New Goals?

I have been playing the Geocaching game for over 8 years, found over 4,000 caches in several states and 4 countries.  Unlike other years, I really didn't have any goals in mind other than hit the 4,000 find milestone.  Over the past 3 years, I have passed or re-passed or going to pass, a number of cachers in the numbers department, to include BigDaddyD, cgeek, pronotpup, Abiecto, Mackheath, just to name a few.  Some have quit playing all together, some are playing differently or far less often.  Lately, I have been calling the game of geocaching.....The game of guardrails.  It does appear the game is going to power trails; and while I don't mind a hiking power trail, the majority are those along 4-lane highways and utilize the emergency shoulder to stop and find a cache. 

With intention of attending Geo-Woodstock XII near St. Louis next year, I saw a cache called The Travler's 5-State Challenge that caught my attention.  Most challenge caches that I found in the Jackson, TN area, I had little to work on, in that I had accomplished the requirements just playing the game over the last few years.  This one had me study my caching profile and decided that if I had completed 3 states, I would pick out 2 and set out my course.  After much review, I easily had Tennessee and Kentucky, to my surprise, I met the requirements for a 3rd state, that being Mississippi.  Then I looked at others, like Arkansas, where I have 64 finds of the 100 required, but I only have 2 icons.  Thus, I crossed off that state.  Missouri, I have the icons (which is the most difficult part) and 52 founds.  A good run of the boothill and vacation to St. Louis next month, I would be able to close in that number.  Finally, what is the 5th state to work on?  Indiana, I have the icons, but only 38 finds, however the state is too far for repeated cache runs.  My sights will be set on Illinois, where I have 4 icons and need 48 finds.  I am considering a 2-day trip to Rend Lake, north of Benton, IL to accomplish that requirement.