Return to front page

50 States License Plate Game - 2009
8th annual 50 States License Plate Survey in Pinedale, Wyoming
Total Found: 46
Updated 1/17/10
We didn't get Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, West Virginia

50 states map Michael M., from The Woodlands, Texas Dave & Susan D. from Dickinson, North Dakota Melissa,  from Troy, Michigan Beverly S., from Elizabethton, Tennessee from Doreena, Burnsville, North Carolina That's us! Pinedale, Wyoming! Stacy and Ted M. from  Mesa, Arizona Leah from Nebraska Jackie & Dennis, Brian F. from Warren, Pennsylvania John H. from Georgia Doreena, Burnsville, North Carolina Debby H., fromDelaware Ellen P., from Connecticut Dennis G., from Dunbarton, New Hampshire Randy F. Bakersfield, California

In 2008 we found 47 of the 50 states. Delaware, Hawaii and Rhode Island eluded us.

Greetings from around the World!
We love hearing from everyone! Even if you haven't been here in person, send us a note and we'll be happy to add a green pin on our map for your "cyber" visit!

E-mail: support@pinedaleonline.com

Tell us you were here!

A tradition since 2002, this year people started writing in February. We started filling in states in the beginning of May.

If you were in Pinedale, and we missed your car and plate in town, please write and tell us you were here so we can add you to our survey! We'll put in a red push-pin on your state and add you to the state list below. Scroll down this page to read the comments that have already come in. Write-Ins

If you haven't actually been here, but found us on the web, let us know and we'll add you with a green push pin for your state or country.

Would you like to do your own 50 States License Plate Survey (great fun with the kids and for traveling)? Click on this link for a printable form with places to fill in for when you spot each state's plate:
50 State Survey Form

2009 Survey Results
Blue = Not Found, Black = Found, Green = Viewer Write-In

Alabama - 8/28/09
Alaska
- 5/19/09    
Arizona - 6/2/09
 
Arkansas - 9/8/09
California - 5/1/09
Colorado - 5/1/09
Connecticut
- 8/22/09
Delaware

Florida - 6/4/09
Georgia - 9/1/09

Hawaii -
9/1/09
Idaho - 5/1/09
 
Illinois -
10/1/09
Indiana
- 6/25/09
Iowa - 10/1/09
Kansas - 6/24/09
Kentucky
- 6/4/09
Louisiana - 10/1/09
Maine
Maryland
- 6/2/09
Massachusetts
Michigan - 5/4/09
Minnesota
- 11/10/09*
Mississippi -
8/24/09
Missouri
  - 8/11/09

Check out these sites for pictures of the license plates for all 50 states:
c2.com
PlateShack.com

 

Montana - 5/4/09
Nebraska - 7/25/09
Nevada - 5/4/09
New Hampshire - 8/25/09 

New Jersey
- 6/1/09
New Mexico - 5/4/09
New York - 6/2/09
North Carolina
- 7/8/09
North Dakota - 1/30/09
Ohio - 6/6/09
Oklahoma - 5/4/09
Oregon - 5/4/09
Pennsylvania
- 7/1/09
Rhode Island - 10/24/09

South Carolina -
 10/1/09
South Dakota
  - 6/25/09
Tennessee
- 6/4/09
Texas
- 5/1/09
Utah
 
- 5/1/09
Vermont
 5/1/09
Virginia - 6/24/09
Washington
- 5/1/09
West Virginia
Wisconsin - 10/1/09
Wyoming - 5/1/09

Foreign Countries:

 

Write-Ins:
We've moved the write-ins further down the page. Please scroll down to read the great comments!

PAGE SPONSORS

KPIN 101.1 FM Radio

See James Thomas at High Mountain Real Estate, 107 E Pine in Pinedale, for more information about area real estate.

Office Outlet in Pinedale, Wyoming. We can get your order in next day on catalog items!

Write-Ins

November 11, 2009: “Hello Pinedale, I thought I would send you a note to let you know that I have never been to Pinedale myself but my son Jason and his family recently moved there and enjoy the town very much and I'm on the web site everyday... My three grandkids say they love being there. I will be visiting them during the Christmas holidays and hope to be moving there myself sometime in Feb 2010, as I plan to retire after 30 years as a school district employee.” – Randy F. Bakersfield, California

September 3, 2009: “Hello from Hopkinton, Massachusetts! Start of the Boston Marathon and home to relatives of the Huntleys of Pinedale and Daniel. Hello to Rita, Jim and JJ from John, Jane & Andy. We visited Pinedale a few years ago and are hoping to make a return visit sometime. For now, we'll just settle for Pinedale Online. If anyone from Pinedale is ever running the Boston Marathon, get in touch with us."- John R., Hopkinton, Massachusetts

August 19, 2009: “My name is John H., I reside in Northeast Georgia. I first visited Pinedale 5 years ago, during my annual travels to the West in quest of trout. Since my first visit 5 years ago I have longed to reside in Pinedale. This year my uncle passed away after a long battle with cancer, during his last few years I really believe that our trips to various western destinations kept him going. It was all he would talk about during his cancer treatments, he traveled weekly from Blairsville GA to MD Anderson Cancer research center in Texas. Lamar would tell the nurses all about our trips to Pinedale and would always say if he was a younger man he would move there. Pinedale is a very special place in the most scenic part of the west, the people are as good as the fishing! This was the first time in years that I have not made my trip west, I am planning a trip next July. PS If the school system is in need of a Principal from Georgia let me know!” - John H., Georgia

August 18, 2009: “I thought I'd drop you a line so you can at least have a "virtual" license plate from DE, would it count if I emailed you a picture of mine on my car?? I found your site while doing an internet search looking for pictures of the 50 states license plates. I find it amusing that DE is one of the "hard" states for you to get. I am in my 50's and my family started playing the license plate game as a contest when I was a kid in the 60's. We did it for many years and were very competitive. Some years we got all 50, sometimes we missed a few. This was while growing up in PA. In the 80's I revived the game with my kids while they were growing up in Wilmington, DE. We have a distinct advantage in that we live a mile off I-95 and drive it almost daily. I can pick off about 20 states in a 15 min. trip most days. I hadn't played for at least 10 yrs, and just decided to see how many states I could get in the last month of my summer vacation. I started Aug. 8 and have about 35 states. I saw an unusual plate while driving today, but couldn't get a good look at it, due to the license plate holder and traffic. I was trying to find something similar online to be sure what it was, but no luck. The "hard" states for us usually are N. & S. Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, Wyoming. Have fun and good luck!” – Debby H., Delaware

July 14, 2009: "Look for our Missouri plate August 10, 2009. We are vacation and heading to the Pinedale/Jackson area for a couple of weeks of pure heaven." Jackie & Dennis, Missouri

June 4, 2009: “You deserve a green pin from northwestern Pennsylvania. Warren, to be specific.” - Brian F. Warren, Pennsylvania

May 20, 2009: “I'm from New Orleans, LA living in Atlanta, GA for the past 25 years...coming to Pinedale in August with my partner for Trout! See you soon..." Bill and David, Atlanta, Georgia and Raleigh, North Carolina.

April 29, 2009: “I found you on the web after watching the news program. We are in Burnsville, NC. 28714. Maybe someday we'll do a road trip out west!” - Doreena, Burnsville, North Carolina

April 10, 2009: “I've never had the pleasure of visiting Pinedale in person but... I found your website and visit there at least twice a week.I correspond occasionally with some really sweet people there. Love it. My connection in Pinedale will e-mail me when she thinks there is something that I need to see right away. I'm from a small town in northeast TN. called Elizabethton.” – Beverly S., Elizabethton, Tennessee

April 4, 2009: “I'm coming to Pinedale in May and I'm from Michigan!!!”
Melissa, Troy, Michigan

January 1, 2009: “I lived in Rock Springs for a while and came to Pinedale a few times... loved it. I keep Pinedale and Bondurant on my webcam list now. My wife and I returned to The Woodlands, TX (50 miles N of Houston) and decided to play your license plate game here. The first 4 months we found all but one state, W Virginia. Do they have cars? We started Feb 1, 08 and now is Jan 09 and still haven’t found WV. The game is fun. I miss the country in WY... Thanks” Michael M., The Woodlands, Texas

November 10, 2009: “I don't know if this counts or not, or if you have to hear from the people that were here. We had visitors from Minnesota, staying at the Hampton, for the last week of October. They drove a white Ford truck with Minnesota plates. No photo, but we promise they were here. Hunting." Gary Neeley, Bucky's Outdoors, Pinedale*

August 25, 2009: “Hi, I noticed that you still haven’t seen anyone from New Hampshire yet. I was back in Pinedale again this year the last week of June. This year I brought my two daughters with me and enjoyed fishing, traveling the area roads and our horseback trip out of Boulder Lake Lodge into the Wind Mts.” - Dennis G., Dunbarton, New Hampshire

August 22, 2009: “I found your site when I was researching for our trip out west so I made sure we drove through Pinedale when we went this summer. (sorry we didn't take a picture!) We are from CT so you can put our state on your survey. We very much enjoyed our stay in your beautiful state.” Ellen B. Pomfret, Connecticut

July 25, 2009: "We were there! We came in from Omaha, NE for the rendezvous. What beautiful country! We plan to come again next year. I'll be watching for our red pin :)" - Leah, Nebraska

June 2, 2009: “My husband and I were in Pinedale and were treated exceptionally well at your clinic. We live in Mesa, AZ and we were driving through from Yellowstone to Vernal, UT. My husband is terminally ill and we had to go to your clinic on Friday night May 8th for some hydration etc. I would like to congratulate the city of Pinedale on it's lovely clinic and your Nurse Practitioner and your Nurse. Both were wonderful to my husband and myself. Way to go Pinedale!” - Stacy and Ted M., Mesa, Arizona

February 14, 2009: “We were in Pinedale on January 30 - February 1, visiting our son and his family.” – Dave & Susan D. Dickinson, North Dakota

January 1, 2009: “I lived in Rock Springs for a while and came to Pinedale a few times... loved it. I keep Pinedale and Bondurant on my webcam list now. My wife and I returned to The Woodlands, TX (50 miles N of Houston) and decided to play your license plate game here. The first 4 months we found all but one state, W Virginia. Do they have cars? We started Feb 1, 08 and now is Jan 09 and still havent found WV. The game is fun. I miss the country in WY... Thanks” - Michael M., The Woodlands, Texas

_________________________________

Editor's Note: We began our "50 State License Plate Survey" in 2002, with this being the 7th year of the survey. It started as a fun way to show how many people come visit, or pass through, our little town each summer. Doing it has become a tradition for many families, including ours. This particular survey was also being done as therapy for Dawn's Mom, Louise, as part of her outings and recovery from a stroke she had just before 9/11. She was the official tally taker of the plates as we saw them in our drives around town. It helped her relearn letters and numbers. She passed away in March, 2007, and now part of our reason for doing this survey is in memory of all the good times we had doing this with her.

We continue the tradition each year as a fun way to connect to all the wonderful people who visit Pinedale each year. Originally, we restricted ourselves to just looking in Faler's General Store parking lot (the building with the big fish on top). Pretty much everyone goes to Faler's while they are here, and it usually doesn't take too long to get all 50 states, but we kept getting skunked by Hawaii, Delaware, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Faler's sold and is now called Ridley's Family Markets. A sign of changes in Pinedale over the years. Thanks to the folks at Falers and Outfitter Liquors for your calls and e-mails to let us know when you saw one of our missing plates in your parking lot!!

Over the years, we had to expand our search beyond the grocery store parking lot. Some of the harder states kept showing up at the laundrymat by the Post Office, or parked in front of the Cowboy Bar or Bottoms Up Brew Pub, but we missed seeing them at Faler's. Because we really hate to lose knowing those plates were in town, we expanded our search area to include anywhere in town and other areas, like nearby trailheads, up by the big lake, and the bars and laundrymat!

In the past, we've started our survey on Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. Later, we bumped it up to start on February 1st. This year we started on January 1st to give ourselves more chance to find Hawaii, Delaware and Rhode Island.

For any viewers who want to make sure we count you and your vehicle, you can stage a photo as "proof" you were here. Take a picture of your vehicle and plate with one of our recognizable buildings in the background (put in something with a date on it that shows it was from this year, like the latest local newspaper.)

This is not at all a scientific study, but is just for fun, so watch our map and see how quickly we find all the states this summer!

Thank you to everyone who has joined in our survey and sent us your notes and stories! 

Dawn Ballou, Editor, Pinedale Online!

For pictures of the license plates for all 50 states, try these sites: c2.com, PlateShack.com

Return to front page

The 50 State Survey is done just for fun each year to see how quickly we can find all the plates. Pinedale truly is a crossroads for travelers. Thanks for your great e-mail comments and support of our fun survey! For more information, contact Pinedale Online at 307-276-5699 or 307-360-7689, or e-mail support@pinedaleonline.com, or stop by our office located in Office Outlet in Pinedale, 43 S. Sublette Ave. Copyright 2009, all rights reserved. No pictures or content on this site may be reproduced or used without permission.

Pinedale Online!
www.pinedaleonline.com
PO Box 2250, Pinedale, WY 82941
Phone: 307-360-7689 or 307-276-5699
Fax: 307-276-5414

E-mail:support@pinedaleonline.com

Kim from Brisbane, Australia Marie from Hamilton, New Zealand