been there, did that – 50 times

When Arthur and Karen Brewer stepped off the plane in Hawaii a few weeks ago, they accomplished a goal they set for themselves almost 40 years ago. Early in their relationship, they promised to visit every state in the United States before reaching their 50th wedding anniversary. They will be celebrating their 38th soon, so they are well ahead of schedule.

Art, as he prefers to be called, and Karen have marked many milestones in their marriage with travel. They celebrated their 20th anniversary in Niagara Falls, their 25th with their children and grandchildren at Disney World, their 30th visiting Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Parks, and their 35th on a cruise to Alaska. In addition to visiting all 50 states, they have visited Mexico and 7 Canadian provinces.

Art is retired from Exide Technologies in Ft. Smith and Karen is a retired office manager, so finding time to travel hasn’t always been easy. “Retirement helps with that,” the art. While all of his journeys have been smooth, his journey through life has not been without its bumps. Both Art and Karen are cancer survivors who recently underwent open heart surgery. Karen jokes that she is proof of Murphy’s Law: if anything can go wrong, it will. She has had 14 major surgeries. When she is asked what keeps her up and in high spirits, she flashes a wide smile and a twinkle in her eyes as she confesses that she lives on love. She loves “…the Lord, husband, children, grandchildren, and the good America, in that order.”

Art, who is currently undergoing therapy for a recurrence of cancer, spends his free time as an avid fisherman and also loves to read and learn more about history. One of his favorite aspects of his travels has been the opportunity to visit historical sites, especially those from the Civil War. He also says that visiting Washington, DC and admiring the monuments and memorials was something he will never forget. On his trip to New York City, he especially enjoyed the ride on the Staten Island Ferry, which offered a perfect view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Karen is an award-winning published author. When she is asked how she likes to spend her free time, she asks “What free time?”. She is a member of various organizations including writing groups and travels to conferences every year. She is a member of two Red Hat Society chapters: The Sassy Survivors of Ft. Smith, whose members have experienced breast cancer, and The Red Hat Rockettes of Van Buren, where she is the Queen. She has three daughters, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who also require a lot of attention.

One of Karen’s favorite travel goals has been to visit places used in some of her favorite novels or movies. In 2008 she was able to make one of her most anticipated trips. That was to visit Prince Edward Island, the site of Anne of Green Gables. Another favorite location was southern Iowa and the scenes used for The Bridges Of Madison County. She thinks that Virginia is the most beautiful state, Massachusetts is the most interesting, and Wyoming is the most picturesque.

The Brewers have albums full of photographs to help remember the many adventures they’ve been on. After visiting all 50 states, you’d think Europe would be next on her list. Neither expresses any interest in traveling abroad. However, both will be quick to comment that they are not done traveling. There are still plenty of places to go and things to do here at Good Old USA.