West Virginia

Cathedral State Park

West Virginia

July 2015

Kellisa and Laurel states hiked together: 26/50

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"Sometimes my dad forgets me"

Everglades National Park  (February 2012)

Laurel told her uncle, "Sometimes my dad forgets me". This was in reference to hiking trips I took with just Kellisa because the trails were too long and/or hard for Laurel at the time. I was working on getting Kellisa to each state and figured I had an extra 10 years to worry about getting Laurel to all 50 states by her 18th birthday. Laurel joined Kellisa on several trips and was ahead of Kellisa at the same age as far as states visited. Laurel never said anything and always seemed OK with staying home. But, everything changed when I heard that she was feeling forgotten.

To keep things fair, I was taking Laurel on our own trips. Some had a hiking component, but most were centered around wildlife which Laurel showed a great interest. Her favorite animal is the polar bear, so we traveled to the Memphis Zoo to see their polar bears. I'll never forget the disappointment on Laurel's 4-year-old face when she realized that she would not be allowed to pet the polar bears.

Since Laurel shared her feelings, she has been included on almost every hiking trip with Kellisa.

Last Hikes without Laurel (2011 - 2016)

Bataan Memorial Death March, NM (2012)

Laurel joined our family in October 2010 at 16-months-old. We included Laurel immediately in our outdoor adventures. However, she was too little to join Kellisa on some of our longer and more difficult hikes. We continued to hike in new states and push our limits while Laurel would join us on shorter hikes. Eventually, Laurel became a full member of our goal to visit and hike in all 50 United States. We reset the goal to have both girls visit and hike together in all 50 states. 

With few exceptions since 2014, Laurel is with Kellisa on all her hikes. 

Below are the picture highlights of Kellisa's last hikes without Laurel. 

When Hiking Became Pushiking (2008 - 2010)

Jacksonville, FL (December 2010)

It's no coincidence that our travels and hiking destinations increased greatly as Kellisa needed fewer hospital stays and surgeries. We started to push the limits of the types of trails we were attempting because Kellisa was "bored" with paved paths. I created the word "Pushiking" to describe pushing Kellisa while hiking on non-accessible trails. The rougher and bumpier the path, the more Kellisa enjoyed the trail. While I do enjoy an "easy" stroll down a trail rated ADA, I also favor the more challenging trails because they are usually more scenic.

Kellisa's Early Hiking Path (2000 - 2007)

Illinois Winters

Kellisa's Path to visiting and hiking in all 50 United States started slow, mostly because of her unstable medical condition. 

Kellisa drove through most of her early states to visit family in Illinois and Texas. Kellisa had her first dozen states visited before we started hiking in 2002. We didn't really start traveling with the intention to hike until 2006 when Kellisa was 7-years-old. 

Below are some of the highlights from the early years along Kellisa's Path.

Virginia

Shenandoah National Park

Virginia 

July 2015

Kellisa and Laurel states hiked together: 25/50.

Maine

Mackworth Island

Maine

May 23, 2015

(Kellisa's 16th Birthday)

Kellisa and Laurel states hiked together: 24/50.

Ohio Hiking with Family

Brecksville Reservation

Ohio

May 2015

Sisters, Crocodiles, and Alligators

Biscayne National Park

& 

Everglades National Park

Florida

March 2015

South Carolina

Congaree National Park

South Carolina

January 2015

Kellisa and Laurel states hiked together: 23/50.