Ten-year-old twin brothers Aiden and Owen Finocchietti of Wellington are currently enjoying the experience of a lifetime with their 67-year-old grandfather, Barry Mabe. The three of them are in the early weeks of a 12-month journey visiting and playing tennis in all 50 U.S. states.
They are traveling from state-to-state in a recreational vehicle (RV), but they will fly to Alaska and Hawaii. This is not simply a trip where the goal is to visit all 50 states. Their key goal is to also play in competitive tennis tournaments in all 50 states. A visit to the District of Columbia is on the schedule, as well.
“Tennis has allowed my grandsons to learn a skill, discipline, work ethic and develop lifelong friendships. It even teaches them disappointment, occasional unfairness and sometimes defeat,” Mabe said.
This journey has the blessing and support of the twins’ parents, Elisha and Gabe Finocchietti. Since Mabe, affectionately called “Pap” by the boys, has agreed to home-school the twins on the road, they are able to take such a long and adventuresome national journey during the traditional school year. This fall, they will officially be in the fifth grade.
The trip started on May 30. They are expected to conclude the journey in late May 2026.
Even though they are traveling around the country in an RV, they plan to stay with local families in each tennis tournament city. For the most part, they’ll spend roughly a week in each state.
In between tournaments, the boys will go fishing, play golf, visit museums, ride ATVs and do some general sightseeing.
“What we do and where we visit is often dependent on where the tennis tournaments are being played,” Mabe explained.
While the trip will last 12 months, they will fly home for visits with their parents in Wellington in November and December.
“In November, Owen will be playing with his mother in the annual mother-son tournament at the Wellington Tennis Center,” Mabe said. “And we will return home for a few days at Christmas.”
Throughout the trip, the boys and their grandfather will be posting images from their travels on Facebook and Instagram. Their journey is also designed to promote tennis at the grassroots level and attract young players to the sport, and they are accepting donations to help the cause.
To learn more about this journey by the Finocchietti twins, alongside their grandfather, visit www.tenniswiththetwins.com.
