State Places Challenge -- A to Z

[AZBuck]

Variety, history, scenery, and the nation's first modern turnpike

Allegheny National Forest: Includes mountain bike trails, ski trails, and the floatable Middle Allegheny River
Bloomsburg: Kids need a break while crossing I-80? Try this.
Colton Point State Park: The west half of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: Half of it anyway. The other half is in New Jersey
Erie: Pennsylvania's shoreline on the Great Lakes
Fort Necessity: Where Washington trained on the job
Gettysburg: The battle, the address, a place to remember
Hershey: Chocolate Town, USA
Independence National Historical Park: Philadelphia. Where we got our start
Johnstown: Site of a famous and devastating flood in 1889
Keystone State Park: The namesake park of the Keystone State
Lancaster: The heart of Amish country
Millersburg Ferry: A paddlewheel on the Susquehanna
New Year's: In Philadelphia, it can only mean this unique tradition
Oil Creek State Park: A little history with your scenery
Pittsburgh: It's hard to imagine that more people don't know about this great city on the rivers
Quaint Crossings: How Pennsylvania refers to its covered bridges
Route 6: The two-lane alternative to I-80 or I-86
Steamtown: A different era and a different 'Road'
Tuscorara Tunnel: Some of the tunnels the PA turnpike is famous for have been bypassed, but this and others remain
Upper Monongahela Water Trail: A river trail to the Ohio
Valley Forge: Where the Continental Army came of age
Williamsport: The Little League World Series is one, but not the only, reason to visit
Xenobiota in the Xyloids?: (Strange life in the woods) You think X's are easy?
York: Factory tours, including Harley-Davidson, beer, pretzels and potato chips
Zelienople: North of Pittsburgh, just off I-79. A good place to take a break

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

[Mark Sedenquist]

I get the reference to xenobiota -- but how does xyloids refer to the woods? Pretty clever find for X though!

Mark

[AZBuck]

My dictionary lists xyloid as "resembling wood".

AZBuck

[AZBuck]

Once upon a time, this was "the west"

Amish Country: It's not just in southeastern Pennsylvania
Buckeye Trail: A hiking trail that loops the state, walk as little or as much as you want
Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Nature in the midst of one of the most urbanized areas in America
Dayton: Where flying really got its start
Elyria: Waterfalls in a great small city
Football Hall of Fame: Canton, home of the Bulldogs
German Village: Columbus, history and beer
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park: The mound builders of mid-America
Indian Lake State Park: Another of those great 'hidden rest areas' just off I-75
John Bryan State Park: A remarkable bit of scenery close to I-70, I-71 and I-75. Take a break.
Kiser Lake State Park: Relax in the footsteps of Tecumseh
Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Scenic Byway: Lighthouses, wildlife and beaches
Milan Melon Festival: Small town America at its best, and it's just off the turnpike
Natural History Museum: Cleveland has one of the best
Ohio River Scenic Byway: The Mississippi isn't the only great river with a road
Put-in-Bay: Access to Ohio's offshore islands
Quail Hollow State Park: A 40 room mansion, primitive camping, and the local astronomy club meets here
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum: Cleveland, The music of the last 50 years
Sandusky: Cedar Point has been voted Best Amusement Park In The World for nine consecutive years
Taft Home: The only man to serve as both President and Chief Justice
Underground Railroad Freedom Center: Cincinnati, the history of the drive to secure freedom
Vesuvius Furnace and Lake Vesuvius: History saved by the CCC, which is now history as well
Wilds: North America’s largest conservation facility for endangered species
Xenia: and Old Fashioned Days
Youngstown: With a full calendar of events
Zanesville: and its world famous "Y" bridge

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

[Mark Sedenquist]

Great list -- again.

Mark

[Midwest Michael]

This is the last of the states where I've lived that hasn't been done yet.

Arikara lodge – A replica of an Arikara lodge as discovered by Lewis and Clark
Buffalo Roundup – an annual event at Custer State Park
Corn Palace
Deadwood
Empire Mall – The biggest tourist attraction in SD, based on number of visitors
Falls of the Big Sioux River
Garretson – Where Jesse James Jumped Devils Gulch to escape after a bank robbery.
Harney Peak - Highest Point in the State - 7,242 feet
International Vinegar Musuem - Roslyn
Joe Foss Field – Sioux Falls Airport named after WWII pilot
Keystone – Home of Mount Rushmore
Laura Ingalls Wilder Society – DeSmet
Minuteman Missile Historic Site
National Museum of Woodcarving
Oahe Downstream Recreation Area – Near Pierre
Pierre – State Capitol
Quinn – Home of the Badlands Observatory
Rushmore, Mount
Sturgis – Harley Heaven
T-Rex - “Sue” was found in the Badlands
Underground Wilderness – One of the world’s largest cave systems is located under the black hills, including Jewel and Wind Cave NPs
Vermillion – Home of the University of South Dakota
Washington Pavilion – Old Sioux Falls School Converted into a Museum/Theatre
X – The USS South Dakota, aka Battleship X
Yankton – Birthplace of Tom Brokaw
Ziolkowski, Korczak - The Sculptor who started the Crazy Horse Memorial

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

[Mark Sedenquist]

Texas: A to Z

(Photo by Craig Antill)
A – Alamo (near San Antonio)
B – Boquillas del Carmen – Hot springs – narrow 4WD road
C - Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park
D – Del Rio – A small town on the Rio Grande River and home to the Whitehead Museum.
E – El Paso – strategic border town and home to some great food
F – Fort Stockton – Gateway to Big Bend National Park
G – Galveston – Party town and historic beach city on the gulf of Mexico
H – Houston – home to “A Taste of Texas”.
I – Italy, another town named by a USPS employee in a bizarre fashion
J – Jamaica Beach –On a barrier island just south of Galveston – not the best location for “riding out a hurricane”
K – Kilgore – Known as the “city of stars” for the lights on top of oil derricks in the area
L - Langtry – home of the Judge Roy Bean Saloon & Museum
M – Midland – home to a great oil exploration museum & bad tasting drinking water
N – Nevada – You just gotta love all these Texas placenames. A small town northeast of Dallas.
O – Old Ocean – I love these alliterative places….located in Brazoria County.
P – Pecos – Western heritage and activities “West of the Pecos…”
Q – Queen City – Just north of Atlanta, Texas near the Arkansas border
R – Royalty -- Is a small town south of Monahans.
S – South Padre Island – Home of Spring breakers and an odd funny sign
T – Terlingua – Home of the Starlight Theater
U – Uvalde – About ½ way between Del Rio and San Antonio. Known as the “Honey Capital of the World”.
V – Van Horn – I have seen some outrageous ice storms in this area in February!
W – Waco -- Historic homes and living history tours
X –
Y – Yoakum located about ½ way between Houston and San Antonio
Z – Zapata is located on the Rio Grande River and has won awards for being the most business friendly micro city in the USA.

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

[Quebec Gen]

(Photo by Craig Antill)
Alexander Graham Bell N.H.S.;
Bagpipe Festival;
Cabot Trail;
Digby scallops;
Evangeline Trail;
Fortress of Louisbourg;
Glenora Whiskey Distillery;
Highlands Village Museum;
Island of Cape Breton;
Jost House, Sydney;
Kejimkujik National Park;
Lobsterpalooza;
Mi'Kmaq aboriginal culture;
Northumberland Fisheries Museum;
Old Sydney mines Post Office;
Pumpkin Regatta, Windsor;
Queensport;
Riverfront Music Jubilee, New Glasgow;
Spring Garden Road, Halifax;
Truro Tulip Festival;
UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lunenberg;
Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse;
Wild Blueberry & Maple Center, Oxford;
Xylophonist and jazz vibraphonist, Warren Chiasson was born and raised in Nova Scotia;
Yarmouth Seafest;
Zoo, Oaklawn.

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

[AZBuck]

Of all the great things Missouri has 'shown me', the best is my wife, a Missouri native

Arrow Rock: National Historic Landmark town in northwestern Missouri
Branson: Natural and 'art'ificial entertainment
Clarksville: a specialty shopping oasis on the Little Dixie Highway
Devils Backbone Wilderness Area: when you really want to get away from it all
Eureka: and the Backdraft Rodeo
French Colonial Country: South of St. Louis and centered on Ste. Genevieve, a picturesque riverfront town.
Grant's Farm: A bit commercial, but it is the President's former home and very family friendly
Hannibal: Twain made it famous, and the places he wrote about are still there
Independence: Harry Truman's hometown
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial: Known for the Arch, the museum is at least as intriguing
Kansas City: Ribs, Blues, Chiefs, Royals
Leila's Hair Museum: The locks are on the walls as well as the doors
Missouri Rhineland: A scenic route with a German flavor along the state's namesake river
New Madrid: Epicenter of the largest recorded earthquake in the contiguous U.S.
Ozark National Scenic Riverways: Rivers, caves and historic buildings
Pershing State Park: Wetlands where the General played as a boy
Queen City of the Ozarks: Springfield, with history, scenery and Route 66
Rocheport: Frommer's calls it one of America's 10 coolest small towns
St. Louis: Of course!
Trail of Tears State Park: Located where the Cherokee crossed the Mississippi, today it is a memorial and a respite from I-55
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site: Non-commercial, in fact - free
Versailles: Centrally located, with an old-time Apple Festival
Washington: Wine country, just up river (the Missouri) from St. Louis
Xanthophyll: on display in the fall
Young man's game: The average rider's age was 19, and the service only lasted a year and a half
Zanoni Mill: Zanoni, one of a number of historic grist mills in the Ozarks

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

[Mark Sedenquist]

Utah: A to Z (a place of surprising diversity)

A – Angle a small town at the northern end of the Otter Creek Resevoir
B – Bluff a small town on the San Juan River
C— Capitol Reef National Park -- A Field report by Robert Schaller
D – Dark Canyon, a very narrow canyon just downstream from the lower reaches of Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River
E – Enterprise, a small town in western Utah with strong Mormon heritage
F – Four Corners, a tourist trap—but still enjoyable-- run by the Navajo Nation Parks Department
G – Green River, the name of the historic river & home of the John Wesley Powell Museum
H – Hite Crossing, Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway – bridge over the Colorado River
I – Islands in the Sky, part of Canyonlands National Park
J – Juab Valley, runs between San Pitch Mountains and the Canyon Mountains south of Nephi, UT
K – Kanab, Our town of choice for staying overnight when exploring southern Utah
L – Little Egypt Geologic Site, A wonderful collection of hoodoos south of Hanksville
M – Monument Valley. Gorgeous light in the winter months
N – Nipple Butte in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
O – O-WI-Yu-Kuts Mountains in the northeast section of Utah, just north of the Green River
P – Parunuweap Canyon An awesome slot canyon in the southern end of Zion National Park
Q – QSalt Lake Salt Lake City “official” voice for Gay and Lesbian culture
R – Raft River Mountains in the northwest corner of the state – another alliterative name!
S – Salina, a historic US-50 town – with one of the most disappointing restaurants – Mom’s - in the west
T – Tarantula Mesa Just east of Capitol Reef National Park
U – Utah Lake. Provo and other cities are on the eastern shore of this large lake.
V – Valley of the Gods one of the most spectacular places in Utah
W – Wendover. a small town on the edge of the Bonneville Salt Flats and near "Metaphor: The Tree of Utah"
X –
Y – Yampa Plateau, adjoins the Dinosaur National Monument
Z -- Zion National Park. Utah’s first National Park and one of our favorite parks.

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