US States Bucket list Challenge

[Marla]

US States Bucket list Challenge
Start Date: February 1, 2024
End Date: Open Ended
Sign-ups Open Through the Month of February

The USA is about as varied a country as you can get which is why a United States bucket list is such a fun thing to work through. The United States seems to have the best of everything from big cities to deserts, beaches to National Park forests. However, if you’re planning on visiting, you might not know where to choose. After all, the country is huge. Here are some of the bucket list items you don’t want to miss in each and every state.

How to play

1. This is your thread. This is where you will post your completion posts and get your tasks and be awarded your buttons.

2. I will post the set of tasks on January 31st, but they can not be completed until February 1st.

3. After you have completed a task, post a completion post in your thread using the format below. Please also post a link of your thread to the Make It Happen! (Completions Thread) to get your button. You can complete a task in any order you prefer.

State/Bucket list:
Book/Author:
Date Read:
Task:
How It Fits:

4. This is an open-ended, go at your own pace challenge. Please create your own update post to keep track of your completed tasks as I will not be checking individual threads, only the completions thread.

5. Please read through the General Challenge Guidelines section. For any questions, please drop by at the Visitor Center (Q&A).

If you would like a thread to keep track of challenges or display the buttons, you can request one at Tracking and Collecting.

Tasks Too Challenging?

If you are struggling with a set of tasks you may take a stop at a rest area. I will give out 4 stops. To use a stop. Read a book that meets our General Requirements. Post as you normally would and state you are taking a stop at a rest area in the task section.

Rest Areas Available: 4

[Marla]

US States Bucket list Challenge
Start: 2/1/24
Progress: 48 of 50
Skips: 2
Completed: 8/23/25

🚗 State:
Book/Author:
Date Read:
Task:
How It Fits:

🚗 1. Read a book that was translated into French. (Alabama)
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (2/5/24) ~ La dernière chose qu’il m’a dite
🚗 2. Read a book where a character goes hiking. (Alaska)
A Fatal Thaw by Dana Stabenow (5/1/24) ~ Kate Shugak hikes in Alaskan mountains
🚗 3. Read a book that is set in either Arizona or Nevada. (Arizona)
Beautiful Bombshell by Christina Lauren (3/15/24) ~ set in Las Vegas
🚗 4. Read a book that was made into a movie or TV show. (Arkansas)
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (6/22/24) ~
🚗 5. Read a book that has snow on the cover. (California)
by Dana Stabenow (2/6/24)
🚗 6. Read a book that has one of the author’s initials in MESA VERDE. (Colorado)
Rock Chick Rescue by Kristen Ashley (5/26/24)
🚗 7. Read a book that is set in a small town. (Connecticut)
Legacy of a Frozen Scream by Daniel Doty (3/8/24)
🚗 8. Read a book with a natural source of light on the cover. (Delaware)
by Amie Kaufman (9/15/24)
🚗 9. Read a book that is set in spring time. (Florida)
An Unfinished Story by Boo Walker (8/23/25)
🚗 10. Read a book that has ghost(s) in the story. (Georgia)
Barefoot in the Dark by Suzanne Enoch (3/25/24)
🚗 11.Read a book with beautiful scenery on the cover. (Hawaii)
by Louise Penny (6/15/24)
🚗 12. Read a book that is set in Boise, Idaho. (Idaho)
*** SKIP ***
🚗 13. Read a book with a painting on the cover. (Illinois)
by Marie Bostwick (5/17/24)
🚗 14. Read a book with ‘luxury’ in the text. (Please state location and brief passage). (Indiana)
Endangered Species by Nevada Barr (5/3/24)
p. 33 "...a rare luxury on a fire assignment."
🚗 15. Read a book where the first letter of the title can be found in DES MOINES. (Iowa)
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (3/29/24)
🚗 16. Read a book with ‘sunflower’ in the text. (Please state location and brief passage). (Kansas)
*** SKIP ***
🚗 17. Read a book with two ‘M’s in the title. (Kentucky)
A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn (6/6/24)
🚗 18. Read a book with someone who goes to a concert. (Louisiana)
Ceaseless by Abbi Glines (6/2/24)
🚗 19. Read a book with a red or yellow cover. (Maine)
by Kimberly Derting (2/29/24)
🚗 20. Read a book with book(s) on the cover. (Maryland)
by Antonio Iturbe (9/5/24)
🚗 21. Read a book with ‘freedom’ in the text. (Please state location and brief passage). (Massachusetts)
Tarnished Knight by Jack Campbell (4/15/24)
🚗 22. Read a book with a lake on the cover. (Michigan)
by Melinda Leigh (7/28/24)
🚗 23. Read a book with a bird on the cover. (Minnesota)
by Matt Haig (10/20/24)
🚗 24. Read a book with any kind of musical instrument on the cover. (Mississippi)
by Mary Amato (8/22/24)
🚗 25. Read a book with a character who drinks beer. (Missouri)
Shock Wave by John Sandford (9/26/24)
🚗 26. Read a book with a series that has at least 4 books. (Montana)
14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro (4/7/24) ~ Women's Murder Club #14
🚗 27. Read a book with ‘vintage’ in the text. (Please state location and brief passage). (Nebraska)
Aurora's End by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (2/20/24)
p. 111 "The tech here is two hundred years old, and I'm into vintage but I can't hack that."
🚗 28. Read a book with at least 3000 ratings. (Nevada)
Lover Mine by J.R. Ward (3/7/24) ~ 113,187 ratings
🚗 29. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in ‘Franconia’. (New Hampshire)
Arazan's Wolves by John Flanagan (3/11/24)
🚗 30. Read a book with someone who goes to a museum. (New Jersey)
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross (5/31/24)
🚗 31. Read a book with a white cover. (At least 50%) (New Mexico)
by A.A. Dark (4/21/24)
🚗 32. Read a book with ‘mineral’ in the text. (Please state location and brief passage). (New York)
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (2/7/24)
p. 19 "...for exclusive access to alien remnants, the mineral and possibly biological..."
🚗 33. Read a book with a character(s) who goes to the beach. (North Carolina)
The House of Hades by Rick Riordan (2/19/24) ~ Leo stuck on island and lives & works on a beach
🚗 34. Read a book with a character named Theodore. (Ted, Teddy, Theo are all accepted) (North Dakota)
James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing by G. Norman Lippert (3/14/24) ~ Teddy Lupin
🚗 35. Read a book with a rock star character. (Ohio)
White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison (4/6/24)
🚗 36. Read a book where they go on a road trip. (Oklahoma)
A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare (5/28/24)
🚗 37. Read a book with any type of food on the cover. (Oregon)
by Bailey Cates (5/7/24)
🚗 38. Read a book that was published in July of any year. (Pennsylvania)
Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm (5/13/24) ~ pub. July 2006
🚗 39. Read a book with both of the author’s initials in ‘PROVIDENCE’. (Rhode Island)
Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent (3/26/24)
🚗 40. Read a book with a green cover. (At least 50%) (South Carolina)
by Christopher Paolini (2/1/24)
🚗 41. Read a book with a mountain on the cover. (South Dakota)
by David Baldacci (10/17/24)
🚗 42. Read a book with both author’s initials can be found in ‘Martin Luther King Jr.’ (Tennessee)
The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron (3/16/24)
🚗 43. Read a book that is the second in the series. (Texas)
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean (4/16/24) ~ The Rules of Scoundrels #2
🚗 44. SkiRead a book with a title that starts with Z. (Utah)
Zombie Fallout by Mark Tufo (8/19/25)
🚗 45. Read a book where they go to eat ice cream. (Vermont)
We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han (8/21/24)
🚗 46. Read a book that is close to 200 pages. (more or less) (Virginia)
Wurm War by Christopher Golden (2/11/24) ~ 208 pages
🚗 47. Read a book with an active MC. (Washington)
Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs (6/20/24)
🚗 48. Read a book that was published either September or October of any year. (West Virginia)
Devotion by Ivy Smoak (2/17/24) ~ pub. 10/27/16
🚗 49. Read a book with a double letter in the title. (Wisconsin)
Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham (3/5/24)
🚗 50. Read a book with the author's first or last name is Jackson. (Wyoming)
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (9/4/24)

[Marla]

Early Feb:

🚗 1. State: South Carolina

Book/Author: Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Date Read: 2/1/24
Task: 40. Read a book with a green cover.
How It Fits: Green cover

🚗 2. State: Alabama
Book/Author: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Date Read: 2/5/24
Task: 1. Read a book that was translated into French.
How It Fits: La dernière chose qu’il m’a dite

🚗 3. State: California

Book/Author: A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow
Date Read: 2/6/24
Task: 5. Read a book that has snow on the cover.
How It Fits: Snowy cover

🚗 4. State: New York
Book/Author: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Date Read: 2/7/24
Task: 32. Read a book with ‘mineral’ in the text.
How It Fits: p. 19 "...for exclusive access to alien remnants, the mineral and possibly biological..."

🚗 5. State: Virginia
Book/Author: Wurm War by Christopher Golden
Date Read: 2/11/24
Task: 46. Read a book that is close to 200 pages.
How It Fits: 208 pages

🚗 6. State: West Virginia
Book/Author: Devotion by Ivy Smoak
Date Read: 2/17/24
Task: 48. Read a book that was published either September or October of any year.
How It Fits: pub. 10/27/16

[Marla]

Early Feb:

State: South Carolina
Congaree is one of the newest National Parks and sits only 30 miles out of college-town Columbia in South Carolina. It was originally known as the Congaree Swamp, but the unappealing image of swampland meant it was rarely visited.

It is actually a floodplain forest and has the largest contiguous tract of old-growth bottomless hardwoods in the US – basically, the trees are huge, really old and rare.

The Congaree River flows through the park, and you can kayak along it under a canopy of colossal trees. The park floods quite often, and the river water brings nutrients for the trees and plants to thrive, making the park green and dense with trees.

There are several trails, including a very accessible elevated boardwalk trail which is the perfect introduction to this unique National Park. The biggest highlight of the park is that every year in May or June there is a beautiful display of synchronous fireflies.

The fireflies can be seen throughout the year but for two weeks they synchronize their flashes as they search for a mate. As there are only three places in the Western Hemisphere where fireflies are known to synchronize their flashes, this makes Congaree a wonderfully unique place to see this beautiful display! This unusual park oozes southern charm and completely redefines the idea of a South Carolina swamp.


2. State: Alabama
Everyone knows about the famous Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. But did you know that Mardi Gras celebrations in the United States actually began in Mobile, Alabama?

Though it became part of the Alabama Territory in 1817, Mobile was the original capital of French Louisiana Territory. The French settlers brought their Carnival traditions with them and celebrated in Mobile as early as 1703, more than a decade before New Orleans was founded.

The celebrations are still going strong 300 years later and are eagerly awaited each year by children and adults alike. Whereas Mardi Gras in New Orleans can get pretty rowdy, in Mobile it’s a much more tame affair and offers fun for the whole family.

The culmination of the carnival season is Fat Tuesday (“mardi gras” in French), which is 41 days before Easter. Usually falling in late February or early March. Parades can start as early as the second week of January and are held daily and nightly for about two weeks in the lead up to Fat Tuesday – locals often refer to the entire carnival season as “Mardi Gras”.

Members of the mystic societies who organize the parades ride on lavishly decorated floats and throw beaded necklaces and moon pies to people in the crowd. And of course, Mobile’s restaurants and bars stay open to keep the party going when the parades have finished. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget!


3. State: California
When visiting California, Mount Whitney should be on the literal top of your bucket list, since it is the tallest peak in the lower 48 states! The Mt. Whitney hike is 20 miles round trip with 6,600 feet of elevation gain. So this is an extremely challenging hike, but very worth it to stand on the summit at 14,505 and feel on top of the world. Or at least on top of the US.

Mount Whitney is located in the absolutely gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. The Mt. Whitney trail begins at Whitney Portal and winds through the beautiful John Muir Wilderness, passing several lovely alpine lakes as you gain elevation. The most difficult part of the hike is the 97 switchbacks above the tree line, but once you complete that slog, you’ll soon reach the summit.

One crucial thing to know is that permits are required to hike Mount Whitney because it is such a popular hike. Permits are awarded through a lottery system, so you need to plan ahead in order to apply and receive a permit. But the reward for advanced planning is the memorable experience of standing on top of Mt. Whitney and taking in the grand panorama of the Sierra Nevadas, which is more than worth all the effort it takes to get there!


4. State: New York
Saratoga Springs, a small city in Upstate New York, is home to many great attractions, including the Saratoga Springs Race Course, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. And one of the major draws to the area: The Saratoga Springs themselves.
Located throughout the spa and resort renowned city are twenty one mineral springs. Each with their own unique mineral makeup and believed health benefits, dating back to Native American times. Before heading out spring hunting be sure to do your research and plan what springs you want to visit to make your trip more enjoyable.

Visitors can wander the city and try a taste of the mineral springs. Most are marked with some sort of fountain. With twelve of the twenty one springs located within the Saratoga Spa State Park, it is one of the best starting points for a spring hunting adventure. Highlights within the park include the Island Spouter Spring and Coesa Spouter which sits on an island of hardened minerals within a lake in the woods of Saratoga Spa, making it a sight to see. Its waters have been bottled and sold by the state.

Congress Park is another must stop. The park is a beauty to behold and makes for a relaxing evening. It is also home to four mineral springs. Deer Park Spring is one of the most notable with its green and white cast iron shelter. Aside from spring hunting, visitors can also enjoy the waters in one of the spa and bath resorts. The Gideon Putnam offers bathing in the mineral water and a number of different natural spa treatments. Saratoga Springs is the perfect destination for replenishing your health and getting in touch with nature.


5. State: Virginia
Who doesn’t love a picture perfect bridge? But it’s even more incredible when this bridge is naturally occurring and not man made. That’s exactly what it’s like seeing the Natural Bridge in Virginia and why it’s on this United States bucket list. In fact the bridge has been deemed so unbelievably special that they named a State Park after it. And even the entire town.

It’s about a 2 hour drive from Richmond, the state capital, and about 40 minutes away from Roanoke. The bridge is over 200 feet high and has been owned by both a king and a president. That’s right. King George III of England sold it to Thomas Jefferson. But plan to do more than just run in to grab a photo and leave. Spend the day in the state park and walk some of the many hiking trails which hold the most impressive scenery along with Natural Bridge.

It costs $8 for an adult ticket. Included in that fee is also the opportunity to take one of the trails to the Monacan Indian Village. Here you can learn about some of the Native American aboriginal history of the area. Make sure to bring your camera for this impressive bridge and enjoy the day outside in this spectacular park.


6. State: West Virginia
West Virginia might not get a lot of recognition, but it sure is pretty. There are so many outdoor activities here between the beautiful Seneca Rocks, fascinating Civil War history and even ski hills. But you’re probably here looking for that adrenaline rush and a true United States bucket list idea. Then there’s nothing like the thrill of whitewater rafting down the Gauley River. It’s actually one of the top places to go for this extreme activity so if you’re gonna go whitewater rafting, you might as well go big!

The Gauley River National Recreation Area is about a 90 minute drive from the state capital Charleston. But if you want to spend time outdoors rather than the city there are plenty of smaller towns around Gauley River you can make your base.

Prepare to get a little wet on this trip, the opposite of your average lazy river. It goes without saying that you should of course always be safe, listen to your guide and wear the safety equipment required. There are age limit restrictions for different parts of the route so please check before you go.

While you might spend time wondering where you’ll be going in the summer, this is one of those trips you might have to leave until a little later. The rafting season is in September and October only and it is popular. When you see it you’ll see why. So get ready for a bucket list item and have fun.

[Marla]

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[Marla]

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