This summer the Vargo family of Whitehall moved one step closer to completing its quest to visit all 50 United States. The family visited Hawaii in July, leaving just one more state to explore.

"Alaska is the last horizon," Charles Vargo said.

"I hoped to have all 50 done by now," Mr. Vargo said. But, he explained, the family's three children now have school and work schedules that complicate travel planning. Twin boys, Charlie and Richie, 19, are in college, and daughter Julie, 16, is in high school.

The family is cautiously optimistic they'll finish their Tour USA by next summer. But Alaska's distance and terrain will force the family out of the car for their travel.

"We may have to do a cruise," Mr. Vargo said.

"It wasn't something we set out to do," Mr. Vargo said of the family's travels across the nation. Their first trip was to the Pacific Northwest in 1998 to visit an elderly aunt.

"I wanted the kids to have a memory of her before she died," Mr. Vargo said.

While there, they visited several other sites in the region.

"That trip became the model for many of our vacations," Mr. Vargo said.

Flying into one city, the family would typically rent a van and drive to numerous destinations mapped out in advance by Mr. Vargo.

Then, they would fly home from a different city. It was not unusual for the family to log 2,500 miles in the car, staying in 10 hotels in one trip that lasted 14 to 16 days.

"They weren't your typical relaxing vacations," Mr. Vargo said.

Usually he begins planning his family's trips in February, using tour books and videos from the Whitehall Public Library. He also solicits input from his children, showing them videos of places he thought they might enjoy.

"We blend historical and geographic sites with beach days,'' he said. All of the car travel has turned his wife Joyce into an expert at keeping the passengers happy during the long journeys.

Her secret is simple. "Keep everyone well-fed," she said.

According to Charlie Vargo, now a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, educational sites such as the Freedom Trail in New England were just as enjoyable as those stops not intended to teach anything.

Despite the number of miles logged, he said, "There is always a reward at the end of the day."

The family has few negative stories to share about the 11 major trips since 1998.

Joyce Vargo said she generally leaves the driving to her husband, helping with navigation when needed.

The family rarely got lost, "No [global positioning system]," Mr. Vargo said.

Charlie admits: "My dad has a pretty good sense of direction."

But the trip to the New England area in 2003 proved challenging when the family van lost all power during a rainstorm.

"We were in the middle of nowhere," Mrs. Vargo said.

The power eventually returned, but they couldn't use air-conditioning for the rest of the trip.

Each family member has their own favorite destination. For Julie, it was the panda exhibit at the San Diego Zoo. Richie enjoyed the family's dramatic front row view from the top of the Space Needle in Seattle as the Blue Angels flew by.

"It was neat serendipity," he said. The Naval flight squadron happened to be flying at a nearby air show the day the family visited.

There were other surprises along the way, including chance meetings with other Whitehall residents and high school classmates in far away places, such as Mount Rushmore and Mackinac Island, Mich.

The family agrees the vacations have given them a different perspective than if they'd chosen to visit the same beach town for the last 10 years.

"The diversity of America is amazing," Mr. Vargo said. He said he marvels at the vastness of our country and the many things that tie us together.

He described passing an elementary school in Hawaii named after Thomas Jefferson. It struck the family that even here on an island in the Pacific Ocean, they shared a lot with those school children.

"I think that's pretty profound," Mr. Vargo said.

Mr. Vargo said the family made a point to do a lot of "two-lane" routes offering a glimpse of the area. They were struck by the contrasting American lifestyles.

Passing through Arkansas they found nothing but a gas station on an otherwise solitary 100-mile stretch. They also found a town in Wyoming with a population of 16.

"It's a different country out there," Charlie said.

"At some point, we started writing all [the states] down and realized we'd already been to 30," Mr. Vargo said.

"I give Charlie the credit for getting it started," when he suggested the family try to visit every state, since they were already more than halfway there.

There's no doubt the entire Vargo family has been affected by their extensive travel. Charlie credits it for inspiring his dual college majors of economics and history.

Mrs. Vargo admits she did not travel much as a child, so she's enjoyed the adventures.

"I'm seeing things with them for the first time, and it's really brought things to life for us."

They feel lucky that Mrs. Vargo's job as a school teacher and Mr. Vargo's position as executive director at Washington Physician's Hospital Organization allowed the family flexibility in scheduling the long summer trips.