States with the most scenic roads? States with the least scenic roads?

[Max Rockatansky]

Going to play the Local Card and say that Alabama is more of a 4/5 than a 6.

It's a 6/7/8 if you've just done the 67-mile straight shot on I-10, or powered though I-20; also probably underwhelming in the north-central parts of the Tennessee Valley. It's not going to be overly mountainous like states in Rockies (or even its neighbors in Georgia and Tennessee) but 2/3 of the state is rarely flat and has some varied vegetation from north to south, east to west. The charm is off the interstate, though there's a few spots I-65 north of Birmingham and I-20 just east of it which are quite scenic.

Florida is another oddity that deserves better. If you've only driven on the Interstates/Turnpike, I can't convince you that it's not really dull. 375 of 380+ miles of I-95 is straight-up agonizing, I-10 is repetitive in most places, and much of I-75 is in the same boat (though, a little more varied). 80% of the Turnpike is fearsomely dull. If you're looking for mountains, then that's your fault! Like looking for beaches in Iowa, swampland in Oregon, or dormant volcanoes in Rhode Island, you need to fixate on something else in each. The secret is in the state and county roads, though some of the US Routes are much more interesting. Though there's some dogs...SR 70 is a boring slog, while SR 50/60 is a great way to see a lot of the state's variety.

But the Lake Wales Ridge is scenic; the thousands of lakes and ponds make for curvy roads. The northern part of the state has a variety of vegetation and plenty of hills, though few that would require scaling. Show me another place on the East Coast with lush flowering plants in December and February, dozens of types of palm trees, and a variety of public beaches. The Keys are like nothing else in the US, and the same goes for the Everglades (though, it's mostly just a huge uninhabited swamp which is formidable to wander around in). Florida is different because it doesn't have what most states do have, but it also has a lot of what others do not.

Not going to put Florida on a pedestal with New York, California, Colorado, or even North Carolina...but there's a lot off the interstates, away from the big cities/suburbs.

The last time I was on the Florida Turnpike, I didn't realize how many rolling hills there were just west of Orlando

Most of the best inland roads in Florida are west of Orlando on the Brooksville Ridge or Ocala Plateau.  There are actually really remarkable vistas on some roads like Pasco County Route 41.  I really like FL 50 west of US 27 to US 41 in particular, it has an "Old Florida"  feel with all those tiny communities lining the Green Swamp. 

[Flint1979]

Going to play the Local Card and say that Alabama is more of a 4/5 than a 6.

It's a 6/7/8 if you've just done the 67-mile straight shot on I-10, or powered though I-20; also probably underwhelming in the north-central parts of the Tennessee Valley. It's not going to be overly mountainous like states in Rockies (or even its neighbors in Georgia and Tennessee) but 2/3 of the state is rarely flat and has some varied vegetation from north to south, east to west. The charm is off the interstate, though there's a few spots I-65 north of Birmingham and I-20 just east of it which are quite scenic.

Florida is another oddity that deserves better. If you've only driven on the Interstates/Turnpike, I can't convince you that it's not really dull. 375 of 380+ miles of I-95 is straight-up agonizing, I-10 is repetitive in most places, and much of I-75 is in the same boat (though, a little more varied). 80% of the Turnpike is fearsomely dull. If you're looking for mountains, then that's your fault! Like looking for beaches in Iowa, swampland in Oregon, or dormant volcanoes in Rhode Island, you need to fixate on something else in each. The secret is in the state and county roads, though some of the US Routes are much more interesting. Though there's some dogs...SR 70 is a boring slog, while SR 50/60 is a great way to see a lot of the state's variety.

But the Lake Wales Ridge is scenic; the thousands of lakes and ponds make for curvy roads. The northern part of the state has a variety of vegetation and plenty of hills, though few that would require scaling. Show me another place on the East Coast with lush flowering plants in December and February, dozens of types of palm trees, and a variety of public beaches. The Keys are like nothing else in the US, and the same goes for the Everglades (though, it's mostly just a huge uninhabited swamp which is formidable to wander around in). Florida is different because it doesn't have what most states do have, but it also has a lot of what others do not.

Not going to put Florida on a pedestal with New York, California, Colorado, or even North Carolina...but there's a lot off the interstates, away from the big cities/suburbs.

The last time I was on the Florida Turnpike, I didn't realize how many rolling hills there were just west of Orlando

I was on it from US-27 to I-75 in March I never even realized they had rolling hills.

[Max Rockatansky]

Going to play the Local Card and say that Alabama is more of a 4/5 than a 6.

It's a 6/7/8 if you've just done the 67-mile straight shot on I-10, or powered though I-20; also probably underwhelming in the north-central parts of the Tennessee Valley. It's not going to be overly mountainous like states in Rockies (or even its neighbors in Georgia and Tennessee) but 2/3 of the state is rarely flat and has some varied vegetation from north to south, east to west. The charm is off the interstate, though there's a few spots I-65 north of Birmingham and I-20 just east of it which are quite scenic.

Florida is another oddity that deserves better. If you've only driven on the Interstates/Turnpike, I can't convince you that it's not really dull. 375 of 380+ miles of I-95 is straight-up agonizing, I-10 is repetitive in most places, and much of I-75 is in the same boat (though, a little more varied). 80% of the Turnpike is fearsomely dull. If you're looking for mountains, then that's your fault! Like looking for beaches in Iowa, swampland in Oregon, or dormant volcanoes in Rhode Island, you need to fixate on something else in each. The secret is in the state and county roads, though some of the US Routes are much more interesting. Though there's some dogs...SR 70 is a boring slog, while SR 50/60 is a great way to see a lot of the state's variety.

But the Lake Wales Ridge is scenic; the thousands of lakes and ponds make for curvy roads. The northern part of the state has a variety of vegetation and plenty of hills, though few that would require scaling. Show me another place on the East Coast with lush flowering plants in December and February, dozens of types of palm trees, and a variety of public beaches. The Keys are like nothing else in the US, and the same goes for the Everglades (though, it's mostly just a huge uninhabited swamp which is formidable to wander around in). Florida is different because it doesn't have what most states do have, but it also has a lot of what others do not.

Not going to put Florida on a pedestal with New York, California, Colorado, or even North Carolina...but there's a lot off the interstates, away from the big cities/suburbs.

The last time I was on the Florida Turnpike, I didn't realize how many rolling hills there were just west of Orlando

I was on it from US-27 to I-75 in March I never even realized they had rolling hills.

US 27 essentially skirts the hill country once you get to Claremont.  The Florida Citrus Tower is even off of US 27 and really puts in perspective how much Claremont looms over Metro Orlando.   

[Flint1979]

Going to play the Local Card and say that Alabama is more of a 4/5 than a 6.

It's a 6/7/8 if you've just done the 67-mile straight shot on I-10, or powered though I-20; also probably underwhelming in the north-central parts of the Tennessee Valley. It's not going to be overly mountainous like states in Rockies (or even its neighbors in Georgia and Tennessee) but 2/3 of the state is rarely flat and has some varied vegetation from north to south, east to west. The charm is off the interstate, though there's a few spots I-65 north of Birmingham and I-20 just east of it which are quite scenic.

Florida is another oddity that deserves better. If you've only driven on the Interstates/Turnpike, I can't convince you that it's not really dull. 375 of 380+ miles of I-95 is straight-up agonizing, I-10 is repetitive in most places, and much of I-75 is in the same boat (though, a little more varied). 80% of the Turnpike is fearsomely dull. If you're looking for mountains, then that's your fault! Like looking for beaches in Iowa, swampland in Oregon, or dormant volcanoes in Rhode Island, you need to fixate on something else in each. The secret is in the state and county roads, though some of the US Routes are much more interesting. Though there's some dogs...SR 70 is a boring slog, while SR 50/60 is a great way to see a lot of the state's variety.

But the Lake Wales Ridge is scenic; the thousands of lakes and ponds make for curvy roads. The northern part of the state has a variety of vegetation and plenty of hills, though few that would require scaling. Show me another place on the East Coast with lush flowering plants in December and February, dozens of types of palm trees, and a variety of public beaches. The Keys are like nothing else in the US, and the same goes for the Everglades (though, it's mostly just a huge uninhabited swamp which is formidable to wander around in). Florida is different because it doesn't have what most states do have, but it also has a lot of what others do not.

Not going to put Florida on a pedestal with New York, California, Colorado, or even North Carolina...but there's a lot off the interstates, away from the big cities/suburbs.

The last time I was on the Florida Turnpike, I didn't realize how many rolling hills there were just west of Orlando

I was on it from US-27 to I-75 in March I never even realized they had rolling hills.

US 27 essentially skirts the hill country once you get to Claremont.  The Florida Citrus Tower is even off of US 27 and really puts in perspective how much Claremont looms over Metro Orlando.   

I remember passing that. I went right through that area. I was coming back to Michigan from Kissimmee.

[ftballfan]

Going to play the Local Card and say that Alabama is more of a 4/5 than a 6.

It's a 6/7/8 if you've just done the 67-mile straight shot on I-10, or powered though I-20; also probably underwhelming in the north-central parts of the Tennessee Valley. It's not going to be overly mountainous like states in Rockies (or even its neighbors in Georgia and Tennessee) but 2/3 of the state is rarely flat and has some varied vegetation from north to south, east to west. The charm is off the interstate, though there's a few spots I-65 north of Birmingham and I-20 just east of it which are quite scenic.

Florida is another oddity that deserves better. If you've only driven on the Interstates/Turnpike, I can't convince you that it's not really dull. 375 of 380+ miles of I-95 is straight-up agonizing, I-10 is repetitive in most places, and much of I-75 is in the same boat (though, a little more varied). 80% of the Turnpike is fearsomely dull. If you're looking for mountains, then that's your fault! Like looking for beaches in Iowa, swampland in Oregon, or dormant volcanoes in Rhode Island, you need to fixate on something else in each. The secret is in the state and county roads, though some of the US Routes are much more interesting. Though there's some dogs...SR 70 is a boring slog, while SR 50/60 is a great way to see a lot of the state's variety.

But the Lake Wales Ridge is scenic; the thousands of lakes and ponds make for curvy roads. The northern part of the state has a variety of vegetation and plenty of hills, though few that would require scaling. Show me another place on the East Coast with lush flowering plants in December and February, dozens of types of palm trees, and a variety of public beaches. The Keys are like nothing else in the US, and the same goes for the Everglades (though, it's mostly just a huge uninhabited swamp which is formidable to wander around in). Florida is different because it doesn't have what most states do have, but it also has a lot of what others do not.

Not going to put Florida on a pedestal with New York, California, Colorado, or even North Carolina...but there's a lot off the interstates, away from the big cities/suburbs.

The last time I was on the Florida Turnpike, I didn't realize how many rolling hills there were just west of Orlando

Most of the best inland roads in Florida are west of Orlando on the Brooksville Ridge or Ocala Plateau.  There are actually really remarkable vistas on some roads like Pasco County Route 41.  I really like FL 50 west of US 27 to US 41 in particular, it has an "Old Florida"  feel with all those tiny communities lining the Green Swamp. 

Hancock Road between the Turnpike and Colonial Drive (FL 50) drops around 100 feet from the Turnpike to near Clarence Lake/Old Hwy 50 before going back up around 100 feet to around Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club and then dropping back down slightly to Colonial Dr.
Near Lake Minneola HS: https://goo.gl/maps/YkuzGPrYGqN3wUEw5
Near Ridge Blvd: https://goo.gl/maps/aY5udu3uFDASk6r2A
The view toward Orlando from Hancock just north of FL 50: https://goo.gl/maps/PkpHwd6DW24C5cpEA

[index]

Ok I’ll try to sort the states into categories:


4. Good Scenery, If You Know Where To Look
Texas
Tennessee
North Carolina
Virginia
Kentucky
Missouri
Arkansas

Gonna have to disagree with "if you know where to look" for NC. That kind of implies there's no good scenery apart from stuff that's off the beaten path or not very well known, which is very, very far from the case. We have the most visited units of the parks system here - the Smokies and the Blue Ridge parkway, which definitely don't fall under the criterion of "if you know where to look". Also, NC 12. Not to mention the western third of the state has the Appalachians.


The categorization for Maine could also be lower, AFAIK, all the super good stuff is out of the way, aside from a few spots like Acadia. But don't quote me on it, I've never been there.

[Max Rockatansky]

Ok I'll try to sort the states into categories:


4. Good Scenery, If You Know Where To Look
Texas
Tennessee
North Carolina
Virginia
Kentucky
Missouri
Arkansas

Gonna have to disagree with "if you know where to look" for NC. That kind of implies there's no good scenery apart from stuff that's off the beaten path or not very well known, which is very, very far from the case. We have the most visited units of the parks system here - the Smokies and the Blue Ridge parkway, which definitely don't fall under the criterion of "if you know where to look". Also, NC 12. Not to mention the western third of the state has the Appalachians.


The categorization for Maine could also be lower, AFAIK, all the super good stuff is out of the way, aside from a few spots like Acadia. But don't quote me on it, I've never been there.

NC 12, NC 28, US 129, Newfound Gap Road, and the Blue Ridge Parkway ought to elevation North Carolina to a higher near.  Even some of the more mundane routes are pretty damn scenic compared to what is available on other states.  I-40 and I-26 even have good scenery which isn't exactly a strong suit of the Interstate system. 

[CoreySamson]

Made some changes, which are noted in bold and eliminated the last category because every state brings something unique to the table. Funnily enough, I forgot Minnesota in the last one. Somehow, no one noticed!

1. Amazing Scenery Nearly Everywhere
Hawaii
Alaska

2. Widespread Great Scenery
Washington
Vermont
West Virginia
Oregon
California
Colorado
Utah
Massachusetts

3. Great Scenery In Many Places
Arizona
New Hampshire
New York
New Mexico
Wyoming
Nevada
Idaho
Pennsylvania
Montana
Michigan
Maine

4. Widespread Areas Of Decent Scenery
Texas
Tennessee
North Carolina
Virginia
Kentucky
Missouri
Arkansas
Alabama
Florida

5. Decent Scenery In Localized Areas
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Illinois
Georgia
North Dakota
South Dakota
Maryland
Minnesota

6. Mediocre Scenery
Mississippi
Wisconsin
Ohio
South Carolina
Indiana

7. Generally Boring
Iowa
New Jersey
Oklahoma
Kansas
Nebraska
Louisiana
Delaware

[Roadgeekteen]

Made some changes, which are noted in bold and eliminated the last category because every state brings something unique to the table. Funnily enough, I forgot Minnesota in the last one. Somehow, no one noticed!

1. Amazing Scenery Nearly Everywhere
Hawaii
Alaska

2. Widespread Great Scenery
Washington
Vermont
West Virginia
Oregon
California
Colorado
Utah
Massachusetts

3. Great Scenery In Many Places
Arizona
New Hampshire
New York
New Mexico
Wyoming
Nevada
Idaho
Pennsylvania
Montana
Michigan
Maine

4. Widespread Areas Of Decent Scenery
Texas
Tennessee
North Carolina
Virginia
Kentucky
Missouri
Arkansas
Alabama
Florida

5. Decent Scenery In Localized Areas
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Illinois
Georgia
North Dakota
South Dakota
Maryland
Minnesota

6. Mediocre Scenery
Mississippi
Wisconsin
Ohio
South Carolina
Indiana

7. Generally Boring
Iowa
New Jersey
Oklahoma
Kansas
Nebraska
Louisiana
Delaware

I love my home state but we are not a whole tier above New York.

[Flint1979]

I didn't find Oklahoma boring. In fact I thought it was a pretty interesting state.

[Max Rockatansky]

I didn't find Oklahoma boring. In fact I thought it was a pretty interesting state.

I would lump Oklahoma into the same tier as Arkansas, both can be surprisingly nice.  A large chunk of Minnesota has really nice scenic highways.  MN 61 and MN 1 in the Iron Ranges immediately leap to mind.  In the case of MN 61/Old US 61 that might be a strong contender for most scenic Great Lakes Road with the likes of M-22, M-26, and Lake Shore Drive. 

[noelbotevera]

Going to argue on the behalf of New York and say that it should be a rank 2 versus 3. The Southern Tier has phenomenal scenery (various glens near the Finger Lakes, and mountainous terrain along the NY 17 corridor keeps things from being boring), while downstate has the Catskills and part of the Berkshires; Minnewaska is considered one of the best state parks in the country. The Adirondacks require no introduction - that area is already well known for its scenery.

I will admit that Staten Island is boring (haven't been out to Montauk yet, mostly been in the endless suburbs of Nassau County), but the Lake Ontario shoreline has the surreal experience known as Chimney Bluffs. New York City is scenic if you know where to look; the High Line is a good place to start, as it snakes through Lower and Midtown Manhattan.

In terms of drives; I can vouch for the Northway and NY 17 as scenic. Southern Tier roads like NY 21 are twisty, and while the mountains may not be large - they do allow for wide valleys and operatic landscapes.

[webny99]

Not to mention Letchworth, which is also consistently ranked among the best State Parks in the nation.
New York absolutely belongs in Tier 2. Or at the very least, scale Massachusetts back to Tier 3 or 4, because NY clearly has the edge between those two.

And I don't think Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma belong in the same tier as Delaware. But maybe that's just me.

[Roadgeekteen]

Going to argue on the behalf of New York and say that it should be a rank 2 versus 3. The Southern Tier has phenomenal scenery (various glens near the Finger Lakes, and mountainous terrain along the NY 17 corridor keeps things from being boring), while downstate has the Catskills and part of the Berkshires; Minnewaska is considered one of the best state parks in the country. The Adirondacks require no introduction - that area is already well known for its scenery.

I will admit that Staten Island is boring (haven't been out to Montauk yet, mostly been in the endless suburbs of Nassau County), but the Lake Ontario shoreline has the surreal experience known as Chimney Bluffs. New York City is scenic if you know where to look; the High Line is a good place to start, as it snakes through Lower and Midtown Manhattan.

In terms of drives; I can vouch for the Northway and NY 17 as scenic. Southern Tier roads like NY 21 are twisty, and while the mountains may not be large - they do allow for wide valleys and operatic landscapes.

Yeah, NY is quite underrated.

[MikieTimT]

I didn't find Oklahoma boring. In fact I thought it was a pretty interesting state.

Oklahoma east of US-69 looks pretty much like Arkansas northwest of US-67 and essentially has the foothills of the mountain ranges in Arkansas, although the Ouachitas actually go a pretty good ways into Oklahoma.  The Talimena Scenic Drive should not be missed if in that area, especially in the fall.

[Gnutella]

If you want an entire state that's boring, it's got to be Iowa.

Unfortunately, many people who bypass the state on I-29 see it that way, because the route stays in the Missouri River valley the whole time. I did that en route to SD and the most interesting part of Iowa for me was being able to see the First National Bank Tower from many miles away.. which is in Nebraska.

I've driven on I-29 in southwestern Iowa, and it blew my mind when I saw the skyscrapers of Omaha on the horizon, because I was still several miles away from Council Bluffs, surrounded by corn fields.

[Gnutella]

Going to play the Local Card and say that Alabama is more of a 4/5 than a 6.

It's a 6/7/8 if you've just done the 67-mile straight shot on I-10, or powered though I-20; also probably underwhelming in the north-central parts of the Tennessee Valley. It's not going to be overly mountainous like states in Rockies (or even its neighbors in Georgia and Tennessee) but 2/3 of the state is rarely flat and has some varied vegetation from north to south, east to west. The charm is off the interstate, though there's a few spots I-65 north of Birmingham and I-20 just east of it which are quite scenic.

Florida is another oddity that deserves better. If you've only driven on the Interstates/Turnpike, I can't convince you that it's not really dull. 375 of 380+ miles of I-95 is straight-up agonizing, I-10 is repetitive in most places, and much of I-75 is in the same boat (though, a little more varied). 80% of the Turnpike is fearsomely dull. If you're looking for mountains, then that's your fault! Like looking for beaches in Iowa, swampland in Oregon, or dormant volcanoes in Rhode Island, you need to fixate on something else in each. The secret is in the state and county roads, though some of the US Routes are much more interesting. Though there's some dogs...SR 70 is a boring slog, while SR 50/60 is a great way to see a lot of the state's variety.

But the Lake Wales Ridge is scenic; the thousands of lakes and ponds make for curvy roads. The northern part of the state has a variety of vegetation and plenty of hills, though few that would require scaling. Show me another place on the East Coast with lush flowering plants in December and February, dozens of types of palm trees, and a variety of public beaches. The Keys are like nothing else in the US, and the same goes for the Everglades (though, it's mostly just a huge uninhabited swamp which is formidable to wander around in). Florida is different because it doesn't have what most states do have, but it also has a lot of what others do not.

Not going to put Florida on a pedestal with New York, California, Colorado, or even North Carolina...but there's a lot off the interstates, away from the big cities/suburbs.

The last time I was on the Florida Turnpike, I didn't realize how many rolling hills there were just west of Orlando

Most of the best inland roads in Florida are west of Orlando on the Brooksville Ridge or Ocala Plateau.  There are actually really remarkable vistas on some roads like Pasco County Route 41.  I really like FL 50 west of US 27 to US 41 in particular, it has an "Old Florida"  feel with all those tiny communities lining the Green Swamp. 

Hancock Road between the Turnpike and Colonial Drive (FL 50) drops around 100 feet from the Turnpike to near Clarence Lake/Old Hwy 50 before going back up around 100 feet to around Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club and then dropping back down slightly to Colonial Dr.
Near Lake Minneola HS: https://goo.gl/maps/YkuzGPrYGqN3wUEw5
Near Ridge Blvd: https://goo.gl/maps/aY5udu3uFDASk6r2A
The view toward Orlando from Hancock just north of FL 50: https://goo.gl/maps/PkpHwd6DW24C5cpEA

Here's some more scenery from the Clermont area.

[Flint1979]

I didn't find Oklahoma boring. In fact I thought it was a pretty interesting state.

Oklahoma east of US-69 looks pretty much like Arkansas northwest of US-67 and essentially has the foothills of the mountain ranges in Arkansas, although the Ouachitas actually go a pretty good ways into Oklahoma.  The Talimena Scenic Drive should not be missed if in that area, especially in the fall.

For me though I never get any of that scenery where I'm at so it just never came across as boring to me. I had in the back of my mind that I'm in an unfamiliar area and kind of like that just to see where things go and see how things look.

[webny99]

This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but if I had to pick one state and stay there forever, I definitely wouldn't pick California. If I wanted a small, overpriced house in a crowded neighborhood, I could find one a few hours away in Canada. No need to go all the way to California for that.

My top 5 would be:
1. New York
2. Michigan
3. Minnesota
4. Pennsylvania
5. Texas

[SGwithADD]

Going to argue on the behalf of New York and say that it should be a rank 2 versus 3. The Southern Tier has phenomenal scenery (various glens near the Finger Lakes, and mountainous terrain along the NY 17 corridor keeps things from being boring), while downstate has the Catskills and part of the Berkshires; Minnewaska is considered one of the best state parks in the country. The Adirondacks require no introduction - that area is already well known for its scenery.

I will admit that Staten Island is boring (haven't been out to Montauk yet, mostly been in the endless suburbs of Nassau County), but the Lake Ontario shoreline has the surreal experience known as Chimney Bluffs. New York City is scenic if you know where to look; the High Line is a good place to start, as it snakes through Lower and Midtown Manhattan.

In terms of drives; I can vouch for the Northway and NY 17 as scenic. Southern Tier roads like NY 21 are twisty, and while the mountains may not be large - they do allow for wide valleys and operatic landscapes.

Yeah, NY is quite underrated.

Agreed, even setting my own bias aside. New York has coastlines to two Great Lakes (with roadways going alongside both), the Finger Lakes and surrounding hills and gorges carved out by glaciers, the wooded hilly Southern Tier, roads crossing through the Adirondacks and Catskills (with NY 17 through the Catskills even being named America's Most Scenic Highway one year!), upstate city skylines with great views from roadways thanks to hilly terrain (off the top of my head, I'm thinking of Syracuse, Albany, and Binghamton), amazing urban views of New York City as one goes downstate, the classic beaches in Long Island... I could go on, but I'd argue that aside from inside the cities/suburbs themselves, New York really does have great scenery across most of its road network, easily matching (if not surpassing) that of Massachusetts.

[Roadgeekteen]

This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but if I had to pick one state and stay there forever, I definitely wouldn't pick California. If I wanted a small, overpriced house in a crowded neighborhood, I could find one a few hours away in Canada. No need to go all the way to California for that.

My top 5 would be:
1. New York
2. Michigan
3. Minnesota
4. Pennsylvania
5. Texas

For me, Michigan would be a little too flat.

[Max Rockatansky]

This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but if I had to pick one state and stay there forever, I definitely wouldn't pick California. If I wanted a small, overpriced house in a crowded neighborhood, I could find one a few hours away in Canada. No need to go all the way to California for that.

My top 5 would be:
1. New York
2. Michigan
3. Minnesota
4. Pennsylvania
5. Texas

You are aware that if you get away from the coastal cities that cost of living goes way down?  We own a 13 year old 1,650 square foot house in Fresno that was mortgaged for 165k. We're backed up to huge swath of empty farm land which almost no chance of developing.  And unless you're talking the Rockies or Cascades even eastern Canada doesn't stack up to the scenery of the American West Coast. 

In regards to Texas, yes there is no income tax but and a somewhat low cost of living.  Trouble is almost everything East of San Antonio is either flat or in within reclaimed farm land.  You have to go to western Texas to get any of the scenery that people have talked about in this thread. 

[webny99]

You are aware that if you get away from the coastal cities that cost of living goes way down?  We own a 13 year old 1,650 square foot house in Fresno that was mortgaged for 165k. We're backed up to huge swath of empty farm land which almost no chance of developing.  And unless you're talking the Rockies or Cascades even eastern Canada doesn't stack up to the scenery of the American West Coast.

I'm not disputing that California has great scenery, and that is important, but not necessarily the main thing I'd be considering. I've seen enough of suburban California to know that it reminds of eastern Canada (the Toronto area in particular), and I just don't like that style of suburbia/development patterns. Even setting cost aside, it's too cramped, with houses too close to the street, no big trees, no big yards, etc.

Of course, you could always live in a rural area, and that's great for a few weeks vacation or even a couple months, but I don't think I could live far away from basic amenities year-round.

[Max Rockatansky]

You are aware that if you get away from the coastal cities that cost of living goes way down?  We own a 13 year old 1,650 square foot house in Fresno that was mortgaged for 165k. We're backed up to huge swath of empty farm land which almost no chance of developing.  And unless you're talking the Rockies or Cascades even eastern Canada doesn't stack up to the scenery of the American West Coast.

I'm not disputing that California has great scenery, and that is important, but not necessarily the main thing I'd be considering. I've seen enough of suburban California to know that it reminds of eastern Canada (the Toronto area in particular), and I just don't like that style of suburbia/development patterns. Even setting cost aside, it's too cramped, with houses too close to the street, no big trees, no big yards, etc.

Of course, you could always live in a rural area, and that's great for a few weeks vacation or even a couple months, but I don't think I could live far away from basic amenities year-round.

Fresno isn't exactly the most rural area in the world, there is over 500,000 residents in the City and slightly over a million in the Metro Area.  You can find a similarly affordable lifestyle in cities like Sacramento, Bakersfield, Visalia, Salinas, and Redding.  None of those are as glamorous as the cities one would normally associate California with but they are definitely far more affordable.  In my case I have four National Parks and Big Sur within less than three hours, none of the big name cities are going to offer that out here.  It kind of sounds like you visited a big city or two and assumed the whole state was like that.  That would be like me saying all of New York is urbanized and unaffordable because I went to New York City once. 

[D-Dey65]

I will admit that Staten Island is boring (haven't been out to Montauk yet, mostly been in the endless suburbs of Nassau County),...

I've been out to Montauk nearly several times in my life, and I can tell you between "downtown" Montauk and the lighthouse, it's worth it.

For Florida, in the past I might've said SR 50 in Withlacoochee State Forest and SR 52 between US 41 and Dade City, but not anymore. I could consider SRs 19, 40, 44, CRs 42, or 314 in Ocala National Forest, but I don't know how long driving on those roads will be worth it.