CALIFORNIA HAS IT ALL!
A Blogger Who's Been To Every US State Picked His Favorites — And Four He'd Never Visit Again
There's well-traveled, and then there's Lee Abbamonte.
Abbamonte, a 45-year-old travel writer based in California, says he's the youngest person to visit every country in the world and the North and South Poles. He's also visited all 50 US states at least three times each and all of America's 63 national parks.
Abbamonte told Business Insider the reasons he loves his favorite six states, and why four wound up at the bottom of his list.
California has it all, no matter who you are or what you like to do.
[Abbamonte has lived in California for three years and ranks it his No. 1 US state. Markue/Getty Images]
Abbamonte, who moved to California three years ago after spending more than two decades living in NYC, says his new home state is his favorite for one big reason: It's got everything.
"It has beaches, it has mountains, it has deserts, it has islands, it has great cities, it has good cities," he said. "No matter what you like — I don't care who you are — there is something for you here."
Abbamonte is partial to California because it has nine national parks, the most of any state in the US.
There's more to Colorado than good skiing.
[There's more to Colorado than skiing, Abbamonte says. Kruck20/Getty Images]
Colorado is second on Abbamonte's list, mainly because of how versatile the topography is and how "great" the national parks are.
He's also a fan of Colorado's smaller cities, including Durango and Telluride. The capital, Denver, is a worthwhile destination, too.
"Denver is also a really cool crossroads of America where the East ends and the West begins," he added.
Hawaii's inhabited islands are all different.
[Honolulu is underrated, he says. Maridav/Getty Images]
Abbamonte has visited Hawaii every year since 2004.
"I've been to all the inhabited islands at least three times, and they're all fabulous," he said, adding that one of the coolest parts about the seven islands is that each is "completely different."
"The weather is perfect, there's great hiking and golfing, and I love Polynesian culture," he said.
Abbamonte ranked Louisiana 47th out of 50 states. It would've been farther down if it wasn't for New Orleans.
[He says New Orleans elevates Louisiana. f11photo/Getty Images]
Since Abbamonte cares most about versatile geography and the abundance of nature, the states he ranked lowest out of 50 are more "flat" in topography.
Louisiana is the fourth-flattest state in the US, according to the World Population Review.
New Orleans, however, is still a lure for visitors, Abbamonte says.
North Dakota may be the least accessible state.
[North Dakota isn't very accessible from most places in the US, Abbamonte says. rruntsch/Getty Images]
North Dakota is at the bottom of Abbamonte's ranking because of how much time it takes to get there from other parts of the US.
"When you fly to North Dakota from other states, you usually have to take connecting flights," he said. "There's not a lot going on there."
Other low-ranked states, including Alabama and Mississippi, are at least closer to vibrant cities in different states or coastlines, he says.
To read the rest of Abbamonte's ranking of US states, head to Business Insider.