I have met people who have visited all of the 50 states or plan to as part of their “bucket list.” A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket.”

By my count, I have set foot in 31 of the United States of America (plus the District of Columbia.)

Here’s a rundown of the states I have visited.

I was born in Oklahoma and I have lived most of my 67 years right here. I love this state and never plan to leave. It is a great place to live and raise a family.

Arkansas would be second on my list. My father was born in Greenbriar, Arkansas, and we made several trips to Conway, Arkansas, when I was a boy.

Texas is probably next. I have gone to many football, basketball and baseball games in the Dallas Metroplex and have friends who live in Texas. I have driven through Austin and flown into Houston and sailed out of Galveston.

One of my very favorite states is Florida. My wife and I both have relatives there. It’s a great place with nice beaches, fresh seafood and friendly people. We usually visit Orlando and Gulf Coast beaches.

I have driven through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia on the way to Florida. My wife has relatives in Atlanta and we have visited that city.

Four of my brothers were born in Man, West Virginia. And I actually lived there for a couple of years when I was ages 4-5. My mother’s family is from there and that is where my mother is buried. It is a mountainous state that has proud traditions. I believe they took me over the river to Ohio once but I have no memory of that because I was so young. When I was 15, I spent a summer on a farm near Roanoke, Virginia. That, too, is a great place for families.

My in-laws used to live in North Carolina, which is similar to Oklahoma in many ways. The history of that state is interesting and they do have great barbecue. And South Carolina is very similar. I have driven through Tennessee many times and parts of Kentucky.

These days, I have started visiting South Dakota because that’s where my daughter, my son-in-law and my only grandchildren live. They live in Mitchell, in the south central part of the state. I want to go to western South Dakota someday to see Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. Because they live in South Dakota, I have driven through parts of Nebraska and Iowa for the first time ever.

I love Missouri and Branson in particular. The folks in Branson are so friendly and there is so much to do there. It has a Christian family atmosphere and that is special.

In 1980, I went to Seattle, Washington, for a wedding and traveled to Oregon also on a long weekend. They are two of the most beautiful states but they are also hotbeds of liberalism and not very friendly to Christianity.

In 1979, I went to California on vacation to visit relatives in Whittier (in the Los Angeles area). That metropolitan area is vast. The traffic is terrible. The taxes are outrageous. I also visited San Francisco, which has a beautiful landscape but an immoral culture. I flew to Las Vegas (to save money) and drove to the desert to San Bernadino.

I love Colorado and my family and I nearly moved there in 2000. The mountains are majestic. We took a family driving trip to Colorado Springs and we drove through the Oklahoma Panhandle and the tip of New Mexico. I have been to Arizona three times and on one business trip I made a side trip to see the Grand Canyon.

Of course, I have been to Kansas numerous times but for some reason, I haven’t spent much time there.

In 1997, I went to Russia and we had a one-day layover in Anchorage, Alaska. I wish I had more time there. The mountains are a backdrop to that city.

In 2001, Susan was a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and they flew us to New York City for an all-expenses-paid visit. It is the only time I have been to the Big Apple. I am not anxious to go back. (Susan was on the show but she didn’t win any money, unfortunately.)

I have been to Washington, D.C., twice and I would like to go back because of the historical significance. I have been to Chicago – but only on connecting flights at O’Hare International Airport (which I don’t like flying into or out of).

The state that I haven’t visited but hope to is Hawaii. It would be nice to drive through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and North Dakota because they are so scenic.

I would like to go to Massachusetts but only because I have a cousin who lives there. And there is a lot of American history in Boston. And a fall foliage tour would be nice.

If I ever go to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine, it would probably be because of a business trip or to see a football game.

I want to return to California to see some relatives. We will go back to Florida, Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, South Dakota and Colorado. A train trip through the Rocky Mountains might make my bucket list and someday I would like to set foot in Canada. I have been to Mexico, but only to port cities.

I won’t be discouraged if I don’t make all 50 states someday.