Best Rural Area of Each State Part 1

[@GeographyKing]

Hey guys. Part 2 of this video is coming next week. It's already finished but I'm going to be road tripping next week and wanted to time-release it so something gets posted while I'm traveling. Try to contain your excitement. I see you shiver with antici pation

[@alpengnome]

Love the Rocky Horror reference (and this video) For Rhode Island you showed my hometown!!! Saw my pre-school in the second picture lol

[@vopvoopone]

Frankenfurter is that you?

[@brianjonker510]

Interesting on the dry(ish) states, you picked parts that were wetter and trees were part of the natural vegetation.

[@ecurewitz]

Sweet Transvestite is the best song in the movie

[@sarahfiedler1709]

Thanks, Kyle. Have fun and stay safe :)

[@TheModernPioneer]

You have a knack for making the EXACT hyper specific types of videos I geek over. One of my favorite channels on KZbin.

[@leogold3262]

You said it perfectly

[@rebirthoftragedy]

💯

[@tinhornproductions4769]

Perfect Comment. I feel the same way

[@Ethyro]

FR

[@find127]

I feel ya

[@WestNebraskaAdventureChannel]

Lifelong resident of Scottsbluff-Gering, Nebraska. The rugged western terrain here is stunning. Visitors to the area will always comment that they had no idea Nebraska offered this type of landscape.

[@cavecookie1]

My dad's side hails from Morrill, mom moved there in high school and met dad! The Wildcat Hills are very nice, a friend had family with private land there and we used to go there a lot to sled in the winter, or just enjoy the area.

[@MasterMalrubius]

My wife and I traveled up from Santa Fe through Taos along the back roads and then up to southwest Colorado in Durango. It was awesome to see how the topography changed from desert uplands to grass lands to forested mountains. Very touristy of course but we expected it.

[@jamekrab7341]

Durango is a very expensive and touristy for sure, but heading in any direction from there, it quickly becomes much much less.

[@tahm22]

It's refreshing to hear someone speak positively of NM. There is so much natural beauty, rich history, and diverse culture. Love your videos! Keep it up!

[@drewo6388]

Awesome video, Kyle! As a Wisconsinite, my favorite rural area of the state is the "Driftless Region" in the southwest corner of the state, near Illinois and Iowa. It's a region full of beautiful rolling hills and small towns. I like Door County but it's honestly a bit too touristy for my liking. Most of the towns are jam packed throughout the summer and fall.

[@MikeB128]

Yeah, I agree. This is a very macro-level analysis.

[@johnkelly4796]

Yes!

[@AaronSmith-sx4ez]

I agree. Door County is definitely nicer...but I don't consider it as rural as as the Driftless. If we count more touristy area, then Bayfield County/Lake Superior coast would also deserve consideration for one of the nicer rural areas in the state.

[@drewo6388]

​@@AaronSmith-sx4ez agreed. I love the Bayfield area and Lake Superior coast too!

[@taylorphillips7030]

Agreed. I think by his own definition Door County has too many tourists

[@sokonek1]

Door county is awesome but I would say the SW part of Wisconsin is better, specifically Crawford, Vernon, and Grant counties. SW Wisconsin is an area known as the Driftless Area where glaciers never made it through and it isn’t as flat as most of the rest of the state. Along with absolutely amazing bluffs along the Mississippi River you get the coulees that create a super hilly area with some amazing views

[@billbishopboyiscool]

Yeah, SW WIsconsin fits the criteria better.

[@tescherman3048]

Yes! And I would probably say the same area with Minnesota. The Driftless Area spans Wisconsin, Minnesota & Iowa. It's beautiful and, as you point out, the Mississippi River bluffs bordering Minnesota & Wisconsin are truly among the most Romantic areas of the Upper Midwest.

[@samcantsnipe1888]

Agreed

[@mathewfullerton8577]

The area around Dodgeville and Spring Green and the Wisconsin River is a favorite area and less touristy than Door County. Door County in the fall is hard to beat for beauty, though.

[@cycoOJfan89]

I love the driftless area but my favorite part of Wisconsin is Bayfield county

[@Boss-KingInc.]

This was a different concept than what you usually do, but definitely worth the watch. I also like how you went backwards alphabetically. I enjoy all of your content. I hope you’ll do a ranking of all the 1 and 2 digit interstates from worst to best one day. Always a dedicated fan of your channel

[@sethtenrec]

How can there be a “best interstate”? Heavy traffic going back-and-forth. Disgusting.

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you!

[@magellanicspaceclouds]

@@sethtenrec Some are more scenic than others.

[@graveyard63]

All I know is that highway 5 after the Grapevine all the way to Redding is probably the worst ever. so boring with nothing interesting to see at all, flat

[@mpetersen6]

Door County. It is really tourist driven in terms of its economy. Best time to visit the weeks before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. The Lake and Bay sides have very different feels to them. HY 42 follows the Bay side and is a lot of small towns oriented towards tourism. Lots of art galleries and pottery studios. Nice place overall to just chill out for week or more.

[@evilproducer01]

I agree. While Door County is very beautiful, it is perhaps the most dependent on tourist dollars in the state, aside from the Wisconsin Dells. If he is looking for a beautiful area of the state that isn't as dependent on tourists and isn't as depressed, perhaps The Driftless area would have been a better place. There are a few more places I could list. It kind of sounded like from the way Kyle talked about it, the Door Peninsula may have been the only real rural area he visited.

[@mpetersen6]

@@evilproducer01 Parts of Door County really do have a very rural feel. My wife and I have been going up for about 16 years. We prefer early or later in the season. The summer. Forget it. But since the pandemic is things have changed. Lots of restaurants have cut back on their hours. Even being reduced to increasing the amount of days they are closed. Mainly because they can't get staff. One of our favorite places in Egg Harbor is closing for good this weekend or last weekend. But get off of the beaten track and things really are much more laid back. We'll have to try the dtiftless area. Haven't spent much time out in that part of the state.

[@fecat93]

Probably the #1 Chicago tourist destination in Wisconsin.

[@cycoOJfan89]

Bayfield county and the apostle islands is my favorite rural Wisconsin spot.

[@evilproducer01]

@@cycoOJfan89 it is very beautiful.

[@JhonnyBoi]

If anyone ever gets the chance to visit the Eastern Shore of Virginia, it truly is a beautiful place. Cape Charles is such a nice summer vacation getaway. Most Virginians don’t even know about this part of the state and had no idea what to expect when I went but it really is nice and different from the rest of the state. The beaches are practically untouched.

[@john_sensei_ii]

I had to guess what you would say for Tennessee, and I figured it had to be the area between Cookeville and Chattanooga. Glad I was right! Route 111 and 127 is such a beautiful route to drive. Greetings from Cookeville!

[@FlashBackMusicVideos]

I was so surprised by NW Nebraska when I was on a road trip to Lincoln! The people were so kind, cute towns, and I had no idea Nebraska had such pretty scenery like that

[@DeveusBelkan]

The northern part of the state is a confluence of so many types of environments, with the Rockies, the Badlands, the Sandhills, and the Loess Hills. The joke is that Nebraska gets called flat even though near half the state is nothing but rolling hills.

[@dannypipewrench533]

@@DeveusBelkan I like Nebraska a good deal. I have really only gone through it twice, but I enjoyed it a lot.

[@scotcoon1186]

Anyone who says Nebraska is flat has never been to Florida, or off i80. Fort Robinson was the army's last remount station, closing after training thousands of dogs and pack horses for WW2, and now a state park, west of Crawford. Toadstool geological park to the north. Mari Sandoz birthplace. In Chadron, the Mari Sandoz high plains heritage center and the museum of the fur trade. Agate fossil beds south of Harrison. Mitchell pass. Scottsbluff natl monument, and legacy of the plains museum in Gering, roubadeaux pass, chimney, jail, courthouse rocks, windlass hill (Oregon trail sites) Wildcat hills south of Gering, grasslands south of that. I'd have just said the entire panhandle.

[@lh457725]

The King! We love your videos! Thanks again for another awesome video!

[@route2070]

I went to NW Nebraska for college, from the east there is a lot of flat farmland, but when you cross the timezone line, that all changes.

[@hashi_rat]

legitimately my favorite channel, and perhaps always will be

[@hashi_rat]

thank u for doing what u do

[@GeographyKing]

I appreciate the kind words.

[@mudwrestler57]

Love this video topic, King! You should do a ranking or tier list of the National Parks

[@khrashingphantom9632]

This was amazing! I wonder how "affordable" these areas are to live as well. Lol. Seriously thanks for posting these gems! I ALWAYS seeing anything that shouts out more rural areas since other media seems to like to pretend it doesn't exist even though it's really the majority of land in the U.S. Lol. Thanks again. Can't wait for part 2!

[@TheMerrittbadge]

I can say this I'm from NY just east of Syracuse and the finger lakes region while its very nice kind of expensive I wouldn't say its really rural NY. Rural Ny is farms methheads and small shitty citys where the people think they are from the hood but really the town has like 5k people in it

[@khrashingphantom9632]

@@TheMerrittbadge Okay? That seemed incredibly condescending and unnecessarily reductive. Strangely enough those "shitty" small towns probably didn't start out that way and few people are actually willing to explain what caused the "decline" of those small town as opposed to bashing and demeaning them. But I DO agree the finger lakes areas DOES look beautiful. Picture-esqe even. Lol.

[@dlazo32696]

@@TheMerrittbadge It’s all about perspective. I’m from NYC but went to college in Ithaca. The Finger Lakes region definitely felt rural to me. I will agree though, there’s definitely some parts of upstate NY that are more rural.

[@dlazo32696]

@@khrashingphantom9632 What caused the decline? I’m genuinely curious

[@khrashingphantom9632]

@@dlazo32696 In some areas it's often the result of a place being a "company town" so when the primary company leaves the town economy collapses around it since the whole town is often employed by and built around said company or industry. Knowing Better did pretty good piece on this if you wanna check it out. I WILL say Geography King is GREAT at telling you WHERE something is (obviously lol.) and the culture around it. That's one of the main reasons I love this channel so much.

[@pjflynn5978]

Couldnt agree more about your choice for Pennsylvania, Franklin county has some of the most pleasant towns I’ve been to! Greencastle, Carlisle, chambersburg, and ESPECIALLY waynesboro are such good little towns

[@thomascantwell5500]

Couldn’t agree more! Love driving 5 minutes out of waynesboro and already being in Amish country to the north!

[@kickthesky]

Door County is 100% dedicated to tourism. No one lives there just to live there. They serve the tourist industry and most of them leave during the off-season leaving the entire county a ghost area. Also, you mentioned Whitefish Bay, which is actually in Milwaukee County and is a wealthy suburb there.

[@sethtenrec]

All I know is that the searchers all say they would’ve made whitefish bay if she had put 15 more miles behind her…

[@cheflos]

There’s another whitefish bay in wisconsin with a state park

[@lukec2576]

Absolutely agree. I was born in Sturgeon Bay and have a lot of family in that area. For the most part in the summer it's just people from Illinois coming up to spend their money. But outside of the summer it's a pretty quiet place and not a lot of jobs or industry for the locals outside of just retail and other non skilled labor (outside of the shipyards). People with money have retirement homes there, or have a cottage/summer home.

[@Eedg769]

That’s what’s nice about the Finger Lakes of NY, there are actual towns there year round, although it is very rural and the towns were never big to begin with so they didn’t have far to fall (not a whole lot of industry). It is not a “tourist vibe” area, you don’t have to be wealthy to enjoy a vacation there.

[@ronsontag6841]

@@sethtenrec Whitefish Bay is in the SE part of Lake Superior. The other Whitefish Bay is a suburb of Milwaukee located along Lake Michigan

[@JimmyMon666]

As a Nevada resident I would probably pick the Ely region. Even though it is near a national park, it is not a popular national park. It's a nice little mountain town iirc. It's been a while since I've been there. Elko is alright and close to the Ruby Mountains.

[@JayLock]

I love this channel so much man. I spend the last 45 minutes-hour of most of my nights bingeing your videos before bed. Thank you for everything!

[@andrewmandile9491]

Yup Kyle. Hit the nail on the head for WV and for Texas. Davis is an amazing town, and I make it out there about 3-4 times per year. Truly has that rare combo of remote yet upscale in one of the poorest and run down states in the country. Not to mention the unique climate of this area (Davis is the highest elevation town in WV) that makes it a hub for skiing and for people who want to get up into an alpine climate for fall foliage and amazing scenery. Crazy that a place like this exists only 3 hours from DC. The hill country of Texas is amazing in every sense of the word. Beautiful scenery and an extremely unique Hispanic-German culture mix. Nothing beats walking around downtown Fredericksburg with a few drinks after hitting enchanted rock and eating at authentic German restaurants. The hill country is the exact spot where the southeast meets the southwest and the southern end of the Great Plains. Very diverse flora and fauna, with cacti, juniper and oaks growing side by side. Some of the cleanest rivers/lakes in the country are located here as well. Absolutely digging this video, keep it up!

[@GeographyKing]

Thank you. My in laws live in WV and we go to Davis and Thomas quite often.

[@sknowman1424]

@@GeographyKing Just an FYI from a lifelong WV resident. Davis and Thomas are in Tucker County not Randolph. But they are both nice area's and Randolph is nice too. You did have both counties highlighted though. Love your videos Kyle.

[@sknowman1424]

@@GeographyKing Just finished the video and noticed you are including multiple counties, so my apologies sir. About my WV comments

[@andrewmandile9491]

@@GeographyKing glad that you’re able to experience this beautiful part of the country on a regular basis. Definitely check out spruce knob if you haven’t yet- still a few months left to get up to the top before they close the roads down for winter. We were just down your way not too long ago- hit up Mount Mitchell which is just breathtaking 😍

[@KnivingDispodia]

My vote for California is the area around Lone Pine and Bishop. The high desert is surreally beautiful.

[@lh457725]

Good call man! Totally true. There are a good number of people who visit to hike Mt. Whitney etc. but I wouldn't call it super touristy.

[@corvus1374]

I was thinking about Sonora, Jackson, and the area around the Mother Lode. But the drive along 395 is nice, too.

[@dannypipewrench533]

@@corvus1374 Oh, yes, the 395. Looking forward to getting out there some time. I like California, but not its coastal cities. Places like Death Valley and the Imperial Sand Dunes are what I go out there for.

[@lh457725]

@@corvus1374 Oohhh. Yeah. I drove through there once. It does seem like a neat area!

[@jeremywilliams2535]

Unfortunately the town of Lone Pine almost single-handedly makes this undoable. Racist shithole that my gf refuses to go back to. Apparently they're not afraid to throw slurs around in Lone Pine!

[@xealen2166]

I live in Bellingham, the closest metropolitan area to the San Juan's in Washington. I often take a ferry out to them to spend a weekend, beautiful spot.

[@dictatorofcanada4238]

Would be cool to see a video like this for Canadian provinces (Lots to choose from) Also, Manitobans who want to go shopping in the USA drive through that area of North Dakota!

[@brianbanks7685]

Communist Canada nobody wants to go there

[@peetrwilson]

You have impeccable taste in music judging from the record you displayed for this one. 🤘🏻

[@wc6046]

Curious what you’re gonna pick for Alaska

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

I actually live in that triangle in a town called Crossville. One thing to note is Crossville and Cookeville have been seeing A LOT of growth recently due to Nashville and Knoxville pricing people out of those areas. Crossville has seen a lot of development recently including a new Bucees travel center that opened this year and the widening of US 127 and Interstate Drive to 4 lanes. Needless to say IDK how long these places will remain small

[@simonhendrickx6884]

I really love your channel man, as a European it really gives me a good look at what the US is really like

[@katykwasny1951]

I used to live in Ithaca in the middle of the Finger Lakes region in NY, and I miss it so much. Tons and tons of great hiking in state parks and the boating opportunities were endless. Little less absolute nowhere than you'd find in the central and northern Adirondacks, but it's a fantastic part of the state for sure.

[@shanebrooks1257]

im also from around Ithaca! it's so beautiful. I miss it a ton! looking forward to part 2 for Maine :)

[@Eedg769]

This would of course be politically impossible, but in a perfect world the Finger Lakes would be a preserve with the whole watershed preserved for forest, water and farmland management - like Adirondack Park or Catskills but with further development controlled. Will never happen but we will wish it had been done in 50 years when the lakes have been polluted and the farms gone.

[@LeveyHere]

Saw you posted the second one, but realized the first one was still in my watch later, so here I am before I watch part 2! Nice! Edit: I'd have to agree with the Finger Lakes for New York. One of my favorite places I've ever been. Camping at Cayuga Lake State Park and fishing out on Cayuga lake is really nice. The whole scenery up from Ithaca (and the rest of New York to be fair) is gorgeous. I've been to Auburn too, a nice northern town.

[@JH_75]

Ive gotta wait? Well, Ill have you know that after inquiring with you last week about doing an ABQ video, I am now watching this video in an ABQ hotel room! Labor Day holiday in lovely New Mexico. Great video, Kyle..

[@ryanpfahler9945]

Awesome video as always! Love it! Idea for a video -- Best City in Each California County

[@GIX1108]

I think you may have mixed up sturgeon bay for white fish bay in the Wisconsin door county choice. Whitefish bay is an upscale area, but it’s a suburb of Milwaukee and far away from door county. Still a great video, cheers!

[@1212holden]

Wow I grew up in that portion of South Dakota and never thought it was the nicest part, this video was refreshing

[@mattalley4330]

Lifelong Oregon resident here, who lives in the Hood River Valley which adjoins the Columbia River Gorge. Im a bit biased as to where I live but you definitely cant go wrong with pretty much any part of the Oregon coast. I spent a few years living in Cannon Beach and look back on that time with fondness.

[@stevel02]

Definitely agree with the hill country for Texas. It’s gorgeous and has a lot of charm. Great food, wineries, small town charm, nice hiking, and a few caverns to explore.

[@jocider5698]

As an native of Upstate NY, I totally think you nailed it with the Finger Lakes region!

[@fourcubed47]

My guess was he'd choose the southeast Adirondacks around the Saratoga Springs area. Finger Lakes is a good choice, though.

[@anthonypayne2526]

Very cool idea for a video. As a current resident of NW NJ, I gotta say it is just lovely up here.

[@ADPalF]

This is a fun topic. I'm definitely a fan of the small towns along coastal Oregon. Southwestern Montana is beautiful as well. Curious to see what the second half picks are. My vote for Idaho is definitely Bonners County. Lake Pend Oreille and the mountains are beautiful. Sandpoint is a gem of a small town in an area that has an otherwise rough history and culture. Could be too vacation-y at this point though.

[@brianmcknight6857]

Hi Geography King. I love you! I'm from WI and was just in Door County a month ago. It is almost exclusively tourist, with around 1million visitors in the summer. Boasting itself as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest," it's crowds, lines, and traffic all summer. Maybe LaCrosse County would be better; great deal of scenery, decent small towns, decent economy.

[@talkradiohead1]

As a South Central PA boy, I was in hearty agreement with your choice for the Keystone State! Love the content on your channel!

[@cavecookie1]

My family has lived in Nebraska for generations. Western Nebraska is where dad was from...a teeny little town 16 miles west of Scottsbluff. I actually lived there for 3 years, last 2 years of high school, and freshman year at Chadron State. Nice region, lots of history, and really friendly, down-to-earth folks. I now live in central Oregon; another really nice rural area. Guess I'm just a country boy!

[@lilflo36]

Living in IL...I'm gonna predict that the best rural area chosen here will be the NW corner...really the only spot that is the "driftless" zone in IL. Galena is a nice quaint town up there!

[@brianarbenz7206]

In my native Indiana, I'm betting on a three county region (Brown, Bartholomew and Monroe) in the south central hills. That area is its own world.

[@donaldmartell3729]

Knew you were gonna pick Finger Lakes! I'm from the edge of that region and the Southern Tier and I totally agree with the choice. It's a beautiful part of the state where you can see a lot of amazing towns and nearby wineries. Also completely agree with the San Juan Islands of Washington. Was there in the summer of 2019 and loved every minute of it.

[@Mr.Mouse1234]

Fredericksburg Texas resident. It’s not rural anymore. And outside influences from San Antonio and Austin are starting to heavily affect the town. It sure is the main town when it comes to tourism.

[@brevinoconnor1262]

Just wanted to say this is such a great idea and I'm very happy you are making these videos

[@shane.b.]

I watch your videos while eating dinner most nights, thanks for all of the hard work & keep it up! you’re my friends and I’s go to when it comes to geography. also excellent taste in music, love seeing that King Gizz - Flying Microtonal Banana vinyl in the background

[@travelingwithrick]

Door County WI is beautiful I thought it was over touristy. Also, another good choice for New Jersey could be the fabulous and remote Pine Barrens.

[@mpetersen6]

The trick is to get away from the Bay side. Especially Ephriam and Sister Bay.

[@davidriccio1983]

For NJ, agree on the Pine Barrens

[@lindajesse8250]

Hey King, you must travel a great deal. Thanks for your research and very interesting site. I love America! Gary from Ontario, Canada.

[@TheCleric42]

Your New Mexico choice is exactly right, since it includes the biggest Boy Scout camp of all, Philmont

[@hulopinja3522]

wow the absolute DOGGING on northwestern montana! im from the flathead county area, and i'd say we're still pretty rural, although like you said, its rapidly growing around here. great video!!!

[@corvus1374]

I spent several weeks on a work assignment in Albuquerque, and we went to Taos several times. It's a beautiful place, with a lot of art galleries, and some excellent food.

[@grounded279]

I’ve spent probably the last 10 years of my life playing around on google maps, and I never knew that Virginia owned that bit of land across the bay

[@VL-gs2wr]

Same here!

[@scotcoon1186]

It's hard to believe how close you are to the clusters that are DC and Baltimore when on the delmarva peninsula.

[@aaronmett5678]

For Wisconsin, I would say Vernon county is the best rural county, there is great trout fishing, good towns in the area and plenty of natural beauty. Door county I would say is the one place in the state where there are mansions that rich people go to for the weekend. I would say it is one of the most tourism driven parts of the state. However it is still a really nice place and has many things that make it stand out.

[@blueptconvertible]

Nailed it. Door County is just an Illinois enclave.

[@markbajek2541]

It's a nice place has services in Sturgeon bay , but it's tourism driven and you get the feeling the money in the area is pumped in from chicago.

[@bobby_greene]

As someone who has lived in western Wisconsin, I would say Richland county beats out Vernon by a bit. I'm partial toward NW Wisconsin, but it's hard to beat the driftless area

[@johnsteele1667]

Vernon County is one of my favorite places in the whole country! Such a beautiful area. I’ve been visiting as much as possible the last few years

[@johnmejchar6608]

Driftless for my money!

[@ELIJAHSW0RLD]

Whitefish bay, Wi is in the Milwaukee metro. Hundreds of miles from Door county

[@johannadelbusto7987]

Loved this video Kyle, spot on Fredericksburg, beautiful area…NM too…Taos is hands down my favorite. Looking forward to part 2 and FL. I think the Panhandle has a lot of untouched beauty. Also waiting on your rankings on best places to retire 🙃 I’m hoping I can do it in NM

[@surgeonmd729]

Love your content and "nerdy" approach to geography. I do take exception a little bit to your choice of Nevada area: have you spent any time in Elko County? There are wonderful wild places there, it's big and wide open.

[@Randall1001]

I had a feeling you'd choose the Finger Lakes for NY. Thanks. Lived here all my life, and to me it epitomizes what you were getting at, as far as NY goes. You forgot to mention wine though. ;-)

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Fun that you picked Cavalier for your North Dakota town. I live in SW North Dakota. But Cavalier is my back-up plan if SW North Dakota doesn't work out.

[@dannypipewrench533]

I would really like to visit North Dakota. I will be living in Idaho for the next four to eight years, so maybe I will get a chance.

[@brianmiller1077]

@@dannypipewrench533 The Badlands are pretty, but the areas not near Fargo are in decline, unless there's another oil boom.

[@dannypipewrench533]

@@brianmiller1077 Interesting. I sure would like to go to the Badlands.

[@nickimontie]

Looking forward to Part 2!

[@wolfman92097]

nice king gizard album!

[@JAllenIsaac]

Flying Microtonal

[@opeg8894]

You just missed me with the finger lakes 😭. Conesus lake, which some would consider the westernmost finger lake, had a very rural vibe and doesn’t have any large towns on it. It’s quite smaller than Seneca or Cayuga and it doesn’t have as much of a vacation home appeal as some of the other lakes. Mostly the homes are more modest and there are a lot of farming communities in the surrounding areas that make up the culture. Definitely a cool lake to drive around and explore the surrounding areas if u get a chance sometime.

[@patriciayohn6136]

In PA I liked your choice, but I would have chosen the Laurel Highlands.

[@TeinMustang]

Your picks for NC and NH are two of my favorite places in the country to visit!

[@TheAidanodian]

I’m a fan of the islands in Washington as well. Very nice place and just a 20-30 min flight to Seattle at most.

[@equanaman]

Personally I love the rural stretch between Athens and Utica, Ohio

[@BobZed]

As a longtime Washington resident, I disagree on Washington. I would go for the Palouse. The San Juan Islands only marginally qualify as rural. They are really cool because... Islands!

[@ulfthegoon]

I enjoy your list. Look forward to Part 2.

[@HappyComfort]

Thank you for sharing this especially with pictures of rural America 👍😁 I get to see places in other states that realistically I probably won’t get to visit. And many of them are very beautiful! 😊👍🌷

[@Jarekthegamingdragon]

For washington, I would have chosen something more mountainous. The islands aren't really what I think of when I hear rural. 100% agree for Oregon. I personally prefer Pacific City over all the other towns.

[@MissCharliechop]

Another awesome video! I love the info. And the visuals that give an idea of what the natural landscape looks like.

[@GatewayPro]

As a former South Dakota resident, you nailed it.

[@matthewgoodman7588]

I'm so glad you picked the entire coast for Oregon.

[@Yormsane]

For NM, I like the area around the small town of Silver City, in the SW part of the state. Far enough off the beaten track, surrounded by hills and forests, and the town itself its a cute little artsy kinda place, that's not too touristy - unlike Taos or Santa Fe.

[@nicolasaldape]

hey, i see that copy of Flying Microtonal Banana in the bottom left! great album!

[@DDBurnett1]

GK, I noticed you included Whidbey Island with the San Juans. The only islands actually considered the San Juan Islands are those in San Juan County.

[@BillyBob-wh4sq]

This was a really neat video. Can’t wait to see what you have to say about my state in part 2!

[@jeffwebb2966]

Thanks Kyle. I would like to see a video about what you think about the coming water shortage

[@robertmoore2049]

You picked the perfect place in North Carolina. There’s a great KZbin channel called Celebrating Appalachia in an incorporated town called Brasstown in Cherokee County in that area. Thank you, Kyle!

[@johnnielson7676]

That area is one of my ancestral homelands- beautiful mountains and friendly people

[@johnmcafee9741]

In Texas, the little town of Fredericksburg has become insanely expensive. It's an interesting small town, but there's nothing there to justify the exorbitant real estate prices. On the other hand, something is worth what somebody will pay you for it, so go figure.

[@outbackwack368]

We're moving to Rockwood, TN, population 5500, which is right next door to your rural area pick. I love those little towns, yet we're going to be near Walmart, Kroger and 35 minutes to Costco. Maybe we'll see you around Chattanooga when we visit!. We currently live in Gilbert, AZ, population 280,000, designated the largest "town" in the US. This sucks. "It's not the crowds I mind, it's the people in them"

[@GeographyKing]

That's a nice area for sure. I'm in that area often for hiking.

[@johnvenditto2908]

I really haven't traveled around the country much outside the eastern seaboard so I take no issue with your choices EXCEPT your choice for New Jersey, where I live. The southwestern part of the state has some nice rural charm but it's few and far between. The Warren/ Sussex county areas in northwestern NJ are very nice and very rural, and not economically depressed like some down near Philly. We Jerseyans love it when people see this part of the state and say they can't believe they're in Jersey. Still, I can't wait for Part 2!

[@jazzcatjohn]

The southern Oregon coast is rural. But the Northern portion from Newport up to the WA border, in the summer months, is bumper to bumper traffic and the beaches completely packed. The rest of the year when its raining it feels more rural. When I lived in Portland a few years ago it got to the point that I would go to Long Beach, WA in the summer because the Oregon beaches were just too crowded. That's what happens when you combine amazing natural beauty with a highway (101) straight down the coast.

[@bob_frazier]

Very true. It may be rural, but it is slaughtered by tourists when the weather is good.

[@ja8ames]

Yeah, it's worth noting that Oregon's population center runs parallel to the north-central coast, only ~50 miles inland. So it's easy access from Portland, Eugene, etc. Still thing tend to get so rural, so fast outside of any metro area or small city in OR that it's hard to say what might be the best pick here. Maybe northeast near Baker City or La Grande? I've not been there myself, though, so can't say.

[@admirals818]

The Door Peninsula in Wisconsin is nice, but is such a tourist trap for Illinois people that hate Wisconsin so much that they always go there. And unless there's another Whitefish Bay, that's actually a northern suburb of Milwaukee. Another enjoyable video, though!

[@aaronciha5027]

Whitefish Bay is just south of Whitefish Sand Dunes.

[@admirals818]

@@aaronciha5027 Ah, thanks. Found it on the map. Just not the first place most Wisconsinites think of when we hear 'Whitefish Bay'.

[@Eedg769]

Great pick for NY. The Finger Lakes are the garden of New York State, truly a paradise. However, New York City people really don’t get up there much or have vacation homes there. The vacation homes tend to be wealthy people from Upstate metro areas (Rochester, Syracuse etc).

[@tomfields3682]

What rural part of NY is favored by NYC residents?

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

People in these areas are probably saying, "Don't give away our best-kept secrets." Also (and I know I'm a broken record at this point), but this Kyle dude seriously could be a shirt model. He wears 'em like a boss.

[@opeg8894]

So could you man

[@EfficientRVer]

I've spent time in quite a number of the places you picked, and for the most part I tend to agree. I'm guessing that there's no way for you to avoid the choices in a few of the other states to be more controversial than these. You'll catch some flack no matter what you pick in CA and FL, for instance, mostly from people who don't spend much time in rural areas except as tourists.

[@itsjustme4848]

You kind of missed the mark with Wisconsin. Door County is the most intensely touristy part of the state, very popular with people from the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. And BTW, Whitefish Bay is indeed upscale, but it’s in suburban Milwaukee County, 150 miles south of Door county.

[@MillerMeteor74]

For NJ you showed what appeared to be mostly Salem County and a little bit of Cumberland County. Actually most of Salem and Cumberland Counties are rural, with farms, forests and marshland along the Delaware Bay. But the rural area of South Jersey is huge, extending way up into Burlington County. There's a strip of congested towns along the coast and another along the Delaware River, and the rest is mostly rural. I live in north central Atlantic County, so I live in that rural area. It's beautiful.

[@KS-lp3ui]

@MillerMeteor74 I'm with you! There are so many beautiful rural areas in NJ, and the southern third of the state tends to get overlooked (apart from the SW near Delaware). Most people don't stray far from the Turnpike and the Parkway when evaluating the state.

[@moe9730]

Wow I grew up in Ohio near the area you chose. We have finally been recognized! It’s a great place to grow up and is always ignored in every Ohio video. Great choice :)

[@sr7312]

Looks like Sandusky, Seneca, and Wyandot Counties but I can't recall what the 4th one is. I grew up just North of there myself.

[@athom716]

​@@sr7312 Looks like he highlighted those three and Crawford, Wyandot, Hardin and Hancock counties. I live just west of there (nice Lima shoutout!) and the area is nothing if not rural. Surprise Amish country making an appearance in Hardin County.

[@joshf5341]

@@sr7312 ​ he highlighted Sandusky, Seneca, Crawford, Hardin, Wyandot and Hancock counties.

[@UserName-ts3sp]

yeah i expected either amish country or hocking hills

[@BillGreenAZ]

I agree with you about the northeastern part of South Dakota. Most people think of the Black Hills as you mention but one of the criteria of this video is to be non-touristy so that leaves out the Black Hills. The northeastern part of SD is called the Coteau des Prairies and is an elevated part of the state. One of the best features is all the small lakes in the area. This area also has Sica Hollow State Park which is said to be spooky and haunted.

[@thegreatinterpreter8382]

I'm originally from Ohio. Personally, I think Amish country is pretty beautiful. It's East of the region you highlighted. It's kind-of a triangle between Canton, Columbus and Cambridge. Visit between Labor day and Halloween. The smells alone will blow your mind. Buy the most delicious cheeses, meats, breads, and corn in classic 'red barn' farming communities where dirt roads, straw hats and horse's and buggies are the norm.

[@christopherscott1336]

Excellent video, very much enjoyed it

[@brianarbenz7206]

Great! Lots of new info. Good work. Can't wait to see part 2. The states of my area are mostly in the 1st half of the alphabet.

[@MrSpankee02]

Before I watched the vid, I knew you were going to choose the finger lakes for NY state, my second choice would have been the Adirondacks.

[@davidmatheny1993]

As phenomenal as the Smoky Mountains are, middle Tennessee is seriously underrated for enjoying the outdoors. Roads that climb up and down the plateaus surrounding the Sequatchie Valley are stunning( Hwy. 111 especially), and there are multiple state parks across the area like Fall Creek Falls. You also have multiple lakes for recreation and some caverns to visit.

[@alexreifschneider4332]

NEBRASKA! Right on, the pine ridge, the Sandhills, fishing, hunting, hiking, birdwatching, and more! One of the best kept secrets in the country, and yes its not for everyone!

[@jimgreen5788]

Kyle, good guess on Kewanee County, WI--you nailed it. Although I'm sure you know it, for others, the Eastern Shore of VA is on what's called the Delmarva Peninsula, which is a name made up of portions of the 3 states on it: Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

[@dawsonallen6721]

Don’t want to nit-pick but the last shot of your Wyoming pick is in a town that isn’t in Bighorn County, but rather Park county to the west. Keep up the good work 👍👍