Favorites & Still Wanna See

Over the decades of pursuing my quest to see all the states, I have often been asked what is my favorite state? My quick reply is that there is something incredible about every state I have visited.

I'm also asked how do I find these places???  Answering that question is a bit more complex.

I started reading "Travel Books" I found at the library back in the 1970s. That led to purchasing a huge personal collection of travel books. Several favorites remain in my current collection most notably Reader's Digest:

• Off the Beaten Path (still a favorite!)
• The Most Scenic Drives in America
• Scenic Wonders of America

But the problem was it was difficult or impossible to carry them around while traveling. Then I discovered each state had a tourism department that would send FREE travel information via postage free postcards and toll free phone numbers. Not only were the brochures informative, they were also filled with beautiful photography that fueled my wanderlust. They were great planning tools and I could take them along on trips.

The Internet followed and opened my world to an endless array of information about traveling...click, click, click...I could now plan my trip in the greatest of detail. I printed pages and put them in binders and made "temporary" books that housed itineraries, maps, hotel reservations, detour routes, camping information, museum info: you name it.

My Internet world really expanded a couple years ago when I discovered Pinterest; it really upped my game for travel planning. Pinterest allow me to save the website pages on boards for every US state AND now I have added the rest of the world (plus recipes and an bunch of other categories with my interests). To add to my pleasure further Pinterest has a mapping function allowing me to placemark the different places on a map and save, which can be printed and placed in my temporary binder travel books.

I have to make a disclaimer her, because I map probably three to four times more places than I will ever be able to see. The beauty of my mapping tool is that as I wander like I always do, I feel like I am less likely to miss something cool. Or...depending on how I feel that day I can change my route to wander. But now I feel like I may of missed something!

Which leads me back to the title of this post. Yes I have been to all the US states now, most of them multiple times. And I haven't tired of visiting the USA one bit.  While I have moved on to seeing the rest of the world I still travel within the US a couple of times a year even if it is just to go home to Michigan for a visit. I am also fortunate that my career here in Texas requires me to travel for business on a very regular basis. We have incredible diversity here in the US...God Blessed America!

I love to talk about travel and the places were my adventures took me, but Pinterest led me to wanting to return to see so great places I might of missed!

• The first bullet are my favorite places

      *The second bullet are the places I want to visit

Alabama

• Sloss Factory, Covered Bridges 
• 
• 
  
• * Go to the top of Vulcan (Birmingham)

Alaska

• Saddleback Island (Big Lake), Midnight Sun Brewing (Anchorage), Talkeetna, Kodiak Island, the People!
• Denali

Arkansas

• Route 7 - Ozark National Forest
• Eureka Springs, Hot Springs National Park Bathhouse, Hunt for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park 
• Hoo Hoo Monument - Gurdon

Arizona

• Sedona Pink Jeep Tour, Canyon de Shelley, Mission San Xavier de Bac, TeePee Hotel-Rte 66 in Holbrook
• Stay in a cabin at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Summerhaven, Hike to Havasupi Falls, Antelope Canyon/Houseboat on Lake Powell

California

• Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Highway 1 (north to south), San Diego Brewery Tour, Sequoia National Park
• Waterfall along Hwy 1, Death Valley National Park, Catalina Island

Colorado

• Hovenweep National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Ska Brewing (Durango)
• Glenwood Springs Pool, Great American Beer Festival (again with good people), San Juan Skyway

Connecticut

• Hammonasset State Park
• A microbrewery, Architectural tour of New Caanan (Harvard 7)

Delaware

• Dogfish Head Brewing-Lewes
• Dogfish Head Brewing-Milton

District of Columbia

• Night Tour of the Monuments, Cherry Blossom Time
• Beer Tour of DC

Florida

• Daytona Bike Week, South Beach Art Deco HD, Dry Tortugas NP, Swam w Manatees at Crystal Springs, The Ringling 
• St Augustine

Georgia

• Savannah, Coastal Islands
• Georgia Microbrewery

Hawaii

• Pearl Harbor and meeting Cale Sterling-Pearl Harbor survivor from USS Arizona, Snorkeling Hanauma Bay, Plane ride Kauai, Catamaran Na Pali, Kona Brewing
• Road to Hana, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,

Idaho

• Craters of the Moon, Scenic Idaho 97 just east of Coeur D'Alene
• Balance Rock State Park (south of I-84)
• Shoshone Falls State Park (Twin Falls)
• Just return and camp in this beautiful state

Iowa

• Madison County Covered Bridges-Camping at Ledges State Park & stopping at farm fruit and veggie stands, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Pikes Peak State Park, Dubuque Incline, McGregor Jail, Old Man Brewing (McGregor), Des Moines Sculpture Park, Grant Woods Scenic Byway, Grant Woods America Gothic House (Eldon), Barn Town Brewing (W Des Moines)
• 
  

Illinois

• Garden of the Gods, Chicago River Architectural Tour, Brick Route 66, Art Deco walking tour with Danni-ending at Vice Brewing 
• Chicago

Indiana

• Columbus Architectural Tour, Metamora, Spring Mill State Park, Marengo Cave, Madison. 3 Floyds Brewing, Round Barns
• 3 Floyds, Metamora, Van Gogh Exhibit in Indy

Kansas

• Lindsborg, 23rd Street Brewing (Lawrence)
• Scenic Byways

Kentucky

• Cumberland Falls, Natural Bridge, Rabbit Hash, Red River Gorge Geological Area, Louisville
• Natural Bridge State Park Cabins (again), Stearns train ride, Lake Cumberland houseboat

Louisiana

• Abita Brewery Tour, NOLA-Oysters @ Drago's, Touring Cemeteries, Carousel Bar, Evergreen Plantation Tour
• Great River Road Scenic Byway

Maine

• West Quoddy Head Light, Acadia National Park, Portland, Sailboat ride and lobster bake
• Breweries

Maryland

• Drum Point Lighthouse (screw-pile), eating crab on brown paper covered tables with a hammer
• Maryland Brewery, eating more crab with a hammer

Massachusetts

• Cape Cod, Seafood at Dive Bars
• Mount Auburn Cemetery-Cambridge

Michigan

• West side is the best side, driving the "Tunnel of Trees" in the fall, M-22, South Manitou Island, Bells and Founders breweries, the UP, Lakenenland-24 hr sculpture park east of Marquette, take the Badger from Ludington
• Isle Royale 

Minnesota

• North Shore Scenic Drive, Duluth Bridges, Surly Microbrewery
• 
  

Missouri

• Route 66, St Louis Arch, KCMO bbq ribs, Boulevard Brewing
• KCMO ribs, Nelson Atkins Museum

Mississippi

• Blues Trail, Natchez-Nutt House, Port Gibson, Windsor Ruins
• Natchez Pilgrimage

Montana

• NW Entrance to Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Butte (!!!)
• Eastern side

Nebraska

• Carhenge, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Garden of Eden and Brants Meat Market-Lucas
• Lucas

Nevada

• Little White Chapel (Las Vegas), Valley of Fire State Park, Virginia City, Reno Mural Art
• Ryolithe Ghost Town, US 50-loneliest road in America, Lehmann Caverns National Park

New Hampshire

• Pawtuckaway State Park, Bath Covered Bridge

New Jersey

• Cape May, Wildwood Crest, Lucy the Elephant, Ferry from Cape May to Lewes, DE
• Brick houses with dated gable ends (SW NJ)

New Mexico

• Gila Cliffs National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, 
• White Sands National Monument

New York

• NYC! Coursed Cobblestone Houses, Storm King
• Erie Canal (!) -preferably in a boat

North Carolina

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Biltmore
• , Outer Banks, Waterfall hikes near Asheville

North Dakota

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park (both Units), Enchanted Highway
• Go back and explore more

Ohio

• Hocking Hills, Dayton Air Force Museum, Ohio Caverns, Covered Bridge Scenic Byway, Toledo Museum of Art, Ashtabula Covered Bridge Tour in the fall, Cuyahoga National Park
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Art Museum

Oklahoma

• Tulsa! Turner Falls, Bartlesville-FLWright skyscraper,
• Talimena Scenic byway, COOP Brewing (OKC)

Oregon

• Multanomah Falls, Crown Point, Jots Hotel overlooking the historic bridge and Rouge River in Gold Beach. Odell Lake Resort, Tumalo Falls Hike, Crater Lake NP
• Deschutes Brewing in Bend, 

Pennsylvania

• Hilliards, Poconos
• Fallingwater, Northampton

Rhode Island

• Newport Mansions
• Green Acres, Newport Mansions

South Carolina

• Brookgreen Gardens, Charleston
• Drayton Hall

South Dakota

• Rapid City, Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Needles Parkway, Firehouse Brewing, Flat tire encounter with Phil and Frank
• Sioux Falls architecture

Tennessee

• Memphis, Nashville, Natchez Trace, Stearns Train Ride
• 
  

Texas

• Enchanted Rock, Big Bend National Park, Hueco Tanks, Hill Country, Fort Worth, US Treasury Tour in Blue Mound, Palo Duro Canyon-Lighthouse Trail
• Seminole Canyon State Park- Bell Fate Tour

Utah

• Capitol Reef National Park, US 12, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Springtime in Salt Lake City
• Arches NP-Angel Arch

Vermont

• Train Covered Bridge, Bath Covered Bridge 
• Vermont Brewery

Virginia

• Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah NP
• Drive Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall

Washington

• Lighthouse @ Cape Flattery, Olympic NP, Snoquanomie Falls, North Cascades National Park
• Mt Rainer NP, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival (Apr/May), Kerry Park (Seattle when you can see Mt Rainier)

West Virginia

• New River Gorge NP
• 
  

Wisconsin

• Camping on Madeline Island and drinking Bloody Marys at Tom's Burnt Down Cafe - the first time with Heather, went back and it was terrible, Door Peninsula, Apostle Islands Boat Tour
• 
  

Wyoming

• Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks, Devil's Tower National Monument, Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Byway, Camping at Lizard Creek (Site #32) between Yellowstone and the Tetons, Mormon Row Historic District (Iconic Barn)