As in a couple of other states, our experience in Missouri is very limited. We spent some time in St Louis and have driven across the state, but that is it. We enjoyed St Louis, in particular because of the Gateway Arch, a very imposing and impressive attraction.
Gateway Arch
A closer look at the gleaming, steel structure produced this photo.
Gateway Arch
We plan to spend more time in Missouri this summer since our upcoming cross-country trip includes a stay in Kansas City and in Branson.
The most populous of the New England states, Massachusetts is loaded with history. It’s largest city, Boston, is considered, along with Philadelphia, the cradle of the American Revolution.
Boston is the main draw for tourists, but there are many other places in the state which get their share of the tourist dollar, as well.
We will begin with Boston, a veritable treasure trove of attractions of interest to the traveler. The Freedom Trail is a string of properties associated with the early days of the Revolution. A major starting point for this wonderful historical walk is the Old State House, where some meetings of the Sons of Liberty were held.
Old State House
Another noteworthy meeting hall, just down the street, is Faneuil Hall, which, along with Quincy Market, comprises a popular shopping and dining area within the inner city.
Faneuil Hall
South of the capital is the city of Plymouth, where Massachusetts’ original settlers landed in 1620. Plymouth Rock is still here, preserved under a portico. Just outside of town is Plimoth Plantation, an open-air museum which illustrates what life was like in the colony.
Plimoth Plantation
Southeast of Plymouth is Cape Cod, an area of beautiful beaches and charming villages which have taken great pains to preserve their salty ambience. The Cape Cod National Seashore occupies the outer shoreline of the cape.
Cape Cod National Seashore
The largest city on the Cape, Hyannis, contains an interesting museum dedicated to John F Kennedy, the United States’ 35th president.
JFK Museum
The two main islands to the south of Cape Cod are also significant tourist destinations. Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard may be reached by ferry from several locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Gay Head, Martha's Vineyard
North of Boston is the city of Salem, famous for the Salem Witch Trials, dramatized in the Henry Miller play, “The Crucible.”
Salem
Further north is the city of Rockport, famous as an Artist Colony and still attracting flocks of tourists.
Motif #1, Rockport
In the far western part of the state lie the Berkshires, a range of the Appalachians. There are some delightful small towns here with a penchant for art and music. The Norman Rockwell Museum here is an excellent tribute to this All-American artist.
Norman Rockwell Museum
The Boston Symphony Orchestra moves to Tanglewood, an estate in the Berkshires each summer.
Tanglewood
Springfield is the home of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, a tribute to an American original game which has expanded to include the rest of the world.
Basketball Hall of Fame
The state of Maryland is one of the original 13 colonies and actually boasts one of the nation’s former capitals, the city of Annapolis, which is now the state capital.
Annapolis is also the home of the US Naval Academy, and is a popular tourist destination because it is a sailing Mecca and because of its history.
On the campus of the US Naval Academy, be sure to view the Tomb of John Paul Jones, the nation’s first naval hero.
John Paul Jones' Tomb
The Maryland State Capitol sits on a hill above the pleasantly walkable dowtown.
Maryland State House
But the major attraction in Maryland is the city of Baltimore, which has transformed itself through the development of the Inner Harbor.
Inner Harbor, Baltimore
The state of Maine is the most northeasterly of the United States; it is tucked into Eastern Canada and resembles that area in many ways. It contains the only national park in the East, north of the nation’s capital. It is extremely rural and wooded, with large areas uninhabited.
Many of Maine’s tourist sights are found along the coast, since that is where the majority of the population resides. Because it is not far from our home, we have traveled extensively through Maine.
The best tourist location in the state is, naturally, Acadia National Park. It is a patchwork of many pieces of land, purchased or donated over the years, and loosely tied together with a combination of state roads and park roads. The defining characteristics of the park are the shoreline and the extensive system of carriage roads.
Otter Cliffs is an example of the rugged rocky coastline.
Otter Cliffs
The Bass Harbor Light sits on a similar type of coastline, in another section of the park.
Bass Harbor Light
The town of Bar Harbor serves as the entryway into the park. Although very touristy, it has some basic charm.
Bar Harbor
Our favorite town in Maine is Ogunquit, on the coast just over the Massachusetts state line. It’s a wonderful walking town with a nice beach and a fantastic coast walk, known as the Marginal Way.
Marginal Way
Portland is Maine’s largest city and its restored waterfront area is a delight to explore. The city sports one of the most photographed lighthouses on the Atlantic coast.
Portland Head Light
Another dramatic lighthouse can be found in the town of York, not far from Ogunquit. It sits on a tiny off-shore island.
Nubble Light
Just as Illinois is all about Chicago, so Louisiana is little more than New Orleans. The “Big Easy” is the only destination associated with this state, and rightly so. It has an ambience that is unique and leaves a lasting impression with all visitors.
Of course, the Mardi Gras celebration is famous world-wide, but New Orleans doesn’t disappoint no matter when you visit. Most of the best sights are located in the French Quarter and include St Louis Cathedral which sits prominently on Jackson Square.
St Louis Cathedral
The architecture of the French Quarter is distinct, containing many two-storey structures with wrought-iron railings and flowers.
French Quarter
Some favorite activities for tourists include a ride on an authentic Mississippi River Sternwheeler
Mississippi Steamboat
and a trip through the city’s Garden District on the St Charles Avenue Streetcar.
St Charles Ave Streetcar
Of course, any visit to New Orleans should include a healthy dose of Jazz, the classic American music form which had its origins here, and also numerous servings of Cajun and Creole cooking, both local favorites.
Kentucky is known for thoroughbred horses so it is not surprising that many of the best sights are concerned with thoroughbreds and horse racing.
One of the best introductions to the “Sport of Kings” can be found at Kentucky Horse Park, in Lexington.
Kentucky Horse Park
There are many horse farms in the vicinity.
Kentucky Horse Farm
The race tracks in the state are some of the best in the nation. Keeneland is one track which has adopted a new artificial surface known as poly-track.
Keeneland
while Churchill Downs, in Louisville, is more traditional. It hosts the most famous horse race in the world, the Kentucky Derby.
Churchill Downs
Besides horses, Kentucky is the home of Mammoth Cave National Park, one of the nation’s premier spelunking locations.
Mammoth Cave National Park
Is there anything else in Illinois except Chicago? Yes, I’m sure there is, but we have only been to Chicago so that is all we know. Thus, my “best of Illinois” will become the “best of Chicago.”
Chicago is a great city! It has fantastic museums, wonderful public parks, one of the most beautiful skylines in the world, beaches (Lake Michigan looks as large and impressive as the ocean), and interesting ethnic enclaves.
One of my favorite buildings in the world is in Chicago. It is the Water Tower, one of the few city buildings to survive the famous fire of 1871.
Water Tower
Chicago’s parks sport fountains, like the Buckingham Fountain
Buckingham Fountain
and flowers
Lincoln Park
and the Skyline is magnificent.
Chicago Skyline
The city also has the tallest building in the United States, the Willis (once Sears) Tower.
Willis Tower
There are also fantastic world-class museums, such as, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Art Institute of Chicago Museum.
There is great shopping along the Magnificent Mile, a portion of Michigan Avenue in the downtown.
Hawai’i is one of the most spectacular of the United States. The climate is almost perfect, 80 to 85 degrees every day with pleasantly warm water temperatures year-round and dramatic volcanic scenery. The only drawback is getting to islands and the fact that, once there, to truly experience the state, a visitor must fly to several islands.
Oahu is the main island and home of the capital, Honolulu. It has a variety of world-class attractions and never disappoints. Waikiki is one of the most famous beaches in the world, and its position, in the shadow of Diamond Head, an extinct volcano, is positively spectacular.
Waikiki and Diamond Head
One of the most moving memorials in the world can be seen at Pearl Harbor, the US Naval Base on the island. Here visitors can board a boat to the USS Arizona Memorial, directly above the wreck of the famous battleship where it was sunk by Japanese planes on December 7, 1941. Oil still seeps from the ship and the bodies of the ship’s sailors have never been recovered.
USS Arizona Memorial
The island of Maui showcases Haleakala National Park, a dormant volcano with an eerie and otherworldly landscape.
Haleakala National Park
Visitors to Hawaii are strongly encouraged to attend a Luau, the native feast of pig, roasted in a pit with accompanying local specialties. The oldest and most famous luau in the islands is the Lahaina Luau, on the island of Maui.
Old Lahaina Luau
The island of Kauai has one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, Lumahai Beach. It was used in the filming of the movie, “South Pacific.”
Lumahai Beach
The Big Island of Hawaii is home to one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, Kilauea. Visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which includes Kilauea,
Kilauea Crater
provides an opportunity to see fresh lava and to walk on hardened lava which is only hours old — quite an experience!
Molten Lava at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The state of Georgia is not rich with tourist attractions, however, it has some very significant “must-sees.” The city of Savannah is the gateway from the north and is a wonderful city to visit. The city is laid out much as James Oglethorpe designed it, with many squares (public green areas) at street intersections. It is a great walking city and has been carefully preserved for tourism. My favorite park is Forsyth Park with its beautiful fountain.
Forsyth Park
Near the waterfront we were particularly impressed by the legend associated with the Waving Girl Statue.
Waving Girl Statue
The huge city of Atlanta also has some interesting sights in the downtown: Olympic Park recalls the 1996 Summer Olympics which was marred by a bomb.
Olympic Park
Coca-Cola World is another popular attraction.
Coca-Cola World
Just outside the city is one of the country’s best rock sculptures, Stone Mountain. The sculpture consists of the likenesses of three (3) Confederate heroes, General Robert E Lee, President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis, and General “Stonewall Jackson, etched into a mammoth boulder.
Stone Mountain
On the west side of the state is one of the nation’s finest gardens, Calloway Gardens, in the town of Pine Mountain. The specialty of the gardens is the azalea, so springtime is the most beautiful time of the year here.
Calloway Gardens
The state of Florida is noted, mostly, for its sub-tropical climate, and, as a result, has attracted the largest senior citizen population in the nation. Large numbers of folks who have not moved there permanently manage to spend at least part of the winter in Florida. They are known as “snowbirds,” and increase the population of the state significantly during December, January, and February.
Florida has a very long coastline, so many of its major attractions are associated with the sea, but there are also other major tourist sights besides the beaches.
The city of Orlando is home to one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, Disney World,
Epcot, Disney World
as well as many other theme parks.
There are two (2) national parks in Florida, Everglades National Park, which is all about the wildlife,
Alligators
and Biscayne National Park which is truly an underwater park, created for boaters, snorkelers, and divers.
Mangrove Trees at Biscayne NP
The Kennedy Space Center is another major attraction. If you visit, you may even get to see a space launch.
Vehicle Assembly Building, Kennedy Space Center
The southernmost city in the Continental USA is Key West. It is only 90 miles from Cuba and is all about fun! The Conch Train takes visitors on a raucous tour of the city.
Conch Train, Key West
Miami Beach is another famous playground. Its main beach, South Beach, lures the sun lovers while its nightlife attracts the “beautiful people.” The area is also known for its huge collection of Art Deco buildings.
Art Deco, Miami Beach
One of the most moving memorials is also found in Miami Beach; the Holocaust Memorial evinces reflection and solemnity.
Miami Holocaust Memorial
Saint Augustine was the first colony from Europe to be settled in America. Ponce de Leon landed here in 1513, looking for the Fountain of Youth. The town arose as a Spanish Colony, as evidenced by Castillo San Marcos, a Spanish fort which protected the harbor from invaders.
St Augustine
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