What's the BEST your state or city have to offer?

[dorothy]

What are the must-dos, the must-sees, the most interesting experiences? Include favorite activities, places to eat, events, etc.

 

I hope all 50 states will chime in. I'd love to learn about your states/cities and dream of going there some day.

 

Please post!! :)

 

 

Please specify what state/area you are posting about - maybe you'd like to post about a state you grew up in or once lived in.

Edited October 3, 2008 by dorothy
Forgot to ask for the state name.

[Crissy]

The best we have to offer is our natural resources; our mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, trail systems, etc. There is nothing man can build that can compete with the natural beauty available in the Pacific Northwest.

[Parrothead]

Maine lobster and wild blueberries. Not necessarily both at the same time. Oh, and pure maple syrup.

 

I haven't finished all the must -dos and -sees yet. Bar Harbor was nice. The Acadia National Park is there.

[cathmom]

Outer Banks!

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Homes of Presidents

Civil War Battle fields

Colonial capitols

Revolutionary War battle fields

Historic plantations

Smithfield-The place where pigs go to die. (Gwaltney is a big family name there)

Cotton, peanuts, sweet potatoes, pine, soy beans, corn, wheat, strawberries in the east, apples in the west.

Blue Ridge Parkway, Shanendoah Valley, Luray Caverns, Skyline Drive, Natural Bridge

Crab cakes and she-crab soup, peanut soup, collards and cornbread, chicken fried everything with cream gravy.

Home of Death by Chocolate

I forgot Virginia Beach :-)

Edited October 3, 2008 by Virginia Dawn

[MicheleB]

The 'best' our little town has to offer is that we are the home of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. :D It is quite the tourist attraction and our entire town is actually a tourist attraction with it's beautiful natural backdrop, festivals, quaint shops and the like.

[Karenciavo]

History, beaches and boardwalks, the best bread and pizza you'll ever taste. Some of my favorite places to visit are Cape May, The Delaware Water Gap, and my hometown of Point Pleasant Beach, which is chock full of antique stores and other neat shops.

[Greta]

I live in Northern New Mexico (not as familiar with the Southern part of the state) and the best NM has to offer is the gorgeous desert landscapes and skyscapes (yes, that's a real word, trust me).

 

This part of the state is at pretty high altitude, and I think it's not what most people think of when they hear "desert" because the temperatures are mild and pleasant. The mountains here are beautiful year round, green in the summer, dappled yellow by aspens in the autumn, and snow-capped in the winter, with some impressive ski areas.

 

The sky here is an attraction in itself. The vivid blue wide-open sky here is simply unlike anywhere else that I've been. You haven't seen a sunset until you've seen a desert sunset -- the west is alight with brilliant yellows and golds, and the mountain range on the east side of town lights up brilliant pink. (I'm attempting to attach a pic, but I'm not sure how well it will turn out.)

 

Oh, and another big draw: green chile!!!! green chile enchiladas, green chile stuffed sopapillas, green chile stew, green chile cheeseburgers. Basically anything edible in this state may have green chile on it. And if not, it probably has red chile on it. There's red chile raspberry jam, red chile honey, red chile pinon brickle (can't figure out how to put a ~ over the n in pinon). I'm telling you, they manage to put some kind of chile in virtually everything that can be eaten!

 

For anyone visiting Northern NM, I would recommend seeing Tent Rocks, plus Chaco Canyon if you have the opportunity (it's not easy to get to) or Bandelier if you don't.

 

If you're in Santa Fe, shop at the plaza, tour the Georgia O'Keeffe museum, and have dinner at The Shed.

 

In Albuquerque, ride the Tram to Sandia Peak, shop at Old Town, and have dinner at Church Street Cafe.

 

Taos, I got nothing. Well, except the world-class ski area of course. But I'll ask around about things to do in other seasons if you're interested. :)

 

Here's the relevant links because I can't figure out how to do that neat thing where you turn the words "Church Street Cafe" or whatever into the link for their website. So it's kind of a mess.

 

http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/rio_puerco/kasha_katuwe_tent_rocks.html

http://www.nps.gov/chcu

http://www.nps.gov/band

http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/home.aspx

http://www.sfshed.com/home.html

http://www.sandiapeak.com/

http://www.churchstreetcafe.com/

Edited October 3, 2008 by GretaLynne

[astrid]

Ummmm......

Well, it ain't Joe Liebermann! :-) KIDDING! I"m KIDDING!

 

Let's see......

The Mark Twain Home, the Berkshires, the fact that we're 2 hours from NYC and 2 hours from Boston, the UConn Huskies......and sadly, the memory of Paul Newman, one of our longtime residents and philanthropists.

 

astrid

[Frankie]

State: Minnesota

City: Middle of Nowhere

 

City: Best to offer? Safety. There's not much here and to do anything fun or educational, we must travel. Wait, we do have a lot of lakes in our city, and we do use them.

 

State: I have no clue. Freezing temps in the winter? Mosquitoes, the unofficial state bird in the summer?

 

Seriously? I haven't explored too much of my state. The Mississippi starts here, although I've never gone to see it. I hear the Twin Cities are great, but I've only been there twice. Mall of America. Never been there, no desire.

 

What I like about my state, and I live in the sourthern portion, are all the beautiful farms and fields. I have a thing for barns, and it brings me great joy to drive around farm country.

 

10,000 lakes...

 

Spam...Spam is made in our state in a town called Austin. They have a museum. I've never been there, though.

 

I think I need to get out more.

[Colleen]

The best we have to offer is our natural resources; our mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, trail systems, etc. There is nothing man can build that can compete with the natural beauty available in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Absolutely! Ocean, rainforest, islands, mountains ~ all within a stone's throw of one another....It doesn't get much better than that. And another thing I appreciate about my particular community (northwest Washington state) is the strong sustainable connections/buy local movement.

[nmoira]

Gosh, I wouldn't know where to begin. I love Portland. DH wants to move to Canada (my native land), but I refuse to leave Portland. OK, five things and only five things... no six... seven this is hard. But no more than seven.

 

* large and diverse homeschooling community

* great bookstores (including Powell's books) and library system

* relatively mild summers (I don't miss humidity in the slightest)

* cool restaurants (Pok Pok is my current fave)

* theatre pubs (and brew pubs in general and family oriented pubs)

* food co-ops and CSA's

* parks, hiking, short drive to the beach and Mt. Hood, the Columbia Gorge, strong bike culture and decent amenities, good public transit, zoo, science museum, the giant mutant sperm sculpture across from Powells, Living Room Theatres (I saw a brand new print of The Adventures of Robin Hood!), Cinema 21

 

OK, I'll stop now.

[Colleen]

I've gotta say, with the notable exception of Puget Sound access, Portland has Seattle beat, hands-down. Portland is what Seattle could've been and should be, imo. And why didn't I realize you were right down there, btw?!

[cawn009]

I think the university, nature and especially the food, the weather is quite normal here, and you must love the beach.

[Laura Corin]

Natural beauty (rolling farmland and woods, dramatic coasts) and history (castles galore). We have the oldest university in Scotland, which is also the third oldest in Britain. Oh... and the home of golf (televised at present), and - bizarrely - the restaurant voted best Thai food in Britain.

 

Laura

Edited October 3, 2008 by Laura in China

[dorothy]

These are great to read. My wanderlust is being fed. I may show up on someone's porch soon.

[RoughCollie]

Beaches, mountains, Boston, great universities, theater, orchestras, museums, outstanding library systems, fantastic professional sports teams. Massachuetts cannot be beat, IMO, because it has a wide range of interesting things to do and all of New England and NYC are close by.

Edited October 3, 2008 by RoughCollie

[JFSinIL]

The best we have to offer is our natural resources; our mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, trail systems, etc. There is nothing man can build that can compete with the natural beauty available in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Until a volcano erupts and gets you! Do I watch too many Discovery Channel shows? Yup! ;)

[mrsdash]

Beaches, mountains, Boston, great universities, theater, orchestras, museums, outstanding library systems, fantastic professional sports teams. Massachuetts cannot be beat, IMO, because it has a wide range of interesting things to do and all of New England and NYC are close by.

 

 

And the Red Sox! Don't forget the Red Sox!!

[RoughCollie]

And the Red Sox! Don't forget the Red Sox!!

 

No way that will happen here. I found Red Sox carpet tiles and I'm thinking of carpeting eithe our living room or DS' room with them.

 

We are fans, to put it mildly.

[mrsdash]

No way that will happen here. I found Red Sox carpet tiles and I'm thinking of carpeting eithe our living room or DS' room with them.

 

We are fans, to put it mildly.

 

 

I was born and raised in Quincy and all through there, moved to Brockton as a teen and now in Nashville.

I'm sitting here thinking of things about Nashville to name. I'm sure there are plenty but I MISS MY RED SOX!!

[mrsdash]

OK. Nashville is Music City. There is the Grand Ol'Opry and the Ryman Auditorium

There is the Parthenon and the Hermitage and the Belle Meade Plantation. Tennessee has the beautiful Smoky Mountains....but no Red Sox....sniff.

[Jeannie in NJ]

I agree with Karenciavo. The beaches and boardwalks here in NJ are great. I have lived here 25 years and never get tired of going to the boardwalk (it makes for great people watching). Also, agree with K. on the bread. It is the BEST, I have to limit how much I eat, no bread tastes as good to me as Atlantic City sub rolls.

[unsinkable]

I post this in the spring time for someone planning a trip. I love my part of NY. I should work for the tourism bureau. I copied & pasted many descriptions from diff. sites.

 

Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House

http://www.darwinmartinhouse.org/

 

Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest "Prairie House," the five-structure Darwin Martin House

Complex, designed and built 1903-1905 in the great city of Buffalo, New York.

 

Our Lady of Victory Basilica & National Shrine

http://www.ourladyofvictory.org/Basilica/Welcome.html

 

 

Albright-Knox Art Gallery

http://www.albrightknox.org/

The main event takes place behind the classical façade of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Here you’ll find one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary art anywhere in the world, what Thomas Hoving, former Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has called “an overwhelming art experience.†After you’ve had your fill of art, enjoy a refreshing repast at the Muse restaurant and the view of the always-striking sculpture garden. (from visitbuffaloniagara)

 

Erie Canal Cruise

http://www.lockportlocks.com/

Much remains the same on the Erie Canal today as it was in the 1800's. Hand-dug to connect the Hudson River with the Niagara River, the 363-mile Grand Old Erie Canal is truly a great engineering feat. Originally, 83 stone locks overcame the 571-foot difference in the level between the rivers. Enlarged in the early 1900's, now 35 locks allow larger vessels to travel across New York State.

 

Experience a unique 2-hour cruise which includes "locking through" and being raised the 49 ft. elevation of the Niagara Escarpment (the same one that creates Niagara Falls) in the only double set of locks on the Erie Canal. You will pass under bridges that raise straight up, see water cascade over Lockport's famous "Flight of Five" 1840's locks, and travel through the solid walls of the "rock cut" as your Coast Guard licensed captain describes the architecture, sights, and folklore along the way. (from their website

 

 

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site

http://www.nps.gov/thri/index.htm

 

An Unexpected Inauguration that Changed the Nation

 

As president, Theodore Roosevelt created protections for ordinary citizens, began regulation of big business, and made the US a major force in international affairs. Yet one of the most important presidencies in America's history nearly didn't happen. See the place where a brief, emotional, and improvised ceremony in Buffalo, NY brought TR into office, and forever altered the nation. This is closed until Fall 2008...I don't know when your trip takes place. from their website

 

Niagara Falls

http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/default.aspx

 

This is the New York side. I am a big proponent of visiting the NY side. It is a beautiful state park. From the I love NY website:

 

The granddaddy of New York waterfalls. In your quest to find the latest, hippest undiscovered getaway, you might be tempted to dismiss Niagara as an over-traveled tourist destination—and you would be wrong. Seventy years of Hollywood cliché have done nothing to diminish the stunning natural showpiece that is Niagara.

 

These days, the Canadian side of the falls garners a lot of the attention, beckoning with restaurants and tourist attractions galore, but the New York side offers a somewhat quieter option, rooted in the naturalistic tradition of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed the magnificent park that surrounds and bridges the falls. The views from Luna Island and Terrapin Point are everything you’ve been told or imagined, and a ride on the Maid of the Mist or a descent to the Cave of the Winds will offer incredible vantages on what is one of the greatest natural wonders in North America.

 

Anderson's

And this is yum, yum, yummy Buffalo food:

 

http://www.andersonscustard.com/menu.html

[Tammy]

nt

[Danestress]

Beautiful beaches, beautiful mountains, good universities, and wonderful people.

 

Charlotte itself has little to recommend it beyond access to the above. It's a nice place to live - easy, comfortable, attractive. But nothing special.

[shalom22]

I guess I will chime in for Texas.

 

We have Piney woods, Marshes, hill country, desert, mountains, Palo Duro canyon (really neat place), beaches (though I wouldn't recommend Galveston right now), farm land, grass lands, and long highways.

 

You can drive from Houston to Amarillo in only 12 hours....;)

 

As for Houston, we have great museums, zoo, NASA, aquarium, lots of shopping and eating establishments, many different cultures, heat, humidity, and giant mosquitos.

[Margaret in GA]

Georgia's beauty is its wonderfully diverse culture and landscape.

 

Not to be missed:

1) The coast (esp. Jekyll and Cumberland Islands http://www.nps.gov/cuis/ ) because of their uniquely protected status and incredibly abundant wildlife- sea turtles, whales, crabs. My kids just love it.

 

2)North Georgia Mountains - from state parks to touristy Helen (a town seemingly plucked from Bavaria! ...K, not really :)

http://www.gastateparks.org/info/amicalola/

 

3) Historic towns and sights- Martin Luther King's Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta or historic Madison, Georgia http://www.madisonga.org/ Savannah is also *very* cool and just oozes Southern Culture:

http://www.savannah.com/

 

4.) The food. You have to eat your way around Georgia, visiting its many soul food restaurants like Weaver D's (Automatic for the People)

http://www.dixiedining.com/feature/feature_042002.htm

or country cooking like the iconic Blue Willow Inn

http://www.bluewillowinn.com/

or haute southern cusine like http://www.thepecanrestaurant.com/

 

It's a great place to visit for sure.

 

Margaret

[emeraldjoy]

As we are heading into the beginning of autumn, I am reminded how much I love our 4 true seasons. We truly get the best of all worlds as far as weather goes here, in my opinion. Snow in the winter; rain in the spring; sun in the summer, etc....

 

The people.....so diverse and wierd (in a good way). There are still real cowboys here, for real.

 

The majestic mountains on one end of the state and the vast prairie complete with northern lights on the other.

 

I love our American Indian heritage and all they have to offer; pow-wows.

 

Our wildlife; especially the Pronghorn (antelope) who are the last left in their species in the entire world and the fastest north american land mammal. We also have Elk, deer, moose, wolverine, mountain lion, bobcat, wolf, fox, coyote to name a few.

 

and on and on and on and on......

 

e

[tricia]

We are in a tiny country town in Wisconsin with only about 650 people. But I must say we have a great library. And with inter library loan you can't beat it.

 

Tricia

http://www.mommyx12.blogspot.com

[Alyce]

You forgot Eastern NC has great BBQ that people for miles will drive to get!!!!

[newbie]

San Diego, Ca. One big Tourist town. Zoo, Balboa Park, Seaport Vlg. , Old Town, Coronado and of course Pac. Ocean, these are all downtown.

 

Attractions are so numerous, depends on what you like. I am not a big SD fan, raised here and its overrated. Would love to be in Northwest.

[Kathy in MD]

For MD

 

Good crab cakes - However a bad crab cake is really bad

The Cheseapeake Bay, especially for sailors

Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the Aquarium

Annapolis

Asseteague Island - complete with wild ponies

[Danestress]

You forgot Eastern NC has great BBQ that people for miles will drive to get!!!!

 

But I didn't want to get into the whole "Eastern vs. Western" BBQ thing. But I will say that there really is no BBQ like good East Carolina BBQ. YUM.

[NancyNellen]

OK, Los Angeles...

 

Beaches

Disneyland

City Walk at Universal Studios (especially the Shabu Shabu at Wasabi..YUM!)

the weather (although for this New Englander the monotony of nice weather is kind of annoying...give me a little raincloud every now and then for crying out loud!)

Grace Community Church and the preaching of John MacArthur

the Grove

proximity to San Diego (Sea World, the Zoo)

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

lots of hiking

fantastic sushi

 

Things we have yet to do, but want to:

The Getty Museum

La Brea tar pits

numerous other things that I can't think of now

 

Of course, I could do without the hordes of people, the traffic, and the earthquakes!

[Sharon H in IL]

Here in central IL we have corn and soybeans. And then for a change, you might find pumpkins. (Pumpkin capital of the world.)

 

Um, that's about it. When we want culture, we have to travel for it. :auto:

[Apiphobic]

I don't know yet since we recently moved here, but a little randomness:

 

Two different people mentioned the rattlesnake festival in Sweetwater, one before we moved here and the other shortly after we arrived. The first person used to be stationed at Fort Hood and loved it. The second lives here and loves it. :001_smile:

 

I've always wanted to plan a trip around Route 66. I've also considered using Roadside America to find some off-the-wall places to visit.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Crissy and Colleen did a great job with Washington, so I'll talk about Japan where I grew up.

 

Nature: volcanoes! Mt. Fuji for one. The ocean with beautiful white sand beaches. But sometimes there are black sand beaches (volcanic) and it is so hot on your feet!

 

Culture: Sumo wrestling is great to watch live! I wasn't watching and thought I backed into a wall - it was one of the wrestlers! Beautiful temples, wonderful pottery and woodblocks prints and calligraphy.

 

Food: Ramen noodle shops - take your hankie - the hot steam from the soup makes your nose run! Sushi bars. The neighborhood's "Greasy Chopsticks" restaurant. The sweet potato man who comes around in the fall selling piping hot sweet potatoes.

 

People: Everyone wants to practice their English. If you ask for directions (and the person is at all able to do so) they will take you part of the way and then hand you off to another stranger who will continue to help you on your way.

[laughing lioness]

South Dakota chiming in - obviously Mt. Rushmore in the west. Falls Park in Sioux Falls. Sturgis for any biker babes on board (haha- we studied puns in poetry this week, couldn't help myself = ).

I also think that every state capital has an incredible story to tell. Go with TeenPact (shameless plug) and find out about it!

[Wendi]

We have the Grand Canyon, Sedona, the Mogollon Rim, Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson.

 

Mountains. Desert. Pine, birch, and aspen forests. Lakes. Waterfalls.

 

Old West history. A border with Mexico. Spanish, Mexican, and Native American culture. Hiking. Fishing. Skiing in the winter. Boating.

 

No coastline, but from Phoenix, you can drive 4 hrs. to Rocky Point in Mexico, or 6 hrs. to southern California beaches.

 

Cultural activities and events abound. We also have professional football, baseball, basketball, and hockey.

 

Wendi

[Zelda]

I'm in Northern California and I consider it separate from Southern California because of the size of the state and the very different cultures.

 

IMO, Lake Tahoe is the crown jewel. But San Francisco and Yosemite are close runner-ups.

[jojomojo]

Concerning New Mexico, GretaLynne pretty much covered it :D Although, where I am at its not quite in my backyard (except for the sunsets!), so we still need to travel a bit for it all ;)

[mazakaal]

I'm in southwest England. The highlights here would be the beautiful countryside with fabulous walking trails, and the beach - great surfing, rocks for climbing around on, and fun tide pools to explore. The only problem would be getting decent weather in which to enjoy this beautiful outdoors.

 

Oh, yeah. And the thing Devon is famous for that you can enjoy even in the rain - a Devon cream tea. Yummmm.

[Desert Rat]

Well, I live in Vegas, which is fun, but that's not the best by far.

 

Here's our favorites.

 

The beautiful Red Rock park with plenty of easy climbing for the kids and hidden waterfalls to find. (Yes, in the desert!)

 

Exploring old mining/ghost towns. We've been to several and we have walked away feeling profoundly moved by how hard life was back then. The Extraterrestial Highway is cool too but really in the middle of nowhere and a bit spooky.

 

Being surrounded by stunning mountains. It wasn't until I moved here that I truly understood "purple mountains majesty".

 

Tahoe is grand if you get up north.

 

The desert itself is awe inspiring and holds a quiet, rugged grace all its own. It took me years to truly appreciate the delicate nature of wild flowers and hardiness of the animals that live there. It's certainly something to see.

 

Of course, there is always Vegas. Shows, bright lights, opulence and excess.

 

Gambling is great too if you know how to work it. My dh is what I call a cautious gambler (oxymoron, right?). Slots are everywhere here, grocery stores, laundramats, convenience stores, restaurants. He never puts more than $2 in a machine but last week brought home a grand. We have a much needed new fridge. :o)

 

Nevada is a wonderful place to visit and not so bad to live in either!

[DB in NJ]

History, beaches and boardwalks, the best bread and pizza you'll ever taste. Some of my favorite places to visit are Cape May, The Delaware Water Gap, and my hometown of Point Pleasant Beach, which is chock full of antique stores and other neat shops.

 

:iagree:

 

As a Philly girl living in Jersey, I would have to add all the stuff on the other side of the creek: all the history, shopping, museums, and food in Philly!!

 

As for Jersey, well, let's just say I've been to Cancun, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. They're nice (especially Cancun), but I much prefer North Wildwood's beaches -- and the Wildwood boardwalk. And Mack's Pizza, Douglass Fudge, the tram car.....*sigh* is it June yet???? :(

[Heather in VA]

Homes of Presidents

Civil War Battle fields

Colonial capitols

Revolutionary War battle fields

Historic plantations

Smithfield-The place where pigs go to die. (Gwaltney is a big family name there)

Cotton, peanuts, sweet potatoes, pine, soy beans, corn, wheat, strawberries in the east, apples in the west.

Blue Ridge Parkway, Shanendoah Valley, Luray Caverns, Skyline Drive, Natural Bridge

Crab cakes and she-crab soup, peanut soup, collards and cornbread, chicken fried everything with cream gravy.

Home of Death by Chocolate

I forgot Virginia Beach :-)

 

Yep - all of this plus in my part of Virginia we are only 10 miles from Washington DC. I'm sure I don't have to list all that is there.

 

Heather

[buddhabelly]

We have the only glacier in the country that you can drive to (Mendenhall Glacier). LOTS of whales (humpback, orca and sometimes minke), great hiking trails through the temperate rainforest, plenty of rain :001_smile:, no particularly good places to eat (except my house when I'm feeling creative), lots of salmon spawning streams, lots of BEARS (mostly black but once in a while we'll see brown bears too), a decent university that will come in handy when my son is a little bit older but too young to move away from home.

 

What we seem to be missing right now: our governor! How much time could she possibly be spending on Alaskan issues, what with a newborn and those pesky debates to study for?

 

What else we don't have, but I don't mind: we don't have a road connecting us to any other part of the state.

 

I live in Southeast Alaska, so I hope the woman that has a B & B closer to Denali National Park pipes up about that part of Alaska. Southeast Alaska is wet, rainy and green like British Columbia.

 

Fun thread.