A man who has been to all 50 US states lists his favorite (and least favorite) places he would recommend

Looking for an ideal destination for your next vacation in the United States? Keep reading.

An American who has visited all 50 states and is set to complete all of the country’s national parks this year has revealed his favorite and least favorite spots.

Tom Hatfield, 74, of Louisiana, has been traveling a lot since he retired as a chemical engineer 11 years ago and shared with Business information Some of his ideas in an attempt to help others navigate the map more efficiently.

Of the 50 states, Tom says Utah is his favorite because it has five national parks: Zion, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon and Arches.

National parks aside, her other two favorite spots in the region are the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the desert, the Great Salt Lake and downtown Salt Lake City, which has a more metropolitan feel.

In second place is California.

Tom says that’s because the state’s national parks, which range from the windswept Channel Islands to the scorching plains of Death Valley, each have their “own character.”

For similar reasons, Alaska ranked third on Tom’s top five list.

He also revealed that there are “plenty of places where you can park on the side of the road and sleep in your vehicle.”

So for budget travelers, the 49th state could be a budget-friendly option.

Like the other three states among Tom’s favorites, Colorado was his number four choice for its “sweeping mountains, fairly consistent temperatures with low humidity, and solid infrastructure.”

While it is a top ski destination, the retiree says he prefers to visit in the summer, when the mountain’s rugged foothills are covered in vegetation rather than snow.

Rounding out their top five picks in the U.S. is Montana.

He describes it as a “polarizing” state due to its size, and it is the fourth largest state in the country with a total of 145,509.2 square miles of land area and 1,493.4 square miles of water area.

One of Tom’s favorite things about Big Sky Country is its “scenery and serenity,” as well as its popular national parks, including Yellowstone and Glacier.

Although Tom has visited most of the national parks in the United States with his wife, he plans to complete the list this year.

Some of the last places left to visit include the Great Basin in Nevada and the National Park of American Samoa, which Tom will reach via cruise ship.

At the other end of the scale, Mississippi was the least favorite state for avid travelers.

Some of her concerns included a lack of things to do and finding the heat “overwhelming” at times.

Nevada was revealed as Tom’s second least favorite state for similar reasons.

And while Las Vegas attracts travelers from all over with its entertainment offerings and glitzy hotels, Tom said the city failed to live up to his expectations.

Other states he said he might avoid include North Dakota, Nebraska and Indiana, as there is “little to do between major cities.”

For nature lovers, Tom recommends visiting Zion National Park and hiking the Narrows or climbing Angels Landing for magnificent views.

Other favorite parks for their “stunning” and “pristine” landscapes include Bryce Canyon (also in Utah), Yosemite in California, Crater Lake in Oregon and North Cascades in Washington.

To help travelers save time, he advises avoiding several parks, including Congaree in South Carolina, Hot Springs in Arkansas, Guadalupe Mountains in Texas and Indiana Dunes in Indiana.

Among their complaints about these particular places were the monotonous landscape and dilapidated facilities.

He also says that for those planning to visit Isle Royale in Michigan, considered one of the least-visited national parks in the United States and a paradise for nature lovers, it is best to stay overnight to “get the full experience” as it requires a two-hour boat ride to get there.

In addition to traveling extensively throughout the U.S., Tom has been to 75 countries in total and visited all seven continents.