Adventures at the All 50 States Convention

Those of you who have been following my blog know that I completed my quest to get to all 50 states back in 2017, visiting Oregon with my wife. As a surprise on that trip, she enrolled me in the All 50 States Club - https://allfiftyclub.com/ - which held its inaugural convention in early September in Franklin, TN a little south of Nashville.

       I headed down a couple of days early to do some site-seeing in the area. Not being the honkey-tonk type, I opted to head directly to Franklin for the Native American and Civil War history, the whiskey, and a disc golf course. Stopping at a local brewery on the way to my hotel, I met the brewer, got to taste a couple of beers not on their menu, and got some great tips on stuff to do and see. More evidence that beer brings knowledge.

       The next morning, I headed out for a round of disc golf on a challenging course near the hotel. I normally don’t keep score but if I had, this round would have been WAY over par, but it was fun to play a new course – and one in another state (for those keeping score, that makes rounds in 10 states). As I worked up a thirst throwing my discs, I headed a little further south to a distillery for a taste of local whiskey. Their 3 whiskeys did not disappoint, I got to talk with a few local patrons, and the bartender gave me some swag to take home - bonus. After the tasting it was time for lunch, so I headed back into downtown Franklin.

       It’s a cool little town that reminded me of Gettysburg; same basic layout around a central square, same period architecture, and similar vibe. The big difference was that all the Civil War signs and historical markers were from the South’s perspective. It took a couple of signs before that obvious point registered. Thanks to the beertender from the day before I knew to park in the free parking deck around the corner from the lunch place she suggested. A phenomenal fried pork loin sandwich and a couple of beers later I spotted a huge ring on the hand of a fellow patron at the bar. Turns out he had worked for the Miami Heat when they won the NBA championship, and he let me try on his ring. You never know what will happen when you take the time to talk with people.

       One more distillery to hit before calling it a day and that one was right across the street. The whiskey was good but not as good as the first stop. Interestingly the place was also a coffee roaster (As was the brewery I went to) so I got some bourbon aged coffee beans to bring home. They make a good cup of coffee. After a stroll around the downtown area to soak up a little more history (like Gettysburg many of the buildings have visible bullet holes or scars and there are a lot of historical markers) I took a short drive to find the convention location so I knew where I was going the next morning.

       Attending by myself was a step outside my comfort zone as an introvert and as someone averse to being alone in a large group of people I don’t know. I was put at ease right away by the friendly greeting from the event staff and by finding that we had assigned seats. No pressure on where to sit – phew! Wanting to hear the travel stories of others and to share mine, helped me relax and connect with many of the people in attendance. There were 2 other NJ residents at my table, so we had an instant connection – another positive to having assigned seats.

       It was a fun day meeting new people and hearing their travel stories. Everyone had a very different story, but we all had being to all 50 states in common. I became part of a small group that gathered at dinner that night, sharing more stories and getting to know each other over drinks and food. After dinner we found most of the others from the convention hanging out in one of the firepit areas, so we joined them for more storytelling. Next day we got together again at a nearby winery before ending the official festivities. A great weekend and we all left looking forward to next year’s convention.

By taking myself outside my comfort zone, I met a lot of good people, traded stories, learned about other parts of the country, got travel tips, and had some fantastic food, local beer, and whiskey. So, no matter where you are or where you are traveling to, take time to experience what’s around you. Expand your comfort zone, be open to new things and new people, and continue to learn and grow.

One more tip: When using GPS to return to an unfamiliar airport, be very specific about what your destination is. When I just put in the Nashville airport, my GPS took me to the cargo area on the opposite side of the airport from where I needed to be. Adjusting to go to the rental car return center got me where I needed to be. Technology is great, but….

I’ll be taking next week off to recover from eating too much turkey and fixin’s. Next post will be week of December 9th.

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  11-25-2024