56 Places on My Ideal Itinerary: USA Edition

*6-Minute Read*

I have been fortunate enough to travel all across the USA, but there are still many places that remain to be seen. With the help of Pinterest, I've been able to compose this itinerary. It consists of one attraction for each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the five main territories of the USA:

To Sua Ocean Trench (Photo Credit: traveler.com)

1) Alabama - OWA is an entertainment center and amusement park in Foley.

2) Alaska - Borealis Basecamp is an igloo hotel with Northern Lights views near Fairbanks.

3) American Samoa - To Sua Ocean Trench is a swimming hole in Lotofaga.

4) Arizona - Havasu Creek includes a waterfall and is at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

5) Arkansas - Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas, which consists of a glass chapel, several bridges, an amphitheater, and more. 

6) California - Disneyland in Anaheim is the oldest theme park created by Walt Disney.

7) Colorado - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, located in Mosca, is an ideal place to go sand-surfing.

8) Connecticut - Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscripts Library is one of several libraries of Yale University in New Haven.

9) Delaware - Rehoboth Beach is the most visited city in the state due to its beach and boardwalk. 

10) District of Columbia - The White House offers tours from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.  

11) Florida - Universal Studios Orlando consists of a massive theme park, a water park, several resort hotels, and many restaurants.

12) Georgia - World of Coca-Cola is an Atlanta museum dedicated to the popular beverage.

13) Guam - National Wildlife Refuge, located in both Dededo and Yigo, isn't just home to wildlife; there's also a white-sand beach.

14) Hawaii - Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, frequented by turtles, is located in between Pahala and Na'alehu on the Big Island.

(Photo Credit: Flickr)

15) Idaho - Silverwood Theme Park is associated with Boulder Beach water park, both of which are in Athol.

16) Illinois - World's Largest Things can be seen around the town of Casey, eight of which hold Guinness World Records.

17) Indiana - Bluespring Caverns, located in Bedford, is where you can embark on the Myst'ry River Voyage. 

18) Iowa - Maquoketa Caves State Park is seven miles away from the town of Maquoketa in Jackson County.

19) Kansas - Oz Museum, located in Wamego, is based on L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 

20) Kentucky - Mammoth Cave National Park has the world's largest cave system in a town of the same name.

21) Louisiana - Fontainebleau State Park is a former sugar plantation located alongside Lake Pontchartrain near Mandeville.

22) Maine - Acadia National Park, or the "Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast," is in the small town of Bay Harbor.

23) Maryland - Ocean City Boardwalk is an award-winning pedestrian thruway with hotels, restaurants, a beach, and other attractions.

24) Massachusetts - Salem Witch House, or the Jonathan Corwin House, is Salem's last existing building that stood during the Salem witch trials in 1692.

25) Michigan - The Grand Hotel is an award-winning hotel in Mackinac Island, a town where cars are banned.

26) Minnesota - Mall of America is the country's largest mall, but the Bloomington shopping center has many attractions that aren't clothing stores (i.e., Nickelodeon Universe and the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium). 

27) Mississippi - Ship Island is a beach that is accessible by ferry from both Biloxi and Gulfport.

Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island
(Photo Credit: tripadvisor.com)

28) Missouri - Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis was known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial before becoming a national park in 2018.

29) Montana - Glacier National Park near Whitefish is not only home to glaciers; there is also forests, geological formations, mountains, etc.

30) Nebraska - Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium of Omaha has been in existence for 125 years.

31) Nevada - The Venetian Resort is the Las Vegas hotel inspired by Venice, Italy, complete with gondola rides.  

32) New Hampshire - Franconia Notch State Park is a mountain pass filled with hiking trails in Grafton County.

33) New Jersey - Mount Tammany is one of the Kittatinny Mountains along the Delaware Water Gap in Knowlton Township.

Mount Tammany (Photo Credit: bestofnj.com)

34) New Mexico - White Sands National Park, formerly a national monument in a town of the same name, is an ideal place to go sand-sledding.

35) New York - Ellis Island, located on the Upper New York Bay in NYC, is best known for its former immigration inspection station.

36) North Carolina - Land of Oz in Beech Mountain was first a failed amusement park, then an abandoned one, and now a successful one.

(Photo Credit: wlos.com)

37) North Dakota - Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Madora, named after one of America's former presidents, consists of bison, flood plains, prairies, and more. 

38) Northern Mariana Islands - Kensington Hotel Saipan is a beach-side resort with a small water park.

39) Ohio - Cedar Point is an amusement park aptly located in Sandusky, the roller coaster capital of the world.

40) Oklahoma - Natural Falls State Park's main attraction is the 77-foot tall waterfall in West Siloam Springs, near the Arkansas border.

41) Oregon - Crater Lake National Park is a large, bright blue lake with Wizard's Island in a town of the same name.

42) Pennsylvania - Kennywood Amusement Park just outside of Pittsburgh has seven roller coasters, fourteen kiddie rides, and several other attractions.

43) Puerto Rico - One of the Three Biluminescent Bays, where the waters glow in the dark at night.

44) Rhode Island - Block Island, with its beaches, cliffs, and lighthouse, is just south of the southern region of Rhode Island.

45) South Carolina - Myrtle Beach is the name of both the beach and the town where it's located, but there are many non-sandy attractions (i.e., the Hollywood Wax Museum and Myrtle Beach Speedway).

46) South Dakota - Mount Rushmore National Memorial honors former presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln near Keystone in the Black Hills region.

47) Tennessee - Dollywood Amusement Park, located in Pigeon Forge near the Great Smoky Mountains, is named after and owned by entertainer Dolly Parton.

48) Texas - Hamilton Pool and Preserve is a gorgeous swimming hole in Dripping Springs, just outside of Austin.  

49) US Virgin Islands - St. John is an island that is two-thirds a national park with many world-renowned beaches.

50) Utah - Fifth Water Hot Springs in Spanish Fork can be accessed by either the Rays Valley Trailhead or the Three Forks Trailhead. 

51) Vermont - Haskell Free Library & Opera House rests in the middle of the American-Canadian border; the stage of the opera is in Quebec while most of the audience chairs are in Vermont.  

52) Virginia - Monticello in Charlottesville was once the primary plantation of former president Thomas Jefferson.

53) Washington - North Cascades National Park is closest to the town of Sedro-Woolley and is known for its cabins that float atop Ross Lake.

54) West Virginia - Harper's Ferry is a town that is also designated as a national historical park, as its past includes individuals such as social reformer Frederick Douglass and explorer Meriwether Lewis.

55) Wisconsin - Mount Olympus Water and Theme Park Resort is one of several resorts in the small town of Wisconsin Dells, the water park capital of the world.

(Photo Credit: jacksonhole.net)

56) Wyoming - Scenic Floating takes place on the Snake River in Jackson Hole, and I am jealous of my family members who have experienced this.


So, I've had input on #56, but what about the rest? If anyone has been to any of these attractions, feel free to comment on your experience(s). And is there a different place I should've included? Comment, comment, comment.

- Liv