Exploring the Advantages and Disadvantages of Visiting All 50 States in the US.
From AI and a real person like Tēnn Khong Lîm who has been to all of them, Read below:
Phew, I think those are all of the 50 states. I’ll throw in a bonus one as well.
Visiting all 50 states in the US is a goal that many people have and for good reason. Exploring each unique state of the country provides an incredible opportunity to experience different cultures, localities, places of interest, and attractions. The advantages of visiting all 50 states range from increased cultural knowledge to the ability to understand the nation as a whole better. Of course there are a few potential drawbacks, such as travel expense and time management skills that come into play. But with proper planning, visiting each state in the Union can be a gratifying experience.
No matter if you plan to tour one state or fifty states there are ample opportunities throughout our vast nation that will pique your interest and leave lasting memories once you’ve reached your destination. Which state do you plan to visit? What is your motivation to visit a US state? If you follow through on this dream to see all 50 states, it will be one of your most extraordinary and rewarding accomplishments.
Too many writers focus on the most populated cities and fail to consider all U.S. cities.
Of course, since you’ve asked such a generic question, it depends on what you consider dangerous. You’re probably thinking of crime rates. But I once wrote a Quora post (link below) about why Miami, Florida, is statistically the city in which you are most likely to die an untimely death, including characteristics such as vehicular accidents, weather, and crime. East St. Louis ranked second, largely based on crime.
Peter Wade’s answer to In your opinion, which are the most dangerous places in America?
The following research confirms that East St. Louis is probably the most dangerous place in the U.S. for criminal activity, which I’ve often written about. It dispels the common myth that Camden, New Jersey, and neighboring Philadelphia are among the most dangerous American cities (but they certainly have their problems). New York and Los Angeles aren’t even close to the most dangerous U.S. cities based on crime rates, which debunks another widely held myth.
If you only want a list of the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest homicide rates (based on the most recent data), here they are. East St. Louis is double Gary’s murder rate!
1.) East St. Louis, Illinois (164.88 homicides per 100,000)
2.) Uvalde, Texas (144.58 homicides per 100,000)
3.) Jackson, Mississippi (102.16 homicides per 100,000)
4.) Gary, Indiana (83.42 homicides per 100,000)
5.) St. Louis, Missouri (66.48 homicides per 100,000)
6.) Baltimore, Maryland (58.46 homicides per 100,000)
7.) New Orleans, Louisiana (57.83 homicides per 100,000)
8.) Detroit, Michigan (48.86 homicides per 100,000)
9.) Baton Rouge, Louisiana (38.26 homicides per 100,000)
10.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (35.65 homicides per 100,000)
If you consider danger to include murders and non-fatal assaults, here are the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest violent crime rates (again, mostly occurring in localized areas):
1.) Detroit, Michigan (2,475 violent crimes per 100,000)
2.) East St. Louis, Illinois (2,155 violent crimes per 100,000)
3.) St. Louis, Missouri (2,145 violent crimes per 100,000)
4.) Baltimore, Maryland (2,021 violent crimes per 100,000)
5.) Memphis, Tennessee (2,003 violent crimes per 100,000)
6.) Kansas City, Missouri (1,724 violent crimes per 100,000)
7.) Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1,597 violent crimes per 100,000)
8.) Cleveland, Ohio (1,557 violent crimes per 100,000)
9.) Stockton, California (1,415 violent crimes per 100,000)
10.) Albuquerque, New Mexico (1,369 violent crimes per 100,000)
In a typical year, about 91% of the homicides in the U.S. are committed by someone the victim knew. In general, if you don’t consort with nefarious characters, your chances of being murdered, or even attacked, are extremely low. Even when crime skyrocketed in 2020 during the pandemic, only 1 in 170,000 Americans were killed by a stranger. The vast majority of those deaths by stranger occurred in impoverished neighborhoods, while very few American citizens living outside those neighborhoods ever become a victim of a violent crime. It’s an unfortunate issue.
On that note, one of the scariest statistics is to rank the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest rate of random attacks by an unknown assailant, eliminating the majority of crimes which are committed by individuals known to the victim and focusing on our worst fears, the unexpected random assault. I’ve estimated the rate of assaults, rapes, robberies, and carjackings committed by assailants unknown to the victim. This data changes dramatically from the previous list of cities with high violent crime rates.
1.) Baltimore, Maryland (1,021.0 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
2.) Cleveland, Ohio (828.9 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
3.) Oakland, California (723..9 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
4.) St. Louis, Missouri (719.7 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
5.) Memphis, Tennessee (620.0 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
6.) Albuquerque, New Mexico (606.2 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
7.) Milwaukee, Wisconsin (563.4 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
8.) Minneapolis, Minnesota (556.8 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
9.) Chicago, Illinois (504.4 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
10.) Cincinnati, Ohio (497.5 violent crimes by strangers per 100,000)
All of the rankings above take into account places that are dangerous for anyone, including both residents and visitors. I consider that true danger. But if you’re curious about the cities that are most dangerous for only their residents, with visitors not necessarily incurring any sort of elevated risk, we can analyze the top 10 U.S. cities that are most dangerous for their residents based on the probability of heart disease, the number one reason for death in the U.S.
1.) Flint, Michigan
2.) Camden, New Jersey
3.) Reading, Pennsylvania
4.) Youngstown, Ohio
5.) Detroit, Michigan
6.) Cleveland, Ohio
7.) Dayton, Ohio
8.) Trenton, New Jersey
9.) Canton, Ohio
10.) Gary, Indiana
1.) Beckley, West.Virginia (average resident loses 6.14 years from the American life expectancy)
2.) Gadsden, Alabama (average resident loses 6.12 years from the American life expectancy)
3.) Anniston, Alabama (average resident loses 6.11 years from the American life expectancy)
4.) Charleston, West Virginia (average resident loses 5.83 years from the American life expectancy)
5.) Pine Bluff, Arkansas (average resident loses 5.52 years from the American life expectancy)
6.) Ashland, Kentucky (average resident loses 5.49 years from the American life expectancy)
7.) Springfield, Ohio (average resident loses 5.22 years from the American life expectancy)
8.) Florence, South Carolina (average resident loses 5.03 years from the American life expectancy)
9.) East St. Louis, Illinois (average resident loses 5.02 years from the American life expectancy)
10.) Alexandria, Louisiana (average resident loses 4.54 years from the American life expectancy)
I’m in Asheville, North Carolina visiting my family as I write this.
This area (Western North Carolina) has become a popular destination for retirees because of
I would not do a massive road trip for your first visit, especially if you haven’t done road trips before. I do know foreigners who have done stuff like Route 66 or US 40 but it’s almost always someone’s sixth or 12th visit or something like that
How about Pacific Coast Highway? Up and down the west coast is a beautiful road trip, the weather will work in your favor. You can always detour east to hit up some parks as well
Just remember the US is LARGE. All of Ireland can fit into the state of Minnesota with some wiggle room. I think a lot of folks overseas don’t really grasp that until they travel here.
I second all the talk around National Parks. It’s really the best thing about the US, IMO. If you do plan on going to a national park, do a bit of research beforehand. Some parks require you to reserve a time to visit. They do that to limit how crowded parks can get (especially in the summer).
And invest in an America the beautiful pass in advance. $80 for a year entry to all national parks instead of $30 per park.
We’re doing a loop through Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California in May but I’ve done several big driving holidays over there before. We typically cover 2000+miles on those trips
The driving is mostly easier than here, but watch for leaving an airport and your first taste of freeway having 12 lanes…
The weather on the coast will generally be more temperate and there are both cities and beautiful sceneries to take in along the way. San Diego, LA, Santa Barbara (if you like wine, Napa valley is a fun stop, but would be a splurge). The oregon coast is absolutely breathtaking as well. Stop overnight in Manzanita or Cannon Beach for small beach town vibes and beautiful beaches. Portland oregon is a fairly low key city with some fun things to do and amazing restaurants. End in Seattle or even Vancouver which are big cities but also stunningly beautiful with water and mountains all around.
The major national parks are well known for a reason, but they will be swarming with tourists in July. The Route 66 road trip has some nostalgic appeal, but it has lost a lot of its charm since its mid-century heyday.
For a first time trip to this huge country, assuming a 2-week time frame in July, here are some potential itineraries:
A. Boston > New Hampshire (lakes & White Mountains) > Maine (mountains & coast) > Boston (& New York City?)
B. Washington DC > Baltimore > Chesapeake Peninsula (beaches & wildlife refuges) OR Washington DC > Blue Ridge Parkway > Great Smoky Mountains National Park > Asheville NC
C. Portland, Oregon (Pacific coast) > Seattle, Washington (Mt. Rainier, etc.) > Olympic Peninsula
D. San Francisco > Napa Valley > then South to Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur > Los Angeles
These each have a mix of major cities, nature, small towns, tourist sites, and decent scenery for a road trip.
Given the time of year, I would consider the Northern national park circuit but begin in Chicago. Chicago is an incredible city – architecture, history, food, great museums, even a sandy “beach” with Lake Michigan.
Then, hit the national parks: Chicago has direct flights to all the major parks. I would begin with Glacier. Then, it’s around 7 hour drive to Yellowstone National Park. Then, it’s only 1 hour or so to Grand Teton National Park.
You could drive to Denver and fly out from there. It’s roughly 8.5 hours to Denver via car with lots to see and do on the drive. Cheyanne, Wyoming is cool city. Denver is also a really fun city with lots to do.
Another option is fly into San Francisco. Great city. Then, drive to Yosemite which is iconic (around 6 hours from SF). Then, either drive the Pacific Coast Highway to Los Angeles or drive inland and go to Sequoia National Park and then LA.
Strongly recommend a landscape/park oriented trip instead of cities because that is where you’ll see the real, unique beauty of our country. That’s not to say you cannot see a bit of both. The coasts are your best options. New England sounds nice but is best known for its Autumn colors. I am biased but truly believe driving the PCH is one of the best experiences we have to offer. Additionally, some of the strangest, most unique, most impressive parks and landscapes you will find are in Utah. You could easily drive to Zion and Bryce Canyon in about 2 hours from Las Vegas.
You can see a lot in 3 weeks, but how far the $5,000 takes you is highly variable. I’m not sure if that includes your flight or not. And as far as “less tiring” that depends on how much driving you do and if you enjoy driving.
My vote is a West Coast trip with an optional side trip to Utah if you are feeling up for the extra driving and busier pace. This is how I would do it:
Option 1: Fly to Las Vegas. It’s a cheap place to fly because they want to draw in tourism. Don’t spend any time in Vegas beyond driving down the Strip once. Drive to Utah and get a room outside Zion. Give Zion and Bryce a full day each. Maybe two days in Zion if you love hiking. Drive back to Las Vegas and fly to San Diego or LA. San Diego is a much better place to visit than LA imo. Being close to the Mexico border adds some flavor and they have the Zoo and Wild Animal Park. This now leads to…
Option 2: If you are tight on your budget you will find cheaper flights into LAX vs San Diego. It won’t be the end of the world if you don’t see San Diego, but the choice is yours on what to prioritize as your starting point. If you are not doing Utah, you will have plenty of time to slowly drive up the coast. I would also recommend visiting Yosemite if you are not going to Utah — Zion and Yosemite are similar but different colors (environment/climate) and Yosemite is bigger if more hiking.
Do NOT drive up I-5 — it’s boring as hell (like Route 66). Consider stopping in Santa Barbara, Solvang, Pismo Beach/San Luis Obispo/Morro Bay (could go inland to Paso Robles for some nice wine), San Simeon for the elephant seals, camping in Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Cruz. Give yourself at least two or three days in San Francisco. Visit wine country in Northern CA. Redwood National Park. There is SO much already and you’d only be halfway to Seattle. I could keep going but you get the idea. West Coast, best coast.
My perfect road trip for anyone visiting the states for the first time would be:
Fly into Seattle > Olympic National Park (underrated ) > Portland, OR > Bend, OR > Crater Lake > Mount Shasta, CA > Lake Tahoe > Sonoma County, CA (Bodega Bay area) > San Francisco > Big Sur, CA > Yosemite NP > Los Angeles and fly out of there
It’s the perfect balance of incredible scenery and different feeling cities without having to drive more than 5 hours at any point.
Our National Parks are this country’s greatest treasures.
You couldn’t pay me enough to drive from Chicago to LA. Sounds awful in comparison to a national parks tour.
I would say Route 66 is a trap. I’ve driven across the U.S. a few times and there is NOTHING between Chicago and Colorado at the earliest, and then it’s hit or miss. I think it’s low key a waste of time unless you already live here. The US is fucking huge and unless you absolutely love driving, it’s basically corn for 4 days straight.
I think a National Parks tour is a great idea, some of the really famous ones are already booked for this summer (Yellowstone, Yosemite, etc) if you want to camp. But you could do a pretty Incredible road trip if you do pacific coast from San Fran and head north to Redwood NP, then cut East to Laseen/Shasta, then head North and hit Crater Lake NP/Bend Oregon, drive through the lower Cascades and hit Hood River and Portland. Drive North from there into Washington and hit Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier and finish in Seattle. Or hit Seattle and then do North Cascades NP/Olympic NP. The plus side of this trip in July is that it will get cooler as you go and you won’t be frying in the desert of Arizona/Death Valley in July.
And this would be a little less “common” so you can see more things and should be less insane than some of the really famous NP (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite in the summer is like walking through Times Square).
– Research all your national parks ahead of time for camping reservations and permits. Some parks require day permits in peak season and some of the most popular trails require permits.
– Be prepared for California to be expensive! Gas may be $6/gallon. Basic hotels can easily be $200+ in popular destinations. You may want to consider renting camping gear and making campsite reservations throughout your trip — there is a popular store called REI that will have everything you need.
– Do not waste your time in LA. Unless you are visiting some attraction (eg Disneyland) it’s a pretty underwhelming place for tourists and difficult to navigate.
– Be extremely careful and paranoid about your luggage/valuables and keeping them in your vehicle when you are in cities, mainly San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. Property crime, especially car break-ins, are endemic.
San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston, New Orleans, Seattle
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