BEST OF AMERICA - 50 STATES, AND MORE - The Nation’s Wonders

Oct 11, 2026

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A travel feature presents a curated “Best of America” tour across the United States, organized by regions and state highlights, framed by storytelling and destination “treasures.” It traces how Americans’ desire to travel evolved from early-19th-century sightseeing routes and guidebooks, to canal, railroad, highways, and modern vacation culture. The piece also spotlights standout places such as Niagara Falls, classic road-trip routes, and regional icons like Rhode Island’s coastal towns and Boston’s historic legacy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages100

Reading Time2 h 34 min

AccessFree to download

The Nation’s Wonders

Northeast

Southeast

Midwest

Southwest

West

BEST OF T R EA SU R E S I N EV E RY STAT E YEARS BEST OF AMERICA T R EASU R E S IN EV ERY STAT E Jackson, Wyoming, is surrounded by two dramatic mountain ranges: the Teton Range tothe west and the Gros Ventre Range to the east. The equestrian center atthe Salamander Middleburg resort in Virginia’s horse and wine country. 2 T RAV E L + L E IS U R E BEST OF AMERICA 50 STATES, AND MORE 4 The Nation’s Wonders NORTHEAST 6 Rhode Island 8 Massachusetts 10 Pennsylvania 12 New Jersey 13 New Hampshire 14 Maine 16 Vermont 17 Connecticut 18 New York 22 The Berkshires: An Autumn Sonata SOUTHEAST 24 Virginia 26 Florida 28 Alabama 29 South Carolina 30 Louisiana 32 Delaware 33 Arkansas 34 Georgia 36 Washington, D.C. 37 Tennessee 38 North Carolina 40 West Virginia 42 Mississippi 43 Maryland 44 Kentucky Bourbon Trail: Still Life MIDWEST 48 Minnesota 50 Kansas 51 Wisconsin 52 Illinois 54 Missouri 55 Nebraska 56 Ohio 57 North Dakota 58 South Dakota 60 Iowa 61 Indiana 62 Michigan: Mackinac Island SOUTHWEST 66 New Mexico 68 Utah 70 Texas 72 Oklahoma 73 Arizona 74 Colorado: Striking Gold WEST 78 Washington 80 Nevada 82 Oregon 83 Idaho 84 Montana 86 Alaska 87 Wyoming 88 California 90 Hawaii 92 Yellowstone: Once upon a Time in the West 96 The Great American Road Trip T RAV E L A N D L E IS U R E . C O M 3 For centuries, American travelers have been exploring and embracing their remarkable land. By Courtney Mifsud Intreglia TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO , AMERICANS WERE already itching to travel. The summer of 1826 marked the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and patriotic travelers, many of the ﬁrst generation to grow up in the independent U.S., sought to tour the nation’s attractions. But before the age of travel blogsand jet-setting inﬂuencers, how did these burgeoning travelers–many of whom had never left their home regions–know where to go and how to get there? Around the time America celebrated its Jubilee, a developing tourist trail had emerged in the Northeast. The route stretched from Manhattan through the Hudson Valley, up to Saratoga Springs and then west to Buﬀalo, ending at Niagara Falls. A year earlier, in 1825, the completion of the Erie Canal opened anew and relaxed route west of Albany, also to the misty and thunderous Niagara. A popular, pocket-size travel guidebook called The Fashionable Tour published tips and advice for each stop on these journeys. Written and published by journalist Gideon Miner Davison, the founder of the Saratoga Sentinel, the guide oﬀered practical tips, schedules, prices, and hotel recommendations. “Regular stages [stagecoaches] leave Catskill for the Pine Orchard twice a day. The fare is the moderate price of one dollar,” Davison wrote.“A short time is usually taken up at Lawrence’s [Tavern] for the purpose of refreshment before encountering the rugged ascent of the mountains.” Davison punctuated his tips with enlightening stories from American history, largely exploring the Revolutionary War. Although landmarks such as Niagara Falls continued to attract tourists in droves as the 1800s went on, the vast majority of Americans stayed home. Historians estimate that about 1 percent of the population visited tourist destinations in 1860. After the Civil War, the number of travelers began to swell. The development of the railroads saw trains taking people to beaches along the Florida coast, and hotels popped up along these railways, from Coney Island to San Francisco. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway opened. The ﬁrst coastto-coast auto road in the U.S. ran from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Decades later, the post-WWII growth of car ownership and increasing middle-class wealth meant that more average Americans were enjoying regular vacations: taking their children to roadside campsites, relaxing in open-air

FAQs

How did early Americans learn where to travel in the 1820s?

Travelers relied on emerging routes and pocket guides, such as The Fashionable Tour, which offered tips, schedules, prices, and lodging recommendations for specific stops.

What transportation developments helped expand travel across the U.S.?

The Erie Canal opened new routes, later railroads enabled seaside and coast-linked trips, and the Lincoln Highway introduced a major coast-to-coast auto road.

What makes the Northeast section a key part of the guide?

The Northeast coverage highlights a historic tourist trail from Manhattan through the Hudson Valley to Saratoga Springs, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls, connecting destinations to American history and landscape.

Oct 11, 2026

Upload by awa