- Powerful Lee Abbamonte, 45, has crisscrossed all fifty states, so he doesn’t have to
- The traveler recently published a list of his favorite states, ranked from best to worst
- The top five weren’t all that surprising, but they contained disorders you should be familiar with
So many states, so little time!
Fear not, weary travelers—influencer Lee Abbamonte has been through all fifty, so you don’t have to.
In an Instagram post, the 45-year-old laid out many of them in preferential order so you know where to head first.
The rankings show some dominance from both the West Coast and the Midwest, although two states from the latter appear in the bottom three.
New York, meanwhile, failed to crack the top 10 — displaced by unusual suspects like Alaska, Montana, Washington, Oregon and Nevada, which went 10-6, respectively.
The top five were a little less surprising, but still contained some disorders that every traveler should be familiar with.
While not definitive, the list offers valuable insight into each locale’s appeal, whether it’s somewhere as remote as Hawaii or landlocked North Dakota.
Whether these places are worth visiting, well, that’s up to you – but Abbamonte has managed to make your decision less difficult, thanks to years of expeditions.
Here’s what he thinks…
The best of the best
1. California
Perhaps a little biased since he moved there three years ago, Abbamonte pegged the Golden State as the best bet for a successful vacation at home.
As for why, the influencer — who has amassed more than 109,000 followers — told Business Insider it’s because “he just has it all.”
Citing the spread of national parks and the impressive number of cities, he even doubled down on California, saying it was the only entry on that list “that isn’t controversial.”
“There are beaches, there are mountains, there are deserts, there are islands, there are great cities, there are good cities,” he continued, before admitting that the only time he felt unsafe was in San Francisco.
Still, he categorized the crime-riddled stronghold as a “pretty cool town.”
The former New Yorker ultimately concluded of his new state: “No matter what you like — I don’t care who you are — there’s something here for you.”
2. Colorado
Literally, the “coolest” place in Abbamonte’s top five is none other than Colorado, which claims the second best spot thanks to its topographical versatility.
In his post, Abbamonte revels in the many “awesome” national parks such as the Rocky Mountains, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
He continued to gush about the state’s almost indescribable grandeur, declaring it home to some of the world’s most wondrous scenery.
“Colorado is just the mountains,” he told Business Insider, before heading to some of the other allure of the western terrain known for its slopes.
“I’m not even a skier, but I love going to ski towns and doing anything but skiing.
“I also like to go to ski towns in the summer because I like to walk,” he said, alluding to places like Aspen and Breckenridge.
“Eastern Colorado is just like this whole other oasis of plains,” he continued, this time referring to the Pawnee National Grasslands.
He’s also a fan of Colorado’s smaller towns and said the capital, Denver, is a worthwhile destination as well.
“Denver is also a really great crossroads of America, where the East ends and the West begins,” he said.
3. Utah
Next up was none other than Utah, another state known for its stunning scenery, iconic parks and snowfall.
Categorizing this confluence as “pure nature,” Abbamonte writes that the Beehive State is “very pleasant and scenic” — not to mention safe.
National parks such as Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon make the Mormon enclave even more attractive – a dynamic aided by the fact that the state is home to picturesque Salt Lake City.
If you’ve never been, you can take the travel blogger’s word for it—he’s been to every state on this list at least three times.
4. Arizona
You won’t have to travel far to get to the next entry on this list—as it’s literally just across the border from landlocked Utah.
Enter (pun intended) Arizona, a state that serves as something of a soulmate to its neighbor to the south, sharing the same red rock countryside.
It’s also home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World in the Grand Canyon, a 277-kilometer cross-section of the Northern Arizona desert revealing 2 billion years of geology.
Utah can claim the canyon as its own due to its proximity, but the World Heritage Site is located entirely in – where else would it be? – Grand Canyon State.
Abbamonte said he loves Arizona’s “desert landscape” — and, of course. its superb canyon.
“Everybody thinks it’s just desert,” he said. “But they have everything there.”
5. Hawaii
At number five, Hawaii is one of Abbamonte’s favorite states, visiting every year since 2004.
“I’ve been to all the inhabited islands at least three times and they’re all amazing,” he told Business Insider, adding that one of the best parts of the seven is their diversity.
“The weather is perfect, there’s great hiking and golf, and I love the Polynesian culture,” he continued, citing the abundance of things to do in the US’s newest state.
“You have the big volcano and Waikiki Beach, which is a beautiful beach,” he continued. “There’s a reason Obama still goes back there on vacation. This is absolutely awesome.
As for the islands’ capital, Honolulu, he said it’s “underrated.”
At the bottom of the list…
48. Kentucky
The Bluegrass State may be blessed with plenty of horseback riding and fishing, but such activities aren’t for everyone.
Count Abbamonte among that category, as he ranked Kentucky second to last on his list.
“If you ask people from Kentucky what they like about Kentucky, they’ll say, ‘I live on a lake and I go fishing,’ or ‘I like horses and this is the best state for horses,'” Abbamonte said of his mindset while achieving the scenic condition with the poor ranking.
“But I don’t like horses or fishing,” he explained. “It’s one of those things where maybe you have to live there to appreciate it.”
49. Kansas
Moving back to the Midwest, Kansas earned the dubious distinction of being the penultimate entry on Abbamonte’s list.
He said he’s a fan of Kansas City, which ironically is across the Kansas River in Missouri — and not much else.
“The one thing I like about Kansas is that they have the best college basketball arena in America in Lawrence, where the University of Kansas is,” he explained.
He said the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene might appeal to you “if you like your history,” but other than that,
He added that it’s only a three-hour drive from Kansas City, Missouri — not to be confused with the smaller Kansas city of the same name.
50. North Dakota
The absolute worst state to visit – according to Abbamonte – is none other than North Dakota, largely due to its inaccessibility.
Known for its notorious wastelands – and for being where the buffalo roam – the landlocked state sports impressive agriculture, but then again, not much else.
That said, it ranks low simply because of how long it takes to get there.
“When you fly to North Dakota from other states, you usually have to take connecting flights,” Abbamonte explained. “Not much going on there.”
Other states that ranked low, the blogger said, were at least closer to interstate cities or the coast. But he still has a soft spot for last-place status.
“There are nice things out there, like Teddy Roosevelt National Park,” he said of the park, which includes the sprawling, largely uninhabited wilderness of North Dakota.
“The problem is, it’s so hard to get there,” he continued. “And when you leave the park, you’re like, ‘Okay, I’m in North Dakota now. What to do?”
However, Abbamonte adds that he would not rule out another visit.
“You have to give me a good reason to come back to North Dakota just because of the effort it takes to get there,” he said. “I would never say no to anything because you never know.”
