Family from St. Louis area visits last of 50 U.S. capitols

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- After more than a year on the road, the Gall family can boast an accomplishment few others can: the couple and their three sons have visited all 50 state capitols in the United States.

The St. Louis area family finished Friday, when Ed and Ginger Gall and their sons -- 13-year-old Samuel, 11-year-old James and 6-year-old Benjamin -- went inside the Missouri State Capitol rotunda in Jefferson City.

Visiting roughly one state each week, the journey, made in a recreational vehicle, took about 48,000 miles and over a year to complete.

"We're pretty much on schedule," said Ginger Gall. "We knew we couldn't make 50 state capitols in a year."

The Galls, who began their trip July 15, 2002, sold their home and car beforehand. They planned to start hunting for a new home in the St. Louis suburb of Des Peres this weekend.

"I'm glad we did it. I have no regrets. I'm just uncertain about re-entering 'real life,'" Ginger Gall said.

The trip wasn't a stunt to raise money, although the Galls did gain a few sponsors -- Verizon Communications Inc. contributed free cell phone service -- and benefactors -- some people let them park the RV in their driveways. Instead, it was a chance to teach their sons about the history of America.

The Galls chose to homeschool their sons for the year, although the boys normally attend public school in Des Peres. The Galls mined each state's science, cultural and history museums to boost the boys' education.

"Our friends from another country had seen more of the country than we had," Ginger Gall said. "There was something wrong with that picture."

'Learned to be flexible'

Samuel said one of the hardest parts of the trip was the close confines of the RV; the boys all had to sleep in one section.

"We learned to be flexible and compromise," said Ed Gall.

The Galls also learned that the country's state capitols come in many shapes and sizes. Hawaii's is marked by unusual architecture; Alaska's so closely resembles an office building that the family passed it twice before entering.

They were unable to enter just one building, the Washington state Capitol in Olympia, because it was closed due to earthquake damage.

They had some other close calls, however, because of tight security at some buildings.

"We had to beg to get into the Capitol in Richmond, Va.," said Ed Gall. "Security was interesting on the East Coast."

Sometimes the family visited capitols during the heat of a legislature's busy season. They happened to visit New York's Capitol after Gov. George Pataki had just vetoed 119 bills.

"There were some heated discussions," Ed Gall said.

On the Net

The Galls' Web site: www.gallsacrossamerica.com