1- New York State...anywhere except NYC(THERE IS MUCH MORE TO NY THAN THE CITY)
2- New Hampshire- Lakes Region and Mt. Washington
3- Nevada- Vegas, Baby
4- Florida- Ponce Inlet or St. Augustine

1. Florida--because my mother lives there and I also just like hanging around there (except in summer). No major theme parks, just strolling around Mount Dora and the main squares at The Villages around sunset (when the shops are still open and the live entertainment is getting underway).

2. Oregon, because it's one of the most beautiful places in the country with some of the liveable communities. Top 4: Portland and Eugene for inland, Cannon Beach and Florence or Bandon on the coast

3. Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, of course, from Society Hill to Chestnut Hill, it's great. Then "my" corner of the Lehigh Valley, where my friends from school still live. Historic Bethlehem for the shops and history (probably in reverse order). Hosensack because it has such beautiful PA Dutch homes and hardly anyone knows where it is, or Shimerville because they serve such fantastic soft ice cream.

4. Vermont. I'm an avowed leaf peeper, so I might as well go with the best! Middlebury, Stowe, Mad River Glen (when the snow is fresh on the ground) are my three picks, haven't got a fourth yet...

1. Las Vegas--Horseback riding in Red Rock Canyon, walking through all the hotels on the Strip, eating fun and different food, and the M&M Store.

2. New York--Broadway and off-Broadway shows, Double decker bus tours, street fairs, Central Park

3. New Orleans--The French Quarter, New Orleans Museum of Art, shopping on Magazine St., and finding cheap, amzing places to eat.

4. Hashville--Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall or Fame (you have to do each of them once even if you aren't a country music fan), the Cumberland Museum, the Italian Street Fair, and thrift and antique stores.

1. Arizona--Tucson, Bisbee, Scottsdale, Sedona
2. Colorado--Boulder, Aspen, Telluride, Glenwood Springs
3. New Mexico--Santa Fe, Taos, Chimayo, Turquoise Trail
4. Hawaii--on the Big Island--south Kona, Kapoho, Hawi, Honoka'a and Waipio Valley

1. St Augustine, FL...what a quaint little place.

2. Anywhere on Maui.....heavenly.

3. San Francisco, CA...very nice and different looking city.

4. Seattle, WA...I loved the Seattle Pike Market there.

5. Anyplace along the ocean in Maine.

6. Scottsdale, Arizona

7. New York City, NY

Wow, what amazing lists you all have come up with!

I will add these suggestions to my state travel lists. In case you're wondering, I save a document that is literally a list for each state from ideas on this board and others, then I have an easy "print and go." (If you search Wy, you can find an incomplete list I posted for travelers to Yellowstone.) By the time I visit that state, I usually have LOTS of wonderful places to visit. Thanks so much!

Santa Fe, New Mexico
San Francisco, California
Boston, Massachusetts
Florida beaches

In Hawaii.......Maui

In California.....La Jolla

In New York.....NYC

In New Jersey.... Down The Shore

Vermont
1. The beautiful scenery throughout the state - foliage season is coming!
2. Shelburne Falls for the Inn as Shelburne Farms (both accomodation and food) and the Shelburne Falls Museum.
3. Inn at Essex for the world's BEST chicken wings at the Tavern.
4. My backyard for wildlife viewing

Massachusets:
1. Clark museum in Williamstown (what a gem!)
2. Museum of Fine Arts in Boston - world class.
3. Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in Boston - she was a fascinating woman! 4. The view from the Hyatt Harborside Hotel in Boston - take the ferry over and have a drink in the bar.

Maine:
1. All of the fun little shops that line the coastal towns - Kennebunkport, Ogonquit - really any of them.
2. The view from Cadillac Mountain looking down into Bar Harbor when the red-sailed boat is out.
3. scenic drives along the coast.
4. Goose Rocks beach.

Any of our National Parks:
I know - against the rules of the post - but they are so wonderful, and in so many different states!

Thanks BayouGal - this was fun to think about!

Cyn

It's so hard to compare for "top" - if it is favorite as in most fun, or in most awe, or in most relaxation- well they all would be different. I don't exactly know what you mean by top. Top I have seen or top overall for the future planning??

4 I have enjoyed and had the most "fun"-

Trip all the way down the middle from IL to Gulf of MS - mighty Mississippi too. (Not 1 state- I know.) Way too many sites (old homes) and river beauty venues to list.

San Diego- had a blast in both nature and urban (Harbor, Old Town, Zoo, Tidal pools at the beach)

NYC & NY State - too many to list- but especially for theatre and green topography.

Michigan- sunsets, water, people, topography. Best on all counts.

FL- people I love who have moved there and not the weather or beaches, Orlando (had the most fun ever with grown up children- life long memories.)

I've seen many of the parks and features of Utah, Idaho and out West. Their beauty is timeless and appreciated, but they don't spark fun like the above. Different kind of top to me. And although I can hike and love the peace etc. I much prefer the fun vacation.

Gotta sees after I retire and can spend more time roaming:

Northwest- Oregon & Washington state- I hear Walla Walla is just terrific and a lot like Northern MI.

Colorado- I've been 5 times in winter and want to see it in summer.

Vermont/Maine- think I would love it.

Alabama- all kinds of reasons.

And all the places on UtahTeas's list too.

Other trips I will go again or 1st time if God wills:

Sicily (would be 1st time)
Austria/Germany (hopefully with IT & Sicily for a month overall)
Japan (would be 1st time)- especially Kyoto
UK

Guanajuato: Guanajuato or San Miguel de Allende.
Queretaro: Queretaro.
Michoacan: Patzcuaro; Morelia; Uruapan.
Jalisco: The Costalegre.
M

What a diverse group we are!
Massacusetts: Boston, North Shore OuterCape,Bershires
New York: N.Y.C. Finger Lakes,Watkins Glen,Adirondacks
Oregon; Portland,Oregon Coast Bandon and Florence
Rhode Island Newport, Rose Island Lighthouse,Wickford, Bristol

Oh, this is hard because I'm an Army Brat who has lived from coast to coast, in Europe and the Far East.
Here are my sentimental favorites:

Wyoming: Yellowstone National Park; seeing Old Faithful erupt; being scared out of your wits by a HUGE male elk while taking photo; eating pizza in Jackson Hole; breathing in fresh air!
Virginia: walking the campus at the University of Virginia; having a very 18th century conversaiton with Bill Barker, aka Thomas Jefferson, at Colonial Williamsburg; getting to know our first President through his home at Mount Vernon; and playing golf at The Homestead Resort.
California: Ocean surf; touring San Fransico by air in a very, very little plane; drinking wine in Napa; terrific weather.

And last but not least; Arkansas, my adopted hometown of Hot Springs National Park; home of fantastic mineral water from the hot springs; home of gangsters of old; where early baseball spring training took place; horse racing at Oaklawn track; and the boyhood home of former President Bill (have been able to meet to Pres on a few occasions.)

Have to mention Miami, Florida, and the beaches; the golf courses of Alabama, the shopping in Dallas, Texas, museums in Washington DC, and baseball and history in Cooperstown, New York.

My list errs on the side of being able to actually list 4 places in each state...

1. North Carolina:
Outer Banks, Asheville, Chapel Hill, Jordan Lake

2. Virginia:
Charlottesville, Alexandria, Skyline Drive, Leesburg

3. California:
Pacific Coast Hwy, San Francisco, Vineyards, desert

4. Florida:
Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach, Gulf Coast

Illinois, downtown Chicago/Michigan Ave
California, San Fran/cycle the golden gate
Oregon, gorgeous Coastline
Georgia, Savannah- lovely quaint town

Nevada: Mt. Charleston, Vegas, Boulder City, Reno

Florida: St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Clearwater, Destin

PA: Philly, Pittsburgh, Erie, Gettysburg

GA: Savannah, St. Simons, Augusta, Macon

1) Chicago, IL Best time to go is in the summer see http://chicago.com
2) NY, NY Best time to go is in the summer see http://newyourk.com
3) Palm Springs, CA Best time to go is year roundyear round see http://palmsprings.com
4) San Francisco, CA Best time to go is year round

New York - Adirondacks, Finger Lakes Region, historic Hudson Valley, and fall foliage anywhere in NY.

Utah - Moab area (Arches NP), Springdale area & Zion NP, Bryce & Boulder (Escalante, Scenic Rte 12), Capitol Reef NP. Listing only 4 places in southern Utah is crazy hard!

Maine - Belfast, New Harbor, Isle au Haut, Southwest Harbor (Mt Desert Island) - the whole coast above Portland is amazing.

Southern Colorado/Northern NMexico - can't list one cuz it's the whole area. Chaco Canyon is incredible, Jemez Springs (NM) is a gorgeous area, Ouray, CO - a highlight of our visit to CO, Mesa Verde & Great Sand Dunes - sorry couldn't decide on one.

Virginia: (1)The Shenandoah Valley for its scenic vistas and its Civil War connections. (2)The Colonial Parkway which threads through Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown connecting those towns and their history. (3)Richmond for its Civil War connections. (4)Jefferson's homes including Monticello and Popular Grove.

Pennsylvania: (1)Philadelphia and surrounding area for its connection to the colonial struggle for independence. (2)The city of Lancaster and the surrounding Amish communities. (3)Gettysburg Battlefield (4)The Pennsylvania Turnpike for a scenic drive through the Appalachian Mountains.

Colorado: (1)Rocky Mountain National Park (2)The drive along the "Million Dollar Highway" and/or the train trip from Durango to Silverton on the narrow gauge railway. (3)Black Canyon of the Gunnison NM (4)Mesa Verde National Park

Illinois: (1)Chicago and the surrounding six county area for its wealth of cultural activities. (2)Galenna for its quaint shops and its historic connection to US Grant. (3)The Quad City area 'cause that's where I grew up and the Mississippi River flows east/west there. (4)The Great River Road that follows the Mississippi from the Wisconsin border to the Quad Cities and beyond. (Yes JJ5, I agree that following the river down to the Gulf is worthy of mention even if I follow the rules and confine myself to Illinois....although it's mighty tempting to cross over into Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri along the way!) ><