Lifestyle
Travel expert Lee Abbamonte shares his favorite and least favorite US states after traveling the country for the past 20 years.
Liabamonte/Instagram
A travel expert and blogger who has traveled the world many times has revealed a list of his favorite and least favorite states.
When Lee Abbamonte claims to be well-traveled, he really means it, as the 45-year-old has been to every United Nations recognized country, including both the North and South Pole. saying.
Abbamonte’s passion for travel began after the September 11 attacks, when he was just 23 and working at Cantor Fitzgerald, a World Trade Center financial services company. , the company lost most of its employees in this tragedy.
“I lost one of my best friends and almost everyone I worked with,” Abbamonte he told Business Insider. “It was an eye-opener.”
The travel expert then quit his job and began a lifelong journey to see the world and begin documenting it. On his blog in 2006.
His adventures have taken him to all 50 states at least three times, and he has ranked them based on his experiences and preferences. his instagram account.
Abbamonte, who has been to all 63 national parks in the United States, told the outlet why he chose his favorites and why he is likely to avoid the bottom four.
Abbamonte cautioned that his list is subjective and based on personal taste, adding that he loves landscapes, nature and different landscapes.
1. California
The California native naturally put the Golden State at the top of his list, saying, “Whatever you want, it has it all better than any other state.”
Abbamonte said all rankings on the list are based on his personal experience and that all but the top picks are subjective.
“The only place I think is undisputed is #1 California,” he wrote on Instagram.
“We have beaches, we have mountains, we have deserts, we have islands, we have great cities, we have good cities,” he told Business Insider. “No matter what you like, I don’t care who you are, there’s something here for you.”
Abbamonte admitted that he doesn’t feel particularly safe in San Francisco, but that hasn’t stopped him from visiting the Bay Area again and again because it’s still “a pretty great city.”
2. Colorado
Colorado was named Abmonte’s second favorite because the Centennial State has nine “amazing” national parks and great terrain.
“Colorado is all about mountains. I’m not a skier, but I like going to ski towns and doing things other than skiing. I love hiking, so I also like going to ski resorts in the summer.” He said. “Eastern Colorado is like another oasis on the plains.”
“Denver is also a really cool crossroads in America where the East ends and the West begins.”
3. Utah
Abbamonte doesn’t have to travel far from Colorado to visit her third favorite state, just travel west to neighboring Utah, which has several more national parks, including Zion, Arches, and Bryce Canyon. That’s all you need.
“Utah to me is pure nature,” he said. “Very comfortable and has a nice view.”
The well-traveled man said he felt incredibly safe in the Beehive State.
4. Arizona
Abbamonte seems to prefer the western part of the country to other regions, with Arizona ranking fourth highest on his personal list.
“Everyone thinks this is just a desert,” he says. “But they have everything there.”
“I went to business school in Phoenix, and I love Phoenix, even though it’s ostensibly not the best city,” he said. “But for me, to get the good stuff in Arizona, you have to leave the city.”
Abbamonte said Arizona also boasts some of the best sunsets in the nation.
5. Hawaii
Abbamonte ranked in the top five, saying he has visited Hawaii every year since 2004.
“I’ve been to every inhabited island at least three times and each one has been amazing,” Abbamonte said.
He said all seven islands are “completely different” and that makes the state even better.
“The weather is perfect, the hiking and golf are great. I love the Polynesian culture.”
For Abbamonte, the capital, Honolulu, is “underrated” because of its large volcano and Waikiki Beach.
“There’s a reason President Obama still goes back there on vacation. It’s really cool.”
47. Louisiana
Every list has a bottom, and Louisiana happens to be one of Abbamonte’s least favorite states.
Travel experts say that without New Orleans, Pelican State University would have been lower in the rankings.
The southern state’s low ranking has something to do with the flatness of the land, but if Abbamonte were to rank it based on food, it would be in the top 10, and its Cajun cuisine could put it in the top 5. .
48. Kentucky
If you’re a horseman or a fisherman, the Bluegrass State is the place for you, but Abbamonte claims to be neither.
“When you ask Kentuckians what they love about Kentucky, they say things like, “I live on a lake and go fishing,” or “I love horses, and this is the best horse state.” said Abbamonte. “But I don’t like horses or fishing. That’s one of those things that you probably don’t understand unless you live there.”
49. Kansas
Abbamonte likes Kansas City, home of the Royals and Chiefs, but it happens to be a city in Missouri, not Kansas, which is one reason the Sunflower State is the penultimate state on the list. be.
“The only thing I love about Kansas is that we have one of the best college basketball arenas in America in Lawrence, where the University of Kansas is located,” he said.
In addition to Allen Fieldhouse, home of the Kansas Jayhawks, tourists can visit the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas. The museum is a short 150-mile drive west of Abbamonte’s favorite Kansas City.
50. North Dakota
Abbamonte awarded North Dakota as his least favorite state due to poor access.
“If you’re flying into North Dakota from another state, you usually have to take a connecting flight,” he says. “There’s not much going on there.”
Abbamonte said that while the Peace Garden State has nice things to do, such as Teddy Roosevelt National Park, he feels lost after visiting the park.
“The problem is, it’s such a hassle to get there,” he says. “And when I leave the park, I’m like, ‘Okay, now I’m in North Dakota.’ What do I do?'”
“To go back to North Dakota, I would have to give it a good reason to go back, just because it takes time to get there. I wouldn’t say no to anything, because who knows?” I won’t say it.”
Abbamonte’s first East Coast state was New York, which surprisingly came in at No. 11, followed by Connecticut at No. 15, New Jersey at No. 28, and Pennsylvania at No. 33.
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