My earned membership into the 50-50-7 Exclusive Travel Club
It was a lifelong dream finally accomplished!! I did it!! I mastered a goal established as a young boy growing up on my father’s rural farm in Noxapater, MS. I am honored to share my reflections of a dream that was not deferred.
In 1959, at the age of nine years old, Rev. Dock Jones, a local preacher in the Hathorn Community in Noxapater told me that he had traveled to all fifty states in the United States. I was so impressed in meeting someone who had traveled so far outside of Winston County. I thought to myself, that’s what I want to do someday. I kept that thought in the back of my mind throughout elementary school, high school, and even college. While working in the fields on my father’s farm, airplanes would fly over and I would fantasized about flying to faraway places. During those formative years in Noxapater, I dreamed of visiting California, New York, London, Paris, and Rome.
While in high school, I had the opportunity to visit Tuskegee, Alabama, when my brother, Lepolian, received his master’s degree from Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University). The next year, my sister, Ruth, received her master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. I traveled on a Greyhound Bus from Noxapater through Tennessee to Norman, Oklahoma, to attend Ruth’s graduation.
In 1966, I enrolled at Jackson State College (now Jackson State University) in Jackson, MS at the age of sixteen. I had numerous opportunities to meet students from different states and various countries. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with students from other states and especially foreign students regarding their countries, culture, traditions, and family life.
After my graduation from Jackson State University in 1970, I started my professional career with the General Electric (GE) Company in 1971 in Pittsfield, MA. I had the opportunity to visit all of the New England states which included Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. I traveled to my first country, Canada, in 1975 during my four years in Pittsfield. I was employed by GE for twenty years in Massachusetts, Virginia, Mississippi, and two locations in Florida. When not working, I welcomed the opportunity to tour adjacent states, and several international countries. In 1985, I toured the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Mexico; in 1987, I toured England, France, Italy, Vatican City, and Switzerland; and in 1989, I toured Austria, Germany, and Liechtenstein.
By 2011, I had visited forty-two states with only eight states remaining. My wife, LaVerne, joined my bandwagon for traveling. During the summer of 2012, we flew to Denver, CO, rented a car, and toured those remaining eight states over a period of sixteen days. We visited Kansas, Utah, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. We turned in the rental car in Chicago and flew home to Mississippi. I reflected back to Rev. Jones!! What would the great traveler think of me now?
After visiting all fifty states in 2012, we got the notion to visit fifty countries and all seven continents. In 2015, we toured the Holy Land and Jordan; in 2016, we toured South Africa; in 2017, we toured Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji; in 2018, we toured Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan; in 2019, we toured Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, England, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden; in 2020, we toured United Arab Emirates and Oman; in 2023, we took an expedition cruise to Antarctica; in 2025, we toured Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey; and in 2026, we toured Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, British Virgins Islands, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Maarten, and Trinidad-Tobago.
On November 22, 2018, we crossed the International Date Line on a 17.5 hours nonstop flight from San Francisco, CA to Singapore. On March 8, 2019, we cruised Cape Horn which is located at the southernmost tip of South America. On March 9, 2020, we crossed the equator in the Indian Ocean on a cruise from Dubai, UAE to Cape Town, South Africa.
On March 20, 2026, I obtained and was awarded membership into the 50-50-7 (all 50 states, 50 countries, and all 7 continents) Exclusive Travel Club. All of my travel dreams have come to fruition. I have been blessed beyond measure. To God be the Glory.
My ultimate travel dreams finally became a reality!! At this point, we are fully committed to continue exploring and traveling the globe. LaVerne and I have two international adventures planned in June and October of this year and another international adventure planned in January 2027.
International travels have completely reshaped our perspectives on the global community. Global travels broaden the horizon, deepen an understanding of international issues, and provide memories that will last a lifetime.
We pray that our traveling experiences will inspire, empower, and motivate others to travel. Our challenge is extended to those who are young and the not so young. Get on board, join our travel bandwagon. DREAM, PLAN, and PACK YOUR BAGS!!
– Charles L. Gentry and
LaVerne A. Gentry, PhD
