All 50 States Club 3rd Annual Convention
The 3rd All 50 States Club convention was a lot of fun, and it being held just outside Philadelphia meant it was a short drive for me – bonus. The location was chosen to celebrate America’s 250th birthday at the birthplace of the nation. We also celebrated the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and the 20th anniversary of the All 50 States Club. Thanks, Alicia for creating this group of like-minded (sone would say crazy) people. I’m already looking forward to next year.
Combining my love of craft beer and disc golf, I looked up courses and breweries on the way and around the hotel. There was a course just off the highway and near 2 breweries, so I hit all 3 before checking into the hotel. Got rained out of the disc golf round early on – luckily not too far from my vehicle – then headed to brewery #1 for lunch and a flight (4 x 5-ounce pours) that let me try beers from 4 local breweries. After a fantastic roast pork, broccoli rabe, and sharp provolone sandwich (another Philly staple) I headed to brewery #2 right on the Schuylkill Trail. More good beer, highlighted by a British Mild of which a 4-pack came home with me.
Next day featured a round of disc golf in Phoenixville in Rez Park and of course, breweries. As luck would have it, there are 3 in town, along with a distillery, all within ½ mile of each other. The distillery had some good whiskeys and bourbons (1 of which came home with me), and one of the breweries had fantastic beer. Sadly, the other 2 were not that good (like our disclaimer on Steve’s Garage Bar, that is based on my taste buds only). It turns out the owner of the brewery (Mike at Root Down Brewing) knew about our YouTube show and after talking beer for a bit, to go with the 6-pack I grabbed, he gave me a few cans of his Octoberfest beer to try on the show. Watch for it on an upcoming episode.
A bit more about Phoenixville, PA. It’s a funky little town that doesn’t take itself too seriously and I highly recommend a visit. Every Friday in the summer, the main street is blocked off at 2:00 PM to create a pedestrian-only promenade. They have all sorts of events, such as the Mrs. Roper Run in which participants dress like Mrs. Roper from the show “Three’s Company” and parade down the street. The town’s theater is famous for being the one the Blob invaded in the cult-favorite movie with Steve McQueen which was filmed in that area. Every July they have a Blob Festival to celebrate the movie and the town.
Saturday was convention day with 100 attendees. It was a great day – seeing friends made at previous conventions and catching up, meeting new fellow travelers, sharing travel stories and tips, listening to several presentations and a fantastic lunch featuring Philly and PA foods, snacks and drinks. Small group dinners followed that allowed for closer interactions and connections. Finally, an informal gathering at the hotel bar to meet more attendees, share stories, and hang out together a little longer.
A shout-out to some of the speakers and exhibiters: Stan – The Driveby Tourist, Tabitha -Trippin’ with Tabi, and Leonard the Painting Dog and his mom Teresa (who have been to all 50 states together).
Rain put a damper on the next day’s planned picnic, so several attendees headed to the food court at a nearby mall. My beer buddy, Debbie, and I headed out to hit 2 more nearby breweries. For those of you keeping score, that’s 7 breweries and a distillery over the 4 days. And thanks to some having guest taps, and the pub next to the hotel, I got to have beer from 15 local breweries. My advanced planning led to a very successful quest for local beer.
Hearing all the travel stories made me want to travel again after almost 2 years. I’m looking forward to getting away to see new places, try new things, and of course, seek out disc golf courses and local beer. Whatever your quest, get out there and experience the wonder that travel brings. And if you’ve been to all 50 states, join the club and come out to the convention next year!
www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com 09-28-2026
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