I've been to all 50 states. I'm not in a rush to return to these 5, even though I liked visiting them.

• Though I’ve loved aspects of every state, there are some places I’m not in a rush to return to.
• Indiana, North Dakota, and Kansas are some of the states I don’t plan to return to anytime soon.

The state is home to what Life magazine dubbed the “Loneliest Road in America” in 1986. The stretch of US Route 50 that crosses the state is remote, isolated, and vast.

I’ve enjoyed driving the road and other areas of the state more than once. But lately, I’ve felt more comfortable knowing that others are nearby when I’m traveling solo.

Correction: June 18, 2024 — An earlier version of this story mistakenly included Illinois rather than Kansas in the summary bullets as one of the states the author wouldn’t return to.

Correction: June 20, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated that the author has family in Nebraska.

This story was originally published on June 20, 2024, and most recently updated on September 29, 2026.