On one cross-country drive (done it three times), I had the privilege of seeing the transition from the Rockies to mesas (Colorado) to red desert (Arizona) to yellow desert (California).  Stunning and spectacular.

I love to compare the five most beautiful states with fellow travelers.  For me…

Colorado – That line from John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High “I’ve seen it raining fire from the sky” – I realized the meaning when I saw lightning hit the top of a mountain in the Rockies.

Minnesota – Those lakes.  The drive along the mighty Mississippi River.  The North Shore.

Idaho – Gorgeous landscape.  Eagles flying in the mountains.  

Maine – Rugged, the ocean, Arcadia National Park where the arrival of both kids was heralded.

California – Truly golden.

And the 5 ugliest ones?  Ok, every state has its own beauty but that’s like saying everyone is special and all kids are cute.  We all know that no one really means it.  I used to volunteer in the church nursery and some kids, ehhh.

To be sensitive to friends who live in those states, I’ll keep the specific list to myself.  There is an O in there, one with the same first letter of a common swear word, and the one where you refer to exits for geographic considerations.