Vote for Best (or Worst) State in USA

[RockMiner]

I thought this might be amusing...I have lived in both New York and Texas...  Talk about contrast     I have definite opinions about each, and I thought others must have some interesting opinions about their place of residence?
Oh yeah, this might also be instructive to anyone seeking a good place to ER.

Disclaimer: This is a post-cabernet post thus I refuse any responsibility   

 

[ProfHaroldHill]

Best state -- North Carolina. Worst -- all the others, except for VA and SC

HH

 

[Martha]

No question. Minnesota.

CT, feel free to step in:

* beautiful parks, from national forests to many lovely parks in the twin cities
* can't get health insurance anywhere else? You can get it in Minnesota and for a reasonable price
* good schools
* home of the good old fashioned liberal
* And I can live on the biggest beautiful lake in the world:

 

[ProfHaroldHill]

Martha -- you forgot to mention easy access to the North Pole . . .

HH

 

[laurence]

wa? Is this the first picture of our Lady of Lourdes, Martha?

 

[wildcat]

I dig these kinds of topics.  I like to read about different places.  Keep in mind I only like certain areas of the places below and will try to be specific.

Best:
Colorado (all, except maybe the eastern flat portion)
New Mexico (northern)

Worst:
W. Virginia (which is pretty but very rough)
Few other SE states I will not mention (don't wanna hurt feelings of posters)

Underrated:
Portions of Michigan & some other areas around Great Lakes (outside of the cities) are very pretty if you ask me
Central KY (beautiful horse farms/rolling hills & different from other areas of the state)

Overrated:
Florida
Austin, TX (very nice city but didn't live of to my city expectations -- more like big college town)

Have Lived:
Northern IL (Chicago burbs) --- my kind of city
New York (born New Yorker ha)
Kentucky
Missouri
Mississippi

Next place I will live:
Don't know yet but a new place in the next 2 months

Would like to see:
Pac NW (didn't make it this past summer  )
Cali (just to see it at least & to be in the presence of Greatness -- Laurence)
Montana (I would like to fish next to a Grizzly)
New England area (New Hamp, Vermont, etc.)

 

[wabmester]

British Columbia. Oh, wait. That's not a state (yet).

 

[AltaRed]

Best = Western Colorado, Northern NM, anywhere in the Sierra Nevadas, anywhere in the Grand Tetons/Yellowstone area.

Acceptable = parts of Nevada, western Arkansas, southern end of the Smoky Mtns, New Hampshire

Worst = anything flat or excessively wooded that you can't tell which direction anything is

Lived in OKC (talk about flat), South Texas (more flat and even more bland) and Northern Virginia (quite pretty once out of urban congestion).

P.S. Have visited 48 of the 50 states (yet to get to Wisconsin or Rhode Island) and I am not even an American.....

 

[HFWR]

Texas and Texas...

 

[brewer12345]

I really haven't been to enough places to figure all this out. I have enjoyed spending time in:

- Northern NM
- CO
- NY
- NJ
- PA
- parts of OH
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Toronto
- Birmingham, AL
- Louisville, KY
- NOLA
- Vieques, PR
- Ponce, PR

You can keep:

- Indiana
- Kansas
- Texas
- Detroit

But really, I suspect there are bits of every state I could enjoy.

 

[Dawg52]

Well it's all a matter of what you are use too. MN might very well be a pretty state, but too many cold months for me. I play golf with a MN transplant and he wouldn't go back to the cold. Also the liberal factor is a negative for me. I would like to visit sometime.

I like Colorado as a place to visit and maybe to live for a portion of the year. But I'll take the good old south as my home base.  

 

[HFWR]

I really haven't been to enough places to figure all this out.  I have enjoyed spending time in:

- Northern NM
- CO
- NY
- NJ
- PA
- parts of OH
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Toronto
- Birmingham, AL
- Louisville, KY
- NOLA
- Vieques, PR
- Ponce, PR

You can keep:

- Indiana
- Kansas
- Texas
- Detroit

But really, I suspect there are bits of every state I could enjoy.

Southern Indiana, along the Ohio River either side of Louisville, is fairly scenic. Check out Clifty Falls SP in Madison, Wyandotte Cave around Corydon (the original state capital, Spring Mill Park near Mitchell, Cave River Valley near Campbellsburg...

 

[TromboneAl]

New Jersey.
























Now, is there anyone who honestly said to themselves "I wonder if he's nominating New Jersey for the best state or the worst state?"

 

[brewer12345]

Actually, I was wondering, Al. There are really horrible places in the state (Newark, Elizabeth, etc.) and some really nice places (alpine bits in NW, shore areas, some of the southern parts of the state). Like I said, there are probably nice and nasty places in every state.

 

[TromboneAl]

Yes, I knew it was unfair. I remember going through New Jersey as a kid and saying "This is New Jersey?" and my Mom said "Yes, that's why they call it The Garden State."

 

[Jarhead*]

When I decided I'd had nuff of my area and job, (kids were
pretty much raised), I set the following criteria for the spot
that i wanted to retire to: (Whatever state it happened to
be in was secondary).

l. No crowds, (freeway, or otherwise).
2. Live in mountains, (but under snow-line). (Had more than enough of that as a youth.
3. Live near, but not in small university town.
4. Plenty of available fly-streams near-by.
5. Golf courses nearby.
6. Low humidity, and lack of bugs during summer. (Also had more than enough of that as youth).
7. Lots of sun year round, and can play golf in the winter.

Point being, that above criteria could be had in a number of
states, so in my opinion, it's more important to match your interests
than to blanket out, (or in) any state.

 

[wildcat]

l. No crowds, (freeway, or otherwise).
2. Live in mountains, (but under snow-line). (Had more than enough of that as a youth.
3. Live near, but not in small university town.
4. Plenty of available fly-streams near-by.
5. Golf courses nearby.
6. Low humidity, and lack of bugs during summer. (Also had more than enough of that as youth).
7. Lots of sun year round, and can play golf in the winter.

Point being, that above criteria could be had in a number of
states, so in my opinion, it's more important to match your interests
than to blanket out, (or in) any state.

I agree and that's a pretty damn good list if you ask me - golf.

 

[Dawg52]

When I decided I'd had nuff of my area and job, (kids were
pretty much raised),  I set the following criteria for the spot
that i wanted to retire to: (Whatever state it happened to
be in was secondary).

l. No crowds, (freeway, or otherwise).
2.  Live in mountains, (but under snow-line). (Had more than enough of that as a youth.
3.  Live near, but not in small university town.
4.  Plenty of available fly-streams near-by.
5.  Golf courses nearby.
6. Low humidity, and lack of bugs during summer. (Also had more than enough of that as youth).
7.  Lots of sun year round, and can play golf in the winter.

Point being, that above criteria could be had in a number of
states, so in my opinion, it's more important to match your interests
than to blanket out, (or in) any state.

Jar, What state did you find that in?

 

[wildcat]

Has to be out west given the no humidity factor. SW?

 

[Nords]

Now, is there anyone who honestly said to themselves "I wonder if he's nominating New Jersey for the best state or the worst state?"

Didn't matter, I was wincing either way.

Hawaii.  But if it couldn't be Hawaii, San Diego was nice.  I'm afraid to go back there because my mental image may no longer match the reality...

Spouse & I have been threatening to return to Monterey for years, but there's always something else we'd rather do first.  Again we probably shouldn't contaminate our memories.

 

[riskadverse]

Best . . . California - some part of the state looks and feels like every other state and there are even a few unique places.

Worst . . . Every other state.

I thank God most people don't feel the same.   

 

[RockMiner]

It's hard to beat parts of New England for the total experience IMO. Culture, nature, 4 seasons etc.

The Rocky Mountain states can be truly stunning.

California must have been nice 47,000,000 people ago.

The south is too steamy, buggy for my taste.

As for Texas, lets just say the natives need to get out and see the rest of the country

 

[SteveR]

It's hard to beat parts of New England for the total experience IMO.  Culture, nature, 4 seasons etc. Well, the cost of living could be improved a bit as well as the crowding and traffic oh and high taxes. Other than that I guess it is OK.

The Rocky Mountain states can be truly stunning. I agree...distances are deceptive too. You can drive 100's of miles and not see a city or even a town in some cases. Beautiful and rugged all at the same time. If you don't enjoy snow and winter or high heat and a dry climate then this is not the place for you. No wimps need try to stay here.

California must have been nice 47,000,000 people ago. The Left coast...enough said.

The south is too steamy, buggy for my taste. I would agree but all that water makes for lots of lakes and places to boat and fish.

As for Texas, lets just say the natives need to get out and see the rest of the country  They think the rest of the US is another country and a third world one at that.

 

[grumpy]

We moved this year from Maryland to Virginia. Today the temp was 70F so DW and I took a ride up to the Skyline Drive to see the fall foliage and have a picnic lunch. It was spectacular. Moving from a "blue" state to a "red" state has been a bit of a cultural adjustment but we are getting to like Virginia alot. I am developing a new interest in the Civil War with all of the battlefields in the area.

Grumpy

 

[Ginger]

California -- northern area  - along the beautiful coastline.

(Where I live in Southern California -- beauty is now gone!)

Wyoming, Montana, Idaho-- nature at its best with the beautiful mountain ranges.

Northern Michigan is very pretty, rural.  Visit Mackinac Island (the Grand Hotel).  

Arizona - the desert/red rock area near Flagstaff/Sedona - gorgeous

Each State has its good points and bad points.  

Parts of Mississippi and Alabama were very pretty.  Florida is so flat -- and getting crowded.  A shame the Everglades has changed so drastically.