Looking for a top spot for your next U.S. vacation? Then read on.
An American who has visited all 50 states and is set to complete all of the country’s national parks this year has revealed his favorite and least favorite places.
Tom Hatfield, 74, from Louisiana, has been traveling extensively since retiring as a chemical engineer 11 years ago and he shared with Business Insider some of his insights in a bid to help others navigate the map more efficiently.
Out of all 50 states, Tom says Utah is his favorite as it boasts five national parks; Zion, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon and Arches.
National parks aside, his other two favorite places in the region are the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the desert, the Great Salt Lake, and downtown Salt Lake City for more of a metropolitan vibe.
An American who has visited all 50 states and is set to complete all of the country’s national parks this year has revealed his favorite and least favorite places. Utah ranked first place
In at second place is California.
Tom says this is because all of the state’s national parks, which range from the windswept Channel Islands to the scorching flats of Death Valley, have their ‘own character.’
For similar reasons, Alaska cruised in at third place on Tom’s top five list.
He also revealed that there are ‘a lot of places where you can pull over on the side of the road and sleep in your vehicle.’
So for travelers on a budget, the 49th state might serve as a purse-friendly option.
As with the other states in Tom’s top three, Colorado was his number-four pick, for its ‘expansive mountains, fairly consistent temperatures with low humidity, and strong infrastructure.’
While it is a top ski destination, the pensioner says he prefers to visit in the summer time, when the foothills of the rugged mountains are draped with greenery instead of snow.
Rounding out his top five selection of U.S. states is Montana.
Rounding out Tom’s top five selection of U.S. states is Montana for is beautiful national parks such as Yellowstone (pictured)
For nature enthusiasts, Tom recommends hitting Zion National Park and hiking the Narrows or climbing Angels Landing for its magnificent views
He describes it is a ‘polarizing’ state due to its size, and it is the 4th largest state in the country totaling 145,509.2 square miles of land area and 1,493.4 square miles of water area.
One of Tom’s favorite things about the ‘Big Sky Country’ is its ‘scenery and serenity,’ as well as its popular national parks, including Yellowstone and Glacier.
While Tom has visited most of the national parks in the U.S. with his wife, he plans to complete the list this year.
Some of the final places left to hit include Great Basin in Nevada and the National Park of American Samoa, which Tom will get to via a cruise.
At the other end of the scale, Mississippi was the avid traveler’s least favorite state.
Some of his qualms included a lack of things to do and he found the heat to be ‘overwhelming’ at times.
Nevada was revealed as Tom’s second least favorite state for similar reasons.
And while Las Vegas draws travelers from far and wide with its entertainment offerings and glitzy hotels, Tom said the city didn’t live up to his expectations.
Other states he said he could skip include North Dakota, Nebraska and Indiana as there’s ‘little to do between the major cities.’
For nature enthusiasts, Tom recommends hitting Zion National Park and hiking the Narrows or climbing Angels Landing for its magnificent views.
HIs other favorite parks for their ‘stunning’ and ‘pristine’ scenery include Bryce Canyon (also in Utah), Yosemite in California, Crater Lake in Oregon and North Cascades in Washington.
To help travelers save time, he advises skipping a number of parks including Congaree in South Carolina, Hot Springs in Arkansas, Guadalupe Mountains in Texas and Indiana Dunes in Indiana.
Monotonous scenery and run-down amenities were among his complaints with these particular spots.
He also says for those planning to visit Isle Royale in Michigan – considered one of the least visited national parks in the U.S. and a paradise for nature lovers – it’s best to stay the night to ‘get the full experience’ as it requires a two-hour boat ride to get there.
Along with traveling extensively in the U.S., Tom has been to 75 countries in total and hit all seven continents.
