Nevada (NV)

State Flag of Nevada

 

"The Silver State"

"Battle Born State", Sagebrush State", "Sage-hen State" and "Silver State"

Why visit Nevada?

Great for birdwatching, casinos, deserts, entertainment, fishing, foodies, geology, ghost towns, helicopter experiences, hiking, hunting, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, watersports, wildflowers and zip-lining.

Las Vegas Landmark, Las Vegas, NV. Photo Credit: skeeze/Pixabay 

A popular destination for:

• Amateur & Professional Photographers
• Conventions, Meetings & Reunions
• Destination Wedding
• Groups: Family, Friends, Multigenerational and Reunions
• Milestones: Anniversary, Bachelor Party, Bachelorette Party, Birthday, Honeymoon, Retirement and Vow Renewal

Seven Magic Mountain Sculptures, Las Vegas, NV. Photo Credit: Rudi Nockewel/Pixabay  

At a Glance

• Capital: Carson City
• State Bird: Mountain Bluebird
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata)
• State Gemstone: Nevada Turquoise and Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal 
• State Mammal: Desert Bighorn Sheep
• State Rock: Sandstone 

Great Reno Balloon Race, Reno, NV. Photo Credit: debi1016/Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• One of the oldest human remains estimated to be 9,400 years old ever found in North America was found buried in a cave, Spirit Cave Man (Fallon).
  
• In 1859, gold was discovered at Comstock Lode (Virginia City). Today, the fourth-largest producer of gold in the world.
  
• From 1951-1962, tested nuclear weapons and underground testing of weapons until 1992.
• In 2015, same sex marriages became legal.
  
• The Federal Government is known to own 80% of the state.
• The only state where brothel's and prostitution is legal. Illegal in Carson City, Las Vegas and Reno.
  
• Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) aid families to help pay the tuition for private schools, textbooks and tutoring otherwise at a poverty level.
  
• Has the most hotel rooms per capita, averaging one hotel room for every 14 residents.
• Home to over 165,000 slot machines, the largest jackpot won was at Excalibur Hotel Casino in the amount of $39,713,982.25 from Los Angeles visitor.
• Home to gourmet premium chocolate, Ethel M Chocolates, a division of Mars, Incorporated.
• Las Vegas has over 300 weddings a day.
• Features 2 National Forests and 24 State Parks.

Valley of Fire State Park, Overton, NV. Steve Adcock/Pixabay 

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Brandon Flowers (Musician), Bryce Harper (Athlete), Kris Bryant (Athlete) and Matthew Gray Gubler (Actor), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Casino (1995), Independence Day (1996), Lost in America (1985), The Misfits (1961), The Professionals (1966), Top Gun 1986) and Waking Up in Reno (2002), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Nevada: Based on a True Story (written by 
  Norm Macdonald)
  Battleborn (written by 
  Claire Vaye Watkins), 
  Mountain City (written by 
  Gregory Martin), 
  Roughing It (written by Mark Twain) and The General (written by Robert Muchamore), just to name a few.

Grand Canyon, NV. Photo Credit: mgrayis/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Amtrak stops daily in Reno and Truckee.
• Beware of Heat Strokes, symptoms include: confusion, dizziness, fast/strong pulse, headache, high body temperature, nausea, passing out and skin changes (damp, dry, hot or red).
• Lodging Tax Rate varies between 12%-13%.
  
• Beware of poisonous black widow spiders, scorpions and snakes.
• Nevada Law prohibits "chips" to be used for anything other than gambling.
  
• High altitude will cause fatigue and intoxican faster than normal.
  
• Rules often vary between casinos.
• There's no "Last Call" as bars are permitted to be open 24 hours. Alcohol is also sold 24 hours in convenience stores, liquor stores and supermarkets.
  
• "The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act" (smoking ban) does not apply to bars serving food, brothels, certain hotel rooms, large casinos and tobacco shops.
  

Subject to (occasional) earthquakes, heat waves, humidity, (rare) hurricanes, mountain snowstorms, tornados, wildfires and windstorms.

• Best Time to Visit: March - April and October - November
• Coldest Month: December
• Hottest Months: June - September

Hoover Dam, NV. Photo Credit: LoggaWiggler/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Fort Churchill, Fort Ruby, Francis G Newlands Home,  Hoover Dam, Leonard Rockshelter,  McKeen Motor Car #70, Nevada Northern Railway and Virginia City Historic District.
• Museums: Atomic Testing Museum, Aviation Museum, Battle Mountain Cookhouse Museum, Buckaroo Hall of Fame, Burlesque Hall of Fame, California Trail Interpretive Center, Central Nevada Museum, Children's Museum of Northern Nevada, Churchill County Museum, Clark County Museum, Discovery Children's Museum, Erotic Heritage Museum, Eureka Sentinel Museum, Fourth Ward School Museum, Goldwell Open Air Museum, Hoover Dam Museum, Humboldt Museum, John & Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art, Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Liberace Museum, Lost City Museum, Lyon County Museum, Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, National Atomic Testing Museum, National Automobile Museum, Nevada Historical Society, Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada Northern Railway Museum, Nevada State Museum, Nevada State Railroad Museum,  Nevada State Railroad Museum Boulder City, Nostalgia Street Rods, Northeastern Nevada Museum, Pinball Hall of Fame, Springs Preserve, Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum, The Discovery - Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, The Mob Museum, The Neon Museum, The Nevada State Museum, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Virgin Valley Heritage Museum, Way It Was Museum, Western Folklife Center, White Pine Public Museum, Wilbur D May Center, W. M. Keck Earth Science & Mineral Engineering Museum and Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum.
• Popular Attractions: Animal Ark, Area 51, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Basin & Range National Monument, Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, Big Shot, Black Rock Desert, Boulder Beach, Burnt Cedar Beach, Cathedral Gorge State Park, Charleston Peak, Chimney Beach, Cirque du Soleil,  College of Southern Nevada Planetarium, Comstock Lode, Cowabunga Bay, Death Valley National Park, Eiffel Tower Experience, Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden, Exploration Peak Park, Dig This, Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery, Ethel M Botanical Cactus Gardens, Fire Wave, Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, Fleischmann Planetarium,  Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon, Floyd Lamb Park, Fly Geyser, Fremont Street Experience, Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary, Gondola Rides, Great Basin National Park, Guardian Angel Cathedral, Heavenly Gondola & Adventure Park, Hershey's Chocolate World, Hidden Beach Plaza, Hidden Cave, High Roller, Hoover Dam, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Idlewild Park, International Car Forest of the Last Church, Inyo National Forest, Lake Las Vegas, Lake Mead, Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Lamoille Canyon, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, Lee Canyon, Lehman Caves, Lion Habitat Ranch, Little A’Le’Inn, LoveLock Cave, Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N, Metropolitan Gallery, Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, Mojave Desert, Mount Charleston, Mouse's Tank Road, NASCAR's Pennzoil 400, National Bowling Stadium, Nevada Beach, Nevada State Capitol, Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park, Parashant National Monument, Pinball Hall of Fame, Piper’s Opera House, Pyramid Lake, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Riverwalk, Ruby Mountains, Rhyolite, Sand Harbor Beach, Secret Cove,Seven Magic Mountains, Shark Reef Aquarium, Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Sierra Nevada Zoological Park, Silent Heroes Of The Cold War National Memorial, Ski Beach, SkyJump, Skypod, SlotZilla Zipline, South Point 400, Spencer Hot Springs, Spirit Cave Man, Sportsmans Beach, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, Spring Mountain Range, Springs Preserve, Stremmel Gallery, The Adventuredome Indoor Theme Park, The Exhibition (Bodies), The Linq Promenade, The Volcano, Thunder Mountain Monument, Tonopah Historic Mining Park, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Valley of Fire State Park, Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, Wet‘n’Wild Las Vegas, Whale Beach, Wild Island Family Adventure Park and X-Scream.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Belmont, Boulder City, Carson City, Enterprise, Fallon, Genoa, Henderson, Indian Springs, Las Vegas, Laughlin, Paradise, Reno, Searchlight, Sparks, Spring Valley, Sunrise Manor and Virginia City. 
• Special Events: (January) National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Otakon Vegas, World of Concrete, (February) Taste And Sounds Of Soul, (March) Amusement Expo, Neon Reverb, (April) Academy of Country Music (ACM) Party for a Cause, Bender Jamboree, Emerge Impact & Music, Holi Festival of Colors, Indian Food & Cultural Festival, Las Rageous, Laughlin River Run,  Reno Jazz Festival, Tinker Classic Cycling Festival & Race, Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, (May) 24 Hours of Country Music Festival, Best Dam Barbecue Challenge, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), European Music Fest, Helldorado Days, Jim Butler Days & Nevada State Mining Championships, Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival, Reno River Festival, Vino Del Lago Jazz Festival, (June) DEF CON, Las Vegas Death Fest, Las Vegas Elvis Festival, Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen, Reno Rodeo, Stewart Father’s Day Powwow, (July) Artown, Chalk Art Festival, Evolution Championship Series (Evo), Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, National Basque Festival, RollerCon, Silver State Stampede, (August) Burning Man, Fallon Cantaloupe Festival & Country Fair, Goldfield Days, Hot August Nights, Psycho Fest, Underground Link Music Festival, (September) Burning Man Arts Festival, Fears Tears & Beers Mountain Bike Enduro, Genoa Candy Dance Arts & Crafts Faire, Great Basin Astronomy Festival, Great Reno Balloon Race, iHeartRadio Music Festival, International Camel & Ostrich Races, Las Vegas Bikefest, Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival, National Championship Air Races, Silver State Classic Challenge, World Human Powered Speed Challenge, (October) Age of Chivalry Festival, Annual Rose Regatta, Off Beat Music Festival, Rise Lantern Festival, SNAFU Con, Vegas Beer & Music Festival, World Championship Outhouse Races, (November) Anime Vegas, Pahrump Social Powwow, (December) America’s Party and Reno Santa Pub Crawl.

Las Vegas Strip, NV. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

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Nebraska (NE)

Nebraska State Flag

 

"Cornhusker State"

"Bug Eaters", "Cornhuskers", "The Tree Planter State" and "Tree Planters" 

Why visit Nebraska?

Travelers seeking an Old West destination to enjoy agate fossil beds, biking, birdwatching, boating, chimney rocks, fishing, canoeing, golf, hiking, historic structures, hunting, indie music, kayaking, museums, prairie farmland, rodeos, small towns and wildlife. 

Crawford, NE. Photo Credit: Thomas Fields/Unsplash

At a Glance

• Capital: Lincoln
• State Bird: Western Meadowlark
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Goldenrod
• State Gemstone: Blue Chalcedony 
• State Mammal: White Tailed Deer
• State Rock: Prairie Agate 

“Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking.” ~ John G Neihardt

Fremont, NE. Photo Credit:  David Mark/Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• The only state in the country with a nonpartisan and one-house legislature.
  
• A major producer of beef, corn (maize), pork, sorghum and soybeans.
  
• One of our nation's top ten producers of honey.
  
• Has the world's largest train yard, Union Pacific's Bailey Yard (North Platte). 
  
• Created in his mother's kitchen (Hastings), Edwin Perkins (1889-1961) invented the classic childhood powder drink Kool-Aid (1927) from a liquid concentrate, Fruit Smack.
  
• The only state in our country where all electric utilities are publicly owned.
• There are more than 500 Historical Markers throughout the state.
• Features 87 State Parks.

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Daniel Lawrence Whitney "Larry the Cable Guy" (Actor), Fred Astaire (Actor), Gabrielle Union (Actress), Hilary Swank (Actress), Malcolm Little "Malcolm X" (Activist), Marg Helgenberger (Actress), Marlon Brando (Actor), Swoosie Kurtz (Actress) and Warren Buffett (Investor), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach (2009), Boys Don't Cry (1999), Children of the Corn (1999), Election (1999), Heaven Is for Real (2014), Mr Woodcock (2007), Nebraska (2013), Night of the Twisters (1996) and Peacock (2010), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Nebraska: A Guide to the Ghosts of Lincoln (written  by Alan Boye), History of Nebraska (written by James C. Olson), Local Wonders (written by Ted Kooser), Nebraska Folklore (written by Louise Pound), Nebraska Moments (written by Donald R Hickey), One of Ours (written by Willa Cather), just to name a few.

“Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children?” ~ John G Neihardt

Scottsbluff, NE. Photo Credit:  pirndom/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Expect long commutes between destinations.
• More than 500,000 Sandhill Cranes are seen (March-early April) in the Platte River Valley annually.
  
• Native Americans Tribes Omaha, Ponca, Santee Sioux and Winnebago invited visitors  onto Indian Reservations for Powwows.
  
• Wilber is referred to as the National Czech Capitol.
  
• Sandhill Cranes are protected.
  
• Beware of rattlesnakes in grassy areas.
• Along Interstate 80, the time zone changes from Central and Mountain Time between Sutherland and Paxton Exit.
  

Subject to blizzards, heatwaves, snowstorms, thunderstorms and tornadoes.

• Best Time to Visit: Late May - October
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Month: July
• Peak Season: June - August

"Poetry is indeed the supreme form of human expression." ~ John G Neihardt

Nebraska Prairie. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Chimney Rock Museum, Fort Robinson History Center, John G. Neihardt  State Historic Site, Neligh Mill State Historic Site, Senator George Norris State Historic Site, Thomas P Kennard State Historic Site and Willa Cather State Historic Site.
• Museums: Alliance Knight Museum, Bemis Center For Contemporary Arts, Chimney Rock Museum, Civil War Veterans Museum, Clarkson Historical Museum, Edgerton Explorit Center, El Museo Latino, Florence Mill, Fort Robinson Museum & History Center, Frank H Woods Telephone Museum, General Crook House Museum, George Norris Home, Great Plains Art Museum, Great Plains Black History Museum, G.W. Frank Museum of History & Culture, Hastings Museum, Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles, International Quilt Museum, Joslyn Art Museum, Kearney Area Children's Museum, Kregel Windmill Factory Museum, Larsen Tractor Museum, Legacy of the Plains Museum, Lincoln Children's Museum, Lincoln County Historical Museum, MONA, Museum of American Speed, Museum of the Fur Trade, National Museum of Roller Skating, Nebraska Firefighters Museum, Nebraska History Museum, Nebraska Prairie Museum, Omaha Children's Museum, Pioneer Village, Plainsman Museum, Pony Express Station & Museum, Sheldon Museum of Art, Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, Stuhr Museum, The Archway, The Durham Museum and University of Nebraska State Museum.
• Popular Attractions: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park, Black Hills, Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Borsheims, Branched Oak Lake, Buffalo Bill Ranch, Calamus Reservoir, Carhenge, Classic Car Collection, Cody Park, Eugene T Mahoney State Park, Fort Atkinson State Historical Park, Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park, Fort Kearny State Historical Park, Fort Robinson State Park, Freedom Park, Fun-Plex Waterpark & Rides,Golden Spike Tower, Harlan County Reservoir, Haymarket, Heartland of America Park, Henry Doorly Zoo, Homestead National Monument of America, Island Oasis Water Park, Joslyn Castle, Kenefick Park, Lake McConaughy, Lauritzen Gardens, Lincoln Children's Zoo, Merritt Reservoir, MoPac Trail, Niobrara River Valley, Oak View, Oregon Trail, Platte River Valley, Riverside Discovery Center, Saint Cecilia Cathedral, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Sand Hills, Smith Falls State Park, Smith Lake, Seward County Historical Society, Star City Shores, Sunken Gardens, Suzanne & Walter Scott Aquarium, Westroads Malls and Wildlife Safari Park.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Aurora, Bellevue, Columbus, Fremont, Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, Lexington, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha Papillion, Scottsbluff and Seaward.
• Special Events: (January) Avoca Duck Races, (February) Groundhog Day, (March) Crane Watch Festival, German Smorgasbord, Omaha Film Festival,(April) Annual Country Bluegrass Festival, Arbor Day Celebration, Nebraska Prairie Chicken Festival, NE SciFest, (May) Cinco de Mayo Festival, Country & Western Jamboree, James Arthur Vineyards Renaissance Festival, Jazz on the Green, (June) Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival, Fort Robinson Intertribal Gathering, Grundlov Fest, International Thespian Festival, Kolach Days, Midsommar Festival, NCAA Men's College World Series, NEBRASKAland Days, Sand in the City, Scandinavian Midsummer Festival,  Shakespeare on the Green, Summer Arts Festival, Taste of Omaha, Testicle Festival, Wahoo Country Music Show, (July) German Fest, John C Fremont Days Festival, Native Omahan Days, Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, Oregon Trail Days, Peabody Hale Fiddle Contest, Railroad Days, Solid Rock Music Fest, Wayne Chicken Show, (August) Capital City Ribfest, Greek Festival, Kool-Aid Days Festival, Lost Creek Music Festival, MAHA Music Festival, National Country Music Festival, Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival, Nebraska Star Party, Nebraska State Fair, O Comic Con, Omaha Fashion Week, Oregon Trail Wagon Train Bluegrass Festival, Wilber Czech Festival, (September) AppleJack Festival, Big Bottom Blues Festival, Blue Water Blues Festival, Husker Harvest Days,Intertribal Powwow, Miles of Memories Country MusicFest, Omaha Restaurant Week, Omaha SeptemberFest, Sports Car Club of America Solo National Championship, (October) Nebraska Country Music Festival, Oktoberfest, (November) Anime NebrasKon, Holiday Lights Festival,(December) Glories Stream from Heaven Afar and Santa Lucia.

Carhenge, Alliance, NE. Photo Credit: RJA1988/Pixabay 

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Montana (MT)

Montana State Flag

 

"Big Sky Country" and "The Treasure State"

Why visit Montana?

Outdoorsy travelers interested in annual events, camping, cycling, dude ranches, fishing, gambling, ghost towns, hiking, horseback riding, hunting,  lakes, mountains, natural landscape, rivers, rodeos,  skiing, snowmobiling, white-water rafting and wildlife.

Rosia, MT. Photo Credit: Yellow Daisy/Unsplash 

At a Glance

• Capital: Helena
• State Bird: Western Meadowlark
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Bitterroot
• State Gemstone: Montana Agate & Sapphire
• State Mammal: Grizzly Bear
• State Rock: None

Fun Facts

• Rivers feed the Gulf of Mexico, Hudson Bay and Pacific Ocean.
  
• Town of Ismay was renamed Joe in honor of former NFL Quarterback, Joe Montana (1993).
  
• The Maiasaura Dinosaur was discovered in Choteau by Jack Horner, Paleontologist (1978).
  
• Has our nation's largest grizzly bear population. Home to federally endangered species: black-footed ferret, least tern, least tern, pallid sturgeon, white sturgeon and whooping crane.
  
• Attracts nearly thirteen million travelers annually between Beartooth Highway, Big Sky Resort, Flathead Lake, Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
• A hub of beer microbrewing, ranked third in our nation for craft breweries. 
• Headquarters (Livingston) to nonprofit organization, Federation of Fly Fishers. Also, to conservation and pro-hunting organization, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (Troy).
  
• Features 7 State Forests and 42 State Parks.

Lake McDonald (Glacier National Park), Flathead County, MT. Photo Credit: skeeze/Pixabay

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Dwayne Edwards (Athlete), Jesse Tyler Furgeson (Actor), Kroy Biermann (Athlete), Patrick Duffy (Actor) and Robert Craig Knievel "Evel Knievel" (Stunt Performer), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Always (1989), A River Runs Through It (1992), Beethoven 2 (1993), Certain Women (2016),  Dark Money (2018) and The Horse Whisperer (1998), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Montana: Blind Your Ponies (written by 
  Stanley Gordon West), 
  The Story of Mary MacLane (written by Mary MacLane), This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind (written by 
  Ivan Doig) and 
  Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs (written by 
  Wallace Stegner), just to name a few.

Bison Road Crossing, MT. Photo Credit: David Hodges/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Grown in the wilds of forest and mountains, Huckleberries.
  
• Instead of salt, roads are covered with fine gravel and sand during the winter.
  
• A "Blue Ribbon" state for trout fishing.
  
• There are no major league sports franchises in the state, only minor league teams.
  
• Bow/General Hunting Season is for: elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and whitetail deer. Random limited draw permits for: bighorn sheep, moose and mountain goats. Spring Hunting Season is for black bears and limitations on bison. There are also limitations on hunting  of mountain lions and wolves.
  
• Does not have a Trauma I Hospital, only Trauma II Hospitals in Billings, Great Falls and Missoula.
  
• Expect long distances between destinations.

Subject to occasional floods, snowstorms and wildfires (mid July- mid September).

• Best Time to Visit: June - August and December - March
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Month: July
• Peak Season: July - August

Garnet Ghost Town, Drummond, MT. Photo Credit:  Mike Goad/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Anaconda Smelter Stack, Bannack Historic District, Burton K Wheeler House, Butte–Anaconda Historic District, Camp Disappointment, Charles M Russell House and Studio, Chief Joseph Battleground of Bear's Paw, Chief Plenty Coups Home, Clark Pocket Compass Monument Marker, Connor Battlefield Historic Site, Deer Medicine Rocks, First Peoples Buffalo Jump, Fort Benton Historic District, Fort Connah Site, Fort Union Trading Post, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Goathaunt Bunkhouse, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Great Falls Portage, Great Northern Railway Buildings, Hagen Site, Historic St Mary's Mission, Lake McDonald Lodge, Last Chance Gulch, Lemhi Pass, Lolo Trail, Montana Heritage Commission, Moon-Randolph Homestead, MSU Duck Pond Spring, Nez Perce National Historical Park, Northeast Entrance Station, Original Governor's Mansion, Pass Creek Snowshoe Cabin, Pictograph Cave, Pompey's Pillar, Rankin Ranch, Reeder's Alley, Ringing Rocks, Substation #9, Rosebud Battlefield, Three Forks of the Missouri, Travelers Rest, United States Historic Post Office & Courthouse, Vinegar Jones Cabin, Virginia City Historic District, Wahkpa Chu'gn Archaeological Site, Wolf Mountains Battlefield and Yellow Cliffs of Dover.
• Museums: American Computer & Robotics Museum, Beaverhead County Museum, Big Horn County Museum, Broadwater County Museum, Carbon County Historical Society & Museum, Carter County Museum, Charles M Bair Family Museum, Children's Museum of Montana, C. M. Russell Museum, Conrad Mansion Museum, Custer Battlefield Museum, Fort Peck Interpretive Center, Frontier Montana Museum, Gallatin History Museum, Garden of the Rockies Museum, Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum, Granite County Museum, Heritage Museum, Hockaday Museum of Art, Holter Museum of Art, Holt Heritage Museum, Jefferson County Museum, Livingston Depot Center, Mineral Museum, Miracle of America Museum, Missoula Art Museum, MonDak Heritage Center, Montana Museum of Art & Culture, Montana Historical Society, Montana Natural History Center, Moss Mansion Museum, Museum of Mountain Flying, Museum of the Plains Indian, Museum of the Rockies, Museum of the Yellowstone, Musselshell Valley Historical, National Museum of Forest Service History, Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana, Northwest Montana History Museum, Old Fort Benton, Old Montana Prison Museum, Old Trail Museum, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, Piccadilly Museum of Transportation, Range Rider's Museum, Ravalli County Museum, Rocky Mountain Museum, The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, The History Museum, Two Medicine Dinosaur Center, WaterWorks Art Museum, Western Heritage Center, World Museum of Mining, Yellowstone Art Museum, Yellowstone County Museum and Yellowstone Gateway Museum.
• Popular Attractions: Anaconda Pintler Wilderness, Avalanche Lake, Bannack State Park, Bears Paw Battlefield-Nez Perce National Historical Park, Berkeley Pit Viewing Stand, Big Hole Battlefield, Big Hole National Battlefield, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Big Sky Waterpark, Boiling River, Bridger Range, Cabinet Mountains, Caras Park, Cathedral of Saint Helena, Chief Plenty Coups State Park, Chinook, Cracker Lake, Daly Mansion, Dumas Brothel, Earthquake Lake, First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, Garnet Ghost Town, Giant Springs State Park, Glacier National Park, Great Northern Carousel, Grinnell Glacier, Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, Hell Creek Formation, Iceberg Lake, Jackson Glacier Overlook, Kintla Lake, Kootenai Falls Suspension Bridge, Lewis & Clark Caverns, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Logan Pass, Makoshika State Park, Marias Pass, Medicine Rocks State Park, Mission Mountains, Missouri Headwaters State Park, Montana State Capitol, Mount Oberlin, Mount Sentinel, National Bison Range, Our Lady of the Rockies, Pictograph Cave State Park, Pompeys Pillar, Pryor Mountains, Ptarmigan Tunnel, Red Lodge Mountain, Roosevelt Arch, Sperry Glacier, Swords Park, Saint Mary Lake, Soda Butte Creek, The Granite Mountain Speculator Mine Memorial, The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, The Montana Blue Jewel Mine, The Orchard, Travelers' Rest State Park, Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, West Shore State Park and ZooMontana.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Anaconda, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Chico, Elkhorn, Flathead Lake, Fairmont, Great Falls, Helena, Jackson, Joe, Kalispell, Lewistown, Lolo, Missoula, Stevensville, Whitefish and White Sulphur Springs.
• Special Events: (February) Whitefish Winter Carnival, Wild West Winterfest, (March) Flathead Lake Bigfork Brewfest, Frostbite Frenzy, West Yellowstone's World Snowmobile EXPO, Winter Carnival, (April) International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF), (May) Caddis Festival, Whitewater Festival, (June) American Legion PCRA Rodeo, Bob Marshall Music Festival, Custer’s Last Stand Re-enactment, Dinosaur Festival, Gardiner Annual Rodeo, Govenor's Cup Road Race, Irish Festival, Lewis & Clark Festival, Music in the Mountains, Music on Main, (July) Annual Beartooth Rally, Annual Dino Shindig, Brewfest, Brewgrass Festival, Evel Knievel Days, International Choral Festival, Lame Deer, Montana Folk Festival, North American Indian Days, Polson Main Street Flathead Cherry Festival, Ponyfest Music Festival, Summerfest Along the Yellowstone, (August) Bear Paw Roundup PRCA Rodeo, Brash Rodeo, Cowboy Poetry Gathering & Western Music Rendezvous, Crow Fair & Rodeo, Huckleberry Festival, Julia Louis-Dreyfest, Magic City Blues, McCone County Fair, Montana Beer Festival, Montana's Urban Music Festival, Moonlight MusicFest, River City Roots Festival, Rockin' the Rivers, Sweet Pea Festival, Testy Festy, Travelers’ Rest, Wildlands Music Festival, (September) Great Sheep Drive, Havre Festival Days, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Montana State Hemp & Cannabis Festival, North American Indian Alliance Pow Wow, Saco Fun Day, (October) Bridger Raptor Festival and (November) Yellowstone Ski Festival.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park

Cowboy, MT. Photo Credit: Clovis/Pixabay

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Missouri (MO)

Missouri State Flag

"Cave State", "Gateway to the West", "Home of the Blues", "Show Me State", "Mother of the West", "Pennsylvania of the West", "The Bullion State", "The Iron Mountain State", "The Lead State", "The Mother of the West" and "The Ozark State"

Why visit Missouri?

Travelers seeking architecture, boating, breweries, camping, caves, cyclists, fishing, hiking, history, lakes, museums, music, rivers, small towns, theme parks, scenery, waterskiing, water sports and wineries.

"Fame is a vapor, popularity is an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow and only one thing endures character." ~ Harry S Truman

Kansas City, MO. Photo Credit: Jake Heckey/Pixabay 

At a Glance

• Capital: Jefferson City
• State Bird: Bluebird
• State Dessert: Ice Cream Cone
• State Flower: Hawthorn 
• State Gemstone: None
• State Mammal: Missouri Mule 
• State Rock: None

St Louis, MO. Photo Credit: Christy Ash/Unsplash

Fun Facts

• Has more than 7,300 recorded caves throughout the state.
  
• Cathedral Church of the Prince of Peace (Highlandville) accommodates only a congregation of fifteen.
  
• Outlaw Jesse James hid in the Meramec Caverns.
• The Only state in the Union to have two Federal Reserve Banks, Kansas City and St Louis.
  
• Disneyland's Mainstreet USA was designed after Mr Walt Disney's hometown (Marceline).
  
• From the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast, Pony Express was the first mail service in North America.
  
• Measuring 630 feet, Gateway Arch is our country's  tallest man-made monument. 
• Home of the creator, George Washington Carver ("Peanut Man"), Scientist of peanut butter.
• Ranked in the nation for the production of lead (1st), farms (2nd), rice (4th), hogs, soybeans (5th), (6th) and for cattle (7th). 
  
• Kansas City Barbecue Society, the world's largest organization of approximately 17000 Members sanctions around 500 barbecue contests annually.
  
• Headquarters to the world's largest brewery, Anheuser-Busch (St Louis).
• Features 1 National Forest and 48 State Parks.
  

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." ~ Mark Twain

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Chuck Berry (Musician), Dick Van Dyke (Actor), Marshall Bruce Mathers III "Emineum" (Musician), Matt Bomer (Actor), Maya Angelou (Poet), Sheryl Suzanne Crow (Musician), Steve Walsh (Musician) and Walter Cronkite (News Anchor), just to mention a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Escape from New York (1981), Gone Girl (2014), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Planes Trains and Automobiles (1987), Truman (1995), Up in the Air (2009), White Palace (1990) and Winter's Bone (2010), just to mention a few.
• Reads Set in Missouri: A Friendship for Today (written by Patricia McKissack), Blue Highways (written by William Least Heat-Moon), Regarding the Fountain (written by Kate Klise), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (written by Mark Twain) and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (written by Mark Twain), just to mention a few.

"I never sit on a fence. I am either on one side or another." ~ Harry S Truman

Meramec Caverns, Sullivan, MO. Photo Credit: nelcathy/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Not a coastal beach or mountainous destination.
• Summer months are usually wet.
• On Interstate 70, *55 connects you to the Highway Patrol.
• In January, sit along the lock and dam (near Clarksville) for bald eagle sightings.
  
• Highway 40 and Interstate 64 are one in the same roads.
  
• Nearly extinct, is the Missouri French language a combination of Canadian French and Louisiana Creole French. 
  
• State Law permits bars, billiard parlors, bowling alleys, restaurants (less than 50 people seating) to decide their own smoking policies.
  
• Foliage colors usually peak around mid October (end mid November).

Subject to humidity, severe thunderstorms, snowstorms and tornadoes.

• Best Time to Visit: May - October
• Coldest Months: December - February
• Hottest Months: June - August
• Peak Season: June - August

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." ~ Mark Twain 

Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO. Photo Credit: skeeze/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Arrow Rock, George Caleb Bingham House, Louis Bolduc House, Carrington Osage Village Site, Christ Church Cathedral, "Champ" Clark House, Eads Bridge, Joseph Erlanger House, Field House, Fort Osage, Gateway Arch, Goldenrod Showboat, Graham Cave, Scott Joplin Residence, Liberty Memorial, Missouri Botanical Garden, Mutual Musicians Association Building, Patee House, General John J Pershing Boyhood Home, Research Cave, Ste Genevieve Historic District, Sanborn Field & Soil Erosion Plots, Shelley House, Tower Grove Park, Harry S Truman Farm Home, Harry S Truman Historic District, Mark Twain Boyhood Home, Union Station, United States Customhouse & Post Office,  Utz Site, Wainwright Building, Washington University Hilltop Campus Historic District, Watkins Mill, Westminster College Gymnasium, White Haven and Laura Ingalls Wilder House. 
• Museums: Air & Military Museum-Ozarks, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, American Jazz Museum, America's National Churchill Museum, Arabia Steamboat Museum, Bollinger County Museum of Natural History, Campbell House Museum, City Museum, Contemporary Art Museum St Louis, Crisp Museum, Discovery Center of Springfield, Glore Psychiatric Museum, Harry S Truman Library & Museum, History Museum on the Square, Hollywood Wax Museum, Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Missouri Civil War Museum, Missouri History Museum, Missouri Institute of Natural Science, Missouri State Museum, Museum of Anthropology, Museum of Art & Archaeology, Museum of Missouri Military History, National Museum of Transportation, National WWI Museum & Memorial, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, NRA National Sporting Arms Museum, Patee House Museum & Jesse James Homes, Pony Express National Museum, Powers Museum, Railroad Historical Museum, Ralph Foster Museum, Rockcliffe Mansion, Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Science Center, Science City, Springfield Art Museum, St Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum, The Magic House, The National Museum of Toys & Miniatures, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, TITANIC Museum Attraction, Veterans Memorial Museum, Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium and World's Largest Toy Museum Complex.
• Popular Attractions: Anheuser-Busch St Louis Brewery, Bluestem Missouri Crafts, Boonville, Branson's Promised Land ZOO, Branson Scenic Railway, Bridal Cave, Bull Shoals Lake, Busch Stadium, Cathedral Church of the Prince of Peace, Central West End, Chain of Rocks Bridge, Cherokee Antiques Row, Citygarden Sculpture Park, Clearwater Lake, Dickerson Park Zoo, Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, Dolly Parton's Stampede, Elephant Rocks State Park, Fantastic Caverns, Gateway Arch, George Washington Carver National Monument, Graham Cave State Park, Grants Farm, Harry S Truman Reservoir, Jefferson Barracks Park, Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Jewel Box, Johnson Shut Ins State Park, Kansas City Zoo, Katy Trail, Katy Trail State Park, Kauffman Stadium Water Spectacular, Laclede Landing, Laumeier Sculpture Park, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City, Mark Twain Cave, Mark Twain National Forest, Marvel Cave, Meramec Caverns, Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri State Penitentiary, Onondaga Cave State Park, Ozark Mountains, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Onondaga Cave State Park, Powell Gardens, Roaring River State Park, Saint Louis Zoo, Sea Life Kansas City, Silver Dollar City, Six Flags St Louis, Springfield Table Rock Lake, St Louis Zoo, Table Rock Lake, Talking Rocks Cavern, The Butterfly House, The Butterfly Palace & Rainforest Adventure, The Shepherd of the Hills, The State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies, Tower Grove Park, Wappapello Lake, Watkins Mill State Park, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium and Worlds Of Fun.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Arrow Rock, Bethel, Branson, Cape Girardeau, Carthage, Columbia, Hannibal, Hermann, Independence, Jamesport, Joplin, Kansas City, Kearney, Lee's Summit, Liberty, O'Fallon, Rolla, Springfield, Stanton, St Charles, Ste Geneviève, St Joseph, St Peters and Weston.
• Special Events: (April) World Festival, (May) Spring Mountain Music Festival, (July) Fair Saint Louis, Red White & Blue BBQ Blowout, (August) Ozark Empire Fair, (September) 3D Bash, American Royal Barbecue, Big Muddy Blues Festival, Big River Steampunk Festival, Black Walnut Festival, Brewfest, Budweiser Taste of St Louis, Burg Fest, Chillicothe Festival, Cotton Carnival & Parade, Calhoun Colt Show Fair & Festival, Civil War Reenactment, Fair Grove Heritage Reunion Festival, Fall Bluegrass Festival, HOBA Fall Bluegrass Festival, Hootin an Hollarin, Humansville Fall Festival, Labor Day Rodeo, Lake of the Ozarks Bikefest, LouFest, Mule Festival, Music on Main Street, Rodeo Daze, Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival, Seymour Apple Festival, St Louis Art Fair, Summer Bluegrass Concert, Wilder Days Festival, (October) Apple Butter Makin’ Days, Autumn Historic Folklife Festival, Cackle Hatchery’s Annual Chicken Festival, Coin & Stamp Show, Fall Festival of Arts Crafts & Music, Fall Muster, Folklife Festival, Hollister Grape & Fall Festival, Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Liberty Days, Maple Leaf Car Show, Ozark Arts & Crafts Show, Pioneer Heritage Festival, Ranch Rodeo, Scarecrow Festival Eureka, (November) American Royal Livestock Show and Military History Appreciation Day.

Ozark, MO. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay

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Your one stop source: Accommodations I Air I Car Rentals I Cruises I Disney I Excursions I Tours I Transfers I Travel Insurance I Villa Rentals

All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.