Growing up in the Midwest, I often saw photos on calendars or computer screen wallpapers that seemed too good to be true.
The towering mountain peaks, jagged coastlines, and unique rock formations were so different from what I saw in my daily life that I couldn't imagine they actually existed.
As I started to travel more in my 30s, eventually to all 50 states and 63 major US national parks, I found that not only did they all exist, but that there was an almost never-ending list of beautiful places.
Here are the 10 most beautiful spots I've visited in the US.
From my first glimpse of the Teton Range nearly a decade ago, I've never gotten over its beauty.
The jutting peaks, ample wildlife, and clear blue lakes make this park stunning from all vantage points and have led to me coming back more than a dozen times.
The String, Jackson, and Jenny lakes are some of my favorite accessible viewpoints, and the more than 200 miles of hiking trails take visitors to vistas that feel like a mirage.
I once spent a few weeks in the summer traveling solo in a van through Alaska.
Although the views throughout the state were some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, Seward was the place I never wanted to leave.
The port city is on the Kenai Peninsula and serves as the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.
Seward is the perfect place to enjoy the mountains and the sea. Camp on the beach, kayak in the bay, or take a sightseeing tour to spot puffins, humpback whales, and sea otters.
Although not as obviously awe-inspiring or in-your-face as the dramatic Western vistas and mountaintops often seen as bucket-list locations, the Georgia coast has a truly unique beauty.
I love visiting Cumberland Island to admire the wild horses, walk below the live oak trees, and relax on more than 17 miles of uninterrupted and undeveloped beaches.
Just two hours north of Phoenix and two hours south of the Grand Canyon lies the spiritual and adventure mecca of Sedona, Arizona.
Sedona is known for its impressive red rocks, energy vortexes, bucket-list hiking, mountain biking, and stargazing.
Source: Read the original article on www.businessinsider.com
