By Corey Thompson | Missouri Free Press
This wasn’t a vacation.
My wife and I set out on this journey because my father-in-law had one final wish. He wanted to be buried in California alongside his parents. So, with heavy hearts, we loaded up and headed west. What began as a solemn mission to honor a loved one became one of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve ever had.
Our route carried us through Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Texas, and Oklahoma before finally bringing us home to Missouri.
I came home with something I didn’t expect.
Perspective.
Anyone who follows Missouri Free Press knows I haven’t exactly been kind to Missouri over the last eight months. I’ve exposed government failures, investigated allegations of corruption, challenged public officials, and fought for transparency through Missouri’s Sunshine Law.
None of that has changed.
If anything, I remain more committed than ever to holding those in power accountable.
But traveling across America reminded me that while Missouri certainly has its problems, we also have freedoms many people take for granted.
Every State Line Changed More Than the Scenery
One of the biggest adjustments on this trip involved something many Missourians never think twice about.
Firearms.
I traveled with a valid Missouri concealed carry permit and researched every state’s laws before crossing each border. According to the Missouri Attorney General’s concealed carry reciprocity map, every state along my route recognized my Missouri permit except California and Nevada. Even in the states that recognized my permit, every one had its own unique restrictions and responsibilities.
Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico felt much like home. Missouri permit holders are generally recognized there, although travelers must still comply with each state’s individual laws.
Colorado recognized my permit, but not Missouri’s firearm laws.
Crossing into Colorado meant understanding restrictions Missouri simply doesn’t have, including the state’s 15-round magazine capacity limit. It was my first reminder that reciprocity does not mean identical rights.
Then came California.
California recognized neither my permit nor Missouri’s approach to firearm ownership.
Before entering California, my firearm had to be transported under California’s strict transportation requirements. My handgun had to remain unloaded inside a locked container, separate from how I normally carry at home. California also limits most detachable magazines to ten rounds, making equipment perfectly legal in Missouri potentially illegal simply by crossing a state line.
Leaving California didn’t immediately restore those freedoms.
According to the Missouri Attorney General’s reciprocity map, Nevada also does not recognize Missouri concealed carry permits. That meant I continued traveling under much stricter limitations than I enjoy at home.
The experience drove home something every responsible gun owner should understand. Never assume your home state’s laws apply somewhere else.
The federal Firearm Owners Protection Act, often referred to as the Peaceable Journey law, offers limited protection for interstate transportation of firearms, but it is not a substitute for understanding each state’s laws. Every traveler has a responsibility to research those laws before crossing a state line.
Freedom Doesn’t Stop at the Second Amendment
The differences between states weren’t limited to firearm laws.
They were everywhere.
At the gas pump.
Back home, many Missourians complain when gasoline approaches four dollars a gallon. After this trip, I understand just how fortunate we are.
Arizona hovered around four dollars a gallon.
New Mexico was generally in the upper three dollar range.
Nevada frequently approached six dollars a gallon.
California routinely exceeded five dollars per gallon, and in one isolated desert town, where another station had no functioning pumps, we paid an astonishing $7.45 per gallon simply because there was nowhere else to buy fuel.
That wasn’t competition.
That felt like desperation pricing.
Housing costs were equally shocking.
Missourians often complain about paying $1,500 for a one bedroom apartment. I understand why. That’s expensive.
Then we looked at Anaheim, California.
A modest one bedroom apartment renting for approximately $2,400 per month suddenly made Missouri feel affordable again.
When you combine housing, fuel, insurance, state income taxes, and everyday expenses, it becomes easier to understand why so many Californians are struggling financially.
Beauty and Brokenness
California is breathtaking. The Pacific Ocean. The mountains. The deserts. The towering redwoods. It’s difficult to imagine a more beautiful place.
But beauty doesn’t erase problems.
Driving through Los Angeles and later sitting in traffic in San Francisco, I witnessed a homelessness crisis unlike anything I’ve personally experienced in Missouri. While stopped in traffic in San Francisco, I watched a man openly masturbating on the sidewalk in broad daylight.
In Las Vegas, I witnessed someone openly using what appeared to be heroin on the sidewalk.
Another thing struck me.
Police.
Or rather, the lack of them.
Private security seemed to be everywhere in Las Vegas, but uniformed police officers were surprisingly scarce compared to what I’m accustomed to seeing back home. Perhaps there were officers nearby. Perhaps calls for service had them elsewhere. I can only speak to what I personally observed, and those observations left an impression.
The Conversation I’ll Never Forget
One of my favorite memories from this trip happened aboard the historic Queen Mary.
I overheard a gentleman explaining politics to a woman accompanying him. Eventually, he and I struck up a conversation.
He was from California.
I was from Missouri.
We couldn’t have come from more different places geographically, yet we agreed on something fundamental.
Politics has become too important.
Government exists to serve people, not political parties.
George Washington warned Americans about the dangers of political factions dividing the nation. More than two centuries later, his warning feels almost prophetic.
Republican. Democrat. Independent.
None of those labels matter if we forget we’re Americans first.
Coming Home
Every state we visited had something worth admiring.
Kansas offered endless skies. Colorado’s mountains were unforgettable. Arizona’s deserts were unlike anything I had ever experienced. New Mexico possessed a quiet beauty all its own. California’s coastline was breathtaking, and Nevada’s lights reminded me that some cities truly never sleep. Texas remained proudly Texas, and Oklahoma welcomed us on the final stretch home.
Each state has its own identity. Each has strengths worth celebrating and challenges worth confronting.
Missouri is no exception.
For the past eight months, I’ve investigated allegations of corruption, challenged public officials, and demanded accountability from those entrusted to serve the people. That work doesn’t stop because I took a trip across the country. If anything, this journey reinforced why it matters.
Holding our government accountable doesn’t mean we hate Missouri. It means we love it enough to expect better. The same is true for every state I visited. California’s natural beauty is unmatched. Nevada’s energy is unforgettable. Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas all left lasting impressions. They are places filled with hardworking people who want many of the same things Missourians want: safe communities, affordable lives, honest government, and the freedom to raise their families in peace.
This journey began with loss. It ended with gratitude. Gratitude for family. Gratitude for the opportunity to see this incredible country. Gratitude for the reminder that while every state faces its own challenges, America remains a nation worth believing in.
We will never all agree on every issue, and that’s okay. Healthy debate has always been part of who we are. We should be able to challenge our government without abandoning our country, disagree without becoming enemies, and protect the liberties generations of Americans sacrificed to secure.
After thousands of miles on the road, I came home with something I didn’t expect: a deeper appreciation for Missouri, a greater respect for our neighbors across the country, and a renewed belief that what unites us will always be stronger than what divides us.
United we stand. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The land of the free because of the brave. May we never forget either.