US states
Alabama is a poor state to plan by attraction count. Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, the Gulf Coast
Wyoming is easy to over-plan. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Devils Tower, Cody and the state's mountain roads
Wisconsin is a difficult state to plan from a flat "best attractions" list. Door County, the Apostle
West Virginia works better as a set of regional trips than as one statewide checklist. The attractions
Washington is easy to over-plan. Seattle, three national parks, the San Juan Islands, Leavenworth, wine
Virginia is a poor state to plan as a checklist. Shenandoah National Park, the Historic Triangle, Virginia
The hardest part of planning Vermont is not finding things to do. It is deciding which ones belong in
Utah's hard part is not finding places worth seeing. It is deciding which regions and attractions deserve
Texas is too large for a useful flat ranking of attractions. A place can be excellent and still be a
Tennessee is easy to overplan because its biggest attractions are spread across very different regions.
South Dakota is easy to overpack. Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, caves, historic
The hardest part of planning South Carolina is not finding things to do. It is deciding which part of
Rhode Island is small enough that many places look easy to combine on a map, but that is exactly how
Pennsylvania is too large and too varied to plan as one giant sightseeing checklist. A short trip works
Oregon rewards travelers who choose less, not more. The Coast, Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, Bend
The best things to do in Oklahoma are spread across cities, mountains, forests, lakes, prairie, and long
North Dakota is easier to enjoy when you stop treating it like a checklist. The state's best-known places
North Carolina is easier to plan when you stop treating it as one giant attraction list. The mountains
New York State is too large to plan as one compact destination. A weekend in the Adirondacks, a waterfall-and-wine
New Mexico is one of those places where the hard part is not finding something worth doing.
New Jersey packs a surprising amount into a relatively small state. You can spend the morning looking
For most first-time visitors, the Kancamagus Highway and White Mountains are the best place to start.
For most first-time visitors, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is the best place to start.
For most first-time visitors, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is the easiest top pick.
For most first-time visitors, Glacier National Park is the best place to start. It gives you mountain
For most first-time visitors, Gateway Arch National Park is the best place to start. It gives you a clear St.
For most first-time visitors, Natchez is the best place to start. It combines Mississippi River views
For most first-time visitors, Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior is the best place to start.
For most first-time visitors, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the best place to start.
For a first trip to Massachusetts, start with the Freedom Trail in Boston, then add one part of the state
This guide covers major places to visit across Maryland for a general U.S. traveler. It does not rank
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument has no way into Baxter State Park. The two sit in the same
"Swamp tour" is the phrase most Louisiana trips get built around, and it covers four genuinely different
Mammoth Cave keeps Central Time. Louisville and Lexington keep Eastern Time, so driving south from either
Five of the 15 stops in this guide are closed on Monday: the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Old Cowtown Museum
Admission to the Des Moines Art Center is always free. So is the guided tour of the gold-domed State
Indiana's best market runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Its most unusual geology is usually at its most
The most famous road in the state turns 100 this year, and three of the places people drive to see it
Two of Georgia's best experiences cannot be booked in advance at all. A ranger-led tour of the Martin
One national historical park on this list is 38 sites in four states. One of its river trips is 104 miles
Haleakala National Park will not let an unbooked car into its summit district between 3 a.m.
Florida is too large and too varied for one statewide checklist to be a useful itinerary. A theme-park
Book the places with fixed entry times before you build the rest of a Washington, DC itinerary.
Delaware works best when you stop treating it as one long checklist. The coast, Wilmington and the Brandywine
Connecticut rewards a different kind of trip than a big-state road tour. Its best sights sit in tight
Plan Colorado as a set of regional trips. Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde, the San Juan Mountains
California is too large for one sensible "best of" loop. A first trip works better when you choose one
Arizona is easiest to plan as a set of trip clusters. Northern Arizona puts the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff
Plan Arkansas in clusters. Hot Springs and the Ouachitas can fill several days. Little Rock pairs well
Alaska works better as a set of regional trips than as one statewide checklist. Anchorage, Seward, and
Ohio's strongest trips are regional clusters: hiking and ancient earthworks in the south-central part