A travel expert and blogger who has traveled the world multiple times has revealed his list of his favorite and least favorite states.
When Lee Abbamonte claims to have traveled extensively, he means it, as the 45-year-old has done to every UN-recognized country, to the North and South Poles.
Abbamonte’s obsession with travel began after the September 11 attacks, when he was just 23 years old and working at the World Trade Center for the financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald, which lost most of its employed during the tragic attack.
“I lost one of my best friends and almost everyone I worked with,” Abbamonte told Business Insider. “It was eye-opening.”
After the September 2001 attacks, the travel expert quit his job and began his life’s journey of exploring the world, which he began documenting on his blog in 2006.
His adventures have taken him to all 50 U.S. states at least three times, which he has categorized based on experience and preferences, according to his Instagram account.
Abbamonte, who has also visited all 63 national parks in the United States, explained to the outlet why he chose his favorites and why he will most likely avoid the final four.
Abbamonte cautioned that his list is subjective and based on personal preferences, adding that he likes landscapes, nature and varied landscapes.
1. California
Unsurprisingly, the California native put the Golden State at the top of his list, saying it “simply has it all, more than any other state, no matter what you like.”
Abbamonte said each placement on the list is based on his own personal experience and is subjective besides his first choice.
“The only one I don’t think is questionable is California at 1,” he wrote on Instagram.
“There are beaches, mountains, deserts, islands, big cities, beautiful cities,” he told Business Insider. “No matter what you like, no matter who you are, there is something for you here.”
Abbamonte admitted that he didn’t feel particularly safe in San Francisco, but that didn’t stop him from visiting the Bay Area several times because it’s still “a very beautiful city.”
2.Colorado
Colorado was named Abbmonte’s second favorite because the Centennial State has nine “major” national parks and has stunning topography.
“Colorado is above all the mountains. I’m not even a skier, but I love going to ski towns and doing everything other than skiing. I also like to go to ski towns in the summer because I love hiking,” he said. “Eastern Colorado is like any other lowland oasis.”
“Denver is also a really cool crossroads of America, where the East ends and the West begins.”
3. Utah
Abbamonte doesn’t need to travel far from Colorado to visit his third favorite state, as he just needs to head west to neighboring Utah, which has several other national parks, including Zion, Arches and Bryce Canyon.
“Utah, to me, is pure nature,” he said. “It’s very nice and picturesque.”
The well-traveled man says he also felt incredibly safe in the Beehive State.
4. Arizona
Abbamonte appears to favor the western part of the country more than any other, with Arizona placed fourth highest in the personally compiled list.
“Everyone thinks it’s just a desert,” he said. “But they have everything there.”
“I went to business school in Phoenix, which I love even though it’s not the best city on the surface,” he said. “But, for me, you have to leave the city to get to the good things in Arizona.”
Arizona also has the best sunsets in the country, according to Abbamonte.
5. Hawaii
Rounding out the top five is Hawaii, which Abbamonte says he has visited every year since 2004.
“I’ve been to all the inhabited islands at least three times and they’re all fabulous,” Abbamonte said.
He said the seven islands are “completely different,” which makes the state even better.
“The weather is perfect, there’s great hiking and golf, and I love the Polynesian culture.”
For Abbamonte, the capital Honolulu is “underrated” because it is home to the great volcano and Waikiki Beach.
“There’s a reason Obama still goes there on vacation. It’s absolutely brilliant.
47. Louisiana
Every list must have a bottom and Louisiana happens to be one of Abbamonte’s least favorite states.
The travel expert says the Pelican State would have been placed lower without New Orleans.
The southern state’s low ranking is due to the flatness of the territory, but if Abbamonte ranked it based on its food, it would be in the Top 10, perhaps Top 5 because of the Cajun cuisine.
48. Kentucky
If you’re an equestrian or a fisherman, the Bluegrass State is for you, but Abbamonte claims to be neither.
“If you ask people in 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 equestrian state,’” Abbamonte said. “But I don’t like horses or fishing. It’s one of those things where you might have to live there to appreciate it.
49. Kansas
Abbamonte likes Kansas City, home of the Royals and Chiefs, which happens to be a city in Missouri and not Kansas, which is one of the reasons the Sunflower State is the second-to-last state on the list .
“The one thing I like about Kansas is they have the best college basketball arena in America in Lawrence, where the University of Kansas is,” he said.
Besides Allen Fieldhouse, home of the Kansas Jayhawks, tourists can visit the President Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, KS, a 150-mile drive west of Abbamonte’s most popular Kansas City .
50. North Dakota
Abbamonte awarded North Dakota the distinction of his least favorite state due to its inaccessibility.
“When you travel to North Dakota from other states, you usually have to take connecting flights,” he said. “There’s not much going on there.”
Abbamonte said there are some good things the Peace Garden State has to offer, including Teddy Roosevelt State Park, but after visiting the park he says you feel lost.
“The problem is, it’s really complicated to get there,” he said. “And when you leave the park, you’re like, ‘OK, I’m in North Dakota now.’ What should I do?'”
“You would have to give me a good reason to go back to North Dakota just because of the effort it took to get there. I would never say no to anything because you never know.
Abbamonte’s first east coast state was New York, which he surprisingly placed at number 11, with Connecticut landing at 15th, New Jersey at 28th, and Pennsylvania all the way down at number 33.
New York Post
