My Top 5 Favorite U.S. States

I have been traveling my entire life. My parents have instilled in me a lifestyle of travel and I could not be more thankful. Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies and I try to get away as often as possible. In my past 20 years I have made it to 42 states and counting but these are my top 5 so far!

1. New Mexico

New Mexico was not what I was expecting. But New Mexico is one of the prettiest and color filled states I have been to. It is full of life and there are so many small places to explore. I had the opportunity to go to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and it was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had! If you are planning a trip to New Mexico, I would try to plan it around the festival you will not regret it! Albuquerque also has some amazing hiking trail one specifically would be the Petroglyph National Monument.

2. New York

I have always loved New York because I have family who lives there. But there are so many tourists attractions and then little places some people never talk about that are amazing! I also love that the further you go north in the state you get into a more suburban setting and most people don't think of New York as an suburban setting. One of my favorite places in New York City is Time Square. This is a very basic place to visit in New York but it is a must see at least once. Same goes for the Statue of Liberty! You can take a ferry out and see the statue and I would definitely recommend doing that! The Grand Central Terminal is a VERY cool place to visit as well. I have been to New York several times and my visit was my first time. It is all about the experience. There are several shops there and a lot of small restaurants and if you go you have to try a restaurant called ZARO'S it is amazing! When you go up a little further up into the state you can also see Niagara Falls. Niagara is one of the coolest waterfalls I have ever seen, I couldn't believe how truly big it was, pictures don't do it justice.

3. Alabama

Alabama is such a calming place. There are only a few things that are better than laying on the beach. The clear water and the white sand is hard to beat compared to other beaches in that area. But besides the beach, there are so many other things to do in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area. The Hangout is right in this area and is so much fun! There is always something fun happening at the Hangout! A fun restaurant to go to in this area is LuLu's. Its an outside restaurant and has a volleyball court and other fun things to do. They also have the BEST virgin strawberry daiquiris. If you are looking for a relaxing yet upbeat fun vacation Alabama is perfect!

4. Maine

When I traveled to Maine I was actually on there for a total of about 17 hours. The fact that this state still made my top five list just shows how amazing Maine is! I only made it to Portland, Maine which is about as south as you can get in Maine. But while I was there I explored A LOT in a short 17 hours. I went to several light houses because I didn't realize this but they are EVERYWHERE in Maine and they are so cool! I also went to Fort Williams Park which is a lighthouse and also has a lot of history behind it. You can't go to Maine without eating lobster! I went to a restaurant right on the water and it's called "Portland Lobster Co." The food was amazing and so was the view! I can't wait to explore Maine some more. I haven't been to Acadia National Park but I have heard it is amazing and if you're in the area is somewhere you should go!

5. Colorado

I hate to say it because it its so hard to pick favorites, but Colorado is just a place that feels like home. My family loves traveling to Colorado during Christmas time. We love to ski and we are big fans of Copper Mountain. If you are ever in the Breckenridge area you have to make a stop downtown to "Crepes A La Cart", they are the best crepes you will ever eat. The best thing about Colorado is that it is just as pretty in the summer as it is in the winter. I got the opportunity to climb a mountain with 11 of my best friends and to this day it is still one of my favorite memories. We summited Mt. Guyot and it was such an amazing feeling. So if you love mountains and hiking Colorado is such an amazing place to experience all of those in just one trip. Colorado is a place I hope to live someday. So maybe I can say that Colorado is my all time favorite state as of now!