Most iconic feature of each state

[Max Rockatansky]

Indiana -Wabash River.
Kentucky - Mammoth Cave
Tennessee - Smokey Mountains
Ohio might just be the Ohio River
North Carolina - Pilot Mountain
Florida - The Everglades

We got some of those I know.

For Indiana if we are going for a natural feature I would say the Indiana Dunes.  Regardless I think the state is far more associated with the likes of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.   With Kentucky the Mammoth Cave is really all I can think that is on a top tier.  What about something like Arkansas?...Hot Springs National Park definitely isn't on the top tier of the Park Service list.  Others that come to mind I don't have a good answer for are Oklahoma and Alabama. 

[NWI_Irish96]

Indiana -Wabash River.
Kentucky - Mammoth Cave
Tennessee - Smokey Mountains
Ohio might just be the Ohio River
North Carolina - Pilot Mountain
Florida - The Everglades

We got some of those I know.

For Indiana if we are going for a natural feature I would say the Indiana Dunes.  Regardless I think the state is far more associated with the likes of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.   With Kentucky the Mammoth Cave is really all I can think that is on a top tier.  What about something like Arkansas?...Hot Springs National Park definitely isn't on the top tier of the Park Service list.  Others that come to mind I don't have a good answer for are Oklahoma and Alabama. 

I am taking "iconic" as something whose image would be associated with the state by the largest number of people.  IMS is definitely that for Indiana.  Notre Dame's golden dome might be more recognizable, but there are a substantial number of people who don't know what state it's in.

Mammoth Cave is a good one for Kentucky, as is Churchill Downs.

[Roadgeekteen]

Lambeau Field for Wisconsin?

Mike

Nah it's a football stadium nothing unique about it. I would say either House on the Rock or the rock formations in the dells are far more iconic.

Yeah, but it's a very special football stadium.

[J3ebrules]

The Liberty Bell is inside a building. I wouldn't consider it to be a feature.

I don't disagree, but then we're going to have to find a replacement for PA. And that's easier said than done!

Here are my initial thoughts:

The gentle rolling hills of farmland in Lancaster County - and the horses and buggies of the Amish
The PA Turnpike Tunnels
The view up Broad St in Philly to the Courthouse -
or just William Penn himself, who is either waving his penis at or petting the city, depending on which angle you catch him.

[Max Rockatansky]

Lambeau Field for Wisconsin?

Mike

Nah it's a football stadium nothing unique about it. I would say either House on the Rock or the rock formations in the dells are far more iconic.

Yeah, but it's a very special football stadium.

Speaking of Wisconsin how does a state with that much lake shore line not have a National Park?  Michigan had two, Wisconsin has one, Indiana has one, and Ohio has one.  Illinois is kind of understandable given it's shore is entirely urbanized.   For what it's worth I've always like Apostle Islands National Seashore. 

[Flint1979]

Indiana -Wabash River.
Kentucky - Mammoth Cave
Tennessee - Smokey Mountains
Ohio might just be the Ohio River
North Carolina - Pilot Mountain
Florida - The Everglades

We got some of those I know.

For Indiana if we are going for a natural feature I would say the Indiana Dunes.  Regardless I think the state is far more associated with the likes of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.   With Kentucky the Mammoth Cave is really all I can think that is on a top tier.  What about something like Arkansas?...Hot Springs National Park definitely isn't on the top tier of the Park Service list.  Others that come to mind I don't have a good answer for are Oklahoma and Alabama.

For Missouri the Ozarks come to mind in addition to the already mentioned Gateway Arch but the Ozarks are associated with Arkansas as well but not on the same scale as Missouri. It's a tough one.

Oklahoma and Alabama are hard too I can't pin anything for either state really.

[Flint1979]

Minnesota could be the Mississippi River Headwaters.

[Roadgeekteen]

Minnesota could be the Mississippi River Headwaters.

I'd go with the Mall of America.

[Max Rockatansky]

Minnesota could be the Mississippi River Headwaters.

I'd go with the Mall of America.

That's pretty depressing and a call back to an era that has long died.  Minnesota has to be something outdoor oriented, it has one of the best recreational environments in the Midwest.  Why not something like Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior?

[Roadgeekteen]

Minnesota could be the Mississippi River Headwaters.

I'd go with the Mall of America.

That's pretty depressing and a call back to an era that has long died.  Minnesota has to be something outdoor oriented, it has one of the best recreational environments in the Midwest.  Why not something like Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior?

Yeah, I know. I'm trying to pick something everyone would know.

[Beltway]

The Liberty Bell is inside a building. I wouldn't consider it to be a feature.

I don't disagree, but then we're going to have to find a replacement for PA. And that's easier said than done!

I think I was the first one to post on Pennsylvania
-- Independence National Park and the Liberty Bell

The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both debated and signed inside Independence Hall.

Other contenders --
-- Gettysburg National Military Park
-- Valley Forge and Valley Forge National Historical Park.

[Beltway]

NJ: Either the NJ Turnpike, Atlantic City, Jersey Tomatoes, the Jersey Shore (the coastline), or, ugh, the Jersey Shore (the TV show).

Interesting ... it didn't occur to me that Ellis Island is in New Jersey.

A few of these are questionable and the two bridges are shared with another state, but Cape May and Wildwood are very impressive.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-jersey/nj-iconic-spots/
1. Ellis Island
2. Atlantic City
3. Newark
4. Wildwoods
5. Point Pleasant
6. High Point Monument
7. Jersey City
8. Benjamin Franklin Bridge
9. Met Life (Giant's) Stadium
10. George Washington Bridge
11. Cape May
12. Asbury Park Convention Hall/Paramount Theater

[sprjus4]

Gotta love Virginia!
I was surprised to pass over the border a couple of days ago and not see a "Radar Detectors Illegal"  sign. Probably just got knocked down.

Speeders have a rather shuttered and blinkered and limited view of what is important.

Ah yes, the only state in the country to ban radar detectors.

[CoreySamson]

Texas is easy: the Alamo.

Close seconds:
1. Buc-ee's 
2. Cowboys Stadium
3. Cadillac Ranch
4. The State Capitol Building


Someone said New Mexico lacks an iconic feature. I disagree, even though I've never been to New Mexico; Carlsbad Caverns is pretty iconic.

[KEVIN_224]

I wonder what state has the least recognizable most iconic feature?

I'm drawing a blank on what would be good for Connecticut and I lived there for six years.  I can think of some stuff like the Merritt Parkway but nothing that really encompasses the whole state. 

In lieu of the Charter Oak...the Old State House?

[OracleUsr]

Someone mentioned NC being Cape Hatteras.  I agree, hands down.  The Lighthouse is the tallest in the US and appears on numerous signs, not to mention some DL's.

Second would probably be Kitty Hawk, where the Wright Brothers took flight.

[Beltway]

Gotta love Virginia!  I was surprised to pass over the border a couple of days ago and not see a "Radar Detectors Illegal"  sign. Probably just got knocked down.

Speeders have a rather shuttered and blinkered and limited view of what is important.

Ah yes, the only state in the country to ban radar detectors.

Why do you need a radar detector unless you are going to break the speeding law, and by a wide margin.  No sympathy from me.

Your statement is wrong -- the District of Columbia bans radar detectors, and they are banned for commercial vehicles in every state.

[sprjus4]

Why do you need a radar detector unless you are going to break the speeding law, and by a wide margin.  No sympathy from me.

With the introduction of Waze in the past few years, the need to own a radar detector has gotten pretty obsolete. Waze is quite effective at identifying speed traps, and so far isn't banned in any states. Is that even possible?

Either way... if you detect a cop, you're going to slow down. If a police trap is in place for the safety of motorists and to get people to slow down in the name of safety, then the job is done. Same thing with Waze. So why are they illegal? Is there another motive behind police traps? Hint: $$$

No wonder many agencies have complained about Waze's police trap feature. If it was in the name of safety, it shouldn't be an issue.

Your statement is wrong -- the District of Columbia bans radar detectors, and they are banned for commercial vehicles in every state.

DC isn't a state, and I never mentioned commercial vehicles. Virginia is the only state in the United States to prohibit radar detectors in passenger vehicles. There's no reason they should be... unless there's another motive behind police traps besides safety.

[Beltway]

Why do you need a radar detector unless you are going to break the speeding law, and by a wide margin.  No sympathy from me.

With the introduction of Waze in the past few years, the need to own a radar detector has gotten pretty obsolete. Waze is quite effective at identifying speed traps, and so far isn't banned in any states. Is that even possible?

Without banning smart phones not sure how you could ban a smart phone app.  Many people including myself do not use smart phones or pay for nav apps.

Most traffic enforcement uses LIDAR and non-radio technology, so a radar detector is useless for that.

Your statement is wrong -- the District of Columbia bans radar detectors, and they are banned for commercial vehicles in every state.

DC isn't a state, and I never mentioned commercial vehicles.

DC is not part of a state and you made it sound like all vehicles are impacted. 

If you are a commercial vehicle operator then you are impacted, and for all I know you may be an over the road trucker.

Virginia is the only state in the United States to prohibit radar detectors in passenger vehicles. There's no reason they should be... unless there's another motive behind police traps besides safety.

To deter scofflaws.  Why would anyone want a radar detector unless you want to speed and by a wide margin, then it shouldn't even be on your mind let alone complaining about it online.

Why did you again start a discussion about speeding in a thread that has nothing to do with it?

[ilpt4u]

What about Iowa? I am tempted to say Corn Fields...but I'll zero in on a certain corn field that is?was? scheduled to host some MLB games this summer: The Field of Dreams

[Roadgeekteen]

Why do you need a radar detector unless you are going to break the speeding law, and by a wide margin.  No sympathy from me.

With the introduction of Waze in the past few years, the need to own a radar detector has gotten pretty obsolete. Waze is quite effective at identifying speed traps, and so far isn't banned in any states. Is that even possible?

Without banning smart phones not sure how you could ban a smart phone app.  Many people including myself do not use smart phones or pay for nav apps.

Most traffic enforcement uses LIDAR and non-radio technology, so a radar detector is useless for that.

Your statement is wrong -- the District of Columbia bans radar detectors, and they are banned for commercial vehicles in every state.

DC isn't a state, and I never mentioned commercial vehicles.

DC is not part of a state and you made it sound like all vehicles are impacted. 

If you are a commercial vehicle operator then you are impacted, and for all I know you may be an over the road trucker.

Virginia is the only state in the United States to prohibit radar detectors in passenger vehicles. There's no reason they should be... unless there's another motive behind police traps besides safety.

To deter scofflaws.  Why would anyone want a radar detector unless you want to speed and by a wide margin, then it shouldn't even be on your mind let alone complaining about it online.

Why did you again start a discussion about speeding in a thread that has nothing to do with it?

Agree with the last point, let's move the radar discussion to another thread.

[Beltway]

Why did you again start a discussion about speeding in a thread that has nothing to do with it?

Agree with the last point, let's move the radar discussion to another thread.

Better yet let die.  It has been hashed ad nauseum before.

[sprjus4]

Without banning smart phones not sure how you could ban a smart phone app.  Many people including myself do not use smart phones or pay for nav apps.

Waze has a wide audience and is used by over 50 million people. Google Maps also recently added a police trap function, though is not as effective IMO as Waze is. Both Google Maps and Waze are free to use.

Waze's police reporting function is quite effective, and I've ran into more situations where traps are falsely reported rather than not reported. Actual active traps are for the most part always reported, at least on interstate highways.

Most traffic enforcement uses LIDAR and non-radio technology, so a radar detector is useless for that.

So why make it illegal?

I can drive to all 49 other states and utilize a radar detector 100% legally, but in Virginia, I'll get a fine. Is it really about safety or revenue?

[CoreySamson]

Just thought of a better one for New Mexico: the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival.

[Max Rockatansky]

Texas is easy: the Alamo.

Close seconds:
1. Buc-ee's 
2. Cowboys Stadium
3. Cadillac Ranch
4. The State Capitol Building


Someone said New Mexico lacks an iconic feature. I disagree, even though I've never been to New Mexico; Carlsbad Caverns is pretty iconic.

The interesting thing is that the Guadalupe Mountains have two National Parks next to each other.  In the case of Guadalupe Mountains National Park much of the notable parts are in Texas but it bleeds into New Mexico right to the border of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  Personally I think the Caverns are the most notable natural feature in New Mexico by far but the geography is pretty distinctly shared with Western Texas. 

One I didn't think of earlier is the City of Roswell.  All that alien BS has given that city and New Mexico way more attention for all the wrong reasons than it probably would have ever had otherwise (incidentally the "crash" happened close to Corona).