—sometimes even with our two dogs in tow. While every trip is carefully planned, things don’t always go as expected, which is part of the adventure.

Exploring States began as a way to document my travel experiences. When I first came up with the idea, extravagant vacations weren’t an option. In 2014, I took a road trip to New Mexico on a tight budget. There wasn’t much money for attractions, but I had plenty for gas—so I embraced the road trip lifestyle. That trip sparked my love for exploring state and national parks, roadside attractions, and state capitols. Over time, I added haunted and historic locations to my must-visit list.

Back then, traveling on a budget wasn’t just a choice—it was a necessity. Even today, I continue to plan cost-conscious vacations because nothing is worse than having the financial burden of a trip follow you home.

As I create new content, I’ll be sharing more about how I budget my trips while still making the most of every adventure.

Cuise Adventure

In just over 180 days, we’ll set sail on our second Alaska cruise! This trip will be completely different—new ports, a smaller ship, and two little kids along for the adventure. Instead of a round-trip, we’ll start in Vancouver and end in Seward, visiting Sitka and Hubbard Glacier along the way. We’re excited to experience Alaska again with older kids, explore new places, and take a scenic train ride to Anchorage. Stay tuned for updates as we count down to our next big adventure!

TRAVIS K

Travis is a road-tripper who enjoys stopping at roadside attractions, national parks, and haunted locations, preferably hotels and prisons. He aspires to visit every state, state capitol, and federal park in the continental United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. A love for the southwest and an interest in the history and culture of the region keep him looking for new destinations to visit there.

Keep up with him socially via populate social media platforms.

Road Trip

The countdown to my next road trip has started. I will be leaving Monday to travel to Cave Creek, Arizona. My wife and child will fly to Phoenix, where I will pick them up at the airport, and we will then continue our vacation together. We hope to visit a zoo or aquarium, attend a spring training baseball game, and visit a national park. Since Arizona is one of the states we have traveled to the most, we look forward to finding something we haven’t seen or done before.