Top 10 Places in the United States I Want to Visit
In case you haven't been following me very long, I like to travel. In this top ten list I will be looking at the top ten places in the 50 United States that I would like to visit. As of writing this I have been to 28 states and would like to see all 50. Some of the places on this list are in states I have already been to and some are not. Let's travel!
10. Lake Superior Coast
This one may come as a surprise to kick things off. Let me clarify, this is strictly a winter tour. Are you with me now? I lived in Marquette, Michigan for four years while attending college at Northern Michigan University and spent a lot of time exploring the rocky, beach lined coast of Lake Superior. In the winter when the ice would start collecting, there were some amazing formations over the lake and along the shore. So why do I want to go back? Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In the winter, the shores of Wisconsin get covered in icicles and the islands in Lake Superior are accessible by foot when the lake freezes over. Then there are the ice caves that form, well worth the Google search, the ice caves are the highlight of the park and the main reason this trip has slid into the ten spot. Ideally I would start in Marquette where I have yet to return since graduation and drive along the coast to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
9. Everglades
Florida was a popular destination for our family vacations growing up but we never made it to the everglades despite my love for the area. This is a trip that has popped up a few times when Sarah and I get into planning mode but keeps losing out to other trips. The wildlife watching is reason to go enough. The landscape also calls to me. I haven't had many opportunities to shoot a swamp/marsh landscape so it would add more variety to my portfolio. It is still a place I would like to see more for my eyes than for photography purposes but it may take a few years to move up the list.
8. Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen is a new find and its recent discovery may be inflating its ranking but lets look into it while we're here. A land of unique landscapes, it's no wonder Lassen is a national park but it gets overshadowed by its neighbors Yosemite and Redwoods. A land formed by volcanoes, the park is full of hot springs and crystal clear lakes. It has a variety of rare landforms that would rival Death Valley and the popularity of the other California parks might make it a place for unique photo opportunities.
7. New England
The first return trip on the list, New England is a favorite region of mine. There have been three trips to the northeast already and very few overlap in the territory explored. There was a Maine lighthouse tour, a Boston trip with a visit to Cape Cod and a week hiking in New Hampshire. There isn't a long to do list for going back but how can you not want to spend more time in seaside lobster shacks and quiet coastal towns. Vermont is one of my remaining 22 states to visit so maybe a few days in the maple covered mountains of Vermont will be the next adventure.
6. Utah
If I had to photograph in one state only for the rest of my life the choice would come down to Utah and Oregon. Utah is just beyond the mountains and home to a plethora of national parks and monuments. The beautiful rock structures have been calling me to visit but time has not allowed for a road trip to our westerly neighbor. I have yet to make it south of Salt Lake City, I proposed to Sarah in the Doughnut Falls cave just outside of town, but the southeast is where the real action is.
5. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
This was a long shot for our trip to Hawaii last June but how can you not want to see an island being formed before your eyes. You have likely seen the steamy photos of the flowing lava meeting the salty ocean water before. To be there while the lava is flowing would be a tremendous experience. This one could hang around on this list for a while though as the lava doesn't flow continuously. It will also be tough to convince Sarah to visit a Hawaiian island where the beaches aren't the main attraction.
4. White Sands National Monument
This one is getting checked off next month! The trip to White Sands is already on the books for February and I could not be more excited. Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado blew my mind and was a photography paradise, I can't wait to see what happens when the dunes are as white as fresh fallen snow. A bit of a drive from Denver, the trip will include some time in Santa Fe and could be a scouting trip for the hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque down the road. This will be my first time in New Mexico and I am excited for a lot of abstract, white dune shots.
3. Pacific Northwest
I talked about Oregon being one of the two states I would choose if I could only photograph in one state for the rest of my life and I would probably lean that way right now. There are endless waterfalls, an exotic coastline, lush forest, and do a search for the fossil beds in the eastern portion of the state and tell me the Oregon isn't covered in beauty. This slot is reserved for all of the Pacific northwest which also includes Washington where Olympic National Park and the Palouse region are located. Every time Sarah and I start talking travel, Oregon and Washington come up. Maybe there will be a trip back to the region this year but this will remain in the top of this list for years to come regardless of how many times we go.
2. Olympic National Park
I know, I basically covered this in the last spot but Olympic National Park deserves it's own place on the list. Worth of a trip in itself, Olympic is the culmination of everything I love about the northeast. Moss covering every surface, waterfalls, rainforest, ocean views, if I had to pick one national park to photograph the rest of my life, don't make me! I would spend all of my time backpacking through the ancient wilderness and probably come out with moss growing on the camera. This trip would be a dream come true and mark off another state I've visited. For all the love I have for the PNW I'm ashamed to say I've only been there once.
1. Alaska
The last frontier and the first place finisher of the top ten places I want to visit in the U.S. Alaska is just appealing because of its unchartered reputation. Days without sunlight, nights that last for days, northern light shows, the most remote national parks in the country, limited light pollution, wildlife so big and beautiful it will maul you to death. I wouldn't know where to begin, actually Mendenhall Glacier is where I would start, I like ice. Alaska is a bucket list location that may take a few years to see but when the trip comes it will be a long one I can promise that.
10. Lake Superior Coast
This one may come as a surprise to kick things off. Let me clarify, this is strictly a winter tour. Are you with me now? I lived in Marquette, Michigan for four years while attending college at Northern Michigan University and spent a lot of time exploring the rocky, beach lined coast of Lake Superior. In the winter when the ice would start collecting, there were some amazing formations over the lake and along the shore. So why do I want to go back? Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In the winter, the shores of Wisconsin get covered in icicles and the islands in Lake Superior are accessible by foot when the lake freezes over. Then there are the ice caves that form, well worth the Google search, the ice caves are the highlight of the park and the main reason this trip has slid into the ten spot. Ideally I would start in Marquette where I have yet to return since graduation and drive along the coast to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
9. Everglades
Florida was a popular destination for our family vacations growing up but we never made it to the everglades despite my love for the area. This is a trip that has popped up a few times when Sarah and I get into planning mode but keeps losing out to other trips. The wildlife watching is reason to go enough. The landscape also calls to me. I haven't had many opportunities to shoot a swamp/marsh landscape so it would add more variety to my portfolio. It is still a place I would like to see more for my eyes than for photography purposes but it may take a few years to move up the list.
8. Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen is a new find and its recent discovery may be inflating its ranking but lets look into it while we're here. A land of unique landscapes, it's no wonder Lassen is a national park but it gets overshadowed by its neighbors Yosemite and Redwoods. A land formed by volcanoes, the park is full of hot springs and crystal clear lakes. It has a variety of rare landforms that would rival Death Valley and the popularity of the other California parks might make it a place for unique photo opportunities.
The first return trip on the list, New England is a favorite region of mine. There have been three trips to the northeast already and very few overlap in the territory explored. There was a Maine lighthouse tour, a Boston trip with a visit to Cape Cod and a week hiking in New Hampshire. There isn't a long to do list for going back but how can you not want to spend more time in seaside lobster shacks and quiet coastal towns. Vermont is one of my remaining 22 states to visit so maybe a few days in the maple covered mountains of Vermont will be the next adventure.
6. Utah
If I had to photograph in one state only for the rest of my life the choice would come down to Utah and Oregon. Utah is just beyond the mountains and home to a plethora of national parks and monuments. The beautiful rock structures have been calling me to visit but time has not allowed for a road trip to our westerly neighbor. I have yet to make it south of Salt Lake City, I proposed to Sarah in the Doughnut Falls cave just outside of town, but the southeast is where the real action is.
5. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
This was a long shot for our trip to Hawaii last June but how can you not want to see an island being formed before your eyes. You have likely seen the steamy photos of the flowing lava meeting the salty ocean water before. To be there while the lava is flowing would be a tremendous experience. This one could hang around on this list for a while though as the lava doesn't flow continuously. It will also be tough to convince Sarah to visit a Hawaiian island where the beaches aren't the main attraction.
4. White Sands National Monument
This one is getting checked off next month! The trip to White Sands is already on the books for February and I could not be more excited. Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado blew my mind and was a photography paradise, I can't wait to see what happens when the dunes are as white as fresh fallen snow. A bit of a drive from Denver, the trip will include some time in Santa Fe and could be a scouting trip for the hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque down the road. This will be my first time in New Mexico and I am excited for a lot of abstract, white dune shots.
3. Pacific Northwest
I talked about Oregon being one of the two states I would choose if I could only photograph in one state for the rest of my life and I would probably lean that way right now. There are endless waterfalls, an exotic coastline, lush forest, and do a search for the fossil beds in the eastern portion of the state and tell me the Oregon isn't covered in beauty. This slot is reserved for all of the Pacific northwest which also includes Washington where Olympic National Park and the Palouse region are located. Every time Sarah and I start talking travel, Oregon and Washington come up. Maybe there will be a trip back to the region this year but this will remain in the top of this list for years to come regardless of how many times we go.
2. Olympic National Park
I know, I basically covered this in the last spot but Olympic National Park deserves it's own place on the list. Worth of a trip in itself, Olympic is the culmination of everything I love about the northeast. Moss covering every surface, waterfalls, rainforest, ocean views, if I had to pick one national park to photograph the rest of my life, don't make me! I would spend all of my time backpacking through the ancient wilderness and probably come out with moss growing on the camera. This trip would be a dream come true and mark off another state I've visited. For all the love I have for the PNW I'm ashamed to say I've only been there once.
1. Alaska
The last frontier and the first place finisher of the top ten places I want to visit in the U.S. Alaska is just appealing because of its unchartered reputation. Days without sunlight, nights that last for days, northern light shows, the most remote national parks in the country, limited light pollution, wildlife so big and beautiful it will maul you to death. I wouldn't know where to begin, actually Mendenhall Glacier is where I would start, I like ice. Alaska is a bucket list location that may take a few years to see but when the trip comes it will be a long one I can promise that.
Comments
Post a Comment