Top 10 States to visit in the U.S.A. ("Places I visited" series)

I've been long wondering how I could put down the things I did and the places I visited in a better way, an interesting one, an easy-to-digest way. I was scanning the web doing some research and I came across one of the many "top 10" kind of articles. I told myself, "I might as well add my own!", and here I am in the mix.
I will try to post my own charts, first of all of places throughout the U.S.A.

It's time to rank the basic unit: the states. 

Of the 50 that forms the Union, I've been to 42 of them (the ones I'm missing? Find out the map by scrolling all the way down this blog!) and the only one I regret I haven't been able to visit yet is Hawaii. Now, don't get me wrong: I don't want to be offensive towards the other states. Every one of them has something worth visiting for (maybe except for Iowa), and my rankings are based on my personal experience, which giving my interests, is different from other people's. 

I weigh a lot the quality of the natural environment, and features like national parks. The variety of the landscape is important - you don't want to drive through Kansas, really - so if it's dotted with mountains, canyons, a nice seaside and maybe a couple nice cities, that will make it much more interesting. Finally, food, culture and people as well are part of what I consider.

Out of all these criteria, here's what I determined to be my top 10. Enjoy!

Don't forget to chek out my photo portfolio here: Emanuele Canton portfolio

10. Maine

Pros: Endless beaches, coves, harbours, unspoiled northern woods, autumn foliage, tranquil atmosphere, awesome seafood.
Cons: Weather (the state kind of shuts down during winter time), relatively small variety of landscapes.


9. Texas

Pros: Friendliness of people, amazing, super-sized food (barbeque in particular), a variety of cities, the history and customs of the state.
Cons: Emptiness of parts of the state, small variety of landscapes (although mountains, as in the pictures, do exist), huge distances to travel.

8. Arizona

Pros: Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon. That is worth the price. Besides, the state features other great natural features (Canyon de Chelly, Vermillion Cliffs, Horseshoe Bend, Havasu Canyon among others).
Cons: It's mainly about redrock. Fair, it's the southwest, but if you don't like it, you won't like Arizona arguably. And it gets hot here.

7. Oregon

Pros: Huge variety of landscapes - literally, from desert and canyons to ocean beaches to high mountains - and variety of weather too. It's a state that caters for everyone.
Cons: Along the coast it rains just too much, if you can't bear it. Besides for Crater Lake, there's no other national park, although plenty of recreationalopportunities exist.

6. Montana

Pros: Glacier national park and surrounding wildernesses, uncrowded land, wildlife (including grizzly bear and wolf).
Cons: Short summers, and then, it's mainly a mountain state.  As the name says.

5. Wyoming

Pros: Two of the most beautiful and iconic parks in the park system (Yellowstone and Grand Teton), wildlife, history and traditions (the state's icon is a cowboy riding a bronco), some breathtaking drives.
Cons: The best corners of the state suffer short summers, again, climbing in altitude. The eastern side (and not only unfortunately) is kind of spoiled by gas drilling.

4. Alaska

Pros: Unrivaled, pristine landscapes that extends from coastal glacier to boreal forests to the highest mountains in the country, unlimited recreational opportunities, plenty of wildlife, tasty food (do I really need to mention Alaskan salmon, or caribou meat, or Alaskan king crab? Really?)
Cons: It's out of hand, it's expensive, most of the places are remote, mosquitoes will devour you in summer and it's deadly cold in winter and the best part of spring and autumn. But heck, it's just too good when you can actually enjoy it.

3. Colorado

Pros: Probably the best mountainside in the lower 48, broad variety of landscapes (see this picture of Black Canyon of the Gunnison, then picture yourself around Anasazi ruins in the southwestern corner of the state and finally on top of a 14footer mountain), a few decent-sized cities with decent weather all year-round, strategic position in the middle of the country (close to the northern Rockies and to the Southwest region).
Cons: Maybe the lack of an outlet to the open waters? I can't really find a whole lot wrong with Colorado honestly!

2. Utah

Pros: Some of the best national parks in the country, loads of other state parks or natural areas of sheer beauty, impressive redrock formations, amazing variety of landscapes and climates, absolutely outdoorsy.
Cons: The only thing I can think of is a cooler capitat city. SLC is a nice city for a Sunday stroll and an awesome burger at Crown's Burger (yeah, go try it), but nothing else. Anyway, it doesn't matter, you don't go to Utah to stick around concrete! It's beautiful this way!

1. California

Pros: Other state reach peaks for certain things (Alaska for the mountainside, Utah for the redlands), but there's no other state as California. It has the highest mountain in the lower 48 and other spectacular peaks in the Sierras. It goes all the way down to the lowest point in the country in the Death Valley, a desert, a furnace of a different kind of beauty. It has the biggest and the tallest trees in the world in Sequoia and Redwood. It has a phenomenal coastline, diverse, that attracts hikers, surfers, photographers, fishermen, sailors, vacationers. It has some of the most vibrant city life in the country in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and food is rich and tasty with more than a hint of Mexican influence. The weather is just gorgeous. What else do you need?
Cons: The drought that has been impacting the state in recent years may be the only flipside, besides the higher-than-average cost of life. But hey, it's California. It's worth it.

Top 10 Most scenic roads of the U.S.A. ("Places I visited" series)

I've been long wandering how I could put down the things I did and the places I visited in a better way, an interesting one, an easy-to-digest way. I was scanning the web doing some research and I came across one of the many "top 10" kind of articles. I told myself, "I might as well add my own!", and here I am in the mix.
I will try to post my own charts, first of all of places throughout the U.S.A.

Driving is sometimes tedious, boring, sitting inside a piece of metal that easily goes too hot or too cold, depending on the season and the condition of the car itself. Other times though, driving is a pure pleasure: picture yourself going down Road 1 in California, following the Big Sur coast on a late September afternoon, the sky turning to an artist's palette, the air crisp, the green, lush hillside to your left and the mighty ocean to your right. How wonderful! You would just wish those very moments would last hours, not mere minutes!
Since driving is one of the things you can enjoy the most in America - and as far as covering ground goes, I can say I've had my experiences! - here's my personal selection of my favourite 10 drives in the States. I bet some insanly good stretch of road slipped from memory (it's hard to keep track of, roughly, over 35.000 miles of roads). Also, they're not on the list but I enjoyed a lot roads like Tioga Pass in Yosemite, or the Extraterrestrial Highway in Nevada, or Oregon Road 30 along the Columbia river.
But here's a competitive top 10 that will make you wanting to get on the wheels and drive til you drop, guaranteed!
Are you ready to get on-board and cover some ground?!

(Before you get started, make sure you check out my photo portfolio, where more, better travel pictures can be found, here: Photos by Emanuele Canton
Thanks for visiting! Any kind of feedback is greatly appreciated!)


10. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina/Virginia - 469mi/755km

A view from one of the many view points along the road, withinn the Smoky Mountains national park

It's not about majestic snow-capped peaks, but these green, almost endless rolling hills will make you fall in love with the place. One of the flipsides is the amount of traffic this road receives - mainly due to the proximity to East coast big cities. In summertime (I didn't dare trying) it might look like a continuous line of cars. And good luck if you are unlucky enough to get stuck behind a 28+foot RV.


9. Vermont Route 100, Vermont - 271mi/349km

I guess that's the kind of stuff you go to Vermont for

It's almost a no brainer, when travelling New England for autumn foliage, to step onto this road. Although far from being a secret, therefore not aloof from being crowded during foliage peak, this road is a little gem. Small villages without fast food restaurants and neon lights that would be visible from the space, it feels cosy and old-fashioned. The scenary is absolutely gorgeous - even on a rainy day, which can be quite a possibility out there!


8. California Route 254 "Avenue of the Giants", California - 32mi/51km

A walk in the woods alongside the road will give you access to solitude, silence, and magic atmospheres

It gives a sense of tranquillity to drive this road, especially early in the morning. The towering trees that line the pavement are impressing, their majesty is breath-taking and you drive around feeling a bit on the retarded side, thanks to it. If you're looking for a chance to see what it could have been to drive a car in some kind of prehistoric forest, that's a place you should put on your to do list.


7. California Route 1, California - 656mi/1055km

Bixby bridge

They wrote songs about this road. And if you write a song about a road, it must be somehow worth it. The 1 truly is, being a long stretch that brings you from the spanish-looking Monterey to the southern reaches of busy L.A., through charming little coastal towns, rugged cliffs and lush hillside. Quite often covered in fog in the mornings, it becomes a mixture of striking colors in the afternoons. Big Sur is the highlight, make sure you stay for the night to enjoy a nice ocean sunset. One of my favourite towns down the stretch is Morro Bay, where a big rock monolith rises out of the water just a hundred yards off the beach. 

6. Seward Highway, Alaska - 125mi/201km

Clouds hiding Portage glacier

There are many scenic roads in Alaska, but possibly the Seward Highwa tops them all. Starting from Anchorage and going straight south towards beautiful Turnagain arm, the road gives access to formidable mountain, glacier and sea views. The Chugach mountains rise to the north, and proceeding further down the road towards its southern end, the landscape closes in and valleys, passes and glaciers seem to get closer and closer. The chances of spotting the occasional moose or bear are decent as well, a thing that makes driving in Alaska always a bit more entertaining, although dangerous. And by the way, this is a pretty dangerous road in itself. Distracted vacationers or intoxicated drivers aren't uncommon - according to the TV show "Alaska State Troopers". Another TV exaggeration?

5. Burr Trail Road, Utah - 66mi/106km

Climbing the steep switchbacks will take some guts to those afraid of heights, but will reward everyone with dramatic views of the Henry mountains to the west

The first road in the Southwest to appear in my ranking, it will provide you with that solitude you need when looking for some peaceful time. The absence of pavement dramatically decreases the number of cars you'll see on this road, but if you have the possibility, take this drive: you might follow crazy fossil-bearing rock formations along the Waterpocket fold, or climb a pass, or drive at the bottom of 500 foot-high red sandstone walls. You might spend a day crossing paths with just about a dozen cars or less, and you might enjoy one of the best driving experiences in the Southwest, right at the doorstep of Capitol Reef national park.

4. Utah Route 12, Utah - 122mi/196km

One of the viewpoints along the road, just a few miles out of the town of Escalante

This being the first of 4 consecutive All-American roads on my ranking, Utah road 12 represents the first road you should be driving to understand what Utah looks like. From the hoodoos of Bryce you catch glimpses of canyons  - such as at Calf Creek - of mesas, of buttes, of distant mountains (the Henry). With good visibility, your eye will wander for tens of miles through the desertic landscape, enchanted by the color bonanza brightened by the deep blue sky of the sunny Southwest. Luckily there ain't no New York or suchs around here, so the road will usually be not too crowded. 

3. Beartooth Highway, Wyoming - 69mi/111km

The view stretches far off to the ranges once you reach Beartooth pass

When I exited Cody, WY on a sunny July afternoon I didn't know what laid ahead of me. I took the Beartooth without high expectation and was finally overwhelmed with scenic vistas and idyllic landscapes. Luckily enough I didn't have to share the road with many cars - probably the insane amount of mosquitoes kept others off - so I was free to pull over wherever the view broadened. Well, it was pure joy. The Absaroka range stands mighty not too far off, alpine tarns dot the valleys carpeted in wildflowers, and snowbanks on the shady slopes are there til well into summer. It is probably as good as it gets as far as mountain drives are concerned.

2. San Juan Skyway, Colorado - 233mi/375km

The Uncompahgre range offers terrific sights along the road, especially in autumn

I have to say, I haven't driven all of it, but what I did of it, completely blew me away. In a state famous for its high mountains (Colorado has 53 14.000 foot peaks with at least 300 foot of prominence), the San Juan skyway encompasses several ranges such as the La Plata mountains, the San Juan, and the Uncompahgre. You might be driving behind a ridge, crossing a bridge over a cold river, to just turn the corner and have your eyes spanning over glorious mountains which feet are covered in dense vegetation - the sort of scene that will make you think you're driving into a Paramount movie opening titles! I drove just about half of it and I can't wait to complete: it stands on top of my to do list for my next US trip (which is a great compliment, you know).

1. Going-to-the-Sun road, Montana - 53mi/85km

A perspective of what this road is: not just an unbelievably sweet spectacle of a drive, but also an astonishing feat of engineering

It can't be otherwise I suppouse. It's not about length, it's not about traffic volume - even though, remember, in August it gets C-R-A-Z-Y out there, crazy!! Bumper to bumper with another half a million cars (no, I slightly exaggerated) and no room at Logan visitor center parking lot. It's about what this road is. Besides from being a quite cool engineering fact - it took from 1921 to 1933 to build the steep mountain road that goes from switchbacks to a long, straight stretch along the Garden Wall (picture) that links East Glacier with West Glacier (national park) - the GTTS is also remarkably scenic. The Garden Wall with its crests looking like a stegosaurus back, Logan Pass with iconic Mount Logan, the many valleys: it's one of those roads where you can't fall asleep for a second. You might even miss a bear or a chilled-looking mountain goat. This road is a jewel, nestled in what's called "The Crown of the Continent" for some pretty truthful reason, and as most of the times with these places, comes with pros and cons. The main con is snow. The road might open as late as early July, and stay open until September or so. It's a short window of time, and arguably you'll have to battle the crowds to experience it, but I can think about few other things worth the hassle more than this road! Enjoy!