America’s 50: Travelers, here are the places worth a visit in each state
To declare one has visited a city, state or country there must be parameters, and the airport never counts. Neither does eating at McDonald’s.
A drink at Starbucks is a no, too. Spending “the night” in a town doesn’t necessarily count, either.
To say you have visited a city, or a state, the visitor must experience something that is specific to that spot. It may only take an hour or two or three, but do something that you can only do there. A restaurant. Maybe a hike. Perhaps a museum. An activity.
Do something that when you look at a map of the U.S. you can say, with pride, “When we visited South Dakota we saw rams while hiking the Badlands.”
Or, “When I was in Florida, we saw a lot more than we needed to on South Beach.” And, “When I was a kid, my parents forced me at gunpoint to walk to the Freedom Trail in Boston.”
It took only 50 years, but in my sesquicentennial I checked off all of America’s 50 states. North Dakota was the last to go down, which is not uncommon for those of us committed enough to visit all 50.
By doing so, I am now a proud and distinguished member of the “Best for Last Club,” a group of people for whom N.D. is the last of all 50. We have the T-shirt to prove it.
Inside the visitor’s center in Fargo not only is there the real wood chipper made famous in the movie “Fargo,” but a ledger full of us who made North Dakota their last state. And I was told I would never achieve anything.
Here are 50 places in all 50 states that are worth your time. You are free to @ me.
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Alabama: The Redneck Riviera that is Gulf Shores offers pristine beaches, and it’s a solid beach/ocean combo when it’s not overrun. Since that never happens, downtown in Mobile has a mini (very mini) French Quarter without the French Quarter “scents.”
Alaska: Dog sled ride in Fairbanks, not sure PETA is going to love this. Wake up 1 a.m. in November to view the Northern Lights. When the lights dance, it’s real life CGI.
Arizona: The state offers an endless buffet of outdoor spots, but few places in the world are better than the Grand Canyon.
Arkansas: Fayetteville in the fall is worthy of a weekend. This college town has flourished, thanks to people such as Sam Walton (Walmart), and Don Tyson (Tyson chicken).
California: So many here but the Redwood National & State Park does not seem real. The giant sequoia trees are within view of the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Coast Highway is loaded with spots.
Colorado: Falling down, repeatedly, “skiing” in Wolf Creek during a white-out snowstorm. One of the highest peaks in Colorado assures snow, and cold temperatures.
Connecticut: New York City’s affluent suburb has other places. The West Hartford Center is one of those places that you would never think would be this nice.
Delaware: Downtown Wilmington offers some of those quaint, charming, mid-Altantic restaurants. Unfortunately, the one I went to is now closed.
District of Columbia: The reflecting pool, at night, in the National Mall.
Florida: America’s most beautiful drive: 7 Mile Bridge to the Keys. Little Havana in Miami is nice, but for a secluded beach Crandon Beach near Key Biscayne is a public spot that is straight out of 1965. And no one is there.
Georgia: Cheeseburger with an Orange Freeze at The Varsity is a solid choice.
Hawaii: Waimea Bay. Jump from the giant rock, which is about 35 feet high but the water is warm. Also, HIGHLY rec’ drinking from a fresh coconut and eating the meat. If you want to try surfing, the best place to start is Waikiki. Do not do the Road to Hana drive in Maui; overrated.
Idaho: Evel Knievel Snake River Canyon Jump Site. There is no way he was going to make this insane distance.
Illinois: Walk on the shore line of Lake Michigan in Chicago. Any show at Second City, a breeding ground for Saturday Night Live players.
Indiana: First three laps of the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The best start to any sporting event in the world. The children’s museum in Indianapolis is the best of its kind.
Iowa: Play catch, or walk from the corn rows into the outfield at the Field of Dreams field in Dyersville. Close to nothing, it is slightly surreal this site is now what amounts to a heavenly Little League field amid a corn field.
Kansas: A men’s basketball game at Allen Field House at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. If the game is close in the second half, electric.
Kentucky: Ride the Ohio River in Louisville. A Louisville men’s basketball game, when they’re good, is a good scene.
Louisiana: Obligated to say New Orleans. A Saints Sunday night game, and the Quarter really gets going. Drive the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway; at nearly 24 miles long it’s the longest bridge over water in the world. It never ends.
Maine: Two lobsters for $25 in Kennebuckport is divine.
Maryland: You won’t believe this, but the crab cakes at a Baltimore Ravens home game are really good.
Massachusetts: The Kennedy Library and Museum is a favorite. Fenway Park is one of America’s last living, breathing, operating museums for sports. The Seuss Museum in Springfield is a gem for families with small children who love Dr. Seuss.
Michigan: The lakes are the show up here, any of them. Detroit has its character, and it also sadly earned some of its hard reputation. Its suburbs are the best in America. Birmingham, Michigan is one of them.
Minnesota: In the summer, downtown Minneapolis can be a sweat-free pedestrian paradise. Great places to walk/run outside, especially the runner-friendly bridges. St. Paul is an underrated city, too.
Mississippi: Square Books, Oxford. You can go to William Faulkner’s house just outside of “town,” but your better play is the Square. Vicksburg National Park is good (for history buffs).
Missouri: The Hill in St. Louis; Gioias Deli. Order the hot salami sandwich. Don’t plan to eat but half. Split it. If you can’t, give away the second half. It’s the best sandwich ever made, but there are consequences.
Montana: Glacier Park Lodge at Glacier National Park. Takes forever to get all the way up here, but this is America’s Swiss Alps.
Nebraska: A fall Saturday for a Cornhuskers football game. Memorial Stadium becomes the third largest “city” in the state for the games.
Nevada: Jogging The Strip in Las Vegas at 8 a.m. on a Saturday sounds like a great idea. It’s not. The better idea is visiting Hoover Dam.
New Hampshire: Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in New Hampshire; one of the towns that sits on the lake is Wolfeboro, a place seemingly built for a New England postcard.
New Jersey: America’s biggest punchline has redeemable locations. Teaneck is a Jersey town that you would never believe is there.
New Mexico: White Sands or Carlsbad Caverns. Both are geographical wonders that need to be seen in person.
New York: Central Park, New York City. No other place in the world like it.
North Carolina: Chapel Hill, home of Univ of North Carolina. Barely over Avon in the Outer Banks. Downtown Asheville is fighting like hell to hang on to its character.
North Dakota: Broadway Avenue in Fargo is an old-town, small-town downtown that is actually thriving. Winter lasts here for about 13 months, so pack accordingly.
Ohio: The Wayne National Forest near Athens is gorgeous. All of southeast Ohio is beautiful. Skyline chili during a Reds game in the fall; don’t hate it before you tried it.
Oklahoma: Hard to beat kickoff for a night game at a Sooners’ football game. Or, if you can be there when it’s not so crowded, Turner Falls.
Oregon: Jump into Crater Lake. It’s the deepest lake in the United States, and the clarity of the water is Caribbean like. The temperature of the water is anything but Caribbean like.
Pennsylvania: Little Round Top, Gettysburg National Park. An awesome sight to an incredible detail of one of the most important moments in the history of the U.S. Plus, walk the distance between Cemetery Ridge and Seminary Ridge, and you’ll see that Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was out of his mind.
Rhode Island: Downtown Providence has a great square stuffed with history.
South Carolina: Fort Sumter in Charleston; the town is an adult New Orleans. The Fort is ground zero for the Civil War.
South Dakota: The Badlands are forever underrated, as is Mount Rushmore at night when it’s desolate.
Tennessee: Graceland is overrated, but Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis is not. University of Tennessee campus is a great walk. Nashville is turning into Austin, and its downtown music scene is wonderful.
Texas: A clear, moonless night in Terlingua near Big Bend National Park is an unforgettable view of the stars. You are reminded just how small you really are. And, riding with the Blue Angels from Alliance Airport (I’m obligated to brag about this twice a month).
Utah: The Narrows in Zion National Park. Zion is the clear winner, but all five national parks in Utah are all worth visiting. Bryce Canyon offers a wondrous view of the Milky Way.
Vermont: Quechee State Park on the Vermont/Massachusetts border has a river gorge you can easily swim. Woodstock is one of those cutsey towns that are perfect for the fall, and it features a wood covered bridge that you can drive over without fear of it falling into the water.
Virginia: The wharf at Mount Vernon, home of President George Washington. The gardens at Montpelier, home of James Madison. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in Norfolk is an engineering marvel.
Washington: Hiking Mount Raineer National Park. Preferably in the spring or summer.
West Virginia: Walking the Kanawha River in downtown Charleston is scenic, but for the rawness of this beautiful state, Watoga State Park is a winner.
Wisconsin: Crushing the Lambeau Leap, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, in the snow. If you can’t swing that, downtown Madison in the summer is Wisconsin at its finest.
Wyoming: The Boiling River near the Montana border mixes scalding and frigid waters. Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park is one of the most beautiful spots in America.
