All 50 States Convention – Musings from the 2nd Annual Convention

A big shout-out to the organizer (thanks Alicia) and volunteers who made the convention in Richmond, VA a huge success. THANK YOU!

       Since the travel time was basically the same to fly or drive, I chose to drive. It saved a ton of money but more importantly allowed me to bring back beer from several local breweries and a nice bottle of VA bourbon too. I was amazed and pleased to see my 14-year-old SUV pull 25 mpg on the drive. Not bad for an aging tank of a vehicle.

       I headed down 2 days early to allow time for brewery visits and disc golf. Thanks to pre-trip research I hit 3 breweries before checking into the hotel. I had to do something before check-in time. 2 of the 3 had very good beers that made the trek back to my beer fridge. Next day I got in 9 holes at a nearby disc golf course. A long course with a lot of water hazards and an evil course designer as several baskets were partially hidden. It was fun to play in yet another state and I’m up to 12 states now.

       Having worked up a thirst and being ready for lunch I headed to a neighborhood close by to get in 3 more breweries and a distillery. The first brewery had a burger place right inside so I was able to solve 2 issues with one stop – a couple of pints and a tasty onion smash-burger. The others were within walking distance and provided more good beer that made it back home. At the distillery I learned that their base products are all 100% single VA grain whiskeys – a wheat, a corn (bourbon), and a rye. It was the bourbon that won me over.

       My beer buddy from last year arrived late Thursday and we caught up over pints at the hotel bar. Next evening we hit a locals pub for dinner and a few pints as we traded stories about what we did that day. Next day was the formal convention. Yes, I’m finally coming to that.

       This year, the convention was held at the hotel so no driving – yay! It was great to re-connect with people I met last year and to hear about their recent travels, and to meet new people and hear their stories. There was even a dog who has been to all 50 states – Leonard, who brought his mom along. After our host opened the session, several speakers shared their amazing travel stories and tips. “50 Capitals in 50 Days”, “Traveling with Pets”, “Off the Beaten Path”, and “Ways to Finance Your Travels” highlighted the formal presentations. We also had some table discussions to share stories and tips, and to get to know each other. It was a great day connecting and sharing with other people crazy enough to travel to all 50 states.

      That evening there were small group dinners, giving us more time to get to know our fellow 50-staters. Following that about 40 of us met at a local beer bar that had over 100 taps – heaven to many of us. A chance to meet a lot more people and hear their stories over pints of good micro-brews. Next day it was back to the first brewery I stopped at for a farewell group lunch gathering. A perfect weather day and more good fun as we shared more stories and the group slowly dissolved as people headed back home.

      My beer buddy and I headed to another brewery I had visited before that had a fantastic Saison that was blended from batches aged in white wine, red wine, and gin barrels. A unique brew that, as you probably already guessed, is in my fridge at home. Then we traveled a few minutes north to yet another brewery that the bartender at the hotel recommended. We got a couple of flights to try 8 of their beers. Always good to have a partner in crime. Thanks Debbie, for sharing your love of good beer with me!

      While we are all very different people, we have the 50 states in common. We even had a gentleman from Nottingham England who shared many stories of his US travels and about his homeland. He knows more about America than many Americans do, and I am hoping he comes back as a formal speaker next year.

     One of the keys to this being such a great experience is that – as you may have noticed from my choice of words – we shared stories, asked questions, and listened to each other. That is how learning and growth happen, and when a large group like this does it, magic happens too. For that reason, we all came away looking forward to next year. 

            Picture below of the whole crazy bunch. Note Leonard on his mom’s back.

Post script: For those who still think all New Jerseyans are rude:

     After returning home and heading to Target for a small kitchen gadget my faith in my home state of NJ got a big boost. I was in line behind a woman who was in the midst of having a bunch of stuff wrung up. She asked if that item was all I had and when I said yes, she told me she would pay for it so I wouldn’t have to wait. I assured her I was in no hurry and tried to give her money, but she wouldn’t take it, Instead, saying “just pay it forward”. Thank you, Ann for your kind gesture, it made my day, and thanks to the domino effect it made the day for others too.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  10-20-2025