tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54146450886039742352024-03-07T03:49:00.917-05:00County CountingVisiting each of the 3,142 Counties in the United States at least Once in My Lifetime.J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-57161904088252722012012-07-18T09:45:00.002-05:002012-07-18T09:46:49.920-05:00Wrapping up the Pacific Northwest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Entering Astotin County, Washington from Wallowa County, Oregon on OR-3 and WA-129</span></strong> </td></tr>
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This post is being written from the Travelodge in Newburg, Yamhill County, Oregon, my last county in the Pacific northwest. Yamhill is the 22nd and final county of my current 10-day road trip around the states of Washington and Oregon, completing both states.<br />
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My brother, Philip, was on the first four days of this trip with me, in Washington's Olympic peninsula. He flew back to his home in Lexington, Kentucky and I have continuted another six days alone. This was Philip's second time to join me on my county counting adventure, having toured southwest Colorado with me about three years ago.<br />
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This has been my penultimate (next to last) trip of my county quest, bringing my grand total of counties collected to 3,125. Next month, plans are to fly with my wife, Karen, to Reno, Nevada, where we will rent a car and visit the final 17 counties in California and Nevada. In a couple of hours I catch a plane in Portland which will take me back to Cincinnati and Karen.<br />
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This past ten days have been very inteesing and fun - as all county counting trips are. It's great to know I am nearing the finish line which gives me mixed feelings. After one more grand trip next month the quest will be completed. I'll miss it - but am also looking forward to focusing on new adventures - especially the adventure of developing my mountain homestead in Tennessee<strike>. </strike></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-54151131119003489262012-07-10T09:22:00.002-05:002012-07-10T09:28:40.182-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Entering Wahkiakum County, Washington</strong></span></td></tr>
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Today I am in western Washington state at the beginning of a 10 day road trip which will wrap up the scattered counities I have not yet visited in Washington and Oregon. My brother, Philip, is with me on this trip. We flew to Portland yestereday, rented a car, and will spend the next three days touring Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Philip then flies back to his home in Lexington, Kentucky, and I will continue for six more days to visit spots in Washington and Oregon.<br />
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The finish line is almost in sight. With the two new counties I collected yesterday, Wahkiakum and Grays Harbor in Washington, my grand total now stands at 3,105 counties, with only 37 to go. A couple of those we hope to get today, along with Olympic National Park.<br />
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After this trip, I will lack only several scattered counties in California and Nevada. Plans are to make the final trip 10 day trip with my wife, Karen, and complete my County Quest over Labor Day week-end in Carson City, Nevada. More details about that later.<br />
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I have not kept this blog updated in the past year or so. Sorry about that. As the quest now nears completion, I hope to add several new blog entries over the next several weeks.</div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-65678086555300010512010-01-08T14:45:00.004-05:002010-07-01T11:04:30.375-05:00For those who keep a count, what counts as a visit?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9pi_exKRjKA3oeULEGrG3-dG4zHNuYa1jXUMHd3xcaM8Pv9iYzptPAmnN10NTQU105sd5c30vBG8Lxeomixhht9KyB-B98ZwcwT6wED1geMIoblLYPlbD8vbeeIM8CYBfdZT6QpVnoo/s1600-h/bcom_small.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9pi_exKRjKA3oeULEGrG3-dG4zHNuYa1jXUMHd3xcaM8Pv9iYzptPAmnN10NTQU105sd5c30vBG8Lxeomixhht9KyB-B98ZwcwT6wED1geMIoblLYPlbD8vbeeIM8CYBfdZT6QpVnoo/s320/bcom_small.gif" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was interviewed and am quoted on the following article which appeared in <em>The Boston Globe</em> on December 27, 2009</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Christopher Klein</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As the verdant peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains nestled under a blanket of Tennessee fog, the magnificent panorama rewarded our decision to take a short detour across the border from North Carolina. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">had still another reason to be happy about our jaunt to the Volunteer State.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">"Well, Tennessee is number 25! I’m halfway home to visiting all 50 states,’’ I boasted to my wife as we approached the state line for our return trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“That doesn’t count,’’ she said, throwing water as cold as the mountain streams on my milestone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Why not? We were in Tennessee for three hours. I even got out of the car a few times and walked around.’’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Yeah,’’ she said, “but you didn’t have a meal in Tennessee, so it doesn’t count.’’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Of course it counts,’’ I replied. “If you drive in a state, you’re there. If I get pulled over by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, I don’t think it’s going to fly if I say, ‘Sorry, officer. You see I’m not really here in Tennessee because I haven’t yet gorged myself at a local Waffle House.’ ’’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While I had a sneaking suspicion that my wife, feeling me catching up to her tally of 26 states, was grasping for a technicality to deny me credit for a state she had checked off years ago, our disagreement as to what constitutes a “visit’’ to a state, country, or any geographic jurisdiction was just the latest in an ongoing debate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Nearly every traveler holds a strong opinion as to what qualifies as a “visit’’ - and what does not. Do you need only to plant two feet on the ground? What about riding in a car or on a train without stopping? Jet-setters looking to rack up states and countries like frequent flier miles may count places they fly over, while strict constructionists believe you need to buy something from a local store or stay overnight or - ahem - use a toilet before adding another notch to your fanny pack.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The desire to quantify our travels has given rise to online applications such as Where I’ve Been, which allows you to post a map to your Facebook profile with all the states and countries you’ve visited highlighted in color. There are even a handful of membership organizations devoted to the quest to visit every country, every state, and even every US county.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most of these clubs simply require that you get your boots on the ground in a geographic area for it to be classified as a visit. For example, the All Fifty States Club considers it a visit if a person “has set foot on the natural ground of that state and breathed the air.’’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What are not visits, however, are airport layovers, undoubtedly the source of the most contentious arguments among travelers enumerating states and countries. “Counting airport layovers is cheating,’’ says Alicia Rovey, founder of the All Fifty States Club. “The confines of an airport do not allow you to truly experience a state for what it is. You can’t truly experience the people or culture because the airport is full of travelers, not locals. You can’t truly experience the landscape because you’re inside an airport facility. You can’t experience an Arizona dry heat or the windy Chicago cold if you don’t leave the airport building.’’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To many travelers like Rovey, airport terminals should be treated like Cinnabon-laden foreign embassies, within the geographic confines of a country but neutral territory. To others, airports count since they are technically within the borders of a jurisdiction and you can easily spend more time in them than, say, driving through Delaware or Liechtenstein.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Airport layovers and ports of call qualify as visits for the Travelers’ Century Club, whose approximately 2,000 members have visited 100 countries or more. Klaus Billep, club chairman, says its criteria have been unchanged since the origin of the club in the 1950s, when short stopovers may have been the only practical way to visit some countries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The standards on MostTraveledPeople.com prohibit the organization’s 8,000 members from adding airport transits to their global tallies. “In my opinion, the absolute minimum requirement for a visit is to arrive legally in a place, which means going through the trouble of obtaining a visa if it’s required, and going through immigration,’’ says Charles Veley, the group’s founder. “Where immigration is required, an airport transit is not a legal entry to a country.’’ There is no minimum time requirement for a visit to qualify, but members of MostTraveledPeople.com are required to have both feet on land fully within an entity’s border for it to count.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What about travelers riding the rails through a country? “During the day, count it,’’ Veley says. “At night, you should at least wake up and stand down at a station. Sleeping through the night on a train across an area is the same as flying over - you haven’t consciously experienced it. Same with driving. If you’re navigating yourself through an area, count it, but being asleep on a bus doesn’t meet the common-sense test.’’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Counting states or countries visited is a somewhat useful metric in determining how well traveled someone is, but like many statistics, there are limitations. Am I really more of a seasoned traveler than other Americans who have set foot in far fewer states or do I just benefit from living among the Lilliputian states of the Northeast? If I can color in Mexico on my map because I walked a few blocks in Tijuana, does that carry the same weight as another who spent weeks hiking the Yucatan? No way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The rankings of the number of geographic entities visited by members of MostTraveledPeople.com read like high scorers on a video game. Veley, one of the ultimate globetrotters who has racked up more than 1.5 million miles and visited all 192 countries recognized by the United Nations, acknowledges that some travelers might be too focused on amassing passport stamps than truly experiencing foreign lands. Next year, the organization plans to work with local tourist offices to establish checklists of places and activities that would encourage depth and quality of visits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“You can’t say you’ve seen the country just because you’ve visited each state,’’ says J. Stephen Conn. When Conn hit the magical 50-state mark 15 years ago, he pulled out a map. “It struck me all the places where I hadn’t been, and I decided to go back and visit every county.’’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Conn, among several hundred “county collectors’’ in the Extra Miler Club, is just 91 counties shy of visiting each of the 3,142 counties across the country. He adds to his total whenever he sets foot across a county border, no meals or overnight stays required. “The way I look at it is this: If I was struck by a bolt of lightning or hit by a meteorite, the obituary would say I died in Podunk County. How could you die there unless you were there?’’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the link to the story at Boston.com: </span><a href="http://www.boston.com/travel/articles/2009/12/27/for_those_who_keep_a_count_what_counts_as_a_visit/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.boston.com/travel/articles/2009/12/27/for_those_who_keep_a_count_what_counts_as_a_visit/</span></a>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-87948162535771357872009-11-16T23:16:00.001-05:002009-11-16T23:17:35.594-05:00Only 100 Counties To Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCK3-qruUpqXLTOz7741f6aHQhzzltyBjTJyfojPF7prPyj3s3Z1uvc4O4jq280N0PQUO-NoC0rL7kKVqAOdqPyw5jwk26tF79f_NnzN9TRE6YtupA7G5mDKpSRY__qp-yOzBmsK3S55Y/s1600/100_1880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCK3-qruUpqXLTOz7741f6aHQhzzltyBjTJyfojPF7prPyj3s3Z1uvc4O4jq280N0PQUO-NoC0rL7kKVqAOdqPyw5jwk26tF79f_NnzN9TRE6YtupA7G5mDKpSRY__qp-yOzBmsK3S55Y/s400/100_1880.jpg" yr="true" /></a><br />
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This past week I took a road trip in which I completed visiting each of the 67 counties in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania. I stopped to take this photo upon entering Wyoming County from Sullivan County, traveling east on PA-87. Wyoming County was my 66th Pennsylvania county and #3,042 in my overall quest to visit each of the 3,142 counties or county equivilents in the United States at least once in my lifetime. From here, there are only 100 counties to go.<br />
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The first time I remember visiting Pennsylvania was a trip to to preach revival services in a church in Erie in August, 1964. I was a 19-year-old youth evangelist then. Nine years later I moved to the Keystone State for a total of four years (1973-1977), living for one year in the Philadelphia area and three years in Harrisburg. During that time, and on subsequent visits, I traveled over most of the state. Still, a few spots waited to be filled in on my County Quest. <br />
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I have seen much of Pennsylvania on foot - hiking literally hundreds of miles through the state during the time I lived there. My hikes included the entire 232 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, from the Maryland, on the Mason-Dixon line, to the Delaware Water Gap on the New Jersey state line. Also, I hiked the entire 140 mile length of the Horse Shoe Trail, and parts or all of several other Pennsylvania trails.<br />
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Before ever visiting Pennsylvania, I always thought of it as a place of big cities and heavy industry - like steel mills. Actually, most of the state is made up of beautiful wooded ridges interspersed with fertile green valleys, clear running streams, abundant wildlife, and some of the prettiest farms to be found anywhere. "Penns Woods" is a state of delightful discoveries.J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-87570238399225858942009-11-02T14:20:00.001-05:002009-11-02T14:23:03.267-05:00Geographical Center of the United States<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKWyKmYPHO1o2ruSAG_Tw2wa_Oom277K4WzC5xL9TehEsP3awwRi8Y7RjV51aEnfzUZP-2hvyq6tDrDJtRFIZcTjCZj1M7VrHxoDFRUKAfvuvd67wu8nX2PREOaOGenywr4qSaOYwwHU/s1600-h/Recovered_JPEG_Digital_Camera_496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKWyKmYPHO1o2ruSAG_Tw2wa_Oom277K4WzC5xL9TehEsP3awwRi8Y7RjV51aEnfzUZP-2hvyq6tDrDJtRFIZcTjCZj1M7VrHxoDFRUKAfvuvd67wu8nX2PREOaOGenywr4qSaOYwwHU/s400/Recovered_JPEG_Digital_Camera_496.jpg" vr="true" /></a><br />
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Travel to every county of the United States and eventually you may come across the center of the whole country. I did just that in a visit with my wife to South Dakota this past September - and we discovered that the "Center of the Nation" is in the middle of nowhere. <br />
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This flag, on a private ranch in Butte County, South Dakota, marks that spot. We found it by following an unpaved road for several miles, then climbing through a barbed wire fence and hiking the last hundred yards or so. The nearest town is Belle Fourche, about 20 miles to the south. <br />
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Embedded in concrete at the base of the flag is a reference mark (Center - No. 1) placed by the U. S. Coast Guard and Geodetic Survery in 1962. The flag and marker is surrounded by open prairie as far as the eye can see in all directions. It's a great spot in which to stand and contemplate the eternal verities of life. <br />
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</div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-82215412068855881372009-09-02T09:59:00.002-05:002009-09-02T13:57:33.012-05:00My 10,000th Photo on Flickr<div style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-LEFT: 10px"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/3881478128/"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 2px solid" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/3881478128_498e5317b8_m.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/3881478128/">My 10,000<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> Photo on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Flickr</span></a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jstephenconn/">J. Stephen Conn</a></span></div>To remember all the special places I visit on my county quest I take LOTS of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pictures</span>. For more than a year now I've been posting them on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Flickr</span>.com.<br /><br />I actually print out very few of these pictures, but love cataloging them on line, both for my own pleasure and to share them with others. My photos are now receiving an average of over 1000 views per day and almost daily someone asks permission to use one or more of them in a blog, on a website, or for publication. It's very gratifying to get notes from folks all over the country who have googled them up.<br /><br />After uploading this photo I realized it was my 10,000<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> photo on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Flickr</span>.<br clear="all">J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-44757768121380233572009-08-07T19:51:00.007-05:002009-08-07T19:57:30.961-05:00Howder Family Travel Adventures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eJteTncUI_J1HoFuVkU7s69VCMoKn9sW8D1f7TZZDI0igoc3OcricDadrxTTCVA86caDWxjWbTtWp5eP2fBvVW3eD6XsuDgq5snS38St2l5exwVx9VmZhDxLrHG2XRN0BhQbC8AB9LA/s1600-h/counties-visited.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367389290232944370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eJteTncUI_J1HoFuVkU7s69VCMoKn9sW8D1f7TZZDI0igoc3OcricDadrxTTCVA86caDWxjWbTtWp5eP2fBvVW3eD6XsuDgq5snS38St2l5exwVx9VmZhDxLrHG2XRN0BhQbC8AB9LA/s400/counties-visited.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Here's another website I found of a family which is counting their counties. Looks like they've got a great start - with more than 30% completed - in all 50 states. Readers of this blog may be interested in following this link: </div><br /><div></div><div><a href="http://www.howderfamily.com/travel/counties/united-states-county-map.html">http://www.howderfamily.com/travel/counties/united-states-county-map.html</a></div><div align="center">-</div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-26464994980712115532009-07-21T06:30:00.007-05:002009-07-21T14:39:33.692-05:00Meeting a True Travel Hero<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S7x8sXUrVRZQjnjvlljXr3xpN_TDxplvc432HnO6-8hyphenhyphenvAGctAwtOmmJ6oru9kyJoBiIDgd999ToNvRUYMEodQWu3U6Ys3KnjJ5Na9DuCKgPOJ7AiBLRpA2UtNNl8IhlBQ3Jci76ojo/s1600-h/3696176144_2f3c7afc19_b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360875354069747010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S7x8sXUrVRZQjnjvlljXr3xpN_TDxplvc432HnO6-8hyphenhyphenvAGctAwtOmmJ6oru9kyJoBiIDgd999ToNvRUYMEodQWu3U6Ys3KnjJ5Na9DuCKgPOJ7AiBLRpA2UtNNl8IhlBQ3Jci76ojo/s400/3696176144_2f3c7afc19_b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>Here I am with world traveler extraordinaire John Frankenfield from Florida, at the Bayfront Convention Center, Erie, Pennsylvania. We are at the annual meeting of the Extra Miler Club, June 27, 2009.</div><div><br />John is holding up one of three thick ledgers in which he has collected official government stamps from the places he has traveled. One of the ledgers contains stamps from 223 countries of the world. The other two ledgers are from the county seats or couthouses in each of the 3,141 counties or county equivilents in the United States. John completed visiting every county in 1994, thus becoming only the ninth person in history known to have accomplished such an extraordinary feat.</div><div><br />No other county collecter has documented his or her travels as thoroughly as has John Frankenfield. He's got my utmost respect and admiration, and also a bit of envy. </div><br /><div><a href="http://www.extramilerclub.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.extramilerclub.org/</a></div><div>-</div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-58323853760260380242009-07-17T06:59:00.011-05:002009-07-17T07:42:50.986-05:00The Extra Miler Club<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZk_Uifiuliu-FQ2xrbhUZi8PS_PE7vv6kX7PwUodgkYHTzDtOEBa184PgtKSHi2I4hbA1NamC6r4ScklK9LZuW8YwBL_xBW4dh9Fj8sy5qmC5clf2IzyBW6it5HhrQBTOjtHl1tgeoI/s1600-h/3696175726_fd5e3ce981_b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359399828102290706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZk_Uifiuliu-FQ2xrbhUZi8PS_PE7vv6kX7PwUodgkYHTzDtOEBa184PgtKSHi2I4hbA1NamC6r4ScklK9LZuW8YwBL_xBW4dh9Fj8sy5qmC5clf2IzyBW6it5HhrQBTOjtHl1tgeoI/s400/3696175726_fd5e3ce981_b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Extra Miler Club Meeting in Erie, Pennsylvania</span><br /></span></strong><br /><div align="left">I had been counting counties for several years before I learned that there were other people who did the same thing. In fact there's a club of such like minded intrepid travelers with an obsession to visit each of the 3,142 counties or county equivalents in the United States at least once in their lifetime. It's called the Extra Miler Club and was founded in 1974. I became member #360 when I joined a few years ago.<br /><br />The club is a very loose knit group of folks who meet once a year in some different spot around the country. I've been privileged to attend the last two meetings, Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2008 and Erie, Pennsylvania on June 27, 2009. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, county counters have found each other and probably most people in America who seriously collect counties are now members. Still, it's a rather small group.<br /><br />The meetings, which last less than two hours, are lighthearted and fun. They consist mostly of each member being given an opportunity to report on recent travels and the progress of their county quest. The club also puts out a bi-monthly newsletter called the Extra Milepost, in which members can keep track of each other's progress.<br /><br />Extra Miler's are famous for taking the long route, zig-zagging across the country on secondary roads to pick up another county - like going from Ohio to Colorado by way of the Dakotas, and returning through Texas, as I have done. I love the club's motto and fully agree:<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">"The shortest distance between two places is NO FUN."<br /></span></strong><br />You can learn more about the Extra Miler Club, including how to become a member, by going to their website. <a href="http://www.extramilerclub.org/">http://www.extramilerclub.org/</a>. </div><div align="left">-</div></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-85696860376922046822009-06-25T12:58:00.011-05:002009-06-25T13:24:50.768-05:00Visiting the First Baptist Church in America<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDud0YSj8YdJUzavWCjGW6f9wuccreYQRO4BA6tqsbY5_SrdgVNxL2eNuB0EmSLFNh0_LvFlD6jgKza0iryaCkkzUU8ieX5nS-QHhxEF_EwmxTY0nTjqtf1YQbSprQqM6BCGXprBb2w68/s1600-h/3659185977_c5a0c5a47e.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351327329144356130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDud0YSj8YdJUzavWCjGW6f9wuccreYQRO4BA6tqsbY5_SrdgVNxL2eNuB0EmSLFNh0_LvFlD6jgKza0iryaCkkzUU8ieX5nS-QHhxEF_EwmxTY0nTjqtf1YQbSprQqM6BCGXprBb2w68/s400/3659185977_c5a0c5a47e.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>It was a hot Sunday morning in July and I was taking a walking tour of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, when I passed this historic church. Being a Baptist minister and a history buff, I was aware of the church but had not planned to visit services there. However, the Sunday morning worship was was just beginning, so on an impulse, I slipped in and had a seat. I was dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and tennis shoes but the folks there made me feel very welcome. They lived up to the slogan that was on the sign out front: <strong>"We reserve the right to accept everybody!"</strong></div><div align="center">-</div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong></strong></div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8b8NnETyGj2ZsgX-JCOm-Q2ZcVdrIOx391AyMZ7d8MbENiILY_dX5n93L3JZocDVG5Lx0ZDo0V1gDaOvYnKbaYN0iYZoSDOnMLk2pefBv7qAU9N-9fWRXsoyALhbQdRKVgX-tRg0h2aQ/s1600-h/2627766197_0665c5da74_b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351327698987151650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8b8NnETyGj2ZsgX-JCOm-Q2ZcVdrIOx391AyMZ7d8MbENiILY_dX5n93L3JZocDVG5Lx0ZDo0V1gDaOvYnKbaYN0iYZoSDOnMLk2pefBv7qAU9N-9fWRXsoyALhbQdRKVgX-tRg0h2aQ/s400/2627766197_0665c5da74_b.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>The First Baptist Church in America was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638. Williams, known as "The prophet of religious freedom," broke from the Church of England to establish a democratic church which would be a "shelter for persons distressed of conscience" It was a magnificant old building that could easily seat several hundred people - maybe a thousand - but that morning only about 70 folks were present, including several visitors like myself. </div><div><br />The music was decent. The sermon was better and livelier than I expected. The pastor, a jovial, middle aged, white haired man with a full beard preached in his shirt sleeves in the unairconditioned building. With all due respect, he looked like a cross between Santa Claus and the Pillsbury Dough Boy - with a distinct southern accent that made me homesick. Curious, I stayed afterwards to meet the pastor, Dan Ivins and wife Libby, and learned that they were both originally from East Tennessee, not far from where I grew up. Seems to me that most of the best preachers come from the southern Appalachians, and even the people in New England have discovered that. </div><div><br /><a href="http://www.fbcia.org/" rel="nofollow">www.fbcia.org/</a></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-62878725258432663432009-05-17T15:20:00.011-05:002009-06-07T23:40:45.874-05:00Colorado: 64 Counties in 45 Years<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DpjjT2dNhioTXgx1ma0ThZAoBnqpD8CZEx8LiaYzpwIkiqHBR9j-1e-vu5yfzxSoHu_zknYDyyUE7I7I9XjCm1msgjyxZseHixOc00bT8UqxNCRXE8mV-CBVLRQZYo5p0K4JUMAVNRE/s1600-h/101_0291.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336890828906123298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DpjjT2dNhioTXgx1ma0ThZAoBnqpD8CZEx8LiaYzpwIkiqHBR9j-1e-vu5yfzxSoHu_zknYDyyUE7I7I9XjCm1msgjyxZseHixOc00bT8UqxNCRXE8mV-CBVLRQZYo5p0K4JUMAVNRE/s400/101_0291.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>On Saturday, May 1, 2009 I entered San Miguel County from Delores County, Colorado, thus completing my visits to each of the 64 counties in the Rocky Mountain State. I was traveling with my older brother, Philip, who recently retired as president of Western Oregon University. It was our first time to travel together since we were teenagers, growing up in East Tennessee. </div><div> </div><div>Philip joined me for a week long trip across southern Colorado where we visited my; final seven Colorado counties. We were traveling north on CO-145, the San Juan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Skyway</span>, heading toward <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Teluride</span>, an old mining town which is now a trendy vacation spot, especially popular with snow skiers. </div><div></div><br /><div>The first time I entered Colorado had been in the summer of 1964. I was 19-years-old then, having just finished my freshman year of college. I was traveling from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Dillon</span>, Montana, where I had spent the summer, en route to Dallas, Texas for a church convention, and then back home to Tennessee.</div><div></div><br /><div>I've been in Colorado about 20 times over the years, for a variety of reasons, including visiting my son, Christopher, who lives in Denver. This trip illustrates why county counting is so fascinating. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Although</span> I had been in Colorado numerous times over a span of almost half a century, there are several hidden corners of the state I would have missed if it were not for this obsession I have to collect every county.</div><div></div><br /><div>On the trip we visited three national parks: Great Sand Dunes, Grand Canyon of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Gunnison</span>, and Mesa Verde. I had been to the Grand Canyon of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Gunnison</span> once before, and had visited Montezuma County - home of Mesa Verde - way back in 1967, but did not make it to that National Park until this trip.</div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336895215637415410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85TdcUknfjnv0dNyz6v02r_hz10fQFSj9tseBzpeTGOL3clVGYk3hDn9IKefAWOcbVe4uhfg-0vH4VfcJ0TV7EdOKJ32l_A3Rjo0oEidcfBysOzJ0GtX2iRLYXHbcjRPd-wffuNAy-5Y/s400/100_9982.JPG" border="0" /> </div><div>As is often the case, my favorite counties on this trip were those remote spots which are seldom visited by the average tourist. These included <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Hinsdale</span> County, with a population of only 790, and Custer County, where we enjoyed spectacular views of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Sangre</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">de</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Cristo</span> Mountains and had an impromptu meeting with the honorable Allen Butler, the mayor of Silver Cliff, Colorado.</div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-37262114796636967952009-04-16T10:59:00.007-05:002009-04-16T12:48:34.543-05:004,000 MIles and 90 Counties Across Texas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvO0vNYxaIZo3O21H1HvBeoSwsJtwUJJA3FJ1nVXDSIQPCCBrafFeFNFtnkAToYEpYVD7lLQwQ4OjhkY9XAVS8WDZU-SemgDYsQATtm9hWK5ZoLJCBOLmjy9_KHmMlb5OGYDBXZa3-Whg/s1600-h/100_8437.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325321637319946290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvO0vNYxaIZo3O21H1HvBeoSwsJtwUJJA3FJ1nVXDSIQPCCBrafFeFNFtnkAToYEpYVD7lLQwQ4OjhkY9XAVS8WDZU-SemgDYsQATtm9hWK5ZoLJCBOLmjy9_KHmMlb5OGYDBXZa3-Whg/s400/100_8437.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>During two weeks in late February and early March, 2009, I put more than four thousand miles on this car, rented at the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas airport. On that trip, which took me on a very zig-zag route around the state, I completed visiting my final 90 of the 254 counties in the Lone Star State, and also completed several counties in Oklahoma. </div><br /><div></div><div>I've heard other county counters brag about collecting 20 or more counties a day in wide open areas like this. Personally, I averaged seven counties a day, going from dawn to dusk, but stopping often along the way. Still, I felt like I was cheating myself my rushing through so many towns and rural areas without seeing all they have to offer. To me, there are only two kinds of places on earth, those I have never visited, and those I have visited but hope to return to someday to explore more thoroughly. </div><div>.</div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325327434659642994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgOqonaqRMhrUUfv0bzBgFbN6kkqLOKVO_St4oBQ4oqogqtipm2smoT7eJrf581hoBvU_Ec7qye6OSpLJAEb-zQUKNt7fHZ_4J65hUAKYmCH7-cHoFNMxX0h2FbBBQ7JlaRZxunFC9NY/s400/100_8436.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>In these two photos I have stopped to take a few pictures at the Glasscock/Reagan county line on Texas Ranch Road 33. </div><br /><div>With 254 counties, Texas has by far the largest number of counties of any state in the United States. The second highest number is 159 counties in Georgia. Tiny Delaware has the smallest county count with only three. The average state is subdivided into 66 counties. </div><div></div><div></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-13301532195306002732009-04-03T13:13:00.002-05:002009-04-03T13:16:46.851-05:00Finishing Arizona in La Paz County<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVonXFmmA4rgN0y-_tRRBXJsR7V0Tqkt7S48HVUTkAeRmxjq9PK0ihI6L75etu4NQ9PiXiKn9wAbYxu-b6P7rvg1iK5-tGlmaje7WsDHH4XHJIULbttGydSudMsfI5UHcKskopAexZo00/s1600-h/3409649504_a53aae64a4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320530269963852434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVonXFmmA4rgN0y-_tRRBXJsR7V0Tqkt7S48HVUTkAeRmxjq9PK0ihI6L75etu4NQ9PiXiKn9wAbYxu-b6P7rvg1iK5-tGlmaje7WsDHH4XHJIULbttGydSudMsfI5UHcKskopAexZo00/s400/3409649504_a53aae64a4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>This dramatic view is the first glimpse I had of La Paz County, Arizona, March 28, 2009. It was my final Arizona county, and the 2,916th county overall, in my quest to visit each of the 3,142 counties or their equivilents in the United States. The view is from Mohave County, looking across Bill Williams River into La Paz County, along Arizona Highway 95, near Parker Dam. </div><br /><div><br />La Paz County is one of the newest counties in the United States. It was established in 1983, being formed from the northern half of Yuma County. La Paz is the first and only new county created in Arizona since the territory gained statehood in 1912. Soon after the formation of La Paz County, Arizona laws were changed to make splitting other existing counties much more difficult.</div><br /><div><br />I had first visited Yuna County way back in 1968, while living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but I had not been in the part of the county that broke off to be come La Paz. The county is named for an old settlement - now a ghost town - along the Colorado River. Parker, Arizona, just across the Colorado River from California, is the county seat.</div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-3512594541461074142009-02-27T10:18:00.007-05:002009-02-27T20:03:32.812-05:00Completing the 100 Counties of North Carolina<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lf0Gd1jxau-TG5hqxwSev6B98aXMNoVgOqQrbGy_Hz8cb78qOTupJ_N-x0CLMbSnXL3MVqofEbscAwPL-kR3Tm5g7izS8wn8FhI7cAbpP8E34-FddJo17LCksflmdwXwCCxiTBdholU/s1600-h/3260471289_e3fe6268b1_b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307497138691661602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lf0Gd1jxau-TG5hqxwSev6B98aXMNoVgOqQrbGy_Hz8cb78qOTupJ_N-x0CLMbSnXL3MVqofEbscAwPL-kR3Tm5g7izS8wn8FhI7cAbpP8E34-FddJo17LCksflmdwXwCCxiTBdholU/s400/3260471289_e3fe6268b1_b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>When I entered Stokes County, North Carolina on February 5, 2009 it marked the completion of my visits to each one of the 100 counties in North Carolina - made during countless trips over more than 50 years of traveling throughout the Tarheel State. With this, I have now visited every county in 28 of the United States, and more than 89% of the total counties in all fifty states. Stokes County was #2,898 in my quest to visit each of the 3,141 counties or county equivilents in the United States at least once in my lifetime. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>North Carolina easily rates as one of my favorite states. Stretching from the Outer Banks on the Atlantic coast to the mile-high peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, the state contains a rich diversity of topography and climate that few other states can match. </div><br /><div></div><div>This sign sits beside the driveway of a private residence. It is on old U.S. Hwy. 52, between Rural Hall and King, North Carolina.</div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-37873293475428457222009-01-27T21:39:00.005-05:002009-01-27T21:53:19.430-05:00A Historical Sign that Changed my Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTeg-0y7cfNSlhBN35mfRWNvQrcsSeN2eH48B19OUWTYGqNzmYzKP-j6-2UvRDr4C35qGAJKNrsvyNMRtZLWOtcDN_e21xynpdwlF_iXYQ-UtJwrbEqkM-rgJYASXnl_GQ_Wggh2FQzk/s1600-h/100_3720_0052_51.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296168868423242242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTeg-0y7cfNSlhBN35mfRWNvQrcsSeN2eH48B19OUWTYGqNzmYzKP-j6-2UvRDr4C35qGAJKNrsvyNMRtZLWOtcDN_e21xynpdwlF_iXYQ-UtJwrbEqkM-rgJYASXnl_GQ_Wggh2FQzk/s400/100_3720_0052_51.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />When a person sets out to visit each of the 3,141 counties or their equivilents in the United States he never knows what life changing discoveries he may make along the way.<br /><br />This simple interpretative sign at Tannehill Historical State Park in Alabama, was a catalyst that made a deep and lasting impact on my life. When I first read it in December, 2004, I would never have imagined the quest for knowledge on which it would lead me.<br /><br />I had read countless other such signs during my travels, but for some unknown reason this one particular one on that particular day resonated deeply with me - especially the simple description of actions taken by Union troops from Iowa who were here during the latter days of the War Between the States:<br /><br /><strong>"... they torched all the adjacent factory buildings, slave cabins, a large gristmill and tannery and a storehouse for food and supplies. In the fire Tannehill’s workforce of over 500 slaves and white mechanics were scattered and displaced."</strong><br /><br />Whoa, I thought! The Yankees burned the slave cabins along with those of the white workers? Hundreds of people were left with no shelter, no food, and nowhere to go?<br /><br />Although I grew up in the South, all my life I had been told that the Union troops marched south to free the slaves. If that were so, then why did the Northerners burn the slaves out, leaving them destitute, homeless and hungry. Elsewhere on the grounds of the Tannehill Historical State Park I saw a large patch of woods, marked as the site of scores of slave cabins which the Yankees had ransacked, plundered and then destroyed - cabins that would have been equal to those my own Irish and Cherokee ancestors lived in during the same era in Alabama and Georgia.<br /><br />I began to make the connection to other discoveries I had made during my travels, such as a monument to black Confederate soldiers in Mississippi and an antebellum plantation in Louisiana owned by a family of black slaveholders. I had dismissed these things as flukes, but now I was beginning to see a patteren which contradicted most of what I had always assumed I knew about the War Between the States.<br /><br />It occurred to me that somebody was lying about what really happened during the so called Civil War, and I determined to find out the truth.<br /><br />Since that fateful day in December, 2004, I have spent thousands of hours studying about the Confederacy, the causes of secession, and the War Between the States. As I have read scores of books, I have continued to visit hundreds of historical sites, now looking for clues to the real story, unvarnished by political correctness. To say that the things I have learned have been an eyeopener is an understatement.<br /><br />Okay, I don't have room to get up on my soapbox and tell it all here in this one post. Much more time and space would be required to do that. I am now now recording many of my discoveries on a blog. I hope you'll check it out: <a href="http://confederatedigest.com/">http://confederatedigest.com/</a>.J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-33858197454937874152009-01-13T15:33:00.009-05:002009-01-13T15:54:17.401-05:00The Road to Quoz, with William Least Heat-Moon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqpbdtvVREtaeiuyiKzn_4Ks6NsFGE5fmc2QIRSlBpquLhOa9-s_tew1Ly_K1kTTKmVF8upL2Oi40JCKAefMcY7sJMSxiqDUzZ5GfbDZ0A-0HBg8nB4NXC75manKluxiweg61cSQ4kY4/s1600-h/3037939843_a826a0ba5b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290883577194446530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqpbdtvVREtaeiuyiKzn_4Ks6NsFGE5fmc2QIRSlBpquLhOa9-s_tew1Ly_K1kTTKmVF8upL2Oi40JCKAefMcY7sJMSxiqDUzZ5GfbDZ0A-0HBg8nB4NXC75manKluxiweg61cSQ4kY4/s400/3037939843_a826a0ba5b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>On one of my many road trips - several years ago - I took along with me a taped version of William Least Heat-Moon's book, <span style="color:#000066;"><strong>Blue Highways</strong></span><span style="color:#000000;">, which I had checked out of the public library. It was so good I later bought and read the book. Heat-Moon is an outstanding writer and his book is a classic every traveler will relish - telling of his adventures on the "blue highways," or the state and county routes and back roads of America.</span></div><div></div><br /><div>It didn't surprise me when I read an interview with Heat-Moon in which he said: </div><div></div><br /><div><em><span style="color:#000066;">"I understand the slants and angles in America. I’ve been in every county in the United States — more than 3,000 of them. If you put your finger on a map of the United States, I have been within at least 25 miles of that place, except there are places in the Nevada desert I haven’t been yet. And a trip there is coming up."</span></em></div><div><em><span style="color:#000066;"></span></em></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="color:#000000;">William Least Heat-Moon has a new now</span> titled <em>Road to Quoz - an American Mosey</em>.</span></div><div><em><span style="color:#000066;"></span></em></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000066;">Here's a link to the full article from the Columbia (Missouri) Tribune: <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/2009/Jan/20090104Ovat010.asp">http://www.columbiatribune.com/2009/Jan/20090104Ovat010.asp</a></span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;">.</span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;">The photo above is one I took on the Talladega Scenic Drive in Alabama.</span></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-26905310396042660542008-12-22T22:16:00.006-05:002008-12-22T22:35:41.173-05:00Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas . . . Gone with the Wind<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOFEOGwV61pcbQXItZ4SRUOnKHv3mE36T9x2CyZudlXL67dMKI4QH6kyStWL_iRa4DcS6Harh6rIyunuB_U9LOppvSiSy0PU9dPCvF6LRWpvlVwgZlwge90bk_bE4gnKuqq0gPlBoQA8/s1600-h/3058275657_3bc4266704.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282822786959989410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOFEOGwV61pcbQXItZ4SRUOnKHv3mE36T9x2CyZudlXL67dMKI4QH6kyStWL_iRa4DcS6Harh6rIyunuB_U9LOppvSiSy0PU9dPCvF6LRWpvlVwgZlwge90bk_bE4gnKuqq0gPlBoQA8/s400/3058275657_3bc4266704.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div></div><div></div><div>In November, 2006, I visited and fell in love with Greensburg, Kansas, which I called "A near perfect small town." I posted a page of photos, descriptions and impressions of my visit to Greensburg and Kiowa County on my pages at VirtualTourist.com. Little did I, or anyone else, know that less than six months later Greensburg would be almost completely wiped from the map. </div><div></div><br /><div>On May 4, 2007, Greensburg was devastated by an EF5 tornado that struck with little warning. At least 95 percent of the city was leveled and the remaining 5 percent was severely damanged. Eleven people were killed. Now Greensburg, with less than half it's former population, is in the process of rebuilding. Some say it will be a model town, and a "green" one at that. </div><br /><div></div><div>It has been very gratifying that since that time, I have received numerous emails from folks thanking me for the photos and the rememberance of Greensburg as it used to be.</div><br /><div></div><div>On my pages at Flickr.com I have re-posted the photos and descriptions. You can see them here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/sets/72157610019364303/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/sets/72157610019364303/</a> </div><br /><div></div><div>Below is my introduction to the photo set.</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">A Near Perfect Small Town</span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div>Greensburg, Kansas, with a population of only 1,885 is an off-the-beaten-path community on the high plains of south-central Kansas. It is the seat of Kiowa County, named for the Kiowa Indians.</div><br /><div>About 3,200 people live in the entire county. You can't get there by commercial airline, train or even bus. The town is not touched by an interstate highway. Most people have never heard of Greensburg and relatively few tourists come here. That's a crying shame, because Greensburg is about as perfect as a small town can get.</div><div></div><br /><div>In Greensburg you won't find a Wal-Mart or a mall, but the downtown business district is alive and well. Crime is virtually non-existent, You'll meet friendly people with lots of community pride and spirit. There are many interesting things to see and do, lots of recreational opportunities, and an abundance of wide open spaces, fresh air and scenic vistas. An extra bonus is all the peace and quite you could possibly want.</div><div></div><br /><div>If you ever wonder what it is that drives me try and visit every county in the United States in my lifetime, then take a look at Kiowa County and maybe you'll understand. How regrettable it would be to complete my earthly journey and never once have stepped foot in Greensburg, Kansas.</div></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-39614938230242351492008-12-05T21:40:00.004-05:002008-12-05T21:51:09.809-05:00Interesting Finds in Unexpected Places<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw939OLpyuXei9RjpHGmNGMKZzD-rsO6J6DIWLQcmxKpnby7IdUf5CX0HKJ1PWf7MbGnLq4cdBeRZOOJt_IqQlnPFoZ2NC09_0u-ybvL7moG1JcC9EIZj0cffIS4vtaNV3tFZK4WJjVbM/s1600-h/2774842848_bd71deeb7a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276501979139563042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw939OLpyuXei9RjpHGmNGMKZzD-rsO6J6DIWLQcmxKpnby7IdUf5CX0HKJ1PWf7MbGnLq4cdBeRZOOJt_IqQlnPFoZ2NC09_0u-ybvL7moG1JcC9EIZj0cffIS4vtaNV3tFZK4WJjVbM/s400/2774842848_bd71deeb7a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>One of the fun things about county counting is that you never know what neat treasures you may find in the most unexpected places. "Tourist attractions" can be found just about anywhere.</div><div> </div><div></div><div>This sculpture, named Silent Leather, stands in front of the Wheeler County Courthouse, Bartlett, Nebraska. It is by the noted "Cowboy Artist" Herb Mignery. Herb grew up on a working cattle ranch in Wheeler County.</div><div><br />With only 828 people in the entire county, Wheeler is one of the least populated counties in the United States. I stopped here October 12, 2007, while on a meandering road trip from Cincinnati/Loveland, Ohio to Denver, Colorado. I had breakfast at the local Sinclair station - the only business I saw open in the town - and chatted with a table of about six local senior citizens, who seemed to be proud of the fact that there's nothing much to do in Bartlett.</div><div></div><div>Why is it that I love visiting places like Bartlett, Nebraska? I guess you have to be a county counter to understand. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-52065366210945181762008-12-01T14:55:00.001-05:002008-12-01T14:55:14.009-05:00Smallest County<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42411496@N00/329831951/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/329831951_028b29e8f5_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42411496@N00/329831951/">Smallest County</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/42411496@N00/">{.jerry-b.}</a></span></div>Here's an interesting item I ran across on Flickr.com which should be of interest to county counters.<br clear="all" />J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-31431811169985497302008-11-24T17:26:00.002-05:002008-11-24T22:05:50.708-05:00Kalico Kitchen, Marion, Alabama<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/3037939949/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/3037939949_df7fca1898_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/3037939949/">Kalico Kitchen, Marion, Alabama</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/jstephenconn/">J. Stephen Conn</a></span></div>Although I've been rather negligent in making regular posts to my County Counting blog, I've been putting my travel photos up on Flickr.com for several months now. I love it because of the unique "geotag" feature Flickr offers, and also because of the feedback I'm getting from people who stumble across my entries there.<br /><br />Anyway, this post is an experiment to see how the flicker entries come out on my blog. If I like the results, I'll be doing more.<br /><br />BTW, this photo and entry was made in early December, 2004. On that road trip I completed visiting the last nine or ten of Alabama's 67 counties.<br clear="all" />J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-77999103340691264822008-02-24T19:14:00.011-05:002008-12-09T14:46:06.888-05:00Counting Counties in Southern Illinois<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqrS601tiAiv8QrRJRHqf0SwlAVdAQ2-BLYMHL6kugxpr8OD2n6Rl2LMt1e2BR8aYm0ypYn3e7RtnioCojTdXDkDkI_EEHxrq7oJeShq-cWl2gsryndx8zjM18OfTxRvMKhCpQC4_Ors/s1600-h/100_1933.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170705996334689554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqrS601tiAiv8QrRJRHqf0SwlAVdAQ2-BLYMHL6kugxpr8OD2n6Rl2LMt1e2BR8aYm0ypYn3e7RtnioCojTdXDkDkI_EEHxrq7oJeShq-cWl2gsryndx8zjM18OfTxRvMKhCpQC4_Ors/s400/100_1933.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Grand Rose Hotel, Elizabethtown, Illinois</strong></span> </div><div align="center"></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This past weekend my wife and I made a three day trip to southern Illinois, picking up five new counties: Gallatin, Hardin, Pope, Saline and Hamilton. That brought my total number of Illinois counties visited to 101 of 102. I hope to pick up my final Illinois county later this year when I take a road trip to Missouri.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It was not the best time of year to visit Illinois. The area had just suffered a severe ice storm a couple of days before. Highways still had many patches of ice and snow, especially over the rural bridges, and much of the area was without electric power. Also, a couple of roads we wanted to take had been detoured because of flooding. A friend of mine who lives in Illinois had advised me that the best time to visit southern Illinois is in the summer when he said it is beautiful. But someone who is intent on visiting every county in the United States can't always wait for good weather. If I traveled only at the peak season for each county I would never complete the quest. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170707804515921186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBk-FH3L0N2EGNSs_VbCBSdRuIOTSIO7fF36Vob4Kf_Xp1xBPEAR0C0v7O-fYJYfpwP54olT2FJ2PZ2VoVhpMeDzrJu9iZxeYu1ncTcJ1jNCJ7ehdISLDuraycqs6_JkdKPNeNvPmRlcc/s400/100_1981.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Garden of the Gods, Shawnee National Forest, Illinois</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">.</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">It is certainly possible to visit more than five counties in a weekend, but I've decided that's enough if a person wants to actually see something of those counties and not just go on a driving marathon. At five counties a weekend, 52 weeks a year, it would take more than 623 weeks, or a little longer than 12 years, to visit every county in the United States. This could be very easily done for the first many weeks. However, the more counties a person visits the further he must travel to reach new territory, so each trip becomes subsequently more difficult, more time consuming, and more expensive. If a person must be obsessed to stick to such a venture then surely I am obsessed. I find it to be a magnificent obsession - full of fun, adventure, and fascinating learning experiences.<br /><br />Also, I should add that over the past several years I have averaged visiting just over 100 new counties per year - which comes out a little more than two coutnies per week. I hope to complete my quest in about four more years.<br /><br />Our favorite experience of this past weekend was staying in the Grand Rose Hotel in Elizabethtown. This old riverboat era hotel the Ohio River was established in 1812, making it the oldest hotel in the state. It was amazing to learn that Elizabethtown, with a current population of 350, was once larger than the city of Chicago. Other things we saw included Cave-in-Rock State Park, a place where river pirates once hid out from the law, and Garden of the Gods - very picturesque rock formations - in the Shawnee National Forest. These are remnants of an ancient mountain range called the Shawnee Hills. In Pope County we discovered a sobering monument to the Trail of Tears, memorializing thousands of Cherokees who traveled this way - hundreds of them dying in Illinois - during their forced trek westward. Several other interesting sights of human and natural history, such as the Cave-in-Rock ferry and the oldest Baptist church in Illinois, made me very happy that I visited this off-the-beaten-path corner of Illinois. We found it to be a fascinating part of our great land that we would have never seen if it were not for counting <strong>counties.</strong> </span></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-57365355205584611162008-02-11T20:39:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:46:07.450-05:00FAQ: What is Your Favorite County?<div align="left">When I talk with people about county counting they often ask the obvious question: "What is your favorite county?" That's not an easy question to answer because each county has its own unique appeal. I honestly have never been to any county about which I could not find something to like. </div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165904381811551474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBza7Kf1XF9C-MFVTtAQOnBVBUstRYnufg32PeMYtFFmlN6cuWObKFotOATBpcatTQryzbACkJN016Cwl5U52vlmeazyloZssWuPKkAsVGO0qMQ-Hw1HQzeOdGXbS4c8Z3R9-tPitm-yo/s400/3883566-Travel_Picture-Karen_on_Lake_Michigan_in_Door_County_Wisconsin.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Karen on Lake Michigan in Door County, Wisconsin</span></span><br /></strong></p><strong></strong><br /><p></p><p>This past summer when my wife and I camped for a week in Door County, Wisconsin, I was tempted to say that it was my favorite county. Door County, which is a peninsula jutting into Lake Michigan, has hundreds of miles of shoreline, rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, quaint villages, beautiful farms and orchards, several offshore islands, a dozen lighthouses, numerous historic sites and several state and county parks. It's definitely a county that's got a lot going for it. </p><p></p><p>But then, on second thought, I love mountains and Door County has no mountains at all. In addition, we saw no waterfalls in Door County, no covered bridges, no old grist mills, no exciting cities, no Amish buggies, no flowing rivers, no prairie, no desert, no national parks or monuments.... Come to think of it, there are lots of things that I love about other counties that can't be found in Door County, at all. </p><p><br />If the perfect county exists, I haven't been to it yet. But there is still hope. After all, I've only visited 2,654 counties to date, and have 487 counties to go. Maybe my favorite county will be one of them.<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165908182857608450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6tbFEfkRke1Ukug0fdvwKBAOXUxV7IRpJv4JJo6HuS7Nlz8ufFsA-KAsjKqrxc6qJYCbvM7PLl9nUxRAuaN2QN3huTnbrphaood1oDKDcAS-C3kV9LRl031ffmXYfXFkIrAkqy8udI0/s400/100_4398_0326_34.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Superstition Wilderness, Maricopa County, Arizona</span></strong></span></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family:georgia;">So when </span>people ask me about my favorite county, I have finally come up with a stock answer: </p><p><em><span style="color:#000099;">"Every place on earth falls into either one of two categories. First, are the places I have not yet visited but would love to see. Second, are the places I have been and would like to return and explore more thoroughly. My favorites are those in the first category." </span></em><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></p><p align="center"></span></p>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-84713698957485515862008-01-31T08:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:46:07.628-05:00Need Maps? Try These Links.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mwgb0s5lFyrwCyRQ3MJ2nhZbSa0t7ZJs9TMHhCi19OSzXCuFDJktSmGwPGAyIIeYY-ktxLr_jzH85P27yLvHnN2Jxf0FC5aQbXmq3ws-5Et2kdEGhBabtmzwBEtlAanxpw4yROa0Glk/s1600-h/missouri.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161628563352227778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mwgb0s5lFyrwCyRQ3MJ2nhZbSa0t7ZJs9TMHhCi19OSzXCuFDJktSmGwPGAyIIeYY-ktxLr_jzH85P27yLvHnN2Jxf0FC5aQbXmq3ws-5Et2kdEGhBabtmzwBEtlAanxpw4yROa0Glk/s400/missouri.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000066;">Every County Collector has his/her own way of recording the counties they have visited. I began by using a large county outline map of the entire United States, bought at The Map Store in Knoxville, Tennessee. However, after years of rolling and unrolling, marking, and coloring with felt tip pens, it disintegrated. I got another large map and had it laminated. I still use that map, although it is sometimes a bit unwieldy to carry on trips.<br /><br />My favorite way of mapping my county travels is by using individual state county outline maps such as that of Missouri, pictured above. I not only color in the county, but also jot in the date of my first visit. Such maps can be found on the internet. One good source is the U.S. Census Bureau: <a href="http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/stco_02.htm">http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/stco_02.htm</a>. The University of Texas offers the same maps but in a slightly different format: <a href="http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/county_outline.html">http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/county_outline.html</a>.<br /><br />A very attractive set of county outline maps may be found at this site – although it may take a bit of searching to locate them: <a href="http://nationalatlas.gov/printable.html">http://nationalatlas.gov/printable.html</a>.<br /><br />My wife and I actually have three sets of state maps in different three ring binders. They are labeled: Stephen's Counties, Karen's Counties, and Our Counties - our counties being those we have visited together.<br /><br />We also record our travels at a couple of online county sites, the largest being Marty O'Brien's site: <a href="http://www.mob-rule.com/counties/">http://www.mob-rule.com/counties/</a>. Carey Jensen also has a nice site where you can record your counties online: <a href="http://counties.visitedmap.com/">http://counties.visitedmap.com/</a>.<br /></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><span style="color:#000066;"></div></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-60306054785801422202008-01-28T12:16:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:46:08.477-05:00Celebrating my 50th COUNTRY!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagNfI1it_kIPmQsVNqSp4oT8K_it5-_aS_RWbhKFKey2-_emCq-z6HmOnPU1x2luCpzihclYOM2jyN38MyA4Jvt5ufiAjT_2BhN95oOkzV0D29UjvN48nDjvZJuG6a20hRQlo9y4Grmc/s1600-h/Welcome+to+Belize.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160578929179660194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagNfI1it_kIPmQsVNqSp4oT8K_it5-_aS_RWbhKFKey2-_emCq-z6HmOnPU1x2luCpzihclYOM2jyN38MyA4Jvt5ufiAjT_2BhN95oOkzV0D29UjvN48nDjvZJuG6a20hRQlo9y4Grmc/s400/Welcome+to+Belize.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong> </strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Karen and Stephen Conn Arrive in Belize</strong></span></div><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">In Addition to counting <em><strong>counties</strong></em> I also collect <em><strong>countries</strong></em>. T</span><span style="font-family:arial;">his past Wednesday, January 23, 2008, was a milestone in my country counting when my wife, Karen, and I visited Belize by cruise ship. Belize, once known as British Honduras, is the smallest of the seven countries of Central America. It has a population of around 295,000 and covers an area about the size of the state of Massachusetts. Belize is situated on the Caribbean Sea, bordered on the north by Mexico and on the west and south by Guatemala. It is the only Central American country where English is the official language, although Spanish and Creole are also widely spoken.</span></p><p></p><span style="font-family:arial;">Having only one day in Belize did not allow us time to see much of the country, however we did manage to take a tour of downtown Belize City and also visited the ancient Mayan ruins of Altun Ha, a portion of which is pictured below.</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160585612148772786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKwbSn-udKNIg4GAbmG64rmUPOJlkV6T0oJgOa2wFER2LQR0qPVmqhjnen1pep9ob8cDuARtJzU27W46t-OfWnaDUMoiwEL5ppy-LCW6oprbKVUXQiLEhRzQEZovqNv5ayYbywuH3tOA/s400/100_1569.JPG" border="0" /> <p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">On another website I am recording many of my travels, both inside and outside the United States. You can take a look at: <a href="http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/4b7c5/">http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/4b7c5/</a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></p><div align="center"></span></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414645088603974235.post-27515411543321641302008-01-18T11:30:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:46:09.174-05:00Leading Church Denominations in Every County<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4MB3NDU33wq_4_ixoef-vn7If89WlGz8tZu28yY0hAUgtirhXKZNixVqxJ6EE1oOoMFrDjSqzNcgjtuFC6me75uvZT92e_xECriDg4B6MdL5EHM_3udXpiZiOvM4kctED4AHb0MKqd4/s1600-h/ChurchBodies.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156856168880922834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4MB3NDU33wq_4_ixoef-vn7If89WlGz8tZu28yY0hAUgtirhXKZNixVqxJ6EE1oOoMFrDjSqzNcgjtuFC6me75uvZT92e_xECriDg4B6MdL5EHM_3udXpiZiOvM4kctED4AHb0MKqd4/s400/ChurchBodies.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#666600;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Here's a map which shows the leading church denomination in every county in the United States. I found it very interesting to study, and maybe you will too. Click the map for an enlarged view.</span></div>J. Stephen Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00944756120065605666noreply@blogger.com2