Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DANIEL FISHEL/THRILLIST
TRAVEL
In this divided time in America, it's important for us to celebrate the good things. And while we have
occasionally been known to tease states for their quirks and shortcomings (and horrifying
traditions), it all comes from a place of love.
With pride in our hearts and unity on our minds, we set out to identify the very best thing in each and
every of these United States. We're talking about great people, legendary food, singular sporting
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events, and some of the most breathtaking sights the planet (no full-on cities though, that's just too
easy). Hold your head high, America. Yeah, even you Florida and sorry in advance for teasing you
again. Again, it's all love.
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wonder. And many a nostalgic adult has thanked him for it 10 years later with their own kids packed
into a car.
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It's one of the nest, most prolic, most respected craft breweries in the country, from its 90-Minute
IPA to its World Wide Stout to its experimental one-offs. Few true craft beers are on as many
shelves, and few brewers have turned as many Americans on to the world beyond the zzy yellow
stuff as Sam Calagione while still remaining independent. That, and the only other thing we could
think of was "that one joke from Wayne's World."
Georgia: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Georgia is the home of sh and grits and all that pimp shit, but looking at the roster of Georgia-bred
rappers who have fundamentally changed the course of music over the past few decades (and still
continue to do so) shows that Georgia's contribution to music deserves a place alongside
Tennessee's. Outkast (reunion, please!), Luda, 2 Chainz, Future, B.o.B, Migos, T.I., CeeLo, Killer Mike,
Lil Jon (yeeeeah!), Young Jeezy if that doesn't say enough, watch two episodes of Atlanta and you'll
realize that Georgia's contribution to music culture is so much more than Dirty South. It's a way of
life that's proved contagious.
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Hawaii: Beaches
Oh, sure, we could have gone with Tiki drinks, the rich Polynesian culture, the delicious seafood,
SPAM musubi, surng, Don Ho, that big guy who sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with the
voice of an angel, or volcanoes. But guess what? All of those things are best enjoyed on any of
Hawaii's beaches, all of which could be considered among the world's best. Actually, maybe chill on
the SPAM stuff. ( Just kidding, it's great .)
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get at the many other races that have proliferated since. There's also a guy standing in front of you
whose shirt says "By the time you read this, I farted." It's all part of what remains the ofcial engine
rev that lets America know summer is upon us. Who wants milk?
Iowa: Caucuses
Every four years, Iowans gather with neighbors to leave the rest of the country slightly confused as
to exactly what they're up to as they prepare to make people like Mike Huckabee and Dick Gephardt
think they might actually be president. Fine, sometimes they get it right , too. Either way, it's become
a big part of our democracy, much like a big piece of fried pork tenderloin crammed into an adorably
tiny bun.
Kentucky: Bourbon
There's a common misconception that true bourbon legally MUST come from Kentucky. That's not
true (though it does have to be made in the US). However, it is indisputably true that Kentucky
continues to turn out the vast majority of America's bourbon (and the vast majority of America's
really, really good bourbon). Even if you don't fancy yourself much of a fan, spend a couple of days
touring the different distilleries and you'll be hard-pressed not to walk away with a deeper
appreciation for the one spirit that, more than any other, truly belongs to the USA. Especially after
you house that box of chocolate-covered bourbon balls you purchased at the gift shop. Here, chase
them down with a mint julep!
Louisiana: Jazz
When you're the birthplace of one of America's most important musical forms, it's hard to hold up
the virtues of po-boys and Cajun culture on the same scale. Mardi Gras? Consider it the greatest jazz
fest in the country. But beyond the beads, Louisiana jazz can be found in basically every corner of
NOLA and beyond, and over the course of the century it's seeped out and become part of the global
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soundtrack. That it's still practiced and appreciated in its essence where it was born, though, is a
testament to its place in the state.
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Maine: Lobster
Apologies to the many ne literary efforts of Stephen King and the distinct, "I'm not really sure if I
like this... what is this?" avor of Moxie , but there really wasn't anything else to consider here. Sure,
you can get yourself a quality lobster roll further inland if you're willing to sign away the rights to
one of your kidneys or children. However, there's no substitute for picking up a perfectly cooked
crustacean that some grizzled lobsterman caught that morning, knowing you paid SO much less than
those suckers from elsewhere, and enjoying it with some steamers on a back porch during a summer
sunset chased with a cold beer. Or a Moxie, if you're weird.
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Michigan's other great things -- MoTown, hot dogs, pasties, and beer are made innitely better
when enjoyed on a dock or a boat to the gentle splash of waves.
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When you're a landlocked state, sometimes you have to be resourceful. Lake of the Ozarks is man-
made and massive, a bending, serpent-shaped reservoir created from the Osage River with so many
jagged inlets that its 1,150 miles of waterfront trump the California coastline. So much space means
there's something for everyone. If you want a quiet day shing, that's an option. If you want to drink
all day among hundreds, if not thousands of boats doing the exact same thing with the distinct
possibility of witnessing some nude people doing unspeakable things on a Jet-Ski, may we suggest
Party Cove ?
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F11PHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK
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Because your friend from Tufts Chad's parents had a lake house up there and they were generally
chill about you going up there to party. No, not Manchester Chad. Portsmouth Chad.
But mostly it's just because it's sneaky beautiful and nonstop fun to say. Thanks for the invite, Chad!
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calling the old copper lady a little underwhelming in person. The statue's tangible majesty doesn't
translate in the esh, especially compared to the sea of skyscrapers in front of it. But like most truly
important things, its value doesn't rely on the physical. France gifted us the ol' girl in 1888 as a
reminder of our own independence. It served as an oxidized, sea-green beacon of hope to the tidal
wave of tired, poor, and huddled masses yearning to breathe free by coming to America. Lady
Liberty represents the Empire State better than anything, and this is a state that also claims Buffalo
wings, the Yankees, Central Park, Niagara Falls, and some of the world's greatest architectural
wonders. The Statue of Liberty has long served as a symbol of the values our country was founded
on. And hopefully, it always will.
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Oregon: Beer
We could have just gone with "nature" and been right. Or picked one natural feature, though that
sells it short considering Oregon has everything from deserts to rainforests, mountains, gorges,
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canyons, mountains, an incredible shoreline, and a gigantic lake made from a collapsing volcano. But
one thing all those areas have in common is that they're all right next to great breweries. More than
260 breweries populate the Beaver State, after all, and they're some of the world's best. Hell, a
majority of the hops that go in beers, from micro to macro, come from Oregon, and this is the home
of the amped-up IPA craze. There's a beer for any occasion. And let's face it, whether you're
snowshoeing around a frozen mountain lake or posing for a sele in front of the house from The
Goonies, knowing there's a great (or at least a pretty good) brewery within spitting distance --
regardless of elevation, climate, or geographical politics -- is pretty damn comforting.
Pennsylvania: Freedom
While Pennsylvania might currently be known as the state with the worst sports fans and the best
sandwiches , it was once the breeding ground for American democracy, and ground zero for our
founding fathers to, um found. When you walk into Independence Hall, you might feel a sense of
reverence normally reserved for cathedrals. There's a quiet solace in there that no fourth-grade eld
trippers can ruin. Pennsylvania -- a state divided between blue and red, Eagles and Steelers, Wawa
and Sheetz -- has played a more prominent role in our country's pursuit of freedom and unity than
any other. Both the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were drafted and
signed in Philly. And the Liberty Bell, though cracked (and not by the hands of an intoxicated Flyers
fan), remains a symbol of the freedom Pennsylvania helped our country achieve, despite being
unable to make freedom literally ring. At the end of the day, cheesesteaks and handcrafted furniture
are nice, right? Well, the Bill of Rights -- though inedible -- is better.
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including the Federal period homes of Broad St and the incredible, super-old-school bars and
restaurants on King. The St. Michael's Episcopal Church has been in service since 2752, and the
County Courthouse has been doing justice (and injustice) since 1792. There's even a French Quarter
here chock-full of gas-lit alleys. It's like going to a historic reenactment site, but without all the corny
shit and faux blacksmiths.
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COLE SALADINO/THRILLIST
Texas: Brisket
There's a reason barbecue acionados from all over talk about Texas brisket with an almost religious
reverence. It's the easiest major protein in the American barbecue canon to screw up, and arguably
the most transcendent when it's executed at its highest level. That's not to say that there aren't
pitmasters from elsewhere making an honest effort to do it justice here and there, but it's an entirely
different game in Texas, a game that more often than not ends with you making undecipherable
guttural sounds while some perfectly harmonious amalgam of fatty beef and black pepper dances on
your taste buds.
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you're looking up in awe the entire time and realizing that Mother Nature would have made a hell of
an architect.
RICHARD A MCMILLIN/SHUTTERSTOCK
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Wisconsin: Dairy
It's not that other states lack dairy products. It's that no other state embraces them with the gusto of
the Badger State. It's one thing to produce some of the nation's favorite cheeses, it's another to stare
at a pile of squeaky cheese curds and say to yourself, "We should batter and fry those suckers and
then dip them in ranch." It's one thing to enjoy the simple pleasures of a cheeseburger. It's quite
another to say to yourself, " This would be better if it was drenched in melted butter ." And it's not
like they're doing any of this to show off. Wisconsin is a place that understands simple, universal
truths. Dairy fat is good. Pork fat is good. Beef fat is good. Enjoying them all in concert with a cold
beer is the simplest path to happiness.
Wyoming: Yellowstone
No national park offers up quite the range of different geographical oddities and wonders as
Yellowstone does. Fart-scented sulfuric pits? Yep. Geysers with the timing of a Swiss watch,
towering waterfalls, majestic lakes, mountains, prairies, and canyons? Yep. And yeah, Old Faithful
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and the old lodge draw tourists quicker than Mickey ghting Goofy at Disney World, but that just
means they're distracted from the good stuff. All you need to do is choose a road or path and
wander. Around each curve you'll nd something else to make you think you're on another planet.
And just when you think you're done, you emerge into the Tetons if you keep heeding that whole "go
west, young man" thing.
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