State Places Challenge -- A to Z

[Quebec Gen]

(Photo by Craig Antill)
Alaska Highway;
Bering Land Bridge;
Cape Krusenster National Monument;
Denali National Park;
East Boroughs;
Fairbanks;
Gates of the Arctic National Park;
Harding Lake;
Inupiat Heritage Center;
Juneau;
Kenai Fjords;
Lake Clark;
Misty Fjords National Monument;
Noatak National Preserve;
Orcas;
Portage Glacier;
Q - ?
Redoubt Bay;
Sitka National Historical Park;
Tongass National Forest;
Unalaska;
Valdez;
World War II National Historic Site;
X - ?
Yukon-Charleys Rivers National Preserve;
Zoo (Anchorage)

Ps- Hey come on Americans, help me finish the rest of Canada and Mexico. It's a good way to discover and learn about new places!

[click here to see some of the other states in our list]

[AZBuck]

One of the last states I visited, and given all its attractions, that was too bad

Ashland: Where the Ohio River meets Kentucky
Bourbon: When even Kentucky says the whisky is synonomous with the state, you have to listen
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park: History, natural beauty, caves, camping - what the national park system is all about
Duncan Hines Scenic Byway: A scenic byway dedicated to one of America's first RoadTrip Advisors. How could I resist?
Elizabethtown: If you've seen the movie, see the real town
Frankfort: The capital, an historic small town
George Gibson: One of the "Nine young men from Kentucky" who formed the core of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Hodgenville: Illinois may claim him, but Abraham Lincoln got his start in Kentucky
Ice Cream: Kentucky's answer to Ben & Jerry's
Jenny Wiley State Resort Park: One of a number of state parks that are much more than just parks
Kincaid Lake State Park: Includes 9 hole, par 36 golf course and an RV park
Land Between the Lakes: Kentucky's great outdoor paradise
Mammoth Cave: The crown jewel of Appalachia's caves
New Madrid Bend: This sweeping curve of the Mississippi cuts off "Bubbleland" from the rest of Kentucky
Owensboro: Home of the International Bluegrass Museum and the Romp Festival
Parkways: Somewhere between Interstates and local roads, Kentucky's unique highway system
Quilt Trail: It's set up by county, but stretches from Ohio to Tennessee
Richmond: Home of one of the largest planetariums in the US
Sheltowee Trace: A 250 mile trail connecting Kentucky and Tennessee
Tompkinsville: I was once asked how many of these small ferries there were. Lots!
UK Basketball: Seven NCAA champions since 1948 - and you can tour Rupp Arena
Versailles: History, horses, bourbon and riverfront - it all says Kentucky
Wilderness Road Heritage Highway: A hidden gem that leads to some of the best of Appalachia
Xenophon: In Kentucky, they take their horses seriously
Yatesville Lake State Park: Includes campsites accessible only by boat
Zilpo: In the Daniel Boone National Forest

[click here to see some of the other states in our list]

[AZBuck]

It's not just for Lovers.

Appomattox Court House: With as much blood as was spilt in Virginia, it's fitting that the Civil War ended here as well
Blue Ridge Parkway: A road for making memories rather than time
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel: Gateway to the Delmarva Peninsula
Danville: Home to some fine examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture
Emporia: Home to music festivals, pork festivals, and the Great Peanut Tour
Fall Foliage: Makes autumn a great time for a RoadTrip
Grayson Highlands State Park: Access to Virginia's highest mountains and the Appalachian Trail
Harrisonburg: Another base of operations, with tons to do in the Appalachians and Great Valley
Independence: The home of "Mountain Music" and several music festivals
Jamestown: Where it all started
Kiptopeke State Park: On Virginia's little known eastern shore
Lexington: Located at the intersection of two major Interstates, it still qualifies as a hidden gem
Monticello: But in the "Birthplace of Presidents", this could just as easily been Mount Vernon or Montpelier
NASA: Bet you didn't know they launched rockets from Virginia
Occoquan: What's in a name?
Petersburg: Come see how much the Civil War foreshadowed WWI
Quantico: Semper Fi
Richmond: History, museums, and great restaurants; a great home base for touring Virginia
Shenandoah National Park: Tranquility only 75 miles from Washington
Tangier Island: You'll have to leave your car behind to enter this entirely different world
Urbanna: Oysters on the Chesapeake
Virginia Beach: As the name implies, Virginia's seaside playground
Williamsburg: History comes alive
Xtreme Xmas: in northern Virginia
Yorktown: Where America finally won its independence
Zenda: Post Civil War Heritage Site

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[AZBuck]

The Heart of Dixie and much more

Athens: Alabama's toehold on the foothills of the Appalachians
Birmingham: Get there before they all appear on American Idol
Civil Rights Memorial Center: Montgomery, Lest we forget
Dauphin Island: Besides the obvious, it's reachable by ferry
Eufaula: Stately homes on display at Christmas
Fort Blakeley: "Last major battle of the Civil War"
Gulf State Park: In Gulf Shores. White sandy beaches on the Gulf of Mexico
Huntsville: Where they built all those moon rockets
Indian Mound And Museum: Pre-Columbian artifacts in Florence
Jasmine Hill Gardens: Classical gardens in a state with some of the best
Kentuck Museum and Art Center: Despite the name, it's an Alabama home for folk art
Little River Canyon: Mountains, falls and a scenic drive
Montgomery: Historic and still making history
Noccalula Falls: Spectacular waterfall, Pioneer Village, gardens, museum, hiking, etc
Old Cahawba: Alabama's former capital, currently an active archaeological site
Phenix: The eastern end of US-80 in Alabama
Queen Anne's Lace: And other wildflowers common throughout Alabama
Russell Cave: First inhabited around 10,000 years ago
Sturdivant Hall: Selma. One of the finest antebellum homes in the South
Tuskegee: Home to the best fighter pilots of WWII
Unclaimed Baggage Center: In Scottsboro. You've seen it on Oprah, where all the bags the airlines lose go to be sold cheaply
Vulcan Park: World's largest cast iron statue and the history of Birmingham
West Fork River: A National Wild & Scenic River
X: The Alabama State Flag - The St. Andrew's Cross
Year of Alabama Food: The state sponsors yearly celebrations of various aspects of its culture
Zoos: Several in Alabama are worth a visit

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[Quebec Gen]

Astors' Beachwood Mansion;
Block Island Heritage Trail;
Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships;
Daggett House;
East Bay Heritage Trail;
Federal Hill Stroll;
Gaspee Days Parade;
Hot Air Balloon Festival;
Island Free Library;
JVC Jazz Festival;
Kelly House Museum;l
Linden Place;
Marble House;
Narragansett Bay;
Old Colony Railroad;
Providence State Capitol;
Quonset Aviation Museum;
River's Day;
Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-off;
Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum;
University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute;
VMA Arts & Cultural Center;
Waterfire;
X - ?
Yachting Museum;
Zoo, Roger Williams Park &

[click here to see some of the other states in our list]

[Quebec Gen]

Alvarado Palace;
Barranca del Cobre;
Creel Mansion;
Dorados de Chihuahua;
El Chepe Railway;
Francisco "Pancho" Villa
Government Palace;
Hidalgo's Dungeon;
Iglesia Lugar de Gracia;
Juarez House Museum;
K - ?
La Oya de Chihuahua restaurant;
Museo Centro de Ciencia y Tecnologia;
Nombre de Dios Caves;
Old Hidalgo Theatre;
Plaza de Armas, Chihuahua;
Quinta Carolinas Mansion;
Ruins of Paquimé;
Santa Rita Church;
Temple of San Francisco;
Uruachi;
Venustiano Carranza Street, Chihuahua;
W - ?
X - ?
Y - ?
Zarco Residential Area, Chihuahua;

[click here to see some of the other states in our list]

[AZBuck]

Any state that borders 4 of the 5 Great Lakes should (and does) have a lot to offer.

Ann Arbor: Blue and maize winged helmets in the Big House
Bond Falls: Complex and spectacular, it is one of Michigan's most visited and photographed places
Car Museums: of course! The Gilmore in Battle Creek is one of the best.
Detroit: One of the few places in the US where you go south to get to Canada
Empire Area Museum Center: A town decided to preserve its heritage and we are the beneficiaries
Ferry: Besides the big one across Lake Michigan, there's this smaller on across Lake Charlevoix
Greenfield Village: An excellent Americana museum
Huron National Wildlife Refuge: Surprisingly, NOT on Lake Huron
Isle Royale National Park: Reachable only by boat or seaplane, its isolation is its main attraction
Junction Valley Railroad: Family built and operated quarter scale railroad
Kalamazoo: Am I dating myself too much if I start singing "I got a gal..."
Lighthouses: With all that lakefront, these should come as no surprise
Mackinac: History and scenery at the junction of two Great Lakes
Navarre-Anderson Trading Post: Michigan's French heritage is celebrated at the state's oldest wooden residence
Old Mission Peninsula: Historic wine country in the Grand Traverse Bay region
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: On Lake Superior in the UP
Quincy Mine: Tours of an old copper mine
River Road Scenic Byway: The AuSable River and Lake Huron
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: "The Best Nature Escape in the Midwest"
Traverse City: A great base of operations for the northwestern Lower Peninsula
Upper Peninsula Children's Museum: There are so many reasons to visit the UP. This is just one of them
Van Riper State Park: A hidden gem with its own hidden gem
Wild Pumpkin: Pumpkin picking and petting zoo. Especially for kids in the fall.
Xerri's Xmas Trees: A family business, run by William & Shirley Xerri (really!)
Yale Bologna Festival: So American on so many levels
Zeeland: Quintessential small town America, it's location next to Holland should tell you something about its heritage

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[Mark Sedenquist]

AZBuck,

You are a marvel -- finding all of those "X" listings....

Mark

[Quebec Gen]

Where do you find all of those X's?? Is there some kind of X directory I'm missing in my collection or what?:-)

[AZBuck]

Almost Heaven

Appalachian Children's Chorus: These hills are alive with music
Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine: Currently undergoing major renovations, it will reopen in the spring of 2008
Charleston: The capital, museums, children's theater, and access acce4ss to everywhere else
Droop Mountain Battlefield: WV's last major Civil War battle, CCC constructions, and a great view
Elkins: The heart of West Virginia
Farm Museum: Actually several museums in one, and you can stay overnight
Green Bank: and the public activities at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Harpers Ferry: The entire town is a step back into history
Indian Creek Covered Bridge: A century old, but recently renovated
Jenkins Plantation Museum: A reminder that West Virginia was originally part of Virginia
Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum: Wheeling, Think your kids don't like museums?
Lost World Caverns: Lewisburg, an 'outdoor' activity for a rainy day
Midland Trail: A scenic road through the heart of West Virginia
New River Gorge National River: Wet, wild, wonderful
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge: Returning parts of the river to a 'wild' state
Parkersburg: West Virginia's gateway on the Ohio
Quartz: SiO2, the main ingredient in glass, a West Virginia specialty
Ritter Park Rose Garden: Huntington. The White House doesn't have the only one
Stonewall: Yes, this is a State Park!
Tygart Flyer: Scenic rail rides through the mountains
United/Confederate States: West Virginia was born from the Civil War, and was a crucial battleground
Valley Falls State Park: Waterfalls and whitewater rafting on the Tygart River
West Virginia State Penitentiary Tour: If your idea of fun is hard labor, electric chairs and 5'x7' accommodations
X MarX the Spot: Nostalgia for the adults, a dream for the kids
Yellow Spring: Here's an idea - park your daughter(s) while you relax
Zurich: Switzerland is where Fritz Holl learned how to make chocolate

[click here to see some of the other states in our list]