by Malcolm Butler
On my recent road trip with the Louisiana Tech Softball program, I knocked another one of the 50 states off my “been to” list.
Newark, Delaware was the site of the 2026 Conference USA Softball Championships and thus “The First State” became the 40th state that I have planted my feet in during my lifetime.
I am 80 percent of the way to having visited all 50 of the states.
When I looked at at interactive map to map out my lifetime journey across America, most of the missing 10 are either in the northeast or midwest.
Those missing 10 include Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Alaska.
I have been fortunate that the vast majority of my career has allowed me to travel near and far with Louisiana Tech teams. The 12-year stint as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) sent me to the West Coast (and even Hawaii 17 times), otherwise, I would still be missing the majority of those.
In all honesty, I wish I had kept a journal of these journeys over the last three decades. I could write quite the book on travel fiascos: I have experienced my share of Trains, Planes, and Automobiles for those who love the 1987 film starring John Candy and Steve Martin.
Some of those travel travesties I can still recall in detail, but many are cluttered somewhere up in the cobwebs of my mind.
It’s been cool, though.
Getting to see so many of the sights and sounds of America.
Delaware was no different. Although the 15 miles separating Wilmington, Delaware (site of our team hotel) from Newark, Delaware (home of the Blue Hens) were about the extent of the state that we saw, we did spend a day in Philadelphia following the conclusion of the tournament and prior to our departure back home.
It was my first opportunity (and many of our players and coaches) to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the steps leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Arts that Rocky Balboa made famous in the 1976 movie.
Lots of history.
I even ate a real Philly Sheesesteak in Philly. It was legit.
And that night, we got an chance to watch the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies play at Citizens Bank Park. Phillies won 9-3.
These days I don’t travel as much since I gave up the LA Tech radio broadcasting gig so it’s going to be up to me to make plans to make it 50-for-50. Should be fun … and educational.
