For those well traveled...

x2 on everything south of the mason dixon.

 

I motorcycled the BRP and you are definitely right! Absolutely beautiful road showcasing some spectacular scenery!

 

Yeoseminee natl park
Badlands
Mount Rushmore & crazy horse
IMO Grand Canyon is just a hole, a big hole but over-rated
Niagara is not
Redwood in ca

 

Favorites:
Mount Rushmore
Glacier
Utah-every National Park there. Moab was a big surprise
Sequoia National Forest; the Redwoods are amazing
Grand Canyon
Badlands was "ok"
Niagara

Overrated:
Gulf Shores
Smokey Mountains; it rained every day while I was there. I didn't know it is a "Rain Forest".

 

Sounds like what everyone says here for north of the line...

Yes, Grand Canyon is just a big hole, but I think worth seeing, at least once. Badlands as well.

 

Painted canyon in North Dakota is worth seeing. The entire badlands range really.

craters of the moon in Idaho is another ones. Hells canyon, snake river as well.

the entire drive from Bozeman to Idaho falls through Yellowstone too.

every new post I’m seeing is jogging memories like this.

the frontier prisons in Boise ID, Rawlins Way too

 

My wife and I just got back from just under a week in Las Vegas; I attended a conference.

Vegas is a fun place to visit. We started going out there back in 2001 and have probably made 8+ trips there between pleasure and conferences. 5-6 days is usually good for us. We’re not gamblers and it’s fun to walk around, eat and go to a show or two.

 

So many awesome places to see in visit in this heat country.

I've driven my truck to Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, then to Florida, and most recently to northern California in September '21. We had Lake Tahoe are pretty much to ourselves. That doesn't happen much, if ever.
I've done high adventure trips in the boundary waters, and the sangre de cristo mtns in New Mexico. Utah and Idaho have some awesome spots as well. My favorite is probably Maui, and we're either going back there for my 50th or renting a catamaran and doing a week or so vacation in the British virgin islands.

There's some awesome spots in Wisconsin as well. I kinda like to have those spots as hidden areas.

 

For scenery I'd have to say Lake Tahoe. Like Smokey Mountains also but you need to go in off season like October
Overrated. Cedar Point in Ohio. Wind up riding 6-7 rides all day because of hours long waits.

 

As a kid. I was lucky enough to have parents that hauled us all over. I’ve been to 46 states, and like all of the previous posters there are states I really like ( Maine ) and states I wouldn’t go back to if you paid me.

brenndatomu just got home from the Finger Lakes. It’s not too far from us but it feels like a world away. No corn ( a little here and there ) or soybeans in sight, just beautiful mountains and trees. Definitely a place you can take the family on vacation and everyone would have a good time.


Corning Museum of Glass

Curtiss Museum

Yes, that’s a V8

 

I've been there, just not for long...a few hours, but this is a good reminder as I did think at the time that it would be a good place to go back to on vacation...might hafta keep that in mind for next year!

It's been interesting all the places mentioned, many of which I've been to, some say this or that place was amazing, and I thought, meh, been there, seen that, don't regret it, but also don't need to go back either, and other places that we weren't expecting much, but were completely surprised.
I guess for me, I have not been in the south between Texas and Georgia (so Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas) and not out in the Northwest states at all...nothing west of Wisconsin...and not been to the New England states either, other than that, guess I've got around more than I thought!
And whoever it was that mentioned the Hoover Dam, I agree, I was blown away by it! (and was not expecting that!)

 

It's about time for my 2 cents worth. Absolutely loved the BRP from Maggie Valley to Asheville. The whole Smoky Mountain region does it for me. Beautiful scenery and perfect pavement to chew up with 2 wheels. I'm Dragon trash 5x and counting.

 

Spent the summers of my youth piled in the back of Mom's car with dad at the wheel, headed for tourist trap destinations, mostly Myrtle Beach. Looking back...find another beach to visit. Same for Virginia beach. Standouts of those trips would be Williamstown VA and our local Amusement parks King's and Cedar. Our other 'vacations' involved boating to the Ohio river and camping out somewhere thereon.

As an adult, I have done a little travelling mostly for business purposes. I made a trip out west a decade ago to visit an old friend. He took me all over the Little Bighorn range and up into Montana a bit. The mountains were absolutely beautiful having many lakes strewn about with plenty of fish in them. The endless prairie lands of Montana stunned me. You're lucky to be able to see a couple miles where I am due to terrain. Out there you can see 10+ miles in any direction. Somewhat 'barren' to my eyes, but a beauty of it's own.

Blue Ridge has been mentioned. Yep, not done all of it but have been on it. Took several 4 day trips down to 'The Gap' on US129. Rode it and everything around it. Motorcycle paradise. Flora & Fauna very similar to home...just much much bigger 'hills'. I love the scenery there...probably my favorite of what I have yet seen.

Business travels took me through areas of the middle south that I'd otherwise not have seen. Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma. I liked Arkansas....well half of it anyways. One half of it looks just like home, other half is vast expanses of dirt farms. Went to Oklahoma city...very barren type environment...north Texas is same way. Desolate even. Shreveport trip was dark on the way in and thunderstorming on way out, not much to report on Louisiana.


Someone here please convince me to go to Moab? Super bucket list for me. lol Hoping to head up Backwood's way one of these winters to do some sledding. Almost did it a couple years ago. My buddies keep wimping out on me.

 

Moab is awesome. Only had two days there but it has canyonlands and arches national park. The pictures I have are very green, it normally does not look like this, and my phone camera is junk. But it'll give you an idea.
Camped out at cow skin campground just outside of Moab. Next to the bluffs.


Driving in to Moab. That's the Colorado river.

Still driving in.

Canyonlands




Canyonlands


I only had time to do one hike to the top of a trail. There are trails that walk through the bottom. There are also jeep tours around the outskirts. I had a very short amount of time and could not do either. The pictures don't do it justice it one hell of a view.















If you aren't into hiking the scenic views are really great.

 

Ok I had to cut this into two because of too many files.

Arches national park was way better in my opinion but no pain no gain you have to hike for the views.


BLM road we used to get into arches. Some national parks you have to register and make an appointment online to get tickets. You cannot just show up and pay and get it. We instead drove on ten miles of bad road to get in the back way for free.
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BLM dispersed camping.







Rock art from 1956





Wanted more time to spend in and around Moab lots to do but not enough time. Everything does no normally look this green.

On mobile so if anything is backed up that's why.

 

Thanks for the photos! Have viewed many. Been trying to summon the gumption to go down there. As I understand, use of the land is becoming a bit bureaucratic. My affinity for off road driving compels me to go there. I like hiking too. A dirt bike will allow me to see much more than my feet will. (if anything is still open when I get there) I looked into a bit last year and even found where I will make my 'basecamp' (hotel). If I get out there, I also have to run up into Colorado to take my truck over Black Bear Pass. Prettymuch decided that's gonna happen if I get west of the Mississippi again, for leasure.

 

Yellowstone is hands down my top choice. Most destinations have one or two special qualities; Yellowstone has many. Geologic phenomenons, spectacular scenery, incredible wildlife viewing, thermal springs for soaking/swimming, casual or aggressive hiking. Amazing for older folks and kids alike. Of course there are drawbacks but there are drawbacks to every place in this thread. You could spend weeks there and see something new and awe-inspiring every day. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

I did a long zig-zagging cross-country road trip in the early 90’s…it was a great way to hit the check-the-box stuff: Niagara Falls, Graceland, Mt. Rushmore, Four Corners Monument, etc. My favorite spots were always the places that I didn’t know much about…the surprises in between the main destinations: the Jack Daniel’s distillery tour in TN, the Great Sand Dunes Monument, Wind Cave, the Henry Dorley Zoo in Omaha, some random little beach town in NorCal.

I’ll put a plug in for the San Juan Islands, here in the top left corner of our country. We spend a ton of time there. There’s enough to do, but it’s also very relaxing. The inconvenience of the ferries and the lack of nightlife options keep the crowds away. It’s a lot like coastal Maine (not the ritzy parts).

 

Yellowstone has taken itself off my list after seeing the level of visitors that go there and the stupidity they bring with them.

I worked at the old faithful lodge summer of 1986. 2.36 million visitors vs 2021 which had 4.8 million.

 

Glacier National Park and Yosemite National Park are two beautiful places. Also, any place where the sky is clear and there are absolutely no man-made lights. Pull off the side of the road at night and see the uncountable number of stars. For me, it was a road from Phoenix to Flagstaff on my way to the Grand Canyon.
If you are more into machines, The National Automobile Museum in Reno and the Smithsonian Air and Space Annex at Dulles Airport were 2 of my favorite places to visit.
For motorcyclists, my favorite place I have ridden has to be the Great Smokey Mountains.
And lastly, for the structural folks, you have to see the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM.