Area's intrepid travelers tell tales of traversing every state

"It is the job that is never started that takes longest to finish."

- J.R.R. Tolkien

Leave it to readers to make things interesting.

The past couple of summers, we've successfully collected at least one (and usually dozens) of vacation postcards from every state.

Now it appears we're collecting travelers who have been to every state - all 50 of them.

Many of you have written, including Roy Nelson, of North Augusta, who said: "It took 31 years. The first 35 states just happened without much planning; the last 15 took some coordination, especially Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, and also Hawaii."

Eric Smith, of Augusta, took to the air to complete the task. "I'm a private pilot and had set a goal back in the 1980s of logging a flight in all 50 states," he said. " I finally got my 50th state in 2000 when I vacationed in Alaska and took some float plane lessons."

Jim and Linda Keener, of Aiken, recently returned from Alaska and report that they have motorcycled in all 50 states. They even sent a photo.

Good for you all. As Mr. Nelson puts it, "The U.S. is a beautiful country. More Americans should endeavor to see more of it."

MORE TRAVELERS: Some trying to do just that include Randy and Ronnie Armstrong, of North Augusta, who are in Germantown, Tenn., "visiting our son." Peggy and Billy Fulcher send greetings from Laguna Beach, Calif., home of their daughter and son-in-law.

Perry and Linda Allen, Gene Willis, and B.V. Sherrill are in Washington, D.C., for an Arlington National Cemetery memorial service for their Uncle Robert, a Pearl Harbor survivor.

Henry and Roselyn Bryant, of Evans, send a card from a bus trip out West. They apologize that the bus makes the handwriting so shaky.

And Greg, Fay Elize and Emily Murray and Autumn, April and Grant Rasmussen are in Spirit Lake, Iowa, undertaking a number of summer activities.

TODAY'S JOKE: Richmond County Extension Agent Sid Mullis writes, "Thought this might be a good one":

It seems a passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and tapped him on the shoulder. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped inches from a large plate-glass window.

For a few moments, everything was silent in the cab, and then the still-shaking driver said, "I'm sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me." The frightened passenger apologized and said he didn't realize a mere tap on the shoulder could frighten anyone so much.

The driver replied, "No, no, I'm sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my first day driving a cab. I've been driving a hearse for the last 23 years."

Reach Bill Kirby at (706) 823-3344 or bill.kirby@augustachronicle.com.